Construction Begins on New 2015 World Championships Ladies' Downhill Course in Beaver Creek
BEAVER CREEK, Colorado - July 2, 2012 - Construction on international ski racing’s newest crown jewel officially got underway Monday, July 2, as Beaver Creek’s Mountain Operations crew began work on the new ladies’ Downhill course for the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
“We are very excited to get started building the new women’s course,” explained Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation and the 2015 World Championships Organizing Committee. “This is a day we’ve looked forward to ever since a new speed course for the ladies became part of our bid to secure the Championships.”
Located to skier’s right of the existing Birds of Prey men’s racecourse on Beaver Creek Mountain, the new track will play host to women’s Downhill, Combined Downhill and Super-G competitions during the 2015 Championships, sharing similar terrain with its renowned men’s counterpart.
In addition to the new ladies’ course, crews will also begin the process of reconfiguring the current Red Tail finish arena, with work including re-grading the finish and moving the existing timing building to the east side of the finish area. The snowmaking system on the women’s course will also be installed.
“In addition to being able to once again showcase Beaver Creek through this great new race venue,” offered Doug Lovell, Vice President and COO of Beaver Creek, “we’re excited to be able to provide the World Cup ladies, the U.S. Ski Team and the FIS with a new and challenging racecourse for the future.”
Vail Resorts’ officials received final U.S. Forest Service approval for construction May 3, which also signaled the beginning of a 45-day public comment period. The clearing is slated to be completed in 18 days, while the finish reconfiguration is slated to be finished by this coming winter and the annual Audi FIS Birds of Prey World Cup Race Week.
The new ladies’ course will start on the Flat Tops run, following it past the top of Chair 9 before it enters Peregrine through a new cut at the top of the trail. The course then follows upper Peregrine towards the Golden Eagle Pump House, entering the largest section of new trail cut below the pump house between Golden Eagle and Peregrine. Rejoining Peregrine, the course then follows the run to Red Tail, joining with the Birds of Prey men’s course at the Red Tail Jump and into the finish arena.
The new racecourse is scheduled to make its international race debut December 14-15 of 2013 as the World Cup women travel to Beaver Creek for Downhill and Super-G competitions.
Along with the ladies’ speed course, Beaver Creek will also construct a new track on Raven Ridge, located skier’s left of Birds of Prey, to host the women’s Giant Slalom and Slalom competitions during the Championships. These technical races will also finish in the Red Tail arena.
The 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek are scheduled from February 2-15. The event is expected to showcase athletes from over 70 nations, along with an onsite media and broadcast entourage of approximately 1,500 members. An international television audience approaching 750 million people will watch the two weeks of racing and festivities.
For additional information on the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, please visit www.vailbeavercreek2015.com.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado, and Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com