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Colorado's Vail Valley celebrates win to host the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships

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The Beaver Creek/Vail 2015 bid committee, comprised of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, Vail Resorts and the Vail Valley Foundation, celebrated Thursday as the International Ski Federation (FIS) Council voted to award the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to Colorado's Vail Valley. It will be the first time the Championships will be staged in America since Vail hosted in 1999.


The decision was announced by International Ski Federation President Gian Franco Kasper to a packed audience of over 1,000 delegates from 74 nations gathered for the biennial FIS Congress in Antalya. Beaver Creek/Vail was chosen over St. Moritz, Switzerland and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Europe and Scandinavia had been chosen to host the biennial event the past seven times, spanning 14 years. Beaver Creek/Vail received the majority of the 15 votes cast by the FIS council on the first ballot.

Sheika Gramshammer and Ceil Foltz embrace as the FIS Council awards Beaver Creek/Vail the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. (USSA)

"Our nation is deeply honored to have been selected as the site of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt. "It will be a great opportunity to expand participation in our sport nationwide through Beaver Creek/Vail's Engaging New Worlds program and to showcase our talented U.S. Ski Team athletes. We look forward to working with our strong partner, the Vail Valley Foundation, to produce a World Championships that is successful both athletically and as a catalyst for continued growth in our sport."

"We are proud to be able to represent the United States and the Vail Valley," said Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation. "We knew from the outset that we had our work cut out for us with three world class candidates and only one 2015 Alpine World Championships. We congratulate St. Moritz and Cortina on their campaigns. It was truly an honor to be considered along with these great resorts. We can’t wait to get home and share this with our community."

The Vail Valley has a storied history of hosting major international events. In addition to 1999, Vail also hosted the 1989 Championships and has been a celebrated mainstay on the FIS Alpine World Cup tour since the tour began in 1967. In addition the 1994 and 2001 World Mountain Bike Championships where staged at Vail and the Teva Mountain Games have been a part of the Vail Valley family since 2009.

Each event is embraced and driven by a passionate global community. Over 1,600 volunteers from around the world came together to help produce the 1999 Championships, while over 800 volunteers pitch in to make the men's Birds of Prey World Cup races a resounding annual success.

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