KILLINGTON — Killington Ski Resort’s streak of hosting audience-attracting World Cup racing seemed unstoppable, with an initial 30,000 spectators in 2016 climbing to 35,000 in 2017 and 39,000 in 2018. Then two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin arrived for this weekend’s 2019 event, and another record crowd came to a screeching, screaming, shouting-until-hoarse halt.
The Vermont-schooled 24-year-old turned heads, triggered flashbulbs and figuratively and literally brought traffic to a standstill during a victorious homecoming, all while the World Cup’s lone U.S. event for women transformed this slope-side town of 811 into a momentary metropolis rivaling the Green Mountain State’s biggest city of Burlington, population 42,417.
“It’s really special to be back here,” said the alpine ski circuit’s three-time defending overall champion. “This is a really, really important stop for us.”
Shiffrin — a 2013 graduate of the Northeast Kingdom’s Burke Mountain Academy — was one of 60 athletes who skied the giant slalom Saturday and slalom Sunday in a competition broadcast live on NBC and international outlets from as far away as Austria.
Killington couldn’t even estimate how many hundreds upon hundreds of employees and volunteers had circled the resort’s summit to welcome 6,000 spectators Friday, 19,500 Saturday (the largest single day total ever) and 11,000 Sunday.
For their part, Vermont State Police and a private contracted security service wouldn’t count up all the personnel and patrol cars that surrounded bundled fans who waved U.S., Canadian, Great British, Italian and Swedish flags.
Strong wind forced organizers to move Saturday’s giant slalom start down a few gates. Although Shiffrin had solid runs — “Boy, did she nail it!” announcer Peter Graves boomed after the first of two rounds — the Italian duo of Marta Bassino and Federica Brignone outpaced the American by split-seconds. Shiffrin finished third.
Then again, Shiffrin was just getting started.
“Before I go to sleep at night,” she told reporters, “I’m thinking, ‘What are the things that I did today that were good, what do I want to do better, and what am I going to do about it tomorrow?’”
Shiffrin woke Sunday to tackle the event’s slalom, which she has won every year Vermont has hosted the World Cup.
Topping the tally after the first round, she cemented victory with a second run that spurred NBC announcers to coronate her “the queen of Killington again.” It was her fourth triumph at the Vermont event.
With 62 World Cup wins, Shiffrin is now tied with Austrian legend Annemarie Moser-Pröll and behind only fellow American Lindsey Vonn, who has a record 82 victories.
The event drew 150 journalists, with nearly as many speaking a European language as those reporting in English. Although following all the athletes, they greeted Shiffrin the same way paparazzi swarm a rock star.
“A lot of people want to see Miki,” Slovakian competitor Petra Vlhova said amid the commotion.
Not that the fellow 24-year-old was complaining.
“She’s always fast,” Vlhova said. “She pushes my limits.”
Shiffrin, for her part, expressed appreciation for her colleagues.
“I have been one of the racers to take myself too seriously, but over the last couple years I’ve started to get to know some of these girls and realize that they’re more than just competitors,” she said. “We’re traveling and seeing each other the entire winter. You start to almost feel a little bit like a family. For me, that helps make the competition less stressful.”
“The first year racing here I was freaking out I was so nervous,” she continued. The second year was a little better, last year was even better, and this year. …”
Shiffrin now likes the homecoming event enough to tell the New York Times it’s her favorite stop.
“Killington is the most special,” the newspaper quoted her Sunday. “It brings in bigger crowds than any other women’s race on the World Cup circuit and, for me, has the most energetic, fun vibe.”
Shiffrin wasn’t the only Vermont celebrity on the scene. Gov. Phil Scott traded his suit and tie for a parka and baseball cap emblazoned with the word “maple.”
“We’re very fortunate to have all these people coming here,” Scott said. “It’s the largest sporting event we have.”
For her part, Waitsfield singer-songwriter Grace Potter was one of several musical acts to perform on the frigid outdoor stage.
But the spotlight always returned to Shiffrin, whose victory Sunday ties her for second and rising on the all-time women’s World Cup win list.
“I had a good time,” she said after. “It’s a pleasure to be out here.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 6:54 p.m. with Sunday’s attendance numbers from event organizers.
