Month: March 2026

2026 Ski Orienteering World Championships Underway!

Races at the World Ski Orienteering Championships in Rusutsu, Japan are underway! The US team has competed in both the Sprint and the Pursuit. Conditions have been fast and hard in the mornings, making shortcutting easy in both races. The US athletes especially enjoyed the Pursuit, which was on challenging mountainous terrain (~1000m climb). Athlete Tamra Kornfield described the off-trail descending as ‘exhilarating and edge of your seat’; we saw plenty of broken skis, boots, and poles to confirm this.

Following today’s rest day, the team will compete in the middle distance followed by the team sprints on the final day of racing. There is new snow on the ground, so conditions and strategies are expected to change dramatically!

US SkiO Team Arrives in Japan for the 2026 World Ski Orienteering Championships!

The US team of four athletes arrived at Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido, Japan last week for the World Ski Orienteering Championships. Racing kicks off on 3/2 with the Sprint, but the team has been busy preparing with training and some public races. 

Some highlights from the preparation period:

  • A warm, sunny training day with the impressive Mount Yotei in the background
  • Two public races in a snowed-in amusement park on the slopes of the ski resort: roller-coaster descents underneath roller coasters!
  • A model event with very easy shortcutting. Cold nights and warm days mean a solid crust layer which could make for some interesting racing.

Photos, numbered clockwise from top left, by Josh Yeaton (3) Takako Hirokawa (1, 2, 4), and Lauren Wardwell (5)