This season, racers will train well in advance of the North American races in Lake Louise, Aspen and Beaver Creek. Last winter U.S. athletes, including Ted Ligety, Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller and Julia Mancuso, combined for seven Alpine World Cup wins, four podiums and 10 other top 10 finishes—all before mid-December. The women's speed team went on to win the nations downhill standings by 636 points over Austria, anchored by a fifth straight downhill title by Vonn.

Here's a POV on-course video.