The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup tour soars into Beaver Creek, Colorado for the men’s annual Stifel Birds of Prey. Four-time defending overall Crystal Globe winner Marco Odermatt (SUI), 2022 silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA), the recently returning Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR) and more of the sport’s top stars are expected to compete.

The action begins Thursday (originally scheduled for Friday, but moved up due to weather) with the first downhill contest of the season, followed by a super-G on Friday (originally scheduled for Saturday, but moved up) and then giant slalom on Sunday. Heavy snow is in the forecast over the next few days, which may further impact start times. The chart below will be updated accordingly.

The series of races constitute the final Cup event on the 2025-26 calendar held in the United States. They will air on NBC and Peacock, along with Outside TV. 

Before the athletes flock to the starting gates and dive down the historic course at upward of 80 miles per hour, here are five burning questions heading into Beaver Creek.

*Delayed Broadcast*

Could Odermatt reach 50 World Cup victories?

Odermatt likely will compete in all three races so it’s possible! He currently sits at 47 World Cup wins. In order for Odi to reach the half-century mark and make history, he’ll need to make history…in another way. 

No Alpine skier ever has achieved a clean sweep at a Birds of Prey weekend that included a downhill, super-G and giant slalom. Of course, Odi is far from the average Alpine skier. He’s won at least two straight Crystal Globes in the aforementioned disciplines. Not to mention, the "Swissblade" earned his first super-G victory of the season at Copper Mountain and already posted the fastest time in a downhill training session at Beaver Creek. 

It won’t be easy, but adding the trio of cups to his collection would make him one of three active skiers—alongside Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn—to have at least 50 World Cup wins. Not bad company.

When will Kilde shake off the rust?

Only one professional skier, man or woman, has been more successful at the Birds of Prey than Aamodt Kilde. That person is the iconic Ted Ligety. 

Kilde returned to action at Copper Mountain for the first time nearly in two years (684 days to be exact) and finished a respectable 24th in the super-G. How long it takes to reach top form after long absences varies depending on the athlete. 

In speed events, it’s particularly important for competitors to feel confident enough to “let it rip” and push firmly down on the gas pedal. Given Kilde’s history of winning at Beaver Creek (four Cup wins in total), this weekend just may be the perfect opportunity for him to continue finding his footing — or rather, his comfort behind the wheel.

Why is it called “Birds of Prey”?

Bernhard Russi (SUI), who won gold in the downhill at the 1972 Winter Olympics, designed an extremely challenging course at the Beaver Creek Resort. 

Built in 1997 and hosting World Cup races every year since, the Birds of Prey starts at about 11,500 feet above sea level and features a number of steep drops. The way the world’s top skiers plunge downward along the snowy mountainside evoke images of birds swooping as they pursue prey. Needless to say, the course lives up to its moniker.

Will this be the weekend the American men get back on track?

To say the American men are struggling so far this season would be putting it kindly. In five total races, two skiers have finished in the top 15 and one finished in the top 10. In that same span, 12 placed outside the top 50 and 22 failed to qualify for a second run.

Cochran-Siegle claimed 10th in the super-G at Copper Mountain, a bright spot that actually could have shone brighter (fourth-career podium brighter) had he not stumbled near the end.

Regardless, it’s still early in the 2025-26 campaign. Bryce Bennett was 13th in downhill Cup standings last year, Jared Goldberg was to -20 in super-G and River Radamus was 12th in giant slalom. Of course, RCS was top 20 in the two speed disciplines. Better performances are more likely than not on the horizon, and skiing on home snow at Beaver Creek could prove to be a momentum-swinging advantage.

What athletes, not named Odermatt, should people watch out for?

Franjo von Allmen (SUI): Von Allmen’s junior campaign by far was his strongest. He claimed six World Cup podiums and two gold medals at the 2025 World Championships, including in the vaunted downhill. Along with Odermatt, he’s perhaps the only current male skier that can claim to be the fastest skier in the world. The 24-year-old’s star very much is on the rise, and it’ll brighten the Beaver Creek sky if he’s able to pull off a win on a supremely-difficult course.

Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT): Kriechmayr received his master’s degree in the super-G back in 2018 and proudly displays it on the wall above his home office desk. Or at least, he should. The 34-year-old is as consistent as they come, having placed top three in the discipline for eight consecutive World Cup seasons (which includes four seconds and one Crystal Globe). He turned in a terrific runner-up performance in the super-G at Copper Mountain and will look to bring the good vibes 30 minutes northwest to Beaver Creek.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA): Braathen is one of Alpine's more aggressive and fearless skiers. The qualities have brought him positive results in the past few years and make him a constant podium threat at Cup events. See: his electric slalom runs in Levi. However, that same aggression leaves the door open for costly mistakes (and more of them), which led in part to his 64th place finish in Copper Mountain and a DNF in Soelden. Braathen’s style plus the Birds of Prey’s demanding nature should make for an explosive pairing, especially considering his runner-up giant slalom finish at the course in 2024.