FIS Alpine Meeting: Focus on Athlete Safety and Season Outlook

During the FIS Spring Meetings in Vilamoura (POR), the Alpine Skiing Committee outlined its plans for the year ahead subject to the approval of next month’s FIS Council.

Updated measures for athlete safety

The safety of athletes remains of utmost importance to FIS, and several rule updates have been introduced to further strengthen protective standards in Alpine Ski racing. These measures are the result of extensive research, stakeholder consultation, and testing in collaboration with National Ski Associations (NSAs), Ski Racing Suppliers (SRS), and equipment experts.

Mandatory Airbags for Speed Disciplines

Airbags are mandatory in all Downhill and Super G events at both FIS World Cup and Continental Cup levels (starting from October 1 for Continental Cup). This rule follows a long-term development process in which airbag technology - pioneered in MotoGP - has been carefully adapted to the unique dynamics and risks of Alpine Skiing.

The current airbag systems are ‘smart’ devices that detect imminent crashes and deploy prior to impact, primarily protecting the entire torso. Over 7,000 runs, including more than 300 crash tests, have validated the reliability of this technology. In total, 210 airbags have deployed during actual races or official training sessions with more than 200 athletes participating in the development phase. This extensive field use confirms both the performance and value of airbags as an added layer of protection.

Cut-Resistant Undergarments Now Compulsory

With sharp ski edges posing a significant risk of laceration injuries, cut-resistant underwear will be compulsory in all World Cup and Continental Cup races from the 2025-26 season. This follows the formal decision taken during the FIS Spring Meetings in Portorož (SLO) in May 2024.

Shin Protection: Restriction on External Devices

In a further safety-related update, hard shin protectors that extend outside the ski boot are no longer permitted.These devices have been found to alter ski boot behavior and increase safety risks. From now on, only soft padding fully enclosed within the ski boot is allowed. Protective elements must not alter the anatomical shape of the body or compromise the ski boot’s function.

Audi FIS Ski World Cup Calendars 2025-26

The 2025-26 FIS Alpine World Cup season is set to feature 37 races per gender taking place either side of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. It will begin, as has become tradition, with Giant Slalom races in Sölden (AUT) for both genders scheduled for the weekend of October 25-26.

Copper Mountain (USA), a staple of the Freestyle circuit, returns to the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup calendar for the first time in decades with Killington undergoing a lift upgrade. The Colorado venue will host its first ever World Cup men’s Super G on Thanksgiving Day - November 27 - with a Giant Slalom the following day. It will be the first time the men have raced there since 1976.

The women make their competitive return to Copper Mountain after 24 years away on Saturday November 29 with a Giant Slalom followed by a Sunday Slalom.

The women are back at Val d’Isere (FRA) in December after a one-year absence while there are two new venues on the schedule for January; Tarvisio (ITA) will stage speed events on January 17-18 with Špindlerův Mlýn (CZE) hosting technical races the following weekend.

The end of the month will see the test events at Crans-Montana (SUI) ahead of the 2027 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships. For the past decade, the World Championship host venue has held the previous season’s World Cup Finals. However, these test events - two women’s speed races and a men’s Super G - have been moved back in order to reduce climate-related risk and ensure optimum snow conditions prior to the Olympic break.

The 2025-26 FIS World Cup Finals will take place in Lillehammer (NOR) with Hafjell staging the tech events and Kvitfjell the speed races.

Here is the Men's Calendar.

Here is the Women's Calendar.

Success stories from the 2024-25 season

The committee hailed the debut of the Team Combined event at the Saalbach 2025 Alpine Ski World Championships, calling it a “successful and innovative format”. USA’s Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin won women’s gold, with Franjo von Allmen and Loïc Meillard leading a Swiss podium sweep in the men’s.

Having received widespread praise from media, rights holders, social platforms, and stakeholders, Team Combined is expected to make a spectacular debut at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games

The 2025 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Tarvisio were noted as a “resounding success” with all the races completed despite challenging weather conditions. The 2026 edition will take place in Narvik (NOR) with no official candidate confirmed as yet for 2027.

Also acclaimed by the committee were initiatives in broadcasting and social media. The increased use of drones helped improve race coverage, while the radio team proved “highly effective”.

There was “exceptional growth” on social media with more than double the reach and engagement on platforms compared to the 2023-24 season. And the total of in excess of 1.5 million video views - powered in part by FIS providing competition footage to athletes and National Ski Associations via the FIS Content Exchange Platform - was more than five times the figure from the previous campaign.

All proposals and rule changes presented at the Alpine Committee meeting are subject to final approval by the FIS Council in June.