Skijoring—A Different Kind of Winter Sport - Parade
For hundreds of years skijoring or “ski driving” has been a part of Scandinavian life, but the unique winter sport didn’t take hold in the U.S. until troops trained in mountain and winter warfare returned home from World War II.
Traditionally dogs were used to pull people on “wooden boards,” but modern-day skijorers use horses, dogs, even reindeer to pull them through the otherwise impassable winter landscape.
Some historians claim several cowboys were bragging in a bar about who had the fastest horse and who was the best skier and decided to settle the bets. Others say that bored ranch hands began using their horses to pull one another on skis to see how fast they could pull them and still hang on.
It seemed the sport was about to go mainstream when skijoring was featured as an exhibition sport at the 1928 Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland. But skijoring has yet to be added an official competition.
I was privileged to watch the World Championship of Skijoring in Whitefish, Montana, last year. Whitefish, one of the top ski towns in the world, is situated near Glacier National Park at the foot of Big Mountain. It’s one of those small towns that has managed to maintain its natural beauty and quaint Western feel.
Unsure of what to expect from my first encounter with skijoring, I bundled up and headed out into the snowy, frigid landscape. Held at the tiny municipal airport in conjunction with the Whitefish Winter Carnival, the competition was fierce and the crowds grew throughout the day.
Slipping and sliding on the icy spectator area, I made my way up to the netted barricade to get a closer look and hopefully, some good photos. When the first team breezed by me, the horse’s hooves kicking up snow, I was hooked.
Racing tracks are either oval or straight, depending on the competition. Some races include both and also what they call a “long jump” division. The open class includes the most skilled competitors with the fastest horses or mules. The day I watched, I was excited to see Joe Scanlon and his horse Mud D Duck make a run—they ended up winning the 2016 championship.
Another skijoring powerhouse, Tim McCarthy and his beautiful grey horse, Twister, made a run, but his skier lost his footing, turning in a “no time”, but he’ll be back for another try this year, I’m sure.
Maggie Epperson and Kristen House gave the boys a run for their money.
Skijoring can be a dangerous sport. You have to be at least 18 years old to compete and the North American Ski Joring Association requires certain safety gear for skiers and does not allow the horses to run more than twice in one day. In spite of the extreme cold, the atmosphere was festive and I enjoyed watching not only the races, but the crowd gathered to watch.
Families with babies bundled up in carriers, older folks with Thermos bottles of hot coffee, kids in brightly colored coats with their dogs, everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time.
We even had a visit from the Winter Carnival’s Yeti and his family, riding through the grounds in the back of a truck! The competition concluded on Sunday, with the awards being given at Casey’s, a downtown Whitefish gathering place, beginning at 6:00 pm. Not only is skijoring an exciting sport to watch, but I found that you can experience the thrill yourself, if you’re brave enough. Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana offers recreational skijoring as one of its activities for guests. Another item to add to my list…
If you’d like to attend a 2017 Skijoring event, here is a list of the upcoming competitions:
January 14-15 – Red River, New Mexico
January 14-15 – Bozeman, Montana
January 28-29 – Kremmling, Colorado
January 28-29 – Whitefish, Montana
February 4-5 – 320 Ranch, Big Sky, Montana
February 11-12 – Jackson Hole, Wyoming
February 11-12 – Steamboat Springs, Colorado
February 18-19 – Sundance, Wyoming
February 18-19 – Silverton, Colorado
February 18-19 – Pinedale, Wyoming
March 4-5 – Leadville, Colorado
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