"The historic debut of women's racing in 2024 was a milestone decades in the making," Sarah Franke, senior vice president of operations for the Vail Valley Foundation, said in the foundation's May 7 announcement that added a second women's downhill to this December's Stifel Birds of Prey World Cup.
That one addition is the reason Beaver Creek's early season runs longer this year. The men race Dec. 3 through 6. The women follow on Dec. 11, 12 and 13 with two downhills and a super-G. That makes seven World Cup races over back-to-back weekends, more than at any Birds of Prey since the course hosted its first World Cup in 1997. The second weekend took a long time to reach its current size. That history explains why the village calendar now stretches from opening day well into mid-December.
How the Women's Weekend Grew
Women racing at Beaver Creek is not new. Women racing the full Birds of Prey downhill is. The steps happened years apart:
- 2011. Lindsey Vonn won a super-G on what Vail Daily described as a slightly modified Birds of Prey course.
- 2013. Beaver Creek's "Raptor" course hosted three World Cup test events ahead of the 2015 World Championships. Raptor was built for those championships. It runs skier's right of Birds of Prey and joins it at the finish arena, so the women shared a finish with the men but not the men's course.
- 2024. Women raced the full Birds of Prey downhill for the first time. More than 5,000 fans came out, and winner Cornelia Hütter said the race showed women could handle the course.
- January 2026. U.S. Ski and Snowboard's preliminary schedule brought the women back for a downhill and a super-G on Dec. 12 and 13.
- May 2026. A second downhill on Friday, Dec. 11 turned the women's visit into a three-race weekend.
According to Vail Daily's reporting on the Vail Valley Foundation's release, the 2024 women's races and this year's return were made possible by a $10 million gift from John and Karen Arnold through the foundation's Empowering Possibility Capital Campaign. The finish venue carries their names too, as the John and Karen Arnold Red Tail Stadium.
The foundation calls the schedule preliminary until the FIS Council gives final approval. Vail Resorts' later winter press kit lists the same dates.
Three Weeks, Three Peaks
The races come right after opening week. Read together, the season's first nineteen days have three busy stretches and one quiet one in the middle.
| Dates | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Opening day, with the Chair 6 banner break at the top of Centennial |
| Fri.–Sat., Nov. 27–28 | Holiday Market in the village; Tree Lighting & Ice Spectacular on Nov. 28 |
| Thu.–Sun., Dec. 3–6 | Men's downhill, downhill, super-G, giant slalom |
| Sat.–Sun., Dec. 5–6 | Nathaniel Rateliff at the Vilar; Beers of Prey on Dec. 5 |
| Mon.–Thu., Dec. 7–10 | No World Cup races |
| Fri.–Sun., Dec. 11–13 | Women's downhill, downhill, super-G; Cheers of Prey on Dec. 12 |
Vail Resorts' opening-dates announcement puts opening on Nov. 25, depending on weather and conditions. According to the resort's press kit, opening morning brings free hot chocolate and cookies, DJ Pippen at the base, swag for early arrivals and surprise treats in the gondola cars. Spruce Saddle is scheduled to open daily starting Nov. 25, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Thanksgiving falls on Nov. 26 this year, which affects Epic Local Pass holders. The 2026/27 Epic Local Pass blacks out Nov. 27 and 28, the same two days as the Holiday Market and the Tree Lighting. The pass's other early blackouts are Dec. 26 through 31, so both race weekends are open to Epic Local holders.
Race Mornings, Practically
Watching a World Cup race at Beaver Creek costs nothing. The race-day guide says general admission and grandstand seats at Red Tail Stadium are free, with public concessions and restrooms. The big screen at the village ice rink is another option for anyone who would rather not ski or walk to the finish.
Organizer start times by race:
- Men's downhills, Dec. 3 and 4: 11 a.m.
- Men's super-G, Dec. 5: 10:30 a.m.
- Men's giant slalom, Dec. 6: 10 a.m.
- Women's downhills and super-G, Dec. 11 to 13: 11 a.m.
Getting to the stadium takes longer than most people expect. Spectators park in the Elk or Bear lots, and on race days vehicles carrying five or more people park free. Free shuttles run from the Covered Bridge to the finish-area drop-off. From there it is a five-minute uphill walk on snow, and organizers suggest allowing an hour from the resort base to the venue. For a 10 a.m. giant slalom, that means leaving the base around 9. Bus riders can take Core Transit, which lists the Vail/Beaver Creek Express every 20 minutes at peak times, with transfers in Avon. Schedules can change before race week.
Weather is the other factor. The Vail Valley Foundation's annual report says weather in 2025 cancelled one race, moved two others up a day and cut one short. With seven races planned this year, plans built around a single race day carry more risk than plans built around a weekend.
Ticketed hospitality is also available for anyone hosting guests. Standard VIP single-day tickets are currently listed from $550 on Thursday to $750 on Saturday and Sunday. They include a heated tent, food and drinks, screens, and indoor and outdoor viewing, and the organizer notes that prices may change. The Birds Eye View tier costs more and adds elevated private viewing, VIP shuttle service and Beaver Creek valet parking on ticketed days.
Between the Races
The Oct. 6 entertainment announcement lists more than a dozen free village concerts across the festival. Acts include The Hip Snacks, The Staples, Parton Me, Big Richard and the Sam Grisman Project, and set times may shift. Beers of Prey returns on Saturday, Dec. 5, during men's weekend. Cheers of Prey, a new cocktail and mocktail tasting, takes Saturday, Dec. 12, during women's weekend.
The two headline concerts follow the same split. Nathaniel Rateliff plays two shows at the Vilar Performing Arts Center on Dec. 5 and 6, and the announcement says both are sold out. ILLENIUM plays Dobson Arena in Vail on Dec. 11, the night of the first women's downhill. The Rateliff shows also open the Vilar's winter season, which runs through April 9, 2027.
Title sponsor Stifel leads a partner list that includes FIS, Nature Valley, CELSIUS and Purina Pro Plan.
Working the Course Instead of Watching It
A festival this size depends on local volunteers, and sign-up is open now. Raptor Crew handles off-course jobs and Talon Crew works on the course. A NextGen program takes volunteers ages 14 to 18, and four shifts qualify for the volunteer benefit package. With the women's weekend at three races this year, both weekends need full crews.
Between the races, the free Village Connect service is the easiest way to get around the neighborhood. The resort describes it as an on-demand service linking Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead from 7 a.m. to midnight. The resort's getting-here page also lists Elk and Bear lot parking at $13 before 1 p.m. and free after. That page has no season date, so check the rates before December.
If an owner in Beaver Creek or Bachelor Gulch is planning a December around family visits, guest stays or a possible sale, Dana Gumber can help work out how the race weekends affect timing. Schedule a private consultation.
