Since 1984, a Landmark Event in International Youth Cross-Country Skiing
For over forty years, young cross-country skiers from Italy and around the world have gathered in Val di Fiemme for an event that has accompanied generations of athletes — including some who would later go on to become major names in international sport.
The story of the Skiri Trophy XCountry began in 1984, when the Gruppo Sportivo Castello di Fiemme set out to create a major cross-country skiing event for young athletes. Open to children from across Italy, its aim was to promote the sport and inspire a new generation to discover cross-country skiing.
The project was led by President Sergio Cavada, alongside Vice President Dario Giacomuzzi and Secretary Marco Aurelio Nones, a long-standing member of the Marcialonga organisation.
Their ambition was clear: to give youth cross-country skiing an event capable of achieving the same success that the renowned Trofeo Topolino had already brought to alpine skiing.
With the support of Olympic champion Franco Nones, Mondadori — then holder of the Walt Disney rights in Italy — granted permission to use the name and character. The Trofeo Topolino Cross-Country Skiing was born.
1984
The First Edition
The first edition was held in Castello di Fiemme, on the Brozzin loop.
The event grew quickly. By its third edition, the first international delegations were already arriving in Val di Fiemme. What had begun as a project to promote cross-country skiing among young people was becoming an international event, bringing young skiers from different countries together on the same tracks.
1993
Lago di Tesero Becomes the Home of the Trophy
As the event grew, so did its organisational needs. After a period at Passo di Lavazè, in 1993 the Trophy moved to the Lago di Tesero Cross-Country Ski Centre in Val di Fiemme.
The venue adds another dimension to the experience: young athletes compete on the very same tracks that hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 1991, 2003 and 2013, as well as the Winter Universiades, World Cup races and the Tour de Ski.
Every year, the same stadium and trails that welcome the world’s leading Nordic skiing events become a stage for the next generation.
2016
Skiri Trophy XCountry Is Born
On 14 October 2016, Walt Disney Italia announced its decision to focus its promotional investments on other activities.
By then, however, the event had built a strong identity and a history of its own. The Gruppo Sportivo Castello di Fiemme unanimously decided to carry it forward, preserving its regulations, traditional dates, organisation and, above all, its spirit.
The Skiri Trophy XCountry was born.
Its new name came from the mascot that had been part of the event from the beginning: Skiri, the squirrel that symbolises the Trophy and Val di Fiemme’s passion for cross-country skiing.
A new name, the same story.
2026
A Special Edition in an Olympic Year
Ten years after the transition from Trofeo Topolino to Skiri Trophy XCountry, the event continues to grow while staying true to its history.
In the year of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Skiri celebrated a special edition, welcoming 1,200 young athletes from 9 nations. Andorra joined the event for the first time, alongside Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Making the edition even more special was the return to Passo di Lavazè after 34 years. At 1,800 metres above sea level, young athletes competed on challenging, spectacular trails in a venue regularly chosen by some of the world’s best cross-country skiers for their training.
With its strong participation, international presence and exceptional setting, this edition once again highlighted the strength of an event with over forty years of history, while looking ahead to the next chapter of the Skiri Trophy.
A Story of Continuity
For more than thirty years, the Trofeo Topolino Cross-Country Skiing continued to grow while remaining closely connected to Val di Fiemme and to the Gruppo Sportivo Castello di Fiemme, which has organised the event since its very first edition.
That continuity became one of the Trophy’s defining features: throughout its entire history under the Disney name, the event remained in the hands of the same organising committee and rooted in the same territory.
Where Champions Got Their Start
Before the Olympics, World Cups and major international victories, for many athletes there was a childhood race on the snow of Val di Fiemme.
Over the years, first the Trofeo Topolino and then the Skiri Trophy have welcomed young competitors who would go on to become Olympic champions, World Cup winners and leading international athletes in cross-country skiing, biathlon and even alpine skiing.
It is one of the most exciting parts of our history: watching today’s young athletes on the starting line, without knowing just how far their passion might take them tomorrow.