STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK

PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK AND JOHN BOYDSTON

The last World Cup Men’s Giant Slalom of the season was a dogfight to the end.

Swiss racer Marco Odermatt, who had already claimed the season long World Cup Giant Slalom Title, had just one last race in which to assert his dominance. But he had a little wobble on the first run of the day on the sun kissed snow at Sun Valley, finishing fourth on his first run.

He came back with a vengeance on his second run.

Then he waited. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil laid down a good run but could not catch him; ditto for Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway. Finally, there was one man left –Odermatt’s teammate Loic Meillard.

As Odermatt held his breath, Meillard laid down a spectacularly clean run, gracefully arcing around the slalom gates, hardly any snow spraying in his wake. And he crossed the finish line for a combined time of nearly a second--0.95—under Odermatt.

Odermatt won the overall World Cup Crystal Globe with 1,721 points collected over the season. That was 655 more than Kristoffersen of Norway and 690 more than his teammate Meillard.

But it would prove somewhat bittersweet as Odermatt broke the crystal globe while celebrating after the awards ceremony. Odermatt An exuberant Odermatt tried to toss the globe up in the air when it seemingly came in contact with the medal around his neck. He tried to catch it, but it fell to the snow-covered ground and shattered.

American skier River Radamus finished 15^th, 3.21 seconds behind first in a race where the sugary spring snow left one skier doing a 360.

“I would have liked to skied a little faster but…” he said. “The course is amazing. It’s completely unique, different from any other tracks we see. Every challenge, unique challenge, is great, you know?”

Radamus said he and his teammates knew their experience in Sun Valley at the World Cup Finals would be good, having raced in Sun Valley in the National championships.

“But I think everybody in the world is blown away by just how great it’s been,” he added. “The atmosphere, the turnout—I think it’s the best in the United States. The community around here is so engaged in the sport. And you can see how much turnout there is, how much excitement there is in town. This is the biggest crowd I’ve seen in the U.S., for sure.”

The 2025 World Cup Finals concludes today with Men’s and Women’s Slalom races beginning at 9 a.m. If you want to see Mikaela Shiffrin, you’d better be there on time—she drew start No. 2 during the bib drawing Wednesday night during a festival night at the Sun Valley Ice Rink.

THURSDAY, MARCH 27

9 a.m.-5 p.m. VENDOR VILLAGE at Warm Springs Base Area

9 a.m. WOMEN’S SLALOM RUN NO. 1 can be viewed from Lower Greyhawk Base viewing area (Live Outside TV and Cox Cable Channel 4)

10 a.m. MEN’S SLALOM RUN NO. 1 can be viewed from Lower Greyhawk Base Viewing Area (Live on Outside TV and Cox Cable Channel 4)

11 a.m.-Noon LIVE MUSIC BY DOT at Warm Springs Base Area

Noon WOMEN’S SLALOM RUN NO. 2 can be viewed from the Lower Greyhawk Base viewing area (Live on USA & Outside TV and Cox Cable Channel 4)

Noon-- HALEY CUTLER’s WORLD CUP AND OLYMPIC DREAMS will take place at The Argyros. The Wood River Valley ski racer will offer a behind-the-scenes look at high-level competition, including the intense training, mental fortitude and recovery programs.

Noon-8:30 p.m. VENDORS and FOOD TRUCKS at Ketchum Town Square

1 p.m. MEN’S SLALOM RUN NO. 2 can be viewed from Lower Greyhawk Base viewing area (Live on Outside TV and Cox Cable Channel 4)

1:30 p.m. FINAL GLOBE PRESENTATION at finish area following final race

3-5 p.m. WORLD CUP REBELS APRES MUSIC with SWITCHFOOT, a four-member band with a Grammy Award-winning “Hello Hurricane” at Warm Springs Base Area.

5:30 SPEED PAINTER Evan Struck will be painting portraits of athletes at Graham Galleries on Sun Valley Road. Better Ask Brenda will provide hors d'oeuvres from 5 to 7 p.m.

6 p.m. GIDDY UP AND GO CLOSING PARTY at Ketchum Town Square

8 p.m. THE LAST YEE-HAW at Whiskey’s on Main