What is a World Cup or World Championship?
Two international competitions captivate cross-country skiers more than any other: the FIS Cross-Country World Cup and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. These two events bring together the fastest skiers from each nation for the most exciting races outside of the Olympic Winter Games. Fans from around the world gather to cheer on racers as they compete across several disciplines, creating a cosmopolitan, festive atmosphere no matter the venue.
The annual World Cup tour makes stops in several countries throughout the season, each an opportunity for racers to accumulate points towards their overall season total. Guests on Lumi Experiences’s Tour de Ski trip visit Italy to support their favorite athletes trailside just meters away as they make their way up the infamous Alpe de Cermis hill climb. Just outside of Cavalese at the Val di Fiemme ski stadium, host of the 2026 Olympic cross-country ski events, spectators look on as racers glide seemingly effortlessly through the challenging course. Later in season in Norway, Lumi’s Holmenkollen World Cup trip visits its namesake event where tens of thousands of Norwegian fans gather to cheer on their hometown athletes.
While the World Cup is held annually across many venues, World Championship competitions are held biennially on odd-numbered years. A single city is chosen to host each iteration, with races held for just a few short weeks. As opposed to the months-long slog of the World Cup that rewards perseverance above all else, World Championship races are winner-takes-all: the fastest skiers crowned after each electrifying event. Lumi Experiences is proud to have attended the past several World Championship events and has two trips scheduled for the upcoming 2027 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun, Sweden. The combined excitement of the Vasaloppet, the largest cross-country ski race in the world, and the World Championships make Sweden the focus for skiers from around the world in 2027.
