Alpine aces celebrate festive season in cracking style

While the world’s finest Alpine skiers may not commemorate the festive period in quite the same manner as much of the planet (non-stop eating is off the menu for most!) the stars of the slopes have found time to gather with family, reflect, project and have plenty of fun.

Indeed with the final World Cup races of 2023 taking place on 29 December and the start gates for 2024 not opening until 6 January in Adelboden (SUI) for the men and Kranjska Gora (SLO) for the women, it seems like some have almost had too much time on their hands…

While his legion of fans would no doubt say Marco Odermatt (SUI) undoubtedly looks great in a leader’s red bib – and he has certainly got used to wearing them in the past 24 months – the Swiss man may need to dig out something else to wear when he looks to extend his unbeaten run in the giant slalom on Saturday in front of his home fans.

It takes a lot to wipe the smile off the face of Odermatt’s great rival Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR) and time spent with girlfriend Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) was certainly not going to do it.

With both targeting a typically swift start to 2024, it is no surprise that skiing’s power couple seemed to be welcoming in the new year with coffee, not champagne.

Couples or not, plenty of skiers have been enjoying some well-deserved down time together. After fine starts to the season, Leona Popovic and Zrinka Ljutic continued to fly the flag for Croatia in the Italian Alps.

History, or more accurately social media, does not relate if they caught up with fellow rising star James Crawford (CAN) during the break. But with time tight and home a long way off, the Canadian took the wise decision to ask his nearest and dearest to travel and meet him in the home of pizza and pasta.

Despite spending their entire season (lives?) on snow, it is endearing how many skiers just cannot get enough of the mountains, with Loic Meillard in particular seeing off 2023 in a stunning manner in the Swiss Alps.

And there is clearly no need to worry about where the next generation of skiing greats are coming from with Bulgaria’s Albert Popov already fading into the background when it comes to slope style.

It was more of a traditional Christmas card pose for fellow slalom specialist Henrik Kristoffersen and the newest member of his family.

No comment yet as to whether both new fathers are looking forward to getting some extra sleep once the Audi FIS World Cup tour gets back underway.

Not everyone had the best end to 2023, with fan favourite Wendy Holdener among those to suffer heart-breaking injury. But in habitual style, the Swiss medal winning machine has been making the most of it. Although, please call her Astrid from now on…

If anyone is in need of an energy boost to kick them into 2024, then take a look at Ester Ledecka’s video summary of her past 12 months.

By our count, the Czech genius crammed windsurfing, kick boxing, wakeboarding, juggling, dancing, graduating, hardcore training, roller-skating and (mechanical) horse riding into her 2023 – not to mention elite-level skiing and snowboarding.

But the final word of this festive round-up can surely only go to one Alpine skier…