A Gem in the Gem State

One experience our community provided the World Cup athletes was direct exposure to Rotarun Ski Area in Croy Canyon. While most of us focused on the early racing on Warm Springs, the athletes aiming for technical events were training blissfully in Croy.

Notably, Mikaela Shiffrin reflected, “Rotarun reminds me of these little hills that I grew up skiing and training on in the East Coast. These magical little slopes have everything you need to drive passion for skiing. Training at Rotarun felt like a full-circle moment, going right back to my roots. It was even more special drilling run after run with my mom, who is still coaching me all these years later.”

Her mother, Eileen Shiffrin, echoed her daughter’s sentiment, adding that it’s “the perfect place for developing skiers of any level in a safe and friendly environment.”

The athletes appreciated the rare privacy Rotarun offered, often sharing the slope only with the mountain crew and dog-walking neighbors, far from the public exposure they are accustomed to.

American slalom skier Ben Ritchie was given lane space at Rotarun for the duration of his time at the World Cup Finals, allowing him to invite his pace-setting peers. Joining him were Britain’s Dave Ryding and Norwegians Timon Haugan, Henrik Kristoffersen and Atle Lie McGrath, enabling him to vibe off the best and catch the rub of their magic.

As Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s alpine director, Will Brandenburg, put it, “We have this unique opportunity in the valley — most major resorts in Europe have smaller areas near them that turn into private training grounds before races.” North American World Cups most frequently occur in Colorado, which means, in general, “the U.S. doesn’t really have that, so everyone knows and has access to where everyone is going to train, so there’s no real advantage for our U.S. athletes. Here, we were able to provide that home-soil advantage.”

Ritchie will likely leverage his invitation to Ryding and the Norwegians for training favors on the road. “For Ben, this will be huge going into next season. The effects are residual,” Brandenburg said.

The U.S. head men’s coach, Mark Tilston, was so excited about the opportunity that he repeatedly told SVSEF and the Rotarun staff that he’d like to return for a training camp leading up to the 2026 Olympics in Italy.

While it is heartwarming that the World Cup athletes and coaches were thrilled to discover a rare gem in the Gem State, SVSEF itself may have benefited the most. “The kids’ experience of training next to them and seeing the look in their faces is such a memory,” said SVSEF’s executive director, Scotty McGrew. In what other sport do developing athletes get to train next to their sport’s best? How many high school basketball players can say they shot hoops next to LeBron James?

Sun Valley’s developing athletes were so close to their heroes, immersed in their practice, that they could digest their routines, study their ski tracks in the snow and see that they are more alike than light-years apart.

McGrew continued, “We designed that place to appeal to a spectrum, from after-school programs to Ski Ed training, to Friday night lights, and the idea that it would be a world-class slalom laboratory. We manifested a spectrum and have done just that. We contributed to the ecosystem.”

Rotarun has always had the ability to deliver quality training at the highest level, and during the week of the World Cup Finals, it was affirmed — not just as a vital layer to Sun Valley’s ski racing community but also to the world’s. The results from the experience, just like for Ritchie, will be residual.