A steep test in Carezza awaits

Dec 17, 2025·Snowboard Alpine

It is time for some midweek action on the Visa FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup tour. The snowboarders made the short trek across the Dolomites from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Carezza for another PGS event.

Carezza is a historic venue on the tour. It will be the 15th time hosting a World Cup Snowboard Alpine race. Despite the familiarity, it will be no easy task.

In a poll of the athletes on tour last season, Carezza was voted as the toughest course on tour by a wide majority due to its lesser visibility and steepest slope right from the gate.

The slope features multiple steep sections that add speed and difficulty. Maintaining that speed entering the steep sections is the key to success at Carezza. However, the flat section coming out of the steep portion can make or break your run.

Keeping perfect balance through that part can give a rider the opportunity to make up a shaky turn in the steep section and much needed speed to finish strong.

A fun note in Carezza, each year the winners from last season receive a dedicated gondola with their names placed on the gondola. Jasmin Coratti (ITA) and Radoslav Yankov (BUL) were honored this week after topping the podium in 2024.

Italian men still chasing podium sweep

In three races so far this season, three different Italian men have topped the podium. A racer from Team Italy has also taken the third spot in each race. However, they have not yet swept the podium with a second-place finisher as well.

Aaron March (ITA) won his first career PGS race in Cortina on Saturday. He will go for two in a row. He will get an extra boost from the Italian crowd once again.

“The difference is more ‘around’ the race, before and after the race and in the finish area. I see a lot of people cheering for me. That gives me a lot of motivation,”– March said.

March knows the keys to the Carezza course well.

“Carezza is a new race, a totally different slope and everything starts from new. There is a steep part, but the key point is the transition to the more flat part where you have to gain speed,”– March said.

Maurizio Bormolini (ITA) will be a favorite as well after reaching the podium in every race so far this season.

Roland Fischnaller (ITA) won the first ever World Cup race at Carezza in 2011. He will be in the start list again as a contender looking for redemption after a somewhat disappointing finish in Cortina.

Benjamin Karl (AUT) came second that day in 2011 and will be in the start list once again. Karl has shown no signs of slowing down with two second-place finishes this season. He will be going for career win number four in Carezza and will lean on his legendary experience.

“Experience in our sport is mostly something good, but sometimes not, when you make bad experiences on the same slope every year (laughs),”– Karl said.

The Austrian is attacking this season with a different mindset after announcing this will be his last campaign. His experience on and off the slope gives him a new edge.

“I won the big globe at 23, so as a young guy you have an advantage. Young and wild, and no respect for nothing. This was me. But life changed dramatically with the experience of getting older and having a family! Now I‘m in a super cool state of life. “I would say, I never had a better life than right now. To see this and appreciate it makes my riding better than ever before. I‘m healthy, super strong, my body is perfectly in shape and doesn't hurt at all. All of this and my experience makes me fast and the rider I am,” – Karl said.

Last season in Carezza Radoslav Yankov (BUL) and Tim Mastnak (SLO) went 1-2 and will be dark horse contenders if they make the final rounds.

Young rising stars look to build upon early success

Sabine Payer is off to a blazing start with a win in Cortina and another podium. She will have to fend off a rising tide of young stars to repeat in victory.

Last week two of those youngsters graced the podium. Kaylie Buck (CAN), 25, put together a career performance for her first career World Cup podium. It was an unforgettable moment for the Canadian.

“Making my first career World Cup podium was a really special moment, especially at my favourite venue. My goal was simply to give my very best, and run after run the excitement kept building. After the semi-final, when I realized I was about to stand on my first World Cup podium, I felt so much pride for all the work and support that led me there,”– Buck said.

Buck said the result made her hungry for more and that elusive top spot.

“I never set expectations to make the podium, but I know that when everything comes together in training, I have what it takes to compete with the fastest women on tour. Putting all the pieces together on race day can be challenging, but after some very close battles in finals last season, I knew I was capable of more,”– Buck said.

Jasmin Coratti topped the Carezza podium last season. Photo: @FIS/Miha Matavz

Coming right behind Buck was Zuzana Maderova (CZE) in third. It was her third career podium and her flashes of brilliance are a clear sign it will not be her last.

“I think the training from all the previous years is really paying off. This (offseason) we were mainly just fine-tuning the details, and unlike in past seasons, I stayed healthy and had no injuries. I know that experience isn’t everything, and even less experienced riders can be great,”– Maderova said.

Tsubaki Miki (JPN) is the class of the rising group after winning the overall title last season. She has one win under her belt already this year and will be a threat in Carezza once again.

Miki podiumed in Carezza last season behind Aleksandra Krol-Walas (POL) and the winner Jasmin Coratti (ITA). Coratti will be attempting to make her first podium of the season this week.