“A new Olympic sport hits the slopes” - by Rocky Mountain PBS

“Similarly to the attention climbing and triathlon received after gaining an Olympic audience, we’re hopeful that someday there will be a pipeline for young athletes to compete in college.”

We were stoked to show the PBS crew around at Eldora Morning Grind and show them our little tight-knit community.

SKIMO GOLD by Travis Macy is the newly launched premier US podcast for ski mountaineering competition and participation as elite athletes prepare for Olympic competition and beyond.

We were invited as a guest to explore the deep cultural roots of ski mountaineering to its modern-day evolution as an Olympic sport.

We dive into the differences between European and American skimo, the rise of youth programs in the U.S., how the sport can grow through mass participation events and grassroots initiatives, and a vision for the future of ski mountaineering.

The inaugural season of the Boulder Youth Skimo program just wrapped up after 14 weeks of weekly practices since December!

We were stoked to see so many kids getting hooked on skimo, advancing their skills, and even racing the Aspen Power of Four, Winter Park, Meadow Mountain, and Morning Grind (and setting course for it).

We’re already planning for next season, eager to keep growing youth participation, advancing education, and introducing more Boulder kids to this awesome sport!

Thank you Teton Gravity Resarch and Snow Brains for the features.

RACE RECAPS

Lots of racing has been going this winter. Here’s a quick recap:

• TELLURANDO
  Telluride always delivers and this year wasn’t any different. Dumping snow and steep pow skiing made for an adventure and a tough race, albeit no Palmyra Peak again this year. (Photo album)
  

• ASPEN POWER OF FOUR
  The Queen race of true skimo racing in the US this year saw a less competitive field at the top, but just as much stoke. Awesome skiing conditions with new snow and a beast of a course.
  

• MEADOW MOUNTAIN (Colorado Cup #4)
  What a cool little venue for a skimo race, with a bluebird day, technical skinning and skiing, and and exciting course all around.
  

• ELDORA MORNING GRIND
  Check out the photo album from race #2 by the talented Cullen McHale for Eldora, and fingers crossed for more racing opportunities at our local hill next winter!

UPCOMING RACES:

The inaugural Silverton Skinny race on April 5th by COSMIC & Cripple Creek Backcountry is the perfect way to get your fill of high-alpine adventure before spring skiing finally arrives! Set in the rugged San Juans, this race serves up technical ascents, thrilling descents and a whole lot of skimo fun. 

The Breckenridge Five Peaks on April 19 is arguably one of the best & most iconic Colorado races and race #5 of the Colorado Skimo Cup. It always delivers great spring skiing conditions and a fun season ender.

The Eldora DoJoe Memorial on April 13 is always a staple fun little skimo community gathering at our local hill. Highly recommended!