Ski mountaineering is the hot new event at the Olympics-and it's changing everything about ski gear

"The 2026 Milan-Cortino Winter Olympics is set to debut a new sport: ski mountaineering, also known as skimo. Over the course of two days at the Stelvio Ski Centre located in Bormio, Italy, 36 athletes will compete in three main events: men's sprints, women's sprints, and mixed relay. The race is part endurance and speed, as typical skimo competitions feature athletes racing against each other as they ascend uphill with support of climbing skins before skiing downhill. The Winter Olympics version, however, differs in format."

"This version compresses the competition into a roughly three-minute race. Each leg of a skimo race requires its own specialized equipment. And that equipment matters. Who wins and loses in skimo is often a matter of milliseconds, determined during the transitions between the three distinct moments of the race: ascent, boot-packing (mountaineering), and descent. That's where a 76 year-old German company comes in. Dynafit created"

"the DNA Sprint Collection, a six-product line engineered specifically for the Olympic stage that 11 out of 36 athletes will use during the competition. The remaining athletes will use similar equipment provided by different brands in line with the International Ski Mountaineering Federation's (ISMF) requirements. Dynafit's Design Philosophy A typical skimo competition features rough, high alpine terrain and harsh, snowy conditions that are physically demanding on athletes. To maneuver this challenging terrain, athletes rely on gear such as skis, boots, poles, gloves, backpacks (to hold"

The 2026 Milan-Cortino Winter Olympics will include ski mountaineering with 36 athletes competing in men's and women's sprints plus a mixed relay over two days at Bormio's Stelvio Ski Centre. The Olympic sprint format compresses typical skimo endurance into roughly three-minute races, making rapid transitions between ascent, boot-packing, and descent decisive down to milliseconds. Equipment is highly specialized and lightweight, covering skis, boots, poles, gloves, backpacks, crampons, and avalanche gear. Dynafit developed the six-product DNA Sprint Collection for the Games, and 11 athletes will use it while others use ISMF-compliant alternatives. Dynafit is known for pioneering boots and tech bindings that enable heel lift during climbs.

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