26-year-old Jack Kuenzle set two speed records on April 24th while near completely naked. The Connecticut man set both the by any means ascent record and the round trip record on Mount Hood, both of which are disciplines of skimo, or ski mountaineering.
Skinning/booting up the mountain took him 1:16:40, breaking the previous record of 1:23:41 set by Alex King in 2020. His descent added only around 15 minutes, bringing the entire round trip time to 1:31:31, smashing the record of 1:44:03 set by Jason Dorais in 2014.
Kuenzle is both an athlete and coach, and participates in skiing, racing, and climbing. From the parking lot to the peak of the mountain, Kuenzle ascended 5,254 feet in just under 7 miles. He had to average around an 11 minute mile to complete the ascent in the time it took him.
Skimo is set to be added to the Olympics in 2026, but Kuenzle clarified on his Instagram that, as of now, he has no intention to participate.
“Skimo will be in the @olympics in 2026. Maybe I’ll change my mind, but right now I want nothing to do with an organization that kowtows to the PRC. Fuck the IOC.” – Jack Kuenzle on Instagram
Image Credit: Jack Kuenzle on Instagram