What is mountain skiing? More about the sport that will debut at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Ski mountaineering, or skimo, debuts this week at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games. It will consist of three events: Women’s Sprint, Men’s Sprint and Mixed Relay.

The race begins with a rigorous climb up a mountain on skis equipped with a special fabric skin that grips the snow as athletes race uphill. Once they reach the top, they tear off their skins and race down a complicated slalom course, taking the athletes an average of three minutes in total.

Cam Smith, a 13-time U.S. ski mountaineering national champion and the country’s most decorated skimo athlete, will become the first man to represent the U.S. in the sport at the Olympics in the men’s sprint and medley relay with partner Anna Gibson.

“I think the race will be really dynamic because we have climbs, descents and transitions in between,” Smith said. “There will be a lot of comings and goings, because people will have different strengths and weaknesses as we go through this course in the wild.”

The climb is 70 meters, or almost 230 feet.

Equipment specialist Davide Giardini said the goal is for athletes to shuffle their feet while running uphill, which is easier said than done without their heart beating out of their chest after three strides.

And then there is the descent, full of dangerous curves at high speed.

While the sport’s history runs deep (it dates back to prehistoric Europe as a way of moving and foraging), its Olympic debut is exciting for athletes eager to represent their country in ski mountaineering.

“This is the first time this sport will be in the Olympic Games, so we want the United States to be well represented and set us up for success in 2030, 2034 and beyond,” Smith said. “And once we get there, there are no limits.”