BY KAREN BOSSICK

The crowd exceeded nearly everyone’s expectations, athletes especially. Hotels filled, and Ketchum’s streets bustled with people, enjoying such novelty items as crispy buttermilk fried chicken with roasted garlic and spicy pickles.

Wood River Valley residents became very familiar with the national anthems of Italy, Switzerland and Austria after watching thrilling races staged in rapid-fire succession in which determined skiers focused on the finish line straddled gates, blew through slalom flags and performed acrobatics trying to regain their balance after finding themselves with one ski sticking up in the air.

Americans thrilled to a comeback victory by Lindsey Vonn in the Giant Slalom, while Mikaela Shiffrin put her shoulder down and scored two exciting slalom races to show she, too, could bounce back from a traumatic accident.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle heads down the Super-G course before a mistake takes him out of the race. PHOTO: Berit Campion

The 2025 Audi FIS World Cup Finals in Sun Valley may be remembered as the place where Swiss standout Marco Odermatt shattered one of his many Crystal Globes as he playfully tried to throw it up in the air only to have it bang against a medal around his neck and crash to the ground.

But, without a doubt, the Finals lived up to the hype.

“The Stifel Sun Valley Finals is a testament to how our community has come together, celebrating both the achievements of our athletes and the enduring legacy of Sun Valley as a premier ski destination,” said Pete Sonntag, COO of Sun Valley Resort.

“With resoundingly positive feedback on the course features and construction, and a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich history, this event marks an exciting chapter for the future of alpine ski racing in the U.S. It’s an opportunity to honor our past while uniting athletes, fans, and the entire ski community in a shared passion for the sport.”

Noel Morgan captured this picture of the race course in the morning as he headed to his volunteer job with the World Cup Finals.

Added Stacey Ehleringer, local organizing chair of Stifel Sun Valley Finals: "We are incredibly proud of the success of this event and the overwhelming support from athletes, fans, and partners who made it possible. From Odermatt and Brignone securing the Overall Crystal Globes with dominant performances, to Vonn's first podium position since 2018, each race brought intense competition, dramatic finishes, and incredible displays of athleticism that kept us entertained all week long.”

Ski fans packed into the 850-seat VIP tent and 1,100-seat grandstand, and many more congregated along the ski runs on the mountain. The base area in front of the finish line was packed but there was always room for one more. The number of skiers on the hill approached Christmas holiday levels.

And shuttles to and from the arena seemed to flow smoothly, despite the large number of World Cup riders congregated at bus stops along the way.

Ketchum resident Noel Morgan was one of 300 volunteers who worked the weeklong event—a hundred of them turning out the night before the downhill race to sidestep International, Middle Warm Springs, Greyhawk and Hemingway after three inches of unwanted snow fell on the course.

American skier Lauren Macuga said she has a growing pile full of bucket hats that she collects on her travels.

Morgan left his home every morning at 6 to make his way to the course, his primary duty to raise the American flag before the start of each day’s race.

“I was so honored,” he said. “It has been amazing, all the volunteers. I know of one who was even assigned to follow a skier around, never letting her out of his sight, for drug test purposes.”

Parker Alling came to Sun Valley from Seattle for the races.

“I liked it all, but my favorite was seeing Lindsey Vonn’s amazing comeback in the giant slalom when no one was giving her a chance. Mikaela Shiffrin was amazing, too, but I grew up when the big racers were Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller and Julie Mancuso.”

The Tater Team that drove the 28-foot-long, 4-ton Big Idaho Potato to the 2025 Audi FIS World Cup Finals consisted of Monty Bullock, Erin Witherspoon and Zachary Nyborg.

Vendors at the bottom of the hill hawked cut-resistant undergarments to guard against cuts from sharp skis like those that cut a calf nerve in Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and a hamstring tendon in Bode Miller. The undergarments will be mandated by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation next year.

Vendors had trouble keeping World Cup Finals hats in stock.

While this week’s event closed out the 2024-25 World Cup season, many of the athletes skied for points to give them a jumpstart on the next season. Many said they were looking towards the 2026 Winter Olympics that will be held in Italy.

“Who could imagine to win so much?” said Federica Brignone who will return home with a suitcase full of World Cup Crystal Globes and medals. “Now I am looking forward to the Olympics in my country.”

The always bubbly American skier Lauren Macuga also couldn’t help thinking of the Olympics a year from now: “I couldn't have asked for a better season. I mean, my team, the support and it's literally just been so fun. I’m lucky to be on this team and I hopeful for the Olympics--I am going to use it to show people we're having fun ski racing.”

The athletes, who came from at least 21 countries, including Bulgaria, expressed appreciation for the challenging courses that Sun Valley workers built in just a few months.

Mikaela Shiffrin said it was special to finish the season before such a large crowd on home soil.

“Everybody here has been so supportive, and all the young people have come out to watch. It’s just a really cool atmosphere to be part of.”

American skier Ben Ritchie said Sun Valley has always been one of his favorite places to ski and that the resort did an amazing job of hosting the races.  Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen said he enjoyed the town where he had a chance to stock up on such Western souvenirs as a cowboy hat and belt bucker.

“Sun Valley was great, the people very friendly,” added Austrian Fabio Gstrein, who podiumed in Thursday’s Men’s Slalom.

Former NBC Sports Announcer Tim Ryan said that the Europeans, who are very serious and passionate about the sport of skiing, may have been a bit bemused by the antics of emcees Uncle E and Randy. But, he said, the Europeans have loved the festival atmosphere of the town.

“They were probably intrigued by how our crowd is more kind to the losers,” he added.

Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic, who won the Overall Season Slalom Crystal Globe, said she loved Sun Valley.

“It's my first time in the West. And the nature is so, so nice. Like, so wide and untouched. And the people were so nice, too, like they were cheering for everyone.”

Some would say she’s just reaffirming what those who live here already know.

“It was amazing to have this on our mountain,” said Muffy Davis, a Sun Valley mono-skier who  won seven Paralympic medals. “We know how amazing it is. Now the whole world knows.”

There’s been talk of bringing the Finals back to Sun Valley in two years, said longtime World Cup ski tech Curtis Bacca.

“Of course, I would love to see an event focusing on downhill,” he said. “That would be amazing.”

WANT TO SEE A WORLD CUP CRYSTAL GLOBE UP CLOSE?

Check out the Crystal Globe Sun Valley skier Muffy Davis received at the 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City. It’s in the display case on the bottom floor of Dollar Mountain Lodge.