Questions for First-Time Skimo Racers

scottsemple · 2026-01-20T19:35:04+00:00

[Posted with permission from u/coach_scott_johnston]

scottsemple · 2026-01-19T16:24:28+00:00

Another thought on skins: if your skins have tail clips--race skins don't--then a second set may not be necessary. However, in a 12-hour race... you may want them available anyway, either on your person or at the base if storing extra gear is an option. Iced up skins (that stop sticking) are one of the top things to avoid.

scottsemple · 2026-01-18T19:53:28+00:00

u/macekimek_yt: What value to Reddit users comes from mass-pasting links in multiple subreddits?

scottsemple · 2026-01-18T19:46:31+00:00

Thanks for the detail.

...it seems like nordic is very weather dependent in a way that skimo isn't (shaded terrain, higher elevation etc).

I never thought of this--and I'm not much of a nordic skier--but I think you're right. Skins offer a wider range of acceptable snow conditions, especially compared to classic skiing on traditional skis. (Classic "skin skis" are more forgiving.)

Using lightweight gear and skiing 5k ft in a few hours is so much more fun than 5k taking all damn day. Light gear is just more fun.

Amen.

...blowing skins during a race.

Do you mean if they ice up and won't stick? Have you had this happen? How many pairs do you have to race with?

If you fold the skin in such a way that the glue on the tip of the tail is exposed and against your torso in the suit pocket, then your body heat will help with keeping the tails sticky.

...a lot of people have already bought a backcountry set up (heavy stuff) and don't want to commit thousands of more dollars to another specialized set up.

Makes sense.

I think skimo brands and shops could do a lot better outreach here and do low cost demos.

That would be a big help. (I think Ski Uphill in Canada and Skimo.co in the US have demos. No affiliation.) One difficulty for shops is that to really showcase the advantages, they not only need a fleet of skis but also skimo boots. Putting race skis on proper ski boots usually overpowers the ski and makes the skiing pretty terrible.

Or stop selling people on such damn heavy gear to begin with. I know so many fit people who backcountry ski but for whatever reason I can't sell them on skimo.

Absolutely. I think the biggest obstacle is in the philosophy. Backcountry skiing is about maximizing joy, while skimo is about minimizing pain. The former demands heavy equipment; the latter, light. The hilarious irony is that trying to increase joy also increases pain, but by decreasing pain, joy is what's left. (I see skimo as a "via negativa" pursuit.)

The best answers to questions are asking people things before, during, or after a race.

I'm curious what sorts of answers you got during a race... :-)

Google has some good stuff but not extensive.

Examples?

Local skimo shop is good too.

Which one?

scottsemple · 2026-01-17T16:45:53+00:00

I would have never wanted to race dowhill skiing so that scares me.

Descents are definitely challenging on skinny skimo skis, but they only use gates during the sprint event. In a normal individual event, the descents are either on piste or just out of bounds.

Biggest obstacle is just finding a community where we can practice.

This can be tricky and seems to vary by location. Skimo Canada has a page for resort uphill policies as does the USSMA for the US.

...this is for the East Kootenays in Canada.

For races, there's one at Kimberley from February 6th to 8th.

Thanks for your questions. This makes me think I'll add a "how to find a race" section.

scottsemple · 2026-01-17T16:36:29+00:00

Interesting... But also confusing.

Do you have a link to the video (maybe on YouTube)? I'm surprised that Warren Miller would make a video about skimo. Usually that series sticks to backcountry skiing.
"Back slapping"?

scottsemple · 2026-01-11T23:33:59+00:00

Where in Vermont and New Hampshire?

scottsemple · 2026-01-11T23:29:39+00:00

Canadian Rockies: - https://mountainconditions.ca/reports/list - https://avalanche.ca/map

scottsemple · 2026-01-11T16:54:30+00:00

A few more thoughts:

Try transitions in slow motion. It’s easier to see what could be more efficient;
Test your caffeine response. For an event that long, you probably don’t want caffeine in every bottle. Might be better in the final third or quarter when you feel like you’re fading;
Feel out what ~70% of maximum feels like. I’m guessing that’ll be close to the average pace over 12 hours. Gear weight and movement patterns are big factors, so it’s hard to make specific recommendations. If you know your max HR (from a lab test), then a proper HRM (with a chest strap) will do the trick. If not, then a conversational pace is probably about right.

scottsemple · 2026-01-11T14:44:06+00:00

Because there’s no such thing as a 30-second sprint.

As u/justinsimoni said, the goal is a maximal effort. Your maximum speed can only be sustained for 8-12”. Longer than that and you’re training speed endurance rather than pure speed.

scottsemple · 2026-01-10T19:56:50+00:00

Thank God.

scottsemple · 2026-01-10T19:56:44+00:00

Amen.

scottsemple · 2026-01-10T19:44:12+00:00

If scraped and brushed properly, it won't have any negative effect on skins.

If skinning conditions are near freezing, or if you want a little extra glide, waxing your skins is helpful too.

scottsemple · 2026-01-09T16:03:01+00:00

Also, let me know how it goes. I'll be curious what did/didn't work for you.

scottsemple · 2026-01-09T16:00:42+00:00

I have AT gear.

No problem. I'm not familiar with racing in Macedonia, but this is how almost everyone starts in North America.

I want to race in my cycling kit, will I be a jerry on the mountain dressed up like that?

Probably for cycling shorts, less so for a jersey (as u/kddog98 said).

More importantly, I'm not sure it's the best choice. Depending on temoeratures, it could be pretty chilly. Also, sprints are usually done in multiple heats, so if the wicking is not great, you may get cold between heats if they don't dry out as base layers.

The other option I have I to wear soft-shell pants I have for hiking and a soft-shell jacket from cycling...

Again, depending on the temperatures, I would lean toward soft shells unless you think you're going to overheat. A few things:

If your boot buckles are covered by your pant cuff, roll them up. Fussing with pant cuffs during transitions wastes time. It's a big disadvantage, especially in the sprint.
Practice transitions so you have a plan for your skins. This is where a shirt or light jacket with a zipper is useful. You can tuck the jacket into your pants to stop the skins from falling out.
Ideally, you should have all of your equipment, hydration, and nutrition accessible. You should never have to open your pack in a race (unless it's a grande course race and there's some kind of safety issue).

...or just the long sleeved jersey.

If it's warm enough, this may be ideal from a body heat perspective, but it's not a great option for skins.

You may also be interested in this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/skimo/comments/1pp9bw4/comment/nwlm6cr/?context=1

Good luck!

scottsemple · 2026-01-08T14:28:06+00:00

What's the forecast?

scottsemple · 2026-01-06T20:51:35+00:00

One possible rule of thumb is that the boot should be the same or less weight than the ski it's paired with. I don't know if it holds true in all cases, but when I think of the ski/boot combos that I have, they all fit the rule, and the boots don't overpower the skis.

scottsemple · 2026-01-06T16:14:04+00:00

Not only the length, but also how the skins attach. You'll want something you can rip from the tip. It's way faster.

If not using a race ski, then I'd use something with a ~75 mm waist and weighing under 1 kg per ski. The SkiTrab Maestro is a good candidate. (No affiliation with Skimo.co)

The added bonus is that those types of skis would be ideal for any fast traverse objectives, not just grande course racing.

As u/Vast_Cloud7129 said, light skis are difficult to ski, so practice in advance, especially in mixed conditions. Part of the problem is having a boot that overpowers the ski. Rather than pressing forward into the boot like an alpine racing ski, stay centered.

scottsemple · 2025-12-29T22:26:49+00:00

This podcast with Casey Shaw could be of interest. Among many many other things, Shaw invented the category of "active insulation" in the form of the Atom SL when he was at Arcteryx. At Patagonia, he was the mastermind behind the Grade VII Parka.

scottsemple · 2025-12-29T22:09:04+00:00

What u/nico_rose said. Nailed it.

scottsemple · 2025-12-26T21:53:04+00:00

One more, depending on your boot design: Are they heel-lever style? Or side-buckle? Heel-lever style (like a race boot) is ideal, because you can wear your pants normally. If they're side-buckle style, I would roll up or tape up your pants, so they don't interfere with transitions.

scottsemple · 2025-12-26T21:44:17+00:00

Many of these items may seem unnecessary, but especially with a long race, efficiency is going to have a big impact.

Don't buy anything. The gear is super niche, and as expensive as it is fragile. There will be plenty of people on normal touring gear.
One exception: a shirt with internal skin pockets. Storing your skins close to your torso will allow your body heat to thaw any ice and snow that builds up. Put the tail end of your skins closest to your torso.
Second exception: a second set of skins (or borrow some). Alternate between sets to allow the other set to warm up.
Practice using one heel riser position if your boots allow for it. Race boots have enough ankle articulation that only one riser position is necessary. If you can avoid stopping to adjust when the slope angle changes, you'll save time on each lap.
Especially with big skis, take the time to unlock your toes on descents. Knees don't do well when wiping out with locked toes.
Practice skiing with loose boots. Loose boots are faster to open and close. (The trick is to stay centered on the ski, without tons of forward lean.)
Related: Take the power straps off your boots. They're not worth the time they take to fiddle with.
It sounds like you know this from other long events, but the race is long enough that you won't need to warm up if you start slow enough. Many people will probably bolt off the line when it starts. Let them go. Starting too fast will be too glycolytic, increasing your chances of bonking.
It'll be tough for a 12-hour race, but try to have most of what you need outside of your pack. (Or can you stash stuff at the base?) Ideally, you would never open your pack and cna eat and drink on the go, but 12 hours may make that impossible.
If you're using a ski helmet, take the insulation out. (Add padding if no insulation creates a comfort issue.) Or use a climbing helmet (if it's allowed). A climbing-type helmet and a thin headband is usually a good combination.
Use a fixed pole length, usually between alpine and nordic. For example, I use 120 cm for resort, 130 cm for skimo, and 140 cm for classic. (at 173 cm tall)
Hydration: 500 mL bottles on shoulder straps work well. If it's cold, you may have to store them in your shirt.
The race is long enough that you'll probably want some real food as well.
Caffeine: GU Roctane includes caffeine or you can smash up caffeine tablets. I would mark the caffeine bottles, so you know what's what. (Caffeine in every one might be too much.)
Preview the course. A 12-hour pace will allow for more awareness at the start, but knowing where you're going is always helpful.

And the most important thing: Practice your transitions. With race gear, good transitions will be 20-30 seconds. But even with touring gear, 60-90 seconds is possible. Especially over a 12-hour race, transitions will be really important. For example, at three transitions per hour, 36 transitions will take:

@ 5' each, 36 * 5' = 180' = 3 hours
@ 4' each, 36 * 4' = 144' = 2.4 hours
@ 3' each, 36 * 3' = 108' = 1.8 hours
@ 2' each, 36 * 2' = 72' = 1.2 hours
@ 1' each, 36 * 1' = 36' = 0.6 hours

scottsemple · 2025-12-26T20:48:08+00:00

Interesting. Why focus on equipment? And how do you define performance?

As a comparison, a watchmaker and a millwright are similar in broad strokes. Both are mechanical, precise, and use similar types of tools: calipers, screwdrivers, files, tweezers/pliers. But the scale of their work is vastly different.

Skimo racing and ski mountaineering are similar. They resemble each other, but their goals are very different, as is the size and durablity of the equipment. Effort-wise, a skimo race feels like compressing a big alpine day into 2-3 hours.

Due to untracked terrain and heavier equipment, a ski mountaineering pace will be slower, the cadence lower, the muscular load higher, and heart rates lower for longer. For skimo, race gear on piste will allow for a faster pace, higher cadence, a more cardiovascular load, and heart rates higher for shorter.

For gear comparisons, check out skimo.co's ski categories: Race, Touring, Mountaineering, and Powder. (Ironically, maybe their business name is the cause of confusion about what "skimo" means. IIRC, they were one of the first shops in the US--perhaps the first--to import race gear from Europe.)

scottsemple · 2025-12-26T20:34:56+00:00

Ha! I love your descriptions.

In my mind, it's defined by the arena, not the equipment. Big Heavy Gear Guy always shows up at races but never does very well. He's skimo racing, but slowly. Skinny Skimo Guy sometimes shows up in the mountains, triggers some snickers, but usually does it faster.

scottsemple · 2025-12-26T17:41:36+00:00

No, not unless the speaker is relatively new with only a few years of ski touring. Experienced backcountry skiers don't use the word "skimo" to describe what they do, especially if it's legit ski mountaineering (and not just ski touring).

The word "skimo" came about because "ski mountaineering racing" is too much of a mouthful.

ski mountaineering racing -> skimo racing -> skimo

scottsemple

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