What is skimo? New sport to be featured in Winter Olympic lineup
By Jackson Stoever
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BOLTON VALLEY, Vermont (WPTZ) — One of the latest additions to the Winter Olympics is ski mountaineering, or skimo for short. Though it’s new to the world stage, the sport has been around for years.
But how does it work?
“Skimo as a race is definitely high-output,” said Stowe resident Aaron Rice. “It’s basically like trail running.”
As Rice would tell you, skimo is not a walk in the park. It’s a sprint up a mountain.
The sport is a unique mix of backcountry and downhill skiing. It’s picked up steam over the years and is growing in popularity.
“I’ve been doing skimo for over a decade in Utah when it was just coming to the United States,” said Rice.
Rice helps run weekly skimo races at Bolton Valley Resort for the Mansfield Backcountry Alliance. Over 75 people showed up to Tuesday’s race at 6 p.m.
“You can go as fast as you want. It feels like you’re almost running uphill, getting in as many laps as you can,” said Stowe resident Kate Emmons.
Athletes competing in a skimo race start with skins on their skis to help with traction while they ascend the mountain.
And what goes up must come down. It’s what many consider to be the easy part, when racers remove the ski skins for the descent to the finish line.
The skimo featured in Italy this year will be a sprint race and then a mixed relay, which consists of two ascents and then a section on foot with skis attached to a backpack.
“When you watch the Olympics, you’ll see they’re running up a staircase built into the snow. They’re coming down through gates. When you’re competing at that high a level, everything needs to be controlled,” said Rice.
Local athletes are anxious to tune in and hope their sport is in the spotlight for years to come.
“We’ve been waiting for skimo to be in the Olympics for a while,” said Essex resident Louisa Larson. “Super excited that it’s going to be happening this year.”
Though the physical toll is heavy, skimo enthusiasts say the sport is accessible to anyone interested and hope that the Olympics push new riders to take to the slopes.
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