Due to the heavy snow, the downhill training run that was originally scheduled for 11 a.m. this morning was rescheduled to 1:30 p.m. today and the International Ski Federation (FIS) race organizers lowered the start to the men’s Giant Slalom start house.

Course volunteers and race officials will be working around the clock to remove the deep snow. Given the technical aspects of the course and the steep terrain, even with hundreds of volunteers and grooming machines, it’s very difficult to remove all of the snow. At the bottom of the steep pitches, reports from course workers indicate snow piles were several feet deep.

The 2009 Audi Birds of Prey kicks off on Friday with the Super Combined event which includes one run of downhill and one run of slalom. Start time is 11 a.m. for the downhill run and 2:30 p.m. for the slalom run.  The premier event, men’s Downhill takes place at 11 a.m. on Saturday followed by the Giant Slalom on Sunday. This is the only domestic stop on the men’s World Cup circuit this year, providing ski racing fans with the best opportunity to see the men compete on their road to the Olympics.

All races are free and open to the public and on Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. fans are invited to a public bib presentation, torch ski down and an autograph session with US Ski Team athletes. For complete details on Birds of Prey action visit www.bcworldcup.com.