The World Cup slalom podium sweep by Austria was a historic moment. Manuel Feller was the star of the show, setting a blistering pace on his first run and finishing ahead of Marco Schwarz. Feller’s win was particularly special because it was the first for an Austrian in 17 slalom races. He attributed the victory to a perfect start after a tough season. However, the race was marred by climate protesters who interrupted the event and had to be removed from the finish area. Norwegian skier Henrik Kristoffersen expressed his disgust at the protesters, and TV cameras caught him and Croatian Filip Zubcic throwing snowballs at them. The race was also missing last season’s slalom crystal globe winner Lucas Braathen, who recently announced his retirement at age 23. Additionally, the women’s downhill race in Zermatt-Cervinia was called off due to strong winds.