There’s surfing and and rock climbing for the summer games so why not young up the Winter Games with some ski mountaineering (Skimo)? The International Olympic Committee (IOC) unanimously approved to add Ski Mountaineering to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
From the President of the US Ski Mountaineering Association (USSMA), Ram Mikulas, “This is fantastic news! We are very excited to hear about the announcement to include ski mountaineering in the Milano Cortina 2026 winter Olympics. We are very thankful to the IOC, International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF), Italy and everyone that helped make this possible.”
Alrighty Then, What the Heck is Ski Mountaineering?
Ski Mountaineering is a competitive winter sport where skiers race up and back down challenging mountain terrain while passing through a series of checkpoints. The events include multiple race formats of individual, vertical, teams, sprint, and relay races.
The inclusion of ski mountaineering on the 2026 program will consist of:
Five new medal events: two men’s events (sprint/individual), two women’s events (sprint/individual) and one mixed-gender relay event.
An athlete quota of 48 (24 men/24 women) falling within the overall quota framework of 2,900 athletes.
The races ascend between 4,300 to 6,200 vertical feet, depending on the category, and typically lasts around 1.5 – 2 hours in duration.
Let’s just say you won’t catch me participating. Uphillers are nuts and in crazy good shape.
The Sprint race is a short fast-paced fixed course format consisting of an uphill ski section, a booting (on foot hiking) section, and a descent around race gates. The races ascend up to 262 vertical feet and typically last around 3 minutes in duration. The format consists of a time trial to establish seeding into a bracket in which 6 racers compete against each other in rounds to keep advancing and racing to the final 6, to determine the podium.
The Relay race is a format based on the Sprint, which consists of a team of 3-4 athletes taking turns to complete the course in a continuous circuit.
Skimo Worldwide
While ski mountaineering took off in Europe years ago, its recent rise in popularity in the U.S. and other countries, nabbed Olympic attention.
“The USSMA has already been working with the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and we look forward to further engagement as we prepare for the Milano Cortina 2026 winter Olympics. This will begin a new chapter for the sport of Skimo and we look forward to preparing and propelling US athletes to the top ranks. We are currently working on organizational and high performance development plans and will be stepping up funding efforts soon” says Mikulas.
With Covid-19 cramping everyone’s social style last year, it seemed simple to find things to do at home with your best friend. However, as the country begins to awaken, the possibilities for summer fun with your pup abound. Here’s a (brief) list to get your mind churning and your booty moving for these upcoming dog days of summer.
Summer Fun Ideas
Give him a bath. This may not sound like fun but when it’s 80+outside, you’ll be laughing and appreciating those moments when he showers you with soapy water and smells clean and fresh for the rest of the activities on the list! BTW, a firm hand on the scruff of his neck will prevent him from shaking off.
Invite all your dog parent friends to meet you at the park for a playdate.
Grab a dog hike book and start ticking off trails in your hood. My favorite ones in the Wasatch include Spiro Trail, Stewart Falls, Fifth Water Hot Springs, Smith and Morehouse Trail, Fehr Lake.
Mix up the path you take on your daily walk.
Go for a swim. Some local parks have ponds for dogs while some cities even allow dogs in pools!
Teach your pup a new trick. Not only does it show off his smarts but keeps their brain healthy and active.
Go for a ride. It may not be safe to let them hang their heads out a window but your dog loves a change of scenery as much as you do. Just don’t leave them alone in a hot car!
Spend a night under the stars at a dog-friendly campsite. Unless you are in a national park, most campgrounds allow dogs but always double check.
Ready to shake off those cobwebs and travel in 2021? As the borders begin to loosen their velvet ropes, there is still a ton of confusion surrounding restrictions, quarantines, spikes, and vaccinations. Here’s what the CDC has presented this week:
Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19. However, international travel poses additional risks and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading new COVID-19 variants.
CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are fully vaccinated.
If you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine:
You should continue to follow CDC’s recommendations for traveling safely and get tested 3-5 days after travel.
You do NOT need to get tested before leaving the United States unless your destination requires it.
You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.
But despite this announcement, misinformation continues to swirl around us. Here’s a quick roundup of truths and myths when it comes to traveling this spring-
You Will Need To Have A Covid Vaccine Passport To Travel
Covid “Vaccine passports” aren’t a thing, they don’t exist; at least not like those government passport blue ‘books’ you have to spend $110 on and wait an eon to receive. A vaccine passport is more like a concept where you show the vaccination card you got from the place that gave you your shot and it gets you past certain quarantine restrictions like those two-week waiting periods Hawaii had during the winter. It’s not a physical card you would have to pay for.
Furthermore, right now you could hop a plane to Mexico or Costa Rica (although it’s not recommended) without any testing or quarantine required, or proof of vaccination. Dozens of other countries, i.e. Kenya and Aruba, just ask for a recent negative test. (CNN has an up-to-date list here.)
There are a handful of countries—Belize, Ecuador, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Montenegro, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Iceland—where proof of vaccination currently allows you to bypass testing or quarantine requirements (though Iceland still requires all visitors to take a free, rapid Covid test upon arrival and quarantine until it shows negative). That list will likely grow, especially for travel to Europe, where officials just announced American travelers will be welcome this summer (exact dates/details still TBD).
But in almost all cases, unvaccinated travelers are still permitted.
BTW, free digital apps are coming —Travel Pass and CommonPass are two —that would allow you to store and flash your vaccination record so you didn’t have to worry about losing anything.
No Vaccine Means No Entry
There’s a lot of murmur out there that in order to travel internationally you’ll need proof of vaccination. Not exactly. Not one single destination has announced only vaccinated travelers can enter. What your vaccine does do is ease your entry. Many countries require a recent negative test or proof of recent infection like a positive antibody test in order to gain entry. But if you have been vaccinated, you get to bypass those requirements and step right in. Of course, restrictions vary from country to country and, with the COVID-19 variants, even fully vaccinated travelers need to pay close attention to what’s going on with their particular destination.
For example, anyone coming into the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated folks, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the US.
You Have to Be Vaccinated to Travel Within the U.S.
Not even close to being true. Hawaii is the only state that currently requires all visitors to show a recent negative COVID test before flying. Without one, travelers must quarantine for 10 days. But Hawaii plans to soon allow vaccinated travelers to bypass that requirement. The other 49 states simply ask that you stay six feet apart and recommend you wear a mask. To find out what states specifically request, sign up for alerts through the CDC or go here.
A viral TikTok video floated around the web warning Americans that their white cards were no good for travel. They would need a yellow WHO vaccine “passport” to go overseas. Phooey. There is no country in the world that has confirmed this. Your little white CDC card is solid proof of Covid vaccination. The yellow vaccine passports—International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis— is a legit product and countries like those in Africa have required it for years – but as proof of other vaccines. but zero countries require it for Covid-19.
To Be Fully Vaccinated, It Needs To Have Been At Least Two Weeks Since Your Final Injection
Yep. No getting around this one.
You’ll Need Proof Of Vaccination To Fly
If your destination doesn’t require a vaccine, neither will the airline you take to get there. That said, if you’re flying to where vaccinated travelers can bypass testing/quarantine requirements, expect the airline to ask you for proof of vaccination before your flight and when you arrive at your destination.
Kids Can’t Get A Covid Vaccine Passport
Currently in the U.S., only those over 16 can get vaccinated. (Pfizer is waiting for FDA approval to vaccinate 12-15 year olds.) If you’re traveling somewhere that lets vaccinated visitors bypass Covid requirements, your kids won’t be able to skip those. The simple solution is to have them Covid tested before departure and upon arrival. Every country that’s adopted covid vaccine passports is allowing in unvaccinated kids with a negative test.
Now that you’re clear on this stuff, on your mark, get set, go! Put those Revenge Travel panties on, along with your mask, and stop wasting away like Miss Havisham.
It took more than 20 years for a Frenchman to win the FIS Alpine World Cup’s Big Globe but Alexis Pinturault conquered his demons; on his 30th birthday no less. Bolle’s short film – VISION: Alexis Pinturault’s Quest For Excellence follows the elite racer through training regimens, travel and equipment decisions as he brings viewers into his grueling world cup ski season that resulted in Pinturault capturing the ultimate top prize in a nail-biting finale to the 2020-21 ski season.
“The idea of creating a behind the scenes documentary is just one more way we’re trying to improve the overall customer experience by providing unmatched access to an athlete and what it takes to win at the highest level,” said Andrea Cappelletti, Global Sports Marketing Manager at Bollé.
The 17-minute documentary, is part of Bollé’s marketing push to connect with its audience as they introduce a new lens called Volt+. The high-contrast lens was developed using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to evaluate 20 million different color combinations before determining the perfect lens. The brand is also using Augmented Reality (AR) to allow customers to not only see what its helmets and sunglasses look like on your face, but to then look out through Bollé’s top of the line Phantom lens.
Last Saturday, I started up another Acting Class with the gloriously frank, Frank Gerrish. The man is a legend in the Utah acting community for so many reasons and then one day he ups and disappears; reappearing in Los Angeles to prove that he can walk the talk.
Not every teacher out there connects with every student but there’s something about taking acting classes with Frank that uplifts, encourages and fills my folder of possibility. He was a hard-working Utah actor, head of the film dept at Salt Lake Community College and he’s done in LA in a few years what takes other actors decades to accomplish.
The acting classes he taught in Utah were an ongoing scene study class peppered with mock auditions and monologues. I couldn’t wait for my twice weekly sessions with my film buddies and not just because of the after beers at MacCool’s Irish Pub next door.
Below are some of the takeaways from my first acting classes……
Auditioning is not acting
The audition is the work you do to get the ‘job’. The job is the play or movie and there are so many steps in between to get to the final job. Often, you’ll hear coaches refer to an audition as a meeting. The casting director not only wants to see how you handle the lines but what you are like as a person. Think about the difference between a job interview and meeting your significant other’s parents. The audition should have the vibe of the later. The more you practice (ie take classes via Zoom or in person), the better you get at your meetings.
What does it take to prepare to do your best on an audition?
Script analysis- Reading and understanding the script. Break it down into “beats” or moments. What is going on in the scene and in the overall story.
Make choices. You have to be able to do this instantly. Choices about who you are, want you want, why you want it, what is your relationship to the others in the scene, etc. Figure out the who, what, when, where and why of the scene you are auditioning.
6 things you need to do for an audition-
Memorize the script (know the words; know the context, your relationships). Excitement and nerves live in the same place. But nerves come from being unprepared. If you don’t look at your sides until the night before, your ‘action verb’ for the audition becomes ‘to remember’- you are a wreck. An actor is like an athlete. You must train if you want to succeed. You can’t roll in and expect it to happen.
Talent may not be quantifiable but the work is. Don’t let anyone out work you.
The acting class is about getting on your feet and screwing up miserably. If you’re going to screw up, screw up in class.
You don’t want to be seen by the right person at the wrong time.
You should be booking at least once in every 10-12 auditions. Otherwise you wind up on the second tier of your agency and they begin to wonder about you- and you begin to wonder about you. Only training will make a difference.
Ask your agent some basic questions about the audition.
Are there sides
Where do I go
Who’s the director
Can I read the script ahead of time. If not, can you read me a description of the character(s) or send me the breakdown, and send all of their sides. BTW, sides are the scene you will be auditioning.
When is the shoot. If you can’t make the shoot date, don’t audition. The dates could change on you but you can’t change on them.
Let them know of any potential conflicts. Intense language or subject matter you just can’t participate in? Conflicting brands? It’s for Comcast and you just did a Dish commercial? Don’t wait until you book the job to let the director know about these things. Casting directors get pissed with that one. Let your agent field this for you.
Other topics you learn when you take legit acting classes-
What’s a headshot and acting resume and how should they standout?
DEMO REELS FOR ACTORS
Do you have a demo reel? How long should it be? What should you have on it? Do you make a separate commercial, comedic, dramatic reel? This is one I used when I was hunting for a talent agent outside of Utah so it’s twice as long as your average demo:
You’ll also need two+ monologues in your back pocket. This is the hardest audition you will ever do- when, without notice, they ask you if you have a monologue you can do. Side note: I’ve only had it happen once. Usually you are told ahead of time to come with a prepared monologue. But it’s always great to have it down because sometimes there is that opportunity to say – “would you like to hear my monologue”. I did this when I was auditioning for Vicki at TMG. I had read three different sides for her and we were talking about eyeline because the sides were not read directly to her and she wanted to see me look at her. Did the monologue and I was in like Flynn.
Acting Classes Help You Understand the 15 Second Rule
The casting director has made a decision about you within 15 seconds of walking in the door. The rest of the time you will be confirming or denying that first impression.
Type yourself out. Ask friends the type of role they can see you playing. Know what the casting director sees in that first 15 seconds. You can even go to a website and have someone do it for you.
Casting is arbitrary. All you can do is your best work but know that you can be rejected for having the wrong color eyes, or a funny nose or blond hair or look too much like the lead (seriously, this happened to me).
It’s a victory and a half if they ask you to read for a different role. Another side, another character. They don’t waste time. They wouldn’t ask if they thought you couldn’t be that part.
If they ask you to do it again but with specific directions, you will be written off if you don’t take those notes and make adjustments to your performance. If they ask to see it again but don’t offer suggestions, play it 180 degrees opposite. Why? Because they already saw you do it one way. Show them how versatile you are.
*Don’t ever name drop when you audition. Raise your hand if you’re guilty of this one?
Shake hands (or hug) only if they offer. But in this post-Covid landscape, you’re best off with a fist bump or nothing.
Don’t be chatty. Shut up so you don’t wind up with foot in mouth disease. Use basic social common sense. Of course, say hello and good-bye.
Don’t fish for callback or filming information. The goal is just to get a callback not the part.
Do you use props? No. If you bring a prop, the prop will always be more real than you. CDs are always looking at the prop. The goal is to get the focus on your close up. The one exception is if you happen to have something on you naturally, like a cellphone, purse or a bottle of water. Use these items. And never ever use your hand like it’s a phone. Self-tape auditions are a bit different in that you have a world of props at your finger tips. Go ahead and use them if you can do so realistically and without them becoming distractions. I had an audition where I was supposed to be moving a box from right to left. Guess what? I used a real box.
You don’t get callbacks playing it safe. Do something that takes courage. Acting classes will help you expand your imagination.
Pause. Don’t blow through the pauses.
Show you can take direction- don’t argue with it.
Prereqs of a good actor
Take acting classes- just like playing an instrument. You need to practice.
Willingness to do the work required by the job.
Be comfortable in your own skin- you are you. Like snowflakes. You are not another actor or type. Be proud of what you do. Don’t be threatened by mediocrity. Or what others imply in the word ‘actor’. You provide a service like everyone else. What’s the first thing a working stiff does when he comes home? Turns on the tv. People have the need to be entertained. Believe that it’s a worthwhile thing to do- telling a story on your feet.
Willingness to be seen. Athletes don’t have this problem. They put on their uniforms and they play. Feel worthy to do this. You do belong and can do this.
Gratitude. Be grateful to be a part of the process.
Keep a folder for the acting classes you take. Keep it like a bible. Go back to it to retrain yourself. Especially when you have an upcoming audition. Not only does it jog your memory but it gives you this sense of being grounded. All of a sudden you have a plan. You’re not floating around this amorphous thing called an audition.
