RMISA Announces 2026 Ski Schedule
October 16, 2025 | Skiing
Buffs Host Spencer James Nelson Memorial In January and February
BOULDER — The Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association has has released its 2026 schedule, highlighted for the Colorado Ski Team by the Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational, CU's home meet set for January 13–15 (Alpine) and February 13–14 (Nordic) in Colorado.
The alpine portion will take place at Eldora Mountain Resort and Loveland Ski Area, while the Nordic races will be held at Steamboat Springs' Howelsen Hill, one of the most historic venues in collegiate skiing. The event honors former CU skier Spencer Nelson, who passed away in 2010, and continues to serve as a cornerstone of the collegiate ski circuit.
The alpine meet will be in conjunction with Denver, as the Eldora will host two GS races and one slalom race, one a part of each meet, from January 12-15.
Colorado's schedule features five regular-season meets, which includes an alpine-only and a Nordic-only meet, leading up to the NCAA Championships in Bozeman, Montana (March 11–14), hosted by Montana State. MSU also hosts the RMISA Championships at the end of February. The season begins with RMISA Nordic Invitational and an extra qualifier as part of the US National Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y. (Jan. 4–9), followed by stops in Nevada (alpine), Colorado and Utah throughout January and February.
Head coach Jana Weinberger's Buffaloes enter the season looking to return to the top of the standings as they did by winning the 2024 NCAA Championship, CU's 21st national ski title. Colorado took second in 2025 at the NCAA Championships and has finished in the top three in 107 of its last 120 meets and either first or second in 78 of its last 105 (including 37 wins).
This team has a great mix of veteran leadership and new talent, Weinberger said. The Spencer Nelson Invitational is always special for our program, and we're excited to host again at both Eldora and Steamboat Springs.
TEAM OUTLOOK
Women's Alpine — The Buffs will ski this season without three-time NCAA champion Magdalena Luczak, who will redshirt after a knee injury last spring. But the group remains strong with returners Louison Accambray, Ashley Campbell, and Cathinka Lunder, along with freshmen Alexa Brownlie and Paige DeHart and graduate transfer Hannah Soria, a Steamboat Springs native who comes to CU from Colby College.
Men's Alpine — Senior Filip Wahlqvist anchors a talented but youthful men's squad joined by Justin Bigatel, Team USA members Stanley Buzek and Hunter Salani, and international newcomers Feb Allasina (Italy) and Christoffer Oesteroem (Norway). All six will create a competitive atmosphere that will make it unlikely to know who will score for the team in any given race, as all six are capable of doing so.
Women's Nordic — With no freshmen and multiple All-Americans returning, CU's women's Nordic unit is its most experienced group. Tilde Baangman and Astri Lunde lead a lineup that also includes Elena Grissom, Sophie Spalding, and Utah transfers Nina Schamberger and Selma Nevin, a legacy Buff, are both already proven high-level collegiate skiers.
Men's Nordic — The men's Nordic squad will be without Hugo Hinckfuss this spring as he pursues Olympic qualification, but Johannes Flaaten, Trey Jones, and Luka Riley provide stability. Newcomers William Bentley, Storm Pedersen, and Jakob Moch add depth and Moch and Pedersen could compete for high placement in races out of the gate.
Players Mentioned
