How Long Can You Ski? One Athlete Takes the Question Literally

There’s a difference between loving to ski and being the Last Skier Standing. For Adam Kruszyna, one of Renoun’s Vermont-based athletes, the annual event hosted by White Mountain Ski Co. at Black Mountain in Jackson, New Hampshire, was a chance to test his limits—one lap at a time.

The premise for Last Skier Standing, now in its sixth year, is simple and brutal. Participants must ski one lap up Black Mountain’s Allagash Trail every hour, on the hour. If you finish early, you can eat, change, stretch—or attempt to rest. But when the next hour hits, it’s time to line up and do it again. Miss a lap? You’re out. Get off pace? Out. The last skier remaining wins. Everyone else walks away with a DNF.

Adam made it 48 hours.

"That sure was a whole lot of skiing–by far my biggest tour.”"

By hour 36, things really started to get difficult. “I felt really good at hour 36,” he says. "From there though, it was just one lap at a time."

Frost forming on his jacket, 54,000+ vertical feet behind him, and sleep deprivation catching up, Adam finally called it. “I finished up [lap 48], and thought back on the so far TWO days I’d spent out there. I was happy with how far I’d made it.”

For most of the 185 participants, Last Skier Standing is more than just a feat of endurance. The appeal is just as much about the backcountry community as it is the shared commitment to some type-two fun. The event has no formal finish line—it ends when one skier remains. In the meantime, racers and their support crews cheer each other on, nurse sore legs, and refuel with hot food.

“You're spending so much time skiing with people. You're talking with people for hours and hours,” Adam says. “It’s a super, super supportive environment. Everybody there is just really psyched on each other.”

Some sign up knowing they’ll only do a few laps. Others try to go the distance. Everyone, it seems, is in it together.

“You get into that community mindset of wanting everyone to succeed,” Adam says. “You want everyone to keep skiing and go as far as they can.”

Held in early February in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, conditions vary wildly. The event goes on snow, rain, or shine. This year had a mix of it all–from sun in the day to snow and brutal wind during the nights. “It was the snow and fresh powder the second night that kept me going,” says Adam. “You never know what you're going to get."

Needless to say, your gear matters.

"I used my Endurance 88," he says. “Those skis are so good. They’re light enough to not crush you on the up, but they’re solid and damp enough for the descent—especially when your’re not as sharp–two whole days in.”

Registration typically opens in late fall at skithewhites.com. The race is capped, and it fills up fast. Not ready to go the full 48? No worries. Show up, ski a few laps, hang out, and take it all in. Bring snacks. Bring layers. Bring a good attitude.

And if you’re lucky—or stubborn enough—you just might be the Last Skier Standing.

You can find Adam on Instagram @AKruszyna

You can find Adam on the hill with Strava

Check out Adam's actual Last Skier Standing Strava activity data

Renoun Skis Reviews team has over a decade of ski design and manufacturing experience, and decades of combined ski-industry experience ranging from certified PSIA ski instructors to shop technicians, racers, and coaches. We also have a deep passion for and love of all things skiing. The team utilizes this experience to provide unparalleled reviews that dive deep to help guide your purchase for just about any ski-related item and help inform you of any ski-focused tips and tricks about maintenance, on-hill performance, and even the best places to enjoy your Après-Ski. Through written and video content, the Renoun Skis Reviews team is here to help inform you on all things ski-related.

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