Following last Thursday’s Season Kickoff at Trident Cafe, the Boulder Skimo 2025-2026 season is officially underway!

The event has officially become a yearly staple, happening every year for the last 5 years.

I can’t believe the first one was in 2021 (proof!)…

Back then Ihad gathered some local skimo OGs (Doug Stenclik of Cripplecreek, Ram Mikulas & Joe Howdyshell of USA Skimo, Matthias Messner, Rory Kelly, and David Glennon the local crushers, and a few others) as special guests to tell the “skimo story” to a group of 40+ endurance athletes at Full Cycle Bikes (check out the event ppt presentation!).

What started out of the personal needs:

To find ski partners (that shared my Euro fast & light ski touring style, and NOT show up with Fritschi bindings and alpine boots with a walk mode);
To take the endurance group training & alpine ski club model and apply it to our sports crazed town;
To resurrect Boulder as the original Colorado ski town before the now mainstream ski resorts on I70 were founded (by 10th Mtn Division “ski touring soldiers” emulating the Euro ski resorts model).

All this seems to have resonated with many and in a short time has become a full blown movement to be reckoned with.

Some numbers from the 2025 Kickoff last week:

120+ attendees
125 Club members (as of 11/24)
42 Club uniforms
$10k of prizes
9 skimo brands (representing 🇮🇹 🇦🇹 🇫🇷)
2 skimo shops (with 9 locations)
2 race organizations (with 8 races)
2 ski resorts partners
1 IFMGA guide
2 hydration & nutrition sponsors
1 apres-ski sponsor…

Thank you to:

Every member who joined the Club and keeps us fired up to keep going
Every organization who saw value in tabling & having a physical presence to bring our event to life:
La Sportiva, Hagan Ski, Camp & Contour, ATK Bindings, Strafe, Silverton Mountain, Rocky Mountain Skimo, COSMIC Skimo, Floyd’s of Leadville, Skratch Labs, Ben Markhart IFMGA Guide, Eldora Mountain, Lifetime Boulder.
Every organization who donated product:
All the above, plus: Ski Trab, Julbo Eyewear, Smith Optics, Suerte Tequila.
Our presenting sponsor (Vibram) for helping us keep the lights on
Trident Cafe for granting us the use of their whole amazing back patio right in the heart of Pearl Street on a busy Thursday night

Let it snow and till the next one!

Boulder Skimo