Skimo Joins Olympics: Athletes Race Up Mountains on Skis

The Winter Olympics just got a whole lot more adventurous with the addition of skimo, a sport where athletes race up mountains on skis before flying back down.

Ski mountaineering is making history as the first completely new Winter Olympics sport since 2002. The rugged competition requires athletes to climb steep mountain slopes with skis attached, then descend at top speed through challenging terrain.

Unlike traditional ski events, skimo athletes must change their own gear mid-race and navigate rougher courses than typical alpine or cross-country routes. Special rubber membranes called "skins" attach to the bottom of skis like sticky carpets, preventing backward sliding during the climb.

This year's games in Milan Cortina feature 36 competitors, including two Americans who just barely qualified in December. Anna Gibson and Cameron Smith will represent Team USA in the sport's Olympic premiere.

The competition takes place in Bormio, Italy, which couldn't be more fitting. Italy has become a skimo hotbed over the past decade, with participation exploding from 33,000 athletes in 2011 to more than 94,000 today.

The sport's roots stretch surprisingly far back. Humans have been traversing snow-covered mountains on skis since prehistoric times, but the first official record comes from 1897 when German geologist Wilhelm Paulcke crossed Switzerland's Bernese Oberland range.

The sport held its first world championship in 2002 and has enjoyed steady growth in Europe's mountainous regions ever since. Now it's getting its biggest stage yet.

The Ripple Effect

Skimo's Olympic debut represents more than just adding another medal event. It celebrates human endurance and technical skill while honoring centuries of mountain tradition, bringing a sport that's been practiced for over a century into the global spotlight.

The races are split into two dramatic segments: the grueling ascent where athletes climb with skins on their skis, and the thrilling descent where speed and technical prowess take center stage. Green flags mark sections where skis must stay on during the climb.

With Italy's passion for the sport and athletes from around the world competing, skimo is poised to capture hearts and inspire a new generation of winter sports enthusiasts.