STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Spuddy Buddy drew the downhill bib numbers, embedded on little plush Spuddy Buddy dolls provided by the Idaho Potato Commission. And across the ice rink, JR Simplot Company was serving spectators with free heaping helpings of some of the tastiest crinkle fries you’ve ever had.

Idaho may be first and foremost about ski racing with the World Cup contenders and their entourage in Sun Valley for the 2025 Audi FIS World Cup Finals. But they won’t leave without thinking of Idaho potatoes, as well.

Sun Valley Resort welcomed a myriad of European visitors in town for the World Cup with a taste of the familiar, a taste of the Old World, Friday evening during the Opening Ceremonies.

One of the Sun Valley Figure Skating Club’s youngest and most vivacious members was the first to entertain the crowd at Friday’s Opening Ceremonies.

Brass Ranch served up hot German pretzels and cold German beer as it invited visitors in to check out the latest Bogner collection. And Pete Lane’s invited visitors in for Old World Lindt chocolate candies, along with more German beer, as it invited them to check out the end-of-the-season winter collection.

Of course, the big draw was the Bib Draw to designate in what order the top 10 male and female downhill racers in the world would race the following day.

Diesel Ward offered a stirring rendition of The Star Spangled Banner, and Sun Valley Figure Skaters presented a lovely program, including the show-ending “It Happened in Sun Valley” at Sun Valley’s outdoor ice rink.

And Idahoans cheered for two U.S. gals—Victor, Idaho downhill racer Breezy Johnson and Lauren Macuga, who raced in Sun Valley during the 2022 and 2024 U.S. Alpine Nationals.

Sun Valley’s figure skaters showed they had a few death- defying moves, in keeping with the derring-do of the downhill racers.

“I like the snow here—it’s so, so nice,” Austrian Corinna Heutter told the crowd. “And the atmosphere and everything--it's really nice, a lot of nature. I like that. I also come from a small town in Austria. There's also, you know, just a lot of nature around, like here. It's really amazing.”

Sofia Goggia, of Italy, would end up with the bronze medal in the World Cup downhill on Saturday.

Sun Valley Resort is showcasing some of the nationalities that are taking part in the 2025 Audi FIS World Cup Finals.