Born and raised in Aspen, skiing came as second nature to Simi Hamilton. After a stellar career at Vermont’s Middlebury College—one that saw him earn All-American honors three times—Hamilton made the leap to the world stage, scoring points in his first-ever World Cup race and making the Olympic squad fresh out of school in 2010.

Since then Hamilton has become a consistent point scorer on the World Cup circuit, scoring five times in 2013 and finishing as high as seventh. That performance followed similar success in 2012, where Hamilton put up points five times and finished with two top-10 results.

Known for his sprinting, Hamilton has also won a U.S. title and has nine Junior National titles to his name. After graduating from college, he moved to Sun Valley to ski with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation program and eventually linked up with the U.S. Ski Team and their training facility in Park City, UT. Now Hamilton splits his time between the two training facilities, increasing his strengths in both skate and classic techniques as he eyes a shot at his second Olympic berth.

SIMI SAYS

I'm excited to be entering my third year on the U.S. Ski Team. After being front and center for Kikkan Randall's historic sprint season as well as sharing some of the U.S. team's best-ever results on the World Cup, our team's motivation and goals are at an all-time high. Personally, I'm extremely excited for a new training season in preparation for next season's World Championships and the 2014 Olympics.

FIRST TRACKS
Hamilton first started skiing when he was two. His mom would attach him to a leash and let him go down the hill while she attempted to keep him in control. He built his base in the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club, starting cross country ski racing at 13 and winning nine Junior National titles and three Colorado state high school crowns before heading to Middlebury.

OFF THE SNOW
Off the snow, you can find Simi on his bike as often as possible. He also enjoys climbing in Utah, Idaho, and Colorado and is always trying to find time to surf in the Pacific or Atlantic.

Simi Hamilton 8in Rule from SIA Nordic on Vimeo.