Spectators encouraged to attend and volunteers needed throughout the event

The Sun Valley Super Tour and Intermountain Opener is a joint competition of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Intermountain Cross Country, and the USSS Super Tour. The event is open to all FIS and USSS competitors and will welcome cross country athletes at the highest elite level, top collegiate athletes from the western region, and juniors looking to qualify for the 2023 Junior Nationals in March.

“Hosting a Super Tour is a big opportunity for our program and our community,” said Rick Kapala, Co-Chief of Competition and SVSEF Director of Sport Development. “It really helps us showcase what makes our valley so special when it comes to cross country skiing but also all winter recreation. Events like this also add a significant boost to our tourism income and hopefully we will see winter visitors come back during our equally glorious summertime.”

“Spectators are encouraged to come out to support skiers in the 2022 Sun Valley Super Tour,” said Kelley Yeates, Co-Chief of Competition. “The 2022 Sun Valley Super Tour involves three days of racing and will feature some of the best skiers in North America in addition to many of our local and intermountain juniors. We love spectators and we are grateful for your support and encouragement of the athletes.”

The event website includes a detailed schedule of events, course maps, and start lists for each day to help plan your spectating strategy. In addition, there is also a spectator access map to help navigate to prime viewing areas. All volunteers and spectators will be required to utilize the shuttle system from the Hulen Meadows Parking Lot located 1/2 mile south of the Lake Creek Venue on Idaho Highway 75. Shuttles will start daily at 6:30 a.m. and will continue through the conclusion of each day’s events.

The locally-based SVSEF XC Gold Team will line up against the best in the U.S. “It’s always super fun to race at home and see the community out supporting cross country skiing,” said Katie Feldman, member of the SVSEF XC Gold Team and Ketchum local.

“Sun Valley is probably the most beautiful place I have raced in,” said Finn O’Connell, member of the Bridger Pro Team out of Bozeman, MT. “I love the courses and especially like racing at altitude and the Sun Valley courses are a real test.”

Prize money will be awarded in the FIS race for the top six places for each gender per day. Classic Mass Start Distance Races will take place on Thursday, Dec. 8 beginning at 10 a.m. Classic Sprint Races will kick off on Saturday, Dec. 10 with qualifying at 9:30 a.m. and races starting at 11 a.m. The weekend will wrap up on Sunday, Dec. 11 with Freestyle Interval Start Distance Races beginning at 9 a.m. Awards will take place in the Lake Creek Stadium upon completion of each race. Complete schedule may be found online here.

Volunteers are needed for all days of the event. Those interested in volunteering can sign up for designated shifts on the Sun Valley Super Tour Volunteer Sign-Up Page.

For more information, please visit Sun Valley Super Tour.

Photo: Matt Leidecker