KILLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The first day of skiing at the FIS World Cup at Killington has wrapped up.
Day one brought thousands of fans to grandstands and slopes, watching some of the top ski racers from across the world traveling from far and wide to end up in Vermont.
“Every race, we haven’t missed a race yet,” Jimmy Good of Pennsylvania said.
Over 60 of the best women’s skiers took to Superstar for the Giant Slalom Race.
For many young racers in the crowd, seeing them in person makes the trip worth it.
“It’s really cool to see how much they progress and some of them being from small towns and like have to fight to get where they are today and I try and watch how amazing they are and put it into my own skiing,” Sofia Murray of Canada said.
After a spill on her second run, Burke Mountain Academy Graduate Mikaela Shiffrin didn’t finish and was taken off the slopes in a sled, ending her chance at 100 career world cup wins for now.
U.S. Ski and Snowboard only said she’s being evaluated, but wasn’t listed on the FLS bib draw for the Slalom Sunday.
Many fans still have their hopes up to witness history on home soil in the coming weeks.
“We’re hoping for number 100,” Good said.
“It would feel really nice to watch her get it and this is my first time seeing her in person and so it would be really amazing to see her get it,” Camille Canan of Maine said.
Racers and fans have been in awe of the Killington crowds in the past, and that’s no different this time around.
“Oh yeah the atmosphere the crowd look at everybody yeah this is just fantastic,” Good said.
“It’s the best thing on God’s green earth, it really is, it is so much fun, to be here in a world cup environment,” Trish Watson of Pittsfield, MA said.
That includes a big pack of the Paula Moltzan fan club, family and friends who came to see the University of Vermont grad earn a career best fifth place after her second run on the day.
“This is as close as a Euro feel as your gonna get. Its really is the atmosphere the people everything its incredible,” Rex Channell of Pittsfield, MA said.
World Cup racing continues Sunday, with the Slalom event starting at 10.