🏠 The GOAT is coming home. Fresh off securing her 99th and 100th (as per the earlier user input about winning in Gurgl) World Cup victories in Europe, Mikaela Shiffrin is headed back to her home state of Colorado to headline the inaugural Stifel Copper Cup. After a dominant run in Gurgl, Austria, the momentum couldn’t be stronger for the Alpine Skiing icon as she sets her sights on the high-altitude terrain of Copper Mountain.
This event is not just another stop on the circuit; it marks the first time in over two decades that Copper Mountain will host a women’s World Cup technical event. For Shiffrin, whose family roots are deeply tied to Vail, this is a genuine homecoming—a chance to race in front of a home crowd that has watched her rise from a promising junior to the most decorated skier in history.
The Race Schedule: Slalom and Giant Slalom
The Stifel Copper Cup runs from November 27–30 and features a quad-header of races. For the women’s field, including Mikaela Shiffrin, the key dates are the weekend events:
* Saturday, Nov. 29: Women’s Giant Slalom
* Sunday, Nov. 30: Women’s Slalom
Shiffrin, who has started the season in blistering form, will enter the fray as the leader in both the slalom and overall World Cup standings. She has publicly expressed her excitement for the venue, noting that this allows her to “stay in my own bed for the first time during the season.”
Shiffrin’s Dominance and the Road Ahead
The confidence carried by Shiffrin is immense. Her recent victories in Europe—including two straight slalom wins—demonstrated that she has fully recovered from her mid-season injury of the previous year. She has consciously reduced her schedule to focus on the technical events (slalom and giant slalom) heading into the next Olympic Winter Games, a strategy designed to maximize her performance and longevity.
The Copper Mountain venue, which serves as the regular training base for the U.S. Ski Team, is familiar ground for Shiffrin. This familiarity, combined with the energy of a supportive American crowd, sets the stage for potentially another record-breaking performance.
What to Watch For
While Shiffrin is the undisputed favorite, the competition in both the Giant Slalom and Slalom remains fierce. The Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit features rising stars who are constantly pushing the pace. Fans should watch for the incredible precision required to navigate the demanding Copper Mountain course.
For the Stifel Copper Cup to be a success, the focus must be on smooth execution and capitalizing on the home-snow advantage. The performances here will be critical in building a points lead ahead of the December stretch and confirming Shiffrin’s status as the top contender for the coveted overall World Cup crystal globe.
The Stifel Copper Cup is free to attend. Would you like to know which other top American skiers are competing alongside Mikaela Shiffrin?
