KILLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Snow inspectors from the International Ski Federation on Thursday gave Killington the thumbs up for next week’s FIS World Cup races. And that means local businesses are also racing to get ready for the throngs of visitors.
While roars and cheers will have to wait, crews at Killington are working to get the grandstand and mountain ready for the Killington Cup
Meanwhile, off the mountain, local shops are gearing up, too. “We’re thankful for the racers and um for the business it brings us, especially after slow season it’s really nice to have more people in town and it just feels good,” said Beth Sarandrea with the Killington Pico Area Association. She also owns a local store just off the Access Road and wrestles with staffing around the race. “A lot of people want to go watch the events as well, but I’m happy it’s a challenge that I’m happy to take on…There’s so much activity on the road and even though they’re parking at different lots and being bussed up here they definitely make the effort to come to local businesses.”
“We want to show off Killington but we also want to show off our store,” said Kelly Bair the owner of Peak Performance, a ski tuning shop. In addition to entering their busiest season, they also try to catch the races. “I think the atmosphere is, you know, world-class. You can hear from the start the crowd roaring down at the bottom of the Killington hill on Superstar,” she said.
The action takes place November 29 -December 1, with a stacked field of the best female alpine skiers in the world, including Mikaela Shiffrin, who is closing in on her 100th World Cup win.
