USA Skimo Announces 2021/2022 Race Schedule and National Team Qualifying Information

November 17, 2021

Fast-Growing Endurance Sport Will Make Its Olympic Debut in 2026

Dillon, Colo. (November 2021) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – The United States Ski Mountaineering Association (USA Skimo) announced today that it will host two qualifying events for elite athletes in Colorado in December as the team begins its steady march to its highly anticipated debut at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

USA Skimo will host a Vertical Race and an Individual Race at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area on Dec. 10 and 12, respectively. US National Team members will serve a term from December 2021 to April 2022 and represent the USA in February 2022 at the European Championships in Spain.

The qualifying events come on the heels of the International Olympic Committee’s summer announcement that the sport of ski mountaineering will be officially included in the 2026 Olympics in Cortina, Italy. The sport is best known for its endurance athletes traversing alpine courses with lung-burning ascents and hair-raising descents, and skimo racing has a storied history in Europe. While skimo has long been primarily a niche sport in the United States consisting mostly of mountain athletes and endurance junkies, the sport has seen significant participation increases across a variety of geographic regions and age groups domestically USA Skimo was reorganized in 2017.

The organization is hopeful that with the news of its Olympic debut and competitive qualifying events like the ones scheduled for December, USA Skimo is ready to identify and develop the next generation of competitive athletes.

“The growth in the US and other countries has all helped establish ski mountaineering as a unique and respected sport worldwide. This growth has been a catalyst to help bring skimo to the Olympic stage” said USA Skimo president Ram Mikulas. “This will begin a new chapter for the sport of skimo and we look forward to preparing and propelling US athletes to the top ranks.”

Skimo isn’t the only uphill ski sector that has seen growth in recent years; uphill fitness skinning at resorts and backcountry skiing has taken off. USA Skimo is poised to recruit and develop these audiences, showcase the year-round benefits to crossover athletes from sports like mountain biking and trail running and to introduce the sport to diverse demographics and geographic areas.

This season will feature intro to skimo clinics, gear demonstrations, youth development coaching and a host of sanctioned races across the US for all ability levels and ages. To learn more about the sport, support USA Skimo, and find the full race schedule for the 2021/22 season please visit https://usaskimo.org.

Please find the USA Skimo photo library here.

About USA Skimo

The USA Skimo sanctions and governs competitive ski mountaineering racing in the US and promotes and fosters recreational ski mountaineering through access, resources, education and community Sanctioned skimo races in the United States abide by a series of rules, by discipline, as directed by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF). USA Skimo is recognized by the ISMF as the national sport organization for the United States USA Skimo is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, entity. Funds generated from membership race licenses, corporate sponsorships and generous support from donors are used for athlete development programs and to grow the sport of ski mountaineering in the US. Please consider a financial donation to help support the next generation of USA athletes on the world stage.

About Ski Mountaineering Racing

Ski mountaineering (abbreviated to skimo) racing is a human-powered endurance competition that involves climbing mountains on skis and/or by foot and in many race disciplines, passing through a series of transitions before descending on skis. Skimo races are timed events that follow an established course through challenging winter alpine terrain. Individual mass start races are the most popular format in the United States, however the sport of skimo can consist of partnered Team events, Sprint circuit heats, team Relay circuit races and bottom-to-top Vertical races.

Skimo will test a participant’s fitness and endurance levels, the participant’s uphill travel and transition proficiency and the participant’s alpine skiing skills (and nerve) to get down the mountain and to the finish line. Skimo racing is a welcoming sport to all participants with recreational and competitive events held throughout the United States.

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Meteorite PR | Eric Henderson | ehenderson@MeteoritePR.com | 307.690.2984