The top three toughest slopes in Snowboard Alpine
Feb 22, 2025·Snowboard Alpine
The VISA FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup travels across continents and hemispheres. The mountains hosting World Cup events have lasting legacies and rise through the clouds with their majestic peaks. The 2024-25 tour stopped in nine countries alone and more nations have hosted in the past. All of them have unique challenges, but which is the toughest on the circuit?
We asked 50 current and former Snowboard Alpine athletes to see which venue they deem the most difficult. Here are the top three vote-getters. Honorable mention goes to the famed Bad Gastein, Austria with eight votes.
No. 3 - Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (10 Votes)
Coming in to begin the top three is the iconic Cortina d’Ampezzo. The town will host Alpine skiing events during the 2026 Winter Olympics. Known as the ‘Queen of Speed’, the storied Dolomite venue has hosted World Cup events for decades. The course presents its own challenges with its fast speeds and steep incline.
This season Daniele Bagozza (ITA) took home the top of the podium on the men’s side. Bagozza lives nearby and used his hometown training and expertise to carve his way down the challenging mountain for the win. Sabine Payer (AUT) topped the podium this season on the women’s side. She has two career victories at the site.
No. 2 - Bansko, Bulgaria (11 Votes)
Bulgaria has hosted multiple Snowboard Alpine World Cup events despite not being known worldwide as a winter sports haven. Not many athletes on tour spend time training here which further adds to the difficulty of the mountain. Bansko has a unique setup and often slightly different snow conditions in the Pirin Mountains.
Dario Caviezel (SUI) voted for Bansko as the toughest course despite having two of his three career wins coming in Bansko (the other was in Cortina). He gave some insight how he managed most of his success at the challenging course.
No. 1 - Carezza, Italy (23 Votes)
Topping the list is another Italian Dolomite legend. Carezza was the runaway winner with 23 votes due to its steep sections. The venue has often kicked off the World Cup tour which adds to the pressure. Many riders had plenty to say about the challenging Carezza.
Radoslav Yankov (BUL) took home the victory at Carezza this season. He broke down the keys to managing the treacherous course.
The Bulgarian was not the only one praising Carezza for its toughness. Veteran Andreas Prommegger (AUT) picked up two of his 24 career World Cup victories at Carezza. He explained why the course is harder than the rest.
Ladina Caviezel (SUI) posted three podiums in Carezza. She gave some of her own insight on how to navigate the dominant Dolomite mountain.
Even FIS officials can see how Carezza differs from the rest. FIS Chief race director Snowboard Alpine Uwe Beier agreed with the snowboarders choice.
"Being on the tour as a Race Director for almost 20 years already and having seen many Parallel Giant Slalom WC races in Carezza, I am not surprised by the vote. The slope provides a challenging terrain mix and the steepest start section," Beier added.
It is clear Carezza takes the crown as the toughest race on the VISA FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup tour. Catch more World Cup action as the 2024-25 season draws near to its conclusion with the snowboarders returning to the snow on March 1-2 in Krynica, Poland.
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