The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA. It was soon backed by International Ski Federation president Marc Hodler during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1966 at Portillo, Chile, and became an official FIS event in the spring of 1967 after the FIS Congress at Beirut, Lebanon.
Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding competitive discipline. It involves racing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G.
Alberto Tomba is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Italy. He was the dominant technical skier in the late 1980s and 1990s. At 182 cm and 90 kg, his powerful build was a contrast to the lighter, more traditional technical skiers who prioritised agility over muscle. Tomba was able to take advantage of the introduction of spring-loaded ski gates which replaced the older, solid gates in the early 1980s by using his power to maintain a faster, more direct line through courses. Tomba won three Olympic gold medals, two World Championships, and nine World Cup season titles: four in slalom, four in giant slalom, and one overall title. He was popularly called Tomba la Bomba.
Marc Girardelli is an Austrian–Luxembourger former alpine ski racer, a five-time World Cup overall champion who excelled in all five alpine disciplines.
The 37th World Cup season began in October 2002 on Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2003 at the World Cup finals in Lillehammer, Norway. The overall winners were Stephan Eberharter of Austria and Janica Kostelić of Croatia.
The 26th World Cup season began in November 1991 in the United States and concluded in March 1992 in Switzerland. The overall winners were Paul Accola of Switzerland, his first, and Petra Kronberger of Austria, her third straight.
The 25th World Cup season began in August 1990 in New Zealand, resumed in December, and concluded in March 1991 in the United States. The overall winners were Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, his fourth title and Petra Kronberger of Austria. This was the first season following the reunification of Germany and the last before the dissolution of Yugoslavia.
The 23rd World Cup season began in November 1988 in Austria and concluded in March 1989 in Japan. The overall champions were Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg and Vreni Schneider of Switzerland. Schneider established the record for victories in a World Cup season, winning a total of 14 races, surpassing the record of 13 established in 1978-79 by the great Swedish skier and three-time overall World Cup champion Ingemar Stenmark.
The 20th World Cup season began in August 1985 in Argentina, resumed in December 1985 in Italy, and concluded in March 1986 in Canada. Because of the South America events, this was the first time that the World Cup season had started prior to December 1. The overall champions were Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, his second consecutive overall win, and Maria Walliser of Switzerland, her first.
The 14th World Cup season began in December 1979 in France and concluded in March 1980 in Austria.
The 12th World Cup season began in December 1977 and concluded in March 1978. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his third consecutive overall title. Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein won the women's overall title.
Ole Kristian Furuseth is a retired Norwegian alpine skier. He scored his first World Cup victory in Furano in 1989 and his final World Cup victory in Bormio in 2000, and in total he has three World Cup victories in giant slalom and six in slalom. Furuseth won a bronze medal in the slalom competition at the 1991 World Championships in Saalbach, and a silver medal at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano.
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1991 were held in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria between 22 January and 3 February, 1991.
The 44th World Cup season began on 24 October 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 14 March 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany.
Alexis Pinturault is a French World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic medalist.
The 48th World Cup season began on 26 October 2013, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 16 March 2014 at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The defending overall champions from the 2013 season were Marcel Hirscher of Austria and Tina Maze of Slovenia. The overall titles were won by Hirscher and Anna Fenninger, also of Austria. The season was interrupted by the 2014 Winter Olympics that took place from 7 to 23 February in Sochi, Russia, with the alpine events at Rosa Khutor.
The 49th World Cup season began on 25 October 2014, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 22 March 2015 at the World Cup finals in Meribel, France. The defending overall champions from the 2014 season - Marcel Hirscher and Anna Fenninger, both of Austria, defended their titles successfully. The season was interrupted by the World Championships in February, in the United States at Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado. Combined events were not awarded as a discipline trophy.
The Men's giant slalom competition of the Albertville 1992 Olympics was held at Val d'Isère.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine Skiing World Cup is the premier circuit for alpine skiing competition. The inaugural FIS World Cup season launched 56 years ago in January 1967 and this 51st season began on 22 October 2016 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in the United States at Aspen on 19 March 2017. The biennial World Championships interrupted the tour in early February in Saint Moritz, Switzerland. The season-ending finals in March were held in North America for the first time in two decades: the last finale in the U.S. was in 1997 at Vail.
United States 
Alberto Tomba 
Paul Accola 
Fredrik Nyberg 
Slovenia 
France 
Ole Kristian Furuseth 
Marc Girardelli 
Markus Wasmeier 
