The last time (and only other time) the World Cup landed in Courchevel was in 1979, when the men competed there last. Hence, the pre-Christmas ladies’ slalom in  Courchevel (FRA) on 21st December marks the return of the FIS World Cup to Courchevel after almost 32 years. It was then that Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden claimed one of his 86 World Cup victories.

Thanks to regular staging of many international competitions, such as several FIS European Cup races, the team at Courchevel and the Stade de Slalom Emile Allais at Courchevel 1850 are ready to host the world’s best female slalom specialists. The World Cup now returns with the sport of ski racing much transformed and set on a different slope in the sprawling resort than where it took place 31 years ago. Although the slope is not very steep and the course not terribly long (500 meters and it begins at 2,015 meters and finishes at 1,824) – it is not injected, which might pose some challenges to some racers.

The race is getting a lot of hype in the Savoie region of France where the resort of Courchevel is located. More precisely, Courchevel is situated in the French Alps, in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoy, Rhône-Alpes region. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world. It is also referred to as the towns of Courchevel 1300 (Le Praz), Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650 (Moriond), and Courchevel 1850, which are named for theiraltitudes in metres. They are situated on the commune of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise. The highest point in Courchevel 1850 is in fact only 1747 meters, the name was chosen for marketing reasons to compete with arch rivals Val d'Isère. Courchevel Airport has the largest private area for private flights from all airports in the ski area in the world and a highway linking it with the rest of the world.

PROFILES