Empowering a vibrant community
In the athletics, the Vail Valley Foundation hosts two marquee events:
Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup
These events bring vibrancy, economic impact, and international attention to our community while cultivating a culture of physical and behavioral health through activity, shared experiences, and athleticism.
Historically, the Vail Valley Foundation has hosted three Alpine World Ski Championships (1989, 1999, and 2015), and has organized many international events including World Mountain Bike Championships (1994, 2001), the Honda Session Snowboard Invitational, cycling events, and more.
The mountains are for
all of us
Record attendance
The GoPro Mountain Games reached new heights in 2023 with a record 92,000+ spectator visits over the four days of the event.
New events
The 2023 event featured successful new events including “grom” divisions in almost every competition as well as the exciting debut of the Orvis Species Slam and GoPro Gore IV Kayak race.
The CoLab
A strong turnout for the first-ever CoLab Creator Stage brought together some of the best names in the outdoor and content-creation industries.
Young, and young at heart
If the GoPro Mountain Games look different than they did in their inagural year in 2002, don’t be surprised. What started as a festival of the outdoors just over 20 years ago has become the epicenter of fun, sweat, music, and magic for people of all ages and backgrounds.
In 2023 the Vail Valley Foundation elevated the quality of the experience for everyone by bringing more sports, more categories, and more options for more people of all backgrounds to the GoPro Mountain Games. In particular, this season featured more “grom” categories for tweens and teens. And there were plenty of options for the ‘young at heart’ as well.
More music, more free options for spectating, more dogs … you name it, the Vail Valley Foundation delivered on the most spectacular year yet.
Athletes, art, music, and mountains. That’s been the mantra of the GoPro Mountain Games since its inception – and it just keeps getting better every year.
Setting New Records
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
Mountain Games photos
What makes the Mountain Games one of the most celebrated outdoor festivals in the world is not just one specific thing, rather the sum of all the parts. No other event offers such a special blend of athletes, art, music & mountains in an exceptional setting like Vail, Colorado.
Worth it for the festival
alone
Festival weekend
Thousands of ski racing fans were quick to overcome their dismay at the cancellation of the races. It didn’t take long for the VIP tent to … literally? … start rocking on Friday and Saturday. Beaver Creek Village was alive with festival-goers on Birds of Prey Way, enjoying live music, the Pumphouse Bar, athlete signings, and more. Take a walk along Birds of Prey Way during the weekend and you’d never know the races were cancelled.
Mother nature scores a win
There is nothing as exciting as the sport of ski racing, where athletes take on some of the most powerful forces in nature: snow, wind, weather, visibility, and gravity. Combine these five elements and … most of the time… you’re in for one of the most powerful and iconic athletic experiences available anywhere in the world on the Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup course. Unfortunately, it was not to be this year. Mother nature brought insurmountable challenges to the Birds of Prey course and, for the first time in the long history of ski racing in Vail/Beaver Creek, all three races were unfortunately cancelled.
Cookies and Lore
Beaver Creek is known for its chocolate chip cookies. This year, the Birds of Prey races featured fun and delightful new element: chocolate chip cookies at the bib draw. This year, the top racers gathered in Beaver Creek Village before a public audience for their bib draw. Once their bib had been selected, they were presented with a super-sized cookie with their bib number on it. It was just one of many exciting highlights from the weekend, including one of the most popular bands in the event’s history playing the Village: Yoke Lore came to beaver Creek in 2023 thanks to a partnership with Celsius energy. And, after a successful celebration of its 25th anniversary, the VPAC quickly turned around to host films and a concert from Grateful Shred during Xfinity Birds of Prey. The response was positive, and all events were well attended.
Audi FIS Ski World Cup's No. 1 Stop
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297
Athletes, coaches, and staff
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14
Nations
North America's Downhill
Two downhills and a super G were on the schedule for 2023. All three unfortunately were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
Russi’s Ride
Vertical Drop: 461’ | 141m
Distance: 1,945’ | 593m
“"By the way, the course crew did an amazing job. The course was ready from side-to-side. I feel for the organizer who put so much effort in, but this is Mother Nature. Three-zero for Mother Nature."”
–Markus Waldner
FIS Race Director
Making the most of it
Spectators did an excellent job making up for the lack of races.
Redtail Jump
Final jump before the finish line.
The Flyway
Vertical Drop: 295’ | 90m
Distance: 1,877’ | 566m
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The brink
Vertical Drop: 174’ | 53m
Distance: 493’ | 150m -
The talon
Vertical Drop: 404’ | 123m
Distance: 956’ | 292m -
Pete’s Arena
Vertical Drop: 448’ | 136m
Distance: 1,059’ | 323m
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$2M
Economic Impact
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5,754
Spectators
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534
Attendance at Beers of Prey
The abyss
Vertical Drop: 697’ | 212m
Distance: 2,224’ | 678m
VISIONS OF PAST AND FUTURE
There is a lot to look forward to in 2024. Next year, Valley local River Radamus will have a chance to top his incredible 2022 super G run, where he leaped out of bib 57 to take an astonishing 16th place.