A first for Feldberg: Intense battles highlight World Cup Premiere

The German ski resort of Feldberg, nestled in the Black Forest, hosted a Para Alpine Skiing World Cup stage for the very first time. Athletes competed in three slalom races on a steep slope, battling conditions that began with aggressive snow but softened as rain and warmer temperatures took their toll. Despite the challenges, the determination of the athletes, organizers, and spectators shone through.

Hattricks galore

Anna-Lena Forster (GER), highly anticipated on home snow, marked her return to competition after a brief break due to a concussion with an impressive three victories in the Women Sitting category.

Her rivals, including Audrey Pascual Seco (ESP), pushed hard to challenge her dominance. Known for taking risks, Pascual didn’t finish the first slalom but rallied to secure two second-place finishes, rebuilding her confidence ahead of the World Championships. “In the last races, I had a lot of DNFs, so my goal here was simply to cross the finish line and put together a good race. The first run wasn’t great, but the second was much better,” said Pascual after the second slalom.

Ebba Årsjö (SWE), the Women Standing leader, also showed her class with back-to-back wins, even though the steep and relentless slope left her struggling at times. “When it’s steep all the way, there’s no room for my leg to breathe, so it’s difficult, but I managed,” she admitted. Anna-Maria Rieder (GER), three times second behind Årsjö, enjoyed competing on home soil. “It was really nice, my first home race with family and friends here. I’m happy with my skiing, though I know I can push more.”

In the Women Vision Impaired (VI) category, an Austrian duel kept fans on the edge of their seats. Elina Stary and her guide Vanessa Josefa Arnold held the provisional lead after the first run of the opening race but were ultimately edged out by Veronika Aigner and her guide Elisabeth Aigner, who triumphed by just three-tenths of a second. Building on this momentum, the Aigner sisters went on to dominate the following two races. "The slope is not so easy, the course setting is not so easy, but it’s a nice race. I’m happy to fight with Elina for the first place," said Veronika.

On the men’s side, Arthur Bauchet (FRA) completed a hat trick in the Men Standing category, sharing podiums with teammate Oscar Burnham, while Jeroen Kampschreur (NED) claimed three wins in Men Sitting, holding off rival Jesper Pedersen (NOR).

Lessons in resilience

The Men VI category brought a heartwarming story of perseverance. Poland’s Michal Golas and his guide Kacper Walas turned their fortunes around after failing to finish their first two races. They secured a well-earned second place in the final slalom, behind duos like Johannes Aigner (AUT) with Nico Haberl and Giacomo Bertagnolli (ITA) with Andrea Ravelli, who traded victories across the three races.

In the highly competitive Men Standing category, veteran Adam Hall (NZL) displayed resilience and determination. After narrowly missing the podium in the first two races, Hall found his form, securing a second-place finish on the final day.

First-time podiums

The event was also memorable for several first-time podium finishes:

• Claire Petit (NED) celebrated her first World Cup slalom podium.

• Josh Hanlon (AUS) achieved two podium finishes, including a tie with Takeshi Suzuki (JPN) in one race. “It’s been my goal for the last couple of seasons and it’s amazing to get the first World Cup podium a couple of days ago, and even better to get another one today!” said Hanlon.

• Meij Bidault (FRA), in her debut World Cup season, also earned two podium finishes in slalom.

On the road to the World Championships

With the World Cup in Feldberg complete, the world’s best Para Alpine skiers now have two weeks to rest and finalize their preparations for the FIS Para Alpine World Ski Championships in Maribor, taking place from 6–11 February. Excitement is building, and with snow control successfully completed last week, all eyes are on the upcoming competition.