All eyes will be on Vail and Beaver Creek Colorado this winter as the countdown begins for the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. Over 14 days in February, more than 700 athletes will converge on Vail. These are the best of the best winter athletes from 70 countries, and theyll compete as the fastest skiers on Earth for the title of world champion. Winter is coming and the town of Vail/Beaver Creek are preparing for this massive event, including a full slate of festival activities, concerts, films, art exhibits and culinary events for all to enjoy. 

The World Ski Championship starts in February with 11 different race events and 750 million worldwide TV viewers. The 4 main winter 2015 skiing disciplines are Alpine Downhill, Alpine Super-G, Giant Slalom and Super Combined. Alpine Downhill is the fastest of these ski disciplines and one of the scariest because athletes clock at more than 80 mph with very few control gates.  The other speed event is the Super-G, which takes part on the same course as the downhill.  It starts farther down and is more technical requiring skilled maneuvering through multiple downhill gates.

The Giant Slalom is an Alpine event that runs a little slower than the Super-G, since it has more  gates, with two different runs and the times added together to determine the winner.  Slalom is the discipline with the greatest number of gates, which youll see racers bashing against with their poles making this event the slowest of the  four ski disciplines.  

The Super Combined ski event combines both the Slalom and Downhill.  The Super Combined is designed to determine the best overall skiers. The mens event will be held at the Birds of Prey Course in Beaver Creek. The mens Super Combined features a vertical drop of 757 meters, reaching a gradient of 45 percent in the middle of the course, and again near the end.  The womens Super Combined event will be held at the new Raptor Course in Vail. It was created in 2012 and 2013 in anticipation of the 2015 World Championships. This event starts at over 11,200 feet in altitude and runs for more than a mile and a half.  The course uses the Solitude, Peregrine and Golden Eagle ski runs, along with the new Kestrel ski trail cut. 

This years  Vail-Beaver Creek Ski Championship are quite exciting because in addition to the mens and womens race events and venues,  there will  a lot of  cheering for our very own local Olympic medalists, Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn from Vail, Colorado. Plus, we get to cheer for the entire U.S. Olympic Ski Team with Ted Ligety, Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso and more. 

Some of the athletes from around the world who will be competing include Olympic medalists Marcel Hirsher and Anna Fenniger both from Austria.  Great athletes to be seen as well are Swiss speedster Lara Gut, Slovenian star Tina Maze, young Frenchman Alexis Pinturault, Norways own Aksel Lund Svindal and many more from around the globe.

The Alpine World Ski Championships are returning to the U.S. for the first time in over a decade, and spectators and visitors will be flocking in by the thousands.  The local businesses and shop owners surrounding Vail and Beaver Creek are excited to help you have an awesome stay for the world games. 

Visitors should plan their trip early and take advantage of specials and packages. We have vacation rentals in all the popular vacation communities in Vail, Colorado. Phone us and let our friendly staff at Vail Village Rentals help in making decisions about accommodations, places to eat, how to get around town, and more. The Vail Valley offers a wide variety of vacation rental properties ranging from internationally recognized hotel chains to rental condominiums and vacation homes. For specific accommodations at the 2015 Vail Beaver Creek World Championships we've set aside about 45 vacation rentals. For more info and a complete package of concierge services, call our local, home-grown and friendly reservationists today (970) 476-7529. 

Learning how to get around town in both Vail and Beaver Creek is easy. Take advantage of the free transportation systems with bus stops throughout the area that will take you to and from all the attractions, events, and restaurants.

Make sure to purchase the right ski pass this year too.  By purchasing the new Epic Season Pass,  it will give visitors unlimited access to all the best mountains including Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Canyons, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton and Arapahoe Basin, all with no blackout dates.  Epic Seasonal Pass: ski as much as you want, whenever you want.

Take a free tour of the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum to explore the history of Vail, as well as the history of the sport of skiing.  For shopping, look for the latest ski fashions, ski gear, and mountain apparel styles from Gorsuch, Sure Foot, Christie Sports, Pepis and Charlies.  As for destination dining experiences, definitely make advance reservation at places like Larkspur, Hooked, Splendido, Matsuhisa, La Tour, Sweet Basil and Russells.

Enjoy Vail and Beaver Creek with some of the best skiing conditions in the world. Plan your stay by phoning us today at Vail Village Rentals, a locally owned vacation property manager for over 20 years with close to 70 vacation rentals including vacation condos, penthouse condos and vacation homes. We offer exceptional destination hotel residences at Manor Vail Lodge, the Austria Haus Club of Vail, The Willows - One Willow Bridge Road, and assorted ski in /ski out vacation rentals. All have easy access to the ski slopes, restaurants, shops, pubs and entertainment.  For more info and a complete package of concierge services, call our local, home-grown and friendly reservationists today (970) 476-7529. 

Book your accommodations early, and stay in Beaver Creek Village, the epicenter of the world games. You'll be very comfortable in one of our Beaver Creek vacation condos, a nice destination hotel residence, or vacation rental home. 

By reserving your stay early, Vail Village Rentals can make arrangements for your stay at Solaris Residences in the heart of Vail Village that offers a unique Vail vacation experience. Solaris offers premium accommodations and service at an ideal location in the center of Vail Village.  The Solaris features an ice rink, bowling alley, in-dining movie theater, shopping and dining. It is also where to be to see opening and commemoration ceremonies for both men and women athletes during World Ski Championships. 

Another recommendation is at Manor Vail Lodge, within walking distance to Golden Peak ski lift and near the Womens Raptor Race course. You might also consider another fantastic accommodation in Beaver Creek Village which has everything you need for the perfect trip to Vail, and just a few yards from the ski lifts.