With deep Colorado roots, “skimo” debuts as Olympic sport

Skimo is not just a cartoon mascot for the Milan Cortina Olympics; it’s actually a ski discipline making its Olympic debut, the first new sport added to the Winter Games program since 2002.

Skimo, short for ski mountaineering, is a popular form of skiing among Colorado backcountry enthusiasts. Skiers use specialized gear to ascend and descend mountains, climbing uphill with traction-giving “skins” attached to their skis before skiing down untracked slopes on peaks far from resort crowds. A skimo trip can take up most of the day.

In the U.S., skimo racing involves climbing 4,500 feet or more followed by a fast ski descent, lasting around an hour and a half to two hours. However, at the Olympics, skimo racing will look very different.

The Olympic skimo events include a sprint event on Feb. 19, consisting of three bracketed heats with six skiers in each heat, completing an ascent and descent in three to four minutes. There is also a mixed relay event on Feb. 21, where one man and one woman on each team do two laps each with an ascent and a descent on each lap, lasting about 30 minutes.

Representing the U.S. in these events are Cam Smith of Crested Butte and Anna Gibson of Jackson, Wyo. Smith, known as the face of the sport in the U.S., will showcase their skills at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Pete Swenson of Breckenridge, instrumental in bringing ski mountaineering to Colorado 20 years ago, expressed excitement about the sport’s growth. Competitive ski mountaineering originated from the Alps, with Swenson’s efforts leading to the establishment of the Colorado Ski Mountaineering Cup in 2007.

The Grand Traverse, a 40-mile race from Crested Butte to Aspen over Star Pass with 6,800 feet of climbing, is considered the queen of American skimo racing. Initially, skiers used lightweight Nordic gear with telemark technique before transitioning to skimo gear, making the event more accessible and transformative.