Giant slalom and slalom events will be contested at Kuhtai in Austria between tomorrow and December 15, before athletes make the journey to Swiss resort St Moritz from December 19 to 22. 

More than 100 athletes from nearly 25 countries will race at both events.

"It’s an exciting start to the season, we’ve got some good snow in Europe and a good couple of races to start off with," race director Alison Bombardier said.

"I’m excited to see how high the level of competition is going to get, watching some good ski racing and everyone having some good clean fun."

Women’s slalom sitting world champion Loesch is making her return to the World Cup after missing most of last season due to injury.

Loesch is cautiously optimist about her chances in Kuhtai where she will face German rival Anna Schaffelhuber, the slalom and giant slalom Paralympic champion.

Giant slalom Paralympic title holder Kunz stars in the men’s sitting, challenged by Germany’s world champion gold medallist Georg Kreiter.

Japan’s slalom world champion Takeshi Suzuki will also be in action.

In the men’s standing event, Sochi 2014 Paralympic bronze and World Championships silver medallist Salcher is favourite, while the United States’ Thomas Walsh, who finished second and third respectively in the men’s slalom and giant slalom standing World Cups on his debut last season, will also be competing.

On the women’s side, Germany’s Paralympic slalom champion Andrea Rothfuss leads the competition alongside Slovakian Petra Smarzova.

Great Britain’s Millie Knight will make an appearance in the women’s visually impaired event after stepping onto the podium in slalom and giant slalom at the 2015 World Championships.

Seventeen-year-old Knight, guided by Brett Wild, is joined by team-mate Kelly Gallagher, a Paralympic champion gold medallist, with new guide Gary Smith.

Menna Fitzpatrick, the giant slalom World Cup winner from 2015-16, also returns for the British team with guide Jen Kehoe.

Australia’s Melissa Perrine gets her season underway with guide Andrew Bor, as they attempt to add to their five World Championships medals, including three titles.

In the men’s visually impaired, Italy’s World Cup slalom and giant slalom runner-up Giacomo Bertagnolli is gearing up for a big season with guide Fabrizio Casal.

With competing at his home World Championships in Tarvisio to prepare for, Bertagnolli will be hoping for a good performance against Canada’s giant slalom Paralympic gold medallist Mac Marcoux, guided by Jack Leitch.

Spain’s Jon Santacana Maiztegui, a multiple World Championships and Paralympic medallist in technical events, is also a contender with guide Miguel Galindo.

The World Cup season will open in Kuhtai with slalom tomorrow, followed by two giant slalom races on Friday (16 December) and Saturday (17 December).

On Sunday (19 December), a parallel slalom exhibition will be held in St Moritz before giant slalom gets underway on Monday (December 19) and Tuesday (December 20). 

Then, on December 21 and December 22, the next slalom races will be held.