Ski mountaineering, or ‘skimo,’ made its official Olympic debut with men’s and women’s sprint races.
Americans Anna Gibson and Cameron Smith were among the first athletes to compete in the new Olympic sport.
The sport involves athletes ascending a mountain on skis before skiing down.
BORMIO, Italy — If you woke up in the United States sometime Thursday morning and checked social media – we all do it first thing, ignoring the advice of health experts – and saw highlights of men and women seemingly sprinting uphill, then ascending a staircase and finally skiing down a mountain, no, you were not hallucinating.
That was your introduction to ski mountaineering – ‘skimo’ to those in the know. And it was skimo’s introduction to the Olympics, with the men’s and women’s sprint races becoming the first new Olympic sport, officially, since 1998.
Two Americans were in the field, Anna Gibson and Cameron Smith.
‘It’s super fun to be part of this historic moment and help introduce our sport to the world,’ Smith said.
Smith wants those possibly confused fans who found the sport for the first time Thursday morning to know that ski mountaineering, which might seem like a cruel form of torture to many, is actually fun. The exercise and fresh air are two benefits. There’s peace and quiet on the way up during the climbing portion. The thrill on the way down is exhilarating like any ski race.
‘If you have the ability to get out in the mountains, and you can find some gear, it’s a really fun thing to do,’ Smith said. ‘If it looks exciting to watch, then I hope people can give it a try.’
Civilizations in snowy parts of the world have relied on using animal skins beneath ski-like contraptions – if they aren’t considers actual modern skis themselves – for centuries to traverse terrain.
Smith discovered the sport in 2014 when his sister asked him to do the Grand Traverse, a partner race done in teams of two from Crested Butte to Aspen in Colorado. He had no clue what she was talking about but found and purchased old, cheap gear.
Smith became hooked on the mode of travel – and the places it could take him.
‘I just thought it was a cool way to access the mountains and move in the mountains in the winter, when it’s really hard to access wild places,’ the Rockford, Illinois native said.
Gibson and Smith qualified as a team thanks to their performance at the Utah World Cup, where they defeated Canada for the North American slot in these Games and won the entire competition.
Countries that dominate ski mountaineering are typical Winter Olympic powerhouses – France, Switzerland, Italy. Spain is also a strong contender for medals at these Games.
The action Thursday includes just one aspect of ski mountaineering in the sprint races. Normal competitions are much lengthier. The mixed relay is a four-lap race with both athletes alternating turns up and down the mountain.
Gibson was a skier in her youth but was a middle-distance runner in college and only got into the sport when Smith asked her to consider it for a shot at the Olympics.
‘Nothing Anna does should surprise anyone,’ Smith said. ‘She’s capable of amazing things, whatever she puts her mind to.’