The Alpine Ski World Cup Kicks Off in Sölden in 100 Days
- Raúl Revuelta
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 18
The 2026-2027 Alpine Ski World Cup season is just around the corner. After months of waiting, the skiing circus will be back in 100 days. Sölden (Tirol, Austria) will again host the first Races of the season. As every year, the Women's Giant Slalom opens 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 1993 premiere, it was decided that Sölden would alternate with Saas-Fee and Tignes as the venues for the opening of the Alpine Ski 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 24 and 25 October. In 2023, Sölden celebrated 30 years of the Alpine Ski World Cup Season Opener on the Rettenbach Glacier.
Saturday, 24.10.2026
10:00 CET 1st run Women's Giant Slalom
13:00 CET 2nd run Women's Giant Slalom
Sunday, 25.10.2026
10:00 CET 1st run Men's Giant Slalom
13:00 CET 2nd run Men's Giant Slalom
Last season, in front of 15,900 ski fans, Julia Scheib secured victory for the host nation in the Women's Alpine Ski World Cup opener held in Sölden. Scheib finished with a lead of 0.58 seconds over Paula Moltzan, while Lara Gut-Behrami completed the podium 1.11 seconds behind Scheib.
The day after, Marco Odermatt kicked off the new season with another victory in the Men's Alpine Ski World Cup Opener in Sölden. The 28-year-old Swiss skier, who has won at the Rettenbach Glacier three times (in 2021, 2022, and 2025), is now tied with Hermann Maier for the most wins in Sölden. Ted Ligety holds the record with four victories, having won in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015.
Marco Schwarz finished in second place, 0.24 seconds behind. Atle Lie McGrath took third place, finishing 0.27 seconds behind, after moving up four positions thanks to a great second run.
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 celebrated its 75th anniversary. Sölden has changed a lot between the first one-person chairlift in Hochsölden in 1948 and the ultramodern 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 the Rettenbach Glacier. If you also want to visit Tiefenbach Glacier, you have to cross the mountain via Europe's highest road tunnel (1,8 km), passing the highest point of the glacier road (2830 m) as well.
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