Ramone Cooper elected to ISMF Council

Snow Australia congratulates Australian Olympian Ramone Cooper on his election to the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) Council, during the Plenary Assembly that took place on October 14 in Paris, France.

Cooper, who is an active member of Snow Australia’s SkiMo Committee and Chef de Mission of the 2020 and 2024 Australian Winter Youth Olympic Games Team, was voted Vice-President of Marketing & Communications of the ISMF.

Following his Mogul skiing career Ramone worked as National Pathway Manager for Snow Australia for four years before moving to Switzerland to take on a role as Director of Education Services at the World Academy of Sport in Lausanne. Cooper’s candidacy pillars revolved around the execution of impactful marketing and communication strategies, developing holistic sports pathways, maximising the Olympic opportunity when the sport makes its debut at the Milano Cortina Games in 2026 and bolstering SkiMo’s presence in the Asia and Pacific regions.

“My role as ISMF Vice-President of Marketing & Communications, is dedicated to promoting ski mountaineering as an exciting, sustainable, and values-driven sport,” Cooper said.

“With ski mountaineering's inclusion in the sports program for the Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026, we have a unique opportunity in front of a global audience to showcase the responsible and forward-thinking nature of the sport while emphasising its positive impact on athletes, communities and the environment.”

Snow Australia’s CEO Michael Kennedy congratulated Cooper on his appointment.

“Ramone has a wealth of experience both in terms of National Federation and High Performance operations, but also the relationship between sport and the Olympic movement,” Kennedy said.

“Considering Snow Australia only formed its Ski Mountaineering Discipline Committee 12 months ago following our formal recognition as the National Sporting Organisation for the sport, this is a significant achievement for Ramone and Snow Australia.

“Ramone will be a tremendous asset to the ISMF and we congratulate him on his appointment.”

As a member of Snow Australia’s Ski Mountaineering discipline committee, Cooper said he is pleased to see the development of the sport in Australia over the past 12 months, and excited for the pathways and high performance opportunities that will exist in the new Olympic discipline.

“Snow Australia was accepted as a full member national federation of the ISMF at its Plenary Assembly in Oviedo, Spain in 2022. Already the Snow Australia SkiMo Discipline Committee has engaged in several activities aimed to promote the sport within our winter sport community including recently hosting several community information sessions and development camp opportunities with the support of Brian Lichi and Matt Reid (from Ski Mountaineering Competition Canada),” he said.

“From a sport pathway and high performance perspective, we see great potential for talent transfer from Cross Country, offering athletes an additional path to pursue sport excellence. 

“Already we have seen four athletes represent Australia on the ISMF World Cup circuit and we expect that to grow as more athletes have exposure to the opportunities and benefits of the sport.

“Looking ahead to Milano Cortina 2026, we are optimistic of our chances to qualify athletes in the sprint and mixed relay events and hope that this will generate further excitement and engagement.

“At a community level, the sport has much to offer, and I think introducing the event within the Snow Australia Interschools in future would be a fantastic opportunity.”

For more information on the ISMF 2023 Plenary Assembly, click here.