Sunday, February 24, 2013

SkiMo

Ski Mountaineering Competition

Ski mountaineering (or randonnĂ©e racing) is a winter sport that combines athletic skiing and mountaineering skills over medium distances, incorporating technical ascents and descents. Ski mountaineering races introduced a new dimension to this beautiful sport in Europe in the 1980's. The concept is extremely simple - racing over steep alpine terrain using ski touring gear, gaining and losing elevation (up to 3000 metres worth) past a series of checkpoints set along ridges and peaks. Some parts of the course require skinning up snow slopes, some involve scrambling with the skis on packs, and some slopes reward polished downhill technique. Some technical courses may require boot packing or traversing fixed lines. The entire itinerary needs to be completed carrying full gear from a mass start on the valley floor in typically less than 3 hours. The winner is the one who crosses the finish line first. Thus, results are determined by time. These are athletic challenges, rather than tests of local knowledge – routes are marked and the techniques to employ are specified at all points on the courses. The sport enjoys a great popularity all over the world with a rapidly growing community in North America. Athletes and citizens that participate in such events are skiers, snowboarders, telemark-skiers, backcountry enthusiasts or simply the ones who seek a fun challenge.

Ski mountaineering competitors are often popular athletic heroes in western European nations. They are widely admired, and arrive on race day heavily promoted by outdoor equipment interests and their home country's mountain federations. The ISMF organizes ski mountaineering races around the world in a World Cup Circuit.

In the latter part of the 1990s, the International Ski Mountaineering Council was established to oversee the European and Youth competition calendars, organize an international World Cup series, and lobby for the sport's inclusion in the Olympics. The first official ISMF World Championships were held in Serre Chevalier, France, in January of 2002.

Visit the ISMF website to read about their Olympic aspirations. The site also has downloads of rules, competition calendars, and international contacts for the sport.
 
(credit: SkiMoCanada.org)