Shiffrin Leads 49-Skier U.S. Alpine Team for 2026-27 Season

Aspen —Mikaela Shiffrin is back. Or rather, she never really left.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard dropped the hammer this week. Forty-nine athletes made the 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team. No surprises. No drama. Just the best skiers in the country, qualified on merit.

Shiffrin leads the charge. She’s the winningest alpine skier of all time. Three Olympic golds. Eight world titles. And she’s the reigning World Cup overall champion. Read that again. While the rest of the world catches its breath, Shiffrin is still setting the pace.

She’s not alone. Breezy Johnson returns. The Jackson, Wyoming native is an Olympic downhill champion and two-time world champ. Ryan Cochran-Siegle is back, too. He’s a two-time Olympic super-G silver medalist. Then there are Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan. They won Olympic team combined bronze.

And then there’s Lindsey Vonn.

Make no mistake: Vonn is a legend. Three Olympic medals. 84 World Cup wins. But she’s still recovering from injuries sustained at the Milano Cortina Games. Does that matter? Not yet. She’s on the team. That’s the fact.

The season kicks off in Sölden, Austria, Oct. 24-25. Traditional opening giant slaloms. Then Levi, Finland. Gurgl, Austria. Slaloms in November.

Then the tour comes home.

Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 28-29. Women hit the slopes in Vermont. Stifel Killington Cup presented by Dunkin’. Giant slalom. Slalom. Men race at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Super-G. Giant slalom. Stifel Copper Cup.

The momentum builds. December brings the legendary Stifel Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Men race Dec. 3-6. Women follow Dec. 11-13. Beaver Creek. You’ve been there. You know the mountain. You know the crowds. You know the noise.

The season wraps up on home snow. Stifel Sun Valley Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. March 20-25. Crystal Globes get awarded.

The big picture? The 2027 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships happen in Crans Montana, Switzerland. Feb. 1-14. Five medal events for men. Five for women. Including team combined.

The short version: The team is set. The schedule is locked. The stars are aligned.

What’s worth watching? It’s not just Shiffrin. It’s the depth. It’s the returnees. It’s the new faces like Mary Bocock from Salt Lake City. Keely Cashman from Strawberry, California. Katie Hensien from Redmond, Washington. AJ Hurt from Carnelian Bay, California. Lauren Macuga from Park City, Utah. Allison Mollin from Truckee, California. Nina O’Brien from Edwards, Colorado.

O’Brien. Shiffrin. Both from Edwards. Both tied to Burke Mountain Academy. Both connected to the Vail club. That’s a lot of Vail DNA in this team.

Vonn is from Vail. Her club is the Vail club. She’s also listed with Buck Hill Ski Team.

The connection to our backyard is strong. Copper Mountain. Beaver Creek. Vail. These aren’t just stops on a tour. They’re home turf.

The 2026-27 season isn’t just about medals. It’s about presence. It’s about bringing the world’s best skiers to our mountains. It’s about filling our hotels. It’s about boosting our local economy. It’s about pride.

The announcement is official. The roster is final. The criteria were met. The athletes are ready.

Will Vonn compete? We’ll see. Will Shiffrin defend her title? Bet on it. Will Johnson keep winning downhills? Probably.

The tour starts in October. The finals are in March. In between, it’s racing. Hard, fast, competitive racing.

Locals should pay attention. This is our sport. This is our team. This is our moment.

The 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team is announced. The names are in. The stakes are high. The snow is waiting.