Alpine FIS Vipers Team is wrapping up their second week in Europe, highlighted by a visit to the Men’s World Cup Giant Slalom in Soelden, Austria. Head FIS Coach Chad Wolk shared details from the trip, which has combined intensive training with valuable exposure to elite-level racing.
The team began its European block in Lithuania, skiing indoors on icy slopes before splitting into two groups. Some athletes returned to Steamboat Springs, while others traveled to Pitztal, Austria, for glacier training.
“Our first three days on the glacier were really productive,” Wolk reported. “Even as snow started to fall, we could see the Soelden start house from our training slope, and our excitement grew.”
With worsening weather conditions bringing wind and fresh snow, the team decided to take two rest days. On the first day off, athletes watched the Women’s U.S. Ski Team deliver a strong performance in the World Cup opener, followed by a trip to Innsbruck, a city that has hosted two Winter Olympics. Wolk then made a quick trip to Munich to pick up additional athletes joining from a National Development Program camp.
The second rest day was spent traveling to Soelden to witness the men’s race firsthand. “It felt like a normal race day — a two-hour drive, a bus to the slope, wind, snow — Mother Nature reminding everyone who’s in charge,” Wolk wrote.
High winds forced organizers to lower the start position and delay the first run. The team joined thousands of spectators who had traveled to the glacier to see the world’s top skiers compete. Among them were Americans, including Steamboat’s Cooper Puckett and River Radamus, the latter being the only U.S. skier to qualify for the second run. Austria’s Marco Schwarz thrilled the home crowd by finishing just 0.01 seconds behind Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt, who claimed another World Cup victory.
Back at their Pitztal hotel, the team gathered for dinner and shared reflections on the experience. “I was excited to hear their responses,” Wolk said. “It’s not just about the skiing—it’s about the atmosphere, the energy, and the feeling of being part of something at this level.”
Wolk added that watching World Cup racing up close is an important motivational tool. “No one had a perfect run, but they all kept pushing and fighting,” he said. “They’re normal people doing what they love, and being here to share that with our athletes makes it all worthwhile.”
