Dear Skiers,

Winter’s here, and it’s bringing the chill and thrill of AUS SkiMo to our resorts! We’re gearing up for two awesome events: Falls Creek on September 15th and Perisher on September 28th. These will be the first-ever Sprint and Mini-Individual races, adding some Olympic-level excitement to our snow sports scene.

As we edge closer to Ski Mountaineering’s Olympic debut in just two years, a group of passionate Australians have been making waves in the SkiMo world. During the past northern hemisphere winter six athletes competed at World Cup events in Andorra, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and Italy, as well as in regional and national events in Europe and North America. With milestone results including two top 20’s and multiple top 30’s, Australia proudly clinched the 21st spot in the World Cup Nation Ranking. Further details are provided in the 2024-2025 season-wrap article below.

For the second year in a row Australia had the opportunity to take part in an ISMF Development Camp. In March 17-year-old Ava McCann travelled to Jaca in Spain to train alongside aspiring athletes from other nations new to SkiMo. Ava has shared her experiences below, and aims to make her own World Cup debut next season.

Are you intrigued by the world of skimo races? Why not swing by the Snow Australia website? You'll find a wealth of information about this thrilling sport, including race details, athlete profiles, and more. With the resorts in full swing, we're eagerly anticipating the rise of SkiMo in Australia. Stay tuned for more updates! 🎿🇦🇺.

Brian Lichi
Snow Australia Ski Mountaineering Committee Chair

For 2024 Snow Australia is partnering with Falls Creek and Perisher to host Australia’s first SkiMo events.

The Falls Creek event will fall on the 15th – 16th of September, with an intention to include both a Sprint and Mini-Individual event. These events will provide everyone the opportunity to experience the short and sharp exhilaration of a Sprint event along with the methodical grind of an individual course within the Falls Creek resort. 

With the Sprint being held on the Saturday and the Mini-Individual on the Sunday we are hoping that there is an opportunity for participants of all skills and with all different types of equipment to enjoy this new sport. 

Our Perisher event will follow two weeks after the Falls Creek races on the weekend of the 28th – 29th of September. As we continue discussions with Perisher and lock in the exact event location (and event day) the aim it to offer another Mini-Individual to allow participants to experience the full gamut of a Skimo race.

More details will be available after further negotiations with the resorts.

To assist in planning for these events we are seeking expressions of interest from potential participants at each resort.

As we edge closer to Ski Mountaineering’s Olympic debut in just two years, a group of passionate Australians have been making waves in the SkiMo world. Phil Bellingham, a true trailblazer, took on four World Cups across Andorra, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy. His standout performances included 45th place finishes in the Individual Race at Comapedrosa (Andorra) and the Sprint at Boi Taull (Spain).
 
Kate Zander raced primarily in the USA but travelled to Europe for the Cortina World Cup in Italy. There, she secured an impressive 20th place in the Individual Race—the equal-best result for Australia that season. Kate also performed well in the Vertical and Sprint events. Lara Hamilton, a trail runner-turned-ski Mountaineer, achieved a remarkable 20th-place finish in the Vertical Race at the Cortina World Cup. She also placed 49th in the Sprint.
 
Innika de Rosa displayed versatility across disciplines, finishing 45th overall. Notably, she secured 25th place in the Individual Race in Cortina, Italy, and 31st in the Vertical Race in Schladming, Austria. In her second SkiMo World Cup season, Anna Trnka balanced her XC coaching duties (she coached the XC YOG team in Gangwon) with racing. Her standout performances included 33rd place finishes in the Individual Race at the Marmotta Trophy (Italy) and the Vertical Race in Schladming. Australia proudly clinched the 21st spot in the World Cup Nation Ranking.

Read on for more details as part of the XC / SkIMo season wrap.

Ava McCann is a winter sport enthusiast. Having Alpine skied from a young age, Ava ventured into the endurance side in 2022 and made some quick progressions. Qualifying for the Snow Australia Cross Country Ski Team for the first time in 2023, Ava also raced Biathlon and represented Australia at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games. With her Alpine background, why not SkiMo as well? In September 2023 Ava took part in Snow Australia’s SkiMo development camp at Falls Creek. With support from ISMF, Ava had the opportunity to travel to Spain earlier this year to find out more about SkiMo training and racing.

SkiMo racing is a human-powered endurance competition that involves climbing mountains on skis and/or by foot. In many race disciplines, skiers pass through a series of transitions before descending on skis. From local-smaller sprint races to ultra-style backcountry races, not all SkiMo races are created equal. 

SkiMo races are timed events that follow an established course. These courses can start small and relatively simple within the boundaries of a ski resort or can be multi-day backcountry races that tick off alpine peaks in a challenging winter environment. SkiMo Racing can consist of partnered Team events, Sprint circuit heats, team Relay circuit races and bottom-to-top Vertical races.

The following link will take you to our AUS SkiMo information page, where you’ll find detailed video explainers for each discipline.

SkiMo membership with Snow Australia ensures that you are notified of the latest news and updates within the sport. International SkiMo membership is required for anyone competing in World Cup and other events overseas.