STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Sun Valley’s Ashley Clark mesmerized the crowd as she swung balls of fire while skating around the Sun Valley Ice Rink.

Children waved the flags of 21 countries, including those of Belgium, Poland, Britain and Brazil, which boasts Norwegian-born skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen whose mother is Brazilian.

And skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin donned sparkly “100” glasses in honor of her 100th World Cup win a month ago.

Mikaela Shiffrin donned her “100” glasses.

Nearly as many people turned out for the second bib draw of the 2025 Audi FIS World Cup Finals on the eve of the Slalom Races as they did for the Opening Ceremonies when hundreds of people crowded around the ice rink and on the lodge terrace, while filling every inch of the lodge balcony.

They were rewarded with the ice show featuring a cute cowboy number by the Sun Valley Figure Skating Club, a chance to hear from the world’s top slalom racers and free samples of Four Cheese mashed potatoes handed out by the Idaho Potato Commission.

Sun Valley’s COO Pete Sonntag told the audience that the effort to bring the 2025 World Cup Finals to Sun Valley began just 16 months earlier. The resort designed and built a challenging course—a project that would normally take a few years—in a few months.

“Our intent was to bring something cool and great to Sun Valley in hopes you would show up and support it, and you’ve blown us away,” he said.

More than a dozen youngsters took part in the skating show.

“I’ve never seen such enthusiasm for ski racing in the United States,” added Ronald Kruszewski, whose Stifel sponsored the Stifel Sun Valley Finals. “Now, I’ve got to get back to work—you guys know how to party.”

Swiss skier Wendy Holdener, who had 299 World Cup starts—even more than Shiffrin—at that point, told the crowd she was pumped up about the next day’s races, having had the opportunity to take a dip in the hot springs near Ketchum.

Mikaela Shiffrin drew Run No. 2, picking her bib number on a tiny Spuddy Buddy doll out of the bag. Ski announcer Chris Ernest, better known as Uncle E, then presented her with a pair of glasses sporting “100.”

Uncle E. asked Shiffrin about the trying year she had had since incurring a puncture wound trying to get that hundredth win in Killington, Vt.

American Paula Moltzan, sporting a bandage on her chin after incurring a deep gash when she ran off course during an earlier race, shows the audience that she got No. 14 in the bib draw.

“The past is the past, I’m ready to get on with it,” replied Shiffrin.

Shiffrin also thanked the volunteers and course workers: “The weather has been challenging with a lot of snow at the beginning of the races and now sun and warm temperatures that have taken a toll on the course. But you are doing an amazing job to make it possible for us to ski.”

#P5#Ashley Clark, a three-time U.S. Gold Medalist, is known for her unique Fire and Ice performances.