Stifel Copper Cup viewers guide and course breakdown

The first of back-to-back World Cup weekends on Colorado snow begins Thursday with the men’s super-G at Copper Mountain. The four-day Copper Cup continues with a giant slalom on Friday, followed by women’s giant slalom and slalom races on Saturday and Sunday.

The men’s World Cup Alpine circuit continues at Beaver Creek next week. Following Tuesday’s snow control, the updated Birds of Prey race slate includes a downhill on Friday, Dec. 5, followed by a super-G on Dec. 6 and a giant slalom on Dec. 7.

How to watch the Copper Cup

The Copper Cup is free for in-person spectators, with VIP and grandstand tickets available for purchase. All of the races finish on Rosi’s Run, with athletes descending into the East Village finish area. Parking is free for guests in the Alpine and Far East parking lots. The in-resort shuttle service offers free transportation to the race venue. Those wishing to navigate on foot can expect about a 7-minute walk from the Alpine lot to East Village.

The races are free to watch live on Outside TV, but replays are behind a paywall.

Course preview

The Copper Cup course contains six sections: Max Head Room, Encore Face, Sky Chute, Black Bear, Lights Out and Rosi’s Face. The men’s super-G start sits at 11,545 feet, one of the highest elevations on the World Cup tour.

Spectators will spot the main super-G jump on Encore Face, named after Andy’s Encore trail — which honors Copper’s former general manager, Andy Daly. From this steep face, the course narrows into Sky Chutes, a tight and technical side-hill section. This area, right beneath the Super Bee lift, serves as the start of the women’s giant slalom (10,876 feet). The one breather offered to athletes will be in the Black Bear section, where finding speed will require a tight tuck and flat skis. Lights Out, the steepest part of the course, is the sight of the women’s slalom start and has been a long-standing component to Copper’s early-season training. Low light on the face could make visibility a challenge.

Each race finishes on Rosi’s Face, named after German legend Rosi Mittermaier, winner of the GS and slalom at the World Cup hosted at Copper Mountain in 1976.