Winter is here, and with it comes the thrill of the skiing season—full of excitement but also tinged with the worry of brutal crashes. Let’s recall last season: Mikaela Shiffrin experienced a rather scary moment at the downhill race in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Once, while trying to make a jump, she fell off balance, landed in a snow-soft area, and rolled into the protective nets. The crowd gasped in disbelief as medics rushed to her aid, and she limped off the course with her left boot raised, signaling an injury.

After protocol, Shiffrin got airdropped off the mountain and was quickly taken to the hospital for more examination. The determined skier returned in March in fighting form, winning her last two slalom events and ending the year with a record of nine wins—most of any woman. Now, as the FIS Skiing World Cup is coming to Levi, Lapland, there is an update about some changes that FIS made.

FIS brings a huge update!

As the Townlift Park City News reported, due to increased levels of fatigue this season, the FIS has made some changes: now the nine competitions for the men and the eight for the women are distributed across nine different locations. This is just one of several new steps aimed at improving safety on the slopes.

To improve security, FIS has recently mandated an airbag under race suits for all speed events—a provision learned from motorcycle racing and added to skiing in 2013. In race car motor racing, the airbag inflates once the rider’s whole body dislodges from the bike in a flip forward. In skiing, the point of zero control is unique across each fall, and hence, the timing of the airbag is also not very accurate.

They will also be required to begin wearing cut-resistant long underwear in the 2025–26 season to protect against cuts from the edge of a ski in the event of a fall. The airbags inflate the moment a skier tips off balance and are designed to offer protection to the neck and upper body, preventing a skier from going out of control. However, racers are still in the middle of trading their opinions on this creation. But did you know Mikaela Shiffrin herself has raised concerns about battling fatigue?

Mikaela Shiffrin opens up on fatigue!

That’s right, Mikaela Shiffrin’s march toward her 100th World Cup victory is on at the FIS Skiing World Cup 2024-25. But before the season started and she could inch closer to that magic number, legendary Italian skier Alberto Tomba stepped in with both admiration and a friendly warning, reminding Shiffrin of her own words on the toll of exhaustion. Tomba, a former alpine icon, offered his praise, saying, “She is ‘special’ in both slalom and giant slalom,” while cautioning her about the risks of skiing while worn down.

Reflecting on Mikaela Shiffrin’s last season injury, he said, “Doing downhill skiing when you’re physically tired is risky.” His statement reiterated what Shiffrin said about the timetable set by the FIS recently. Following her sensational return during the last season from Åre, Shiffrin revealed fatigue from incessant racing was partly to blame for her setbacks. “I absolutely believe that fatigue at this point in the season plays a role in the injuries we have seen lately, including my own,” she had said, subtly pointing to the strain from the packed race calendar.

Now, with the season underway, Shiffrin narrowly missed adding another win to her tally. Although she did not win the race, her fifth place allowed the representatives of the United States to show their best start at the World Cup in 39 years, which gave hope. And as the tour heads to Levi—a venue where she’s excelled in the past—her journey toward the historic 100 wins continues, with her sights set on making this season unforgettable.