The Alpine Ski World Cup Kicks Off in Soelden in 100 Days
- Raúl Revuelta
- Jul 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 25
The 2025-2026 Alpine Ski World Cup season is fast approaching. After months of anticipation, the skiing circuit will return in 100 days. Sölden (Tirol, Austria) will once again host the season's opening races. As is tradition, the Women's Giant Slalom will kick off the new World Cup.
In 1993, Sölden held the first World Cup Race. The 1994-1995 World Cup season began in November 1994 in Park City, USA, and in December 1994 in Tignes, France, for Men.
After the premiere in 1993, it was decided that Sölden would alternate with Saas-Fee and Tignes as the venue for the opening of the Alpine Skiing World Cup. Saas-Fee, which had organized a Slalom and a Giant Slalom in January 1988, decided to give up organizing another World Cup event. Tignes (1995, 1997, and 1999) and Sölden (1996 and 1998) alternated until Tignes' step down.
Since the 2000/2001 season, the Women's and Men's Ski World Cup has traditionally been held on the Rettenbach Glacier in Sölden.
The races of the Alpine Ski World Cup Season Opener Sölden will be held on 25 and 26 October. In 2023, Sölden celebrated 30 years of the Alpine Ski World Cup Season Opener on the Rettenbach Glacier.
Alpine Ski World Cup Season Opener Program:
Saturday, 25.10.2025
10:00 CET 1st run Women‘s Giant Slalom
13:00 CET 2nd run Women‘s Giant Slalom
Sunday, 26.10.2025
10:00 CET 1st run Men‘s Giant Slalom
13:00 CET 2nd run Men‘s Giant Slalom
Last season, Federica Brignone secured her second win in Soelden. Racing on the Rettenbach glacier for the 14th time, she has landed on the podium five times (1st in 2015 and 2024; 2nd in 2018, 2020, and 2023). She finished ahead of Alice Robinson (+ 0.17) and Julia Scheib (+1.08).
The day after, Norway secured a podium clean sweep at the Giant Slalom season opener in Soelden, with Alexander Steen Olsen claiming the top spot, Henrik Kristoffersen finishing second, and Atle Lie McGrath coming in third in the battle for victory.
Sölden is a very modern and popular ski resort in the Ötztal valley of Tirol, Austria. The main village of Sölden is located at 1,368 meters above sea level.
Sölden offers the marvelous BIG 3, Austria's only ski area with 3 mountains higher than 3,000 meters, which are accessible by lifts. From November through May, thanks to the ski area's high-Alpine location (1,350 - 3,250 m) and the modern snowmaking system (covering all slopes lower than 2,200 m), snow is guaranteed in Sölden.
Bergbahnen Sölden ranks among the leading mountain lift companies in the Alps and is one of the largest employers in the Tirolean Oberland region.
The cable car company owns and operates the 31 lifts in the Sölden ski area, 6 mountain restaurants (including the Ice Q gourmet restaurant at 3048 m. in the Gaislachkogl summit), as well as the 5* Hotel Das Central in Sölden, and the Rastland Nassereith.
In 2023, the cable car company celebrates its 75th anniversary. Sölden has evolved significantly from the initial one-person chairlift in Hochsölden in 1948 to the state-of-the-art James Bond Adventure World in 2018.
With a surface covering more than 20 km² and 34.5 km of pistes, Sölden's glacier ski area ranks among the largest in Tirol and all of Austria. Located between 2675 and 3250 meters, the scenic mountain ski areas of Rettenbach and Tiefenbachferner are connected by a ski tunnel.
Eight modern mountain lifts take skiers up the glacier ski mountains. The base lift stations at the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach Glaciers can also be easily reached by car or bus via the highest Panoramic Road in the Eastern Alps.
On spectacular bends and steep ascents, you will quickly gain altitude on this connecting toll road (free of charge with a valid ski pass). An average gradient of 11% awaits drivers on the 13 km-long route to Rettenbach Glacier. If you also want to visit Tiefenbach Glacier, you have to cross the mountain through Europe's highest road tunnel (1,8 km), passing also the highest point of the glacier road (2830 m).
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