From 17 to 21 March 2025, the resort of Val Thorens will be buzzing with the Masters Alpine Skiing World Championships. This international event will bring together experienced amateur skiers over the age of 30 from all over the world to compete on the legendary slopes of the Savoyard resort. A true celebration of skiing and competition, this year’s event promises to be spectacular.
A competition reserved for alpine skiing enthusiasts
The World Masters Championships are an opportunity for experienced skiers to compete against their peers in a prestigious setting. Although the participants are considered amateurs, most of them are former top competitors or enthusiasts who continue to push their limits. This competition, organised under the auspices of the International Skiing and Snowboarding Federation (FIS), is one of the most important on the Masters circuit, attracting hundreds of competitors every year.
Three flagship alpine skiing events
The competitors will face each other in three major alpine skiing disciplines:
- Special Slalom: the ultimate technical event, requiring great agility and unrivalled responsiveness. Skiers must link tight turns on a course with closely spaced poles.
- The Giant Slalom: this event requires both technique and speed. The gates are further apart than in the special slalom, allowing skiers to reach higher speeds while controlling their trajectories.
- The Super-G: a compromise between downhill and giant slalom. This discipline emphasises speed and taking the optimal trajectory to pass through the gates as quickly as possible.
Each discipline will test the athletes’ ability to manage the snow conditions, the slope and their own endurance.
Val Thorens: a resort made for the event
Located at an altitude of 2,300 metres, Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe and a mecca for international alpine skiing. Part of the Trois Vallées (Courchevel, Méribel, Les Menuires…) ski area, the largest in the world with over 600 kilometres of slopes, it is renowned for its exceptional snow cover and modern facilities suitable for top-level competitions.
Val Thorens is regularly crowned ‘Best Resort in the World’ at the World Ski Awards, a guarantee of quality that underlines its excellence in terms of hospitality and organisation of sporting events.
To ensure optimal conditions for competitors, the slopes will be prepared with particular attention. Daily maintenance, securing the courses and managing snow will guarantee precise and fair courses for all participants. In addition, the resort will provide state-of-the-art technical infrastructure to time the races and ensure that the events run smoothly.
An event that goes beyond the competition
The World Masters Alpine Skiing Championships are not just about the sporting events. They also embody the spirit of camaraderie and passion that unites skiers of all generations. This event thus offers the opportunity to share convivial moments in an exceptional alpine setting.
To accompany this week of competition, Val Thorens will offer a varied programme of activities and events:
- Opening ceremony: a unique show will mark the start of the championships, with a parade of nations and festivities in the heart of the resort.
- Daily prize giving: every day, the best skiers will be rewarded, honouring their exceptional performances.
- Evenings and concerts: to ensure that athletes and visitors alike make the most of their stay, concerts, DJ sets and themed evenings will be organised.
- Activities for companions and families: ski lessons, snowshoe walks, tobogganing on the longest run in France (6 km), or gastronomic discoveries in the mountain restaurants.
These activities will help to make the World Masters Alpine Skiing Championships a true celebration of skiing and sport.
Practical information for participants and spectators
Val Thorens is accessible by car, by train via Moûtiers station (37 km away), then by bus or taxi, and by plane from Lyon, Geneva or Chambéry airports. The resort has a wide range of accommodation, from tourist residences to luxury hotels, as well as traditional chalets and comfortable apartments.
Registration for competitors is open on the official Val Thorens website, where all the information concerning registration procedures, prices and categories is available. Spectators, for their part, will be able to attend the races free of charge and take advantage of the facilities set up to follow the event in the best possible conditions.
A unique opportunity for Val Thorens
By hosting this renowned event, Val Thorens once again confirms its status as a flagship alpine skiing resort. With its modern infrastructure, exceptional setting and warm atmosphere, it is establishing itself as a must-visit location for winter sports enthusiasts.
The 2025 World Masters Alpine Skiing Championships will therefore be much more than just a competition: a celebration of skiing, of surpassing oneself and of sharing among enthusiasts from all walks of life.
