Brains
Skijoring is steadily gaining traction in today’s winter sports scene, but where did it come from? For hundreds of years, the residents of northern Scandinavia have used reindeer to pull them for travel on skis in difficult arctic terrain. Even older claims of humans being pulled by dogs with ski-like foot coverings have emerged from the Altai Mountains in Central Asia. This was not for sport, but out of necessity for travel purposes. The name “Skijoring” is derived from the Norwegian translation for “Ski Driving.”
Skijoring has been refined over many years, making for historically fierce competition these days. Modern Skijoring now includes slalom gates, collecting rings while being pulled by a 30-foot rope, and even gap jumps. The team of horse, rider, and skier must navigate the course flawlessly in tandem while traveling at speeds of 45+ miles per hour. Skijor races excel in geographic regions that combine hardy equine riders, well-trained quarter horses, and expert skiers.
In the early 1900’s, Skijoring was becoming popular as a pastime activity in France, Switzerland, and other European countries. The sport didn’t take long before it spread to the United States and beyond. Skijoring made its stateside debut at Lake Placid, New York, in 1915. Not long afterwards becoming a regular event at Dartmouth’s Annual Winter Carnival in New Hampshire, as well as Steamboat Springs’ winter carnival.
Skijoring made appearances at the Stockholm Winter Games in 1901, 1906, and 1909. In 1924, the sport came to Chamonix, France, in what would later become the first Olympic Winter Games. In 1928, Skijoring would become an exhibition event at the Winter Olympic Games in Saint Moritz, Switzerland. Denver, Colorado, included Skijoring in its 1976 bid for the Olympic Winter Games, which ultimately never materialized. Once combustion engines became widely available, the Swiss and the Austrians started using automobiles and motorcycles in new ways for Skijoring. Other venues of Equine Skijoring are practiced on turf and also on beach sand in the U.K. today.
When World War II ended, our troops returned home, including the famed 10th Mountain Division. Without modern ski lifts, these burly veterans were looking for new ways to amplify their time on snow. These brave soldiers, along with local cowboys, are very much responsible for growing Skijoring into a U.S. competitive circuit.
Equine Skijoring is currently organized in a handful of U.S. states. Those states are Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Maine, Minnesota, and Washington state. Canada’s province of Manitoba has also organized four different events, including one in Calgary, Alberta. Organized competitions in Skijoring have run annually in Saint Moritz, Switzerland, at an event called White Turf since 1907. Skijor International, founded in 2012, has been responsible for promoting the sport on the global stage with intentions of unifying a world circuit for the sport.
Then in 2010, Organized Skijoring came to Silverton, Colorado. In nearby Durango, the course was getting increasingly harder to put on for various reasons. Silverton residents Pete Maisel and Rob Conaty would help relocate the event to their town where snow conditions were more reliable. With strong local support, this year’s event promises to be the biggest yet. This event is free for spectators, and registration is full. This President’s Day weekend, in Silverton, Snowbrains Staff Writer J.T. Pulfer II will be on scene for this rowdy event, providing full coverage.
