‘Skimo’ is making waves ahead of 2026 Olympic debut

Skiers heading uphill in "skimo" will be a new sport at the 2026 Winter Olympics. (International Skimo Federation)

Dan Romano, the former middle-distance and distance track standout from Mansfield (Mass.) High School and Northeastern University, pulled away from the field at Bromley Mountain in February to win the competitive category of “The Sun” ski mountaineering race.

Sanctioned by the sport’s national organizing body — the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association (also known as USSMA or USA Skimo) — Bromley’s multi-loop race course alternates skinning and bootpack sections that ascend from the base area to the summit, followed by downhill ski sections that lead racers to a transition zone where they can do it all over again.

The Bromley race, a stop on the New England Rando Race Series, also includes a recreational category for backcountry touring enthusiasts. The dual format gives everyone a chance to meet, participate and learn from the best, including World Cup champions and U.S. national team members.

Romano, who posted a winning time of just over 1 hour and 10 minutes, is no stranger to endurance skimo events. In 2023, he won the fourth annual “Last Skier Standing” race at Black Mountain of Maine, climbing 72,450 vertical feet and skiing 189 total miles over the course of 63 hours from Friday morning to Sunday night, outlasting everyone else entered.

Staged at Black Mountain in partnership with White Mountain Ski Company, “Last Skier Standing” requires entrants to complete one lap up and down the ski area every hour, on the hour, until there is only one skier left. Any breaks to eat, sleep or change gear must be earned by completing a faster lap and utilizing the remaining time within that hour.

It might sound like torture to some, but the uphill skiing/alpine touring sector, also known as ski mountaineering, randonee or rando, has exploded in popularity in the United States. Recreational skiers turned to the activity in droves during the COVID-19 pandemic as a safe way to enjoy the mountains away from the crowds.

Popular in Europe for some time, ski mountaineering’s surge in participation across North America and in other countries is an important reason that the International Olympic Committee in 2021 unanimously approved its inclusion on the program at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy. Originally, five ski mountaineering competitions were to be held, but at an IOC meeting in 2022, that number was reduced to three: men’s sprint, women’s sprint and mixed-gender relay.

Competition will be held at Pista Stelvio alpine slope in Bormio, where the 2026 Olympic races in men’s alpine skiing also will be held. In each of the individual races, 24 athletes will line up for a mass start, then race along a fixed-course format consisting of an uphill ski section, a booting (on foot hiking) section, and a descent around race gates. The races typically will last around three minutes in duration. The relay race format is based on the sprint and will consist of a team of three to four athletes taking turns completing the course in a continuous circuit.

“Ski mountaineering is an incredible sport that combines both a long, rich history with unprecedented growth,” said Anthony Armstrong, USA Skimo’s executive director who is charged with leading preparations for the Olympics and beyond. “With the inclusion of Ski mountaineering in the 2026 Olympics and the rapid growth of our sport in the USA, USA Skimo will play a central role in supporting our athletes and continuing to work to expand recreational and racing opportunities for our community.”

As part of its preparations for the Olympics, USA Skimo in September entered into an agreement with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to establish an Olympic high-performance program for ski mountaineering.

“Though new to the Olympic Games program, ski mountaineering is a dynamic, fast-growing sport that also boasts more than a century of tradition,” said Rocky Harris, USOPC chief of sport and athlete services. “We are excited to welcome ski mountaineering onto the Olympic program and are excited to partner with USSMA to deliver results for Team USA.”

In addition to addressing a high-performance program for ski mountaineering, the agreement establishes the roles and responsibilities of USSMA and the USOPC in selecting and sending athletes to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games and competitions within the qualification pathway to the 2026 Games.

“This will begin a new chapter for the sport of skimo and we look forward to preparing and propelling U.S. athletes to the top ranks,” said Ram Mikulas, USA Skimo’s president.

Athletes will be selected for the USA Skimo National Team based on results at USA Skimo National Cup, USA Skimo National Championships, ISMF World Cup, ISMF Youth World Cup and ISMF North American Series events.

“Formalizing our role with the USOPC represents a true inflection point for our sport,” Armstrong said. “The USOPC will provide resources and expertise to our athletes, aspiring athletes and the U.S. ski mountaineering community. This partnership will take our sport to the next level of competition and professionalism.”