A new Olympic sport hits the slopes
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NEDERLAND, Colo. — The Indian Peaks Lodge was filled with more carbon fiber than an aerospace convention. At dawn, 77 ski mountaineers squeezed into skin-tight bodysuits. They secured bibs and jammed their toes into ski boots for the third and final uphill ski race of the season at Eldora Mountain on February 26.
By 7 a.m., the pack of skiers charged uphill then disappeared beyond the horizon.
Ski mountaineering, or skimo for short, combines uphill and downhill skiing. Skiers attach nylon or mohair “skins” to the bottom of their skis that grip the snow as they ascend. They use articulating bindings that allow their heels to pivot freely.
When they reach the top, skiers rip off the skins, lock their heel into place and careen downhill.
“It’s just a nice kick in the butt,” said Laurence Masters, 52, a first-time skimo racer.
Masters said she first tried uphill skiing to kill time during her kids’ downhill ski practices.
According to Rocky Mountain SkiMo, a company that hosts skimo races, Colorado is home to dozens of competitions. At the three Wednesday Morning Grind races held at Eldora, participation averaged 74 competitors.
Traveling uphill was essential before the advent of chairlifts.
In 1555, historian Olaus Magnus described people living in present-day Norway who attached deer skins to wooden skis as a means to travel across snow and climb uphill.
Although uphill skiing has never disappeared, the sport is skyrocketing in popularity.
A 2021 report from Snowsports Industries America, an industry trade group, revealed a 90% increase from the previous year in the number of people participating in uphill ski touring. Research from the National Ski Area Association shows that the number of ski areas offering uphill access increased nearly a third between 2013/14 and 2023/24.
Next year, ski mountaineering — the most competitive offshoot of ski touring — will make its Olympic debut at the Milano-Cortina games. In Colorado, both amateur and professional athletes are taking to the slopes.
Davide Giardini, the founder of Boulder Skimo and former assistant coach for the U.S. Ski Mountaineering team grew up in Lake Garda, Italy, 200 miles from next year’s Milano-Cortina winter Olympic Games.
“In Italy, there's soccer and there's skiing. Almost everybody watches alpine skiing on television on the weekends. It's a big deal,” said Giardini, who grew up racing downhill.
He got hooked on ski mountaineering after moving to Boulder, Colorado in 2012 for his MBA at the Leeds School of Business.
At the time, Giardini was competing as a professional triathlete. Ski touring offered him a way to “get out and enjoy the best of Colorado’s mountains without paying high ticket prices or getting stuck on I-70,” he said.
This year, Giardini formed the Boulder Youth Skimo team, open to racers 12 to 19. The team meets twice a week at Eldora. Eight athletes signed up for the 15-week program and others have joined for drop-in sessions.
“There is a booming youth scene in the U.S. It’s just very sprawled,” said Giardini.
Around the state, skimo races are popping up, allowing both novices and seasoned skiers to compete.
But even as the sport heads to the 2026 Winter Olympics, few options exist for aspiring skimo athletes who want to compete professionally. Prize purses remain small in the U.S.
At the recent Power of Four skimo race in Aspen — one of the most competitive in Colorado — first place winners took home $1,500. Meanwhile, at World Cup downhill races, like Birds of Prey — held every year in Beaver Creek — first place winners nab $64,300.
At the Feb. 26 race at Eldora, Ben Sheanin won the single lap men's category with a time of 27 minutes, 51 seconds. Nicholas Noone won the double lap category in 37 minutes, 40 seconds.
Among the 19 female competitors, Kate Ryan won the single lap race with a time of 35:59. Madigan Miller placed first in the two-lap race with a time of 49:08.
The race on Feb. 26 was Michele Novosad’s second time competing. Novosad, a general contractor from Boulder, has long enjoyed backcountry skiing in Colorado. She said that the best part of racing is “being done.”
She loves “the satisfaction of doing something really hard somewhere beautiful.”
“Better than sitting on my couch reading my phone,” she said.
David Parsons competed before commuting to his job as a software engineer. Parsons grew up in Orlando, Florida, and learned to ski as a kid during family vacations to Colorado.
Parsons, already a fan of trail running, said the unique balance of cardio, endurance and technical expertise drew him to skimo.
“Skimo was like that next step up,” said Parsons.
According to Giardini, the biggest barrier to entry is “being competent enough to come down the hill.”
Equipment, which can cost thousands of dollars between skis, boots and bindings, can be another sticking point.
At the highest level, skiers use skinny, ultralight skis that can be difficult to maneuver at high speeds. Many races in Colorado offer a special division called “heavy metal” for skiers using non-skimo specific skis, like heavier telemark skis.
Giardini said that the used market for gear is “huge.”
In theory, hauling yourself to the top of the mountain remains cheaper than riding the chairlift. Day passes at Vail clocked $329 this year. Other resorts don’t lag far behind. Steamboat and Breckenridge charge $299; Copper and Aspen Snowmass charge $264.
Most resorts in Colorado offer some type of uphill skiing access, though many require a pass or have restrictions on when and where you can go.
Although ski touring is growing, Giardini said that it can be hard to divert people’s attention from the sport’s sexier, downhill relatives.
“The ski industry in my mind in the U.S. is very focused on showcasing what sells, which is powder shots, high bibs and Gore-Tex,” said Giardini, who works in marketing for La Sportiva, an outdoor brand.
Such marketing is unrealistic for 99% of people, he said.
Giardini is hopeful that someday there will be a pipeline for young athletes to compete in college. He points to the attention climbing and triathlon received after gaining an Olympic audience.
“I think that the Olympics will bring awareness for sure,” said Giardini.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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