Skijoring (pronounced ) is a winter sport in which a person on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog (or dogs), another animal, or a motor vehicle. The name is derived from the Norwegian word skikjøring, meaning "ski driving". Although skijoring is said to have originated as a mode of winter travel, it is currently primarily a competitive sport.
History
For hundreds of years, Sami people harnessed reindeer and strapped on Nordic skis as a way to travel across vast snowy expanses. Skijoring behind reindeer made its official debut in Stockholm at the Nordic Games of 1901, 1905 and 1909. Skijoring is still done in some Scandinavian countries. Reindeer races are still held in Tromsø, Norway; Jokkmokk, Sweden; Inari, Finland; and Nadym, Russia. By 1912, skijoring behind horses was a popular activity in Switzerland and France. Equine skijoring found its way from Europe to North America. In 1915, it appeared as a recreational activity in Lake Placid, New York, and beginning in 1916 was a regular pastime at the Dartmouth Winter Carnival in Hanover, New Hampshire. In 1928, equine skijoring made an appearance as an exhibition sport at the Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Equine skijoring came to the United States as the result of American tourists traveling to destinations such as Chamonix, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Saint Moritz where skijoring was widely offered as a recreational activity. Evidence is provided by vintage postcards of this era. Both men and women partook in this winter activity. Competitive skijoring was further popularized at winter carnivals in Hanover, New Hampshire, home to Dartmouth College, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, as early as 1915. The western style of racing side by side with a rider on the horse and the skier towed by a rope down a main street gained popularity in mountain towns like Jackson, Wyoming and Aspen, Colorado during the 1930s and 1950s. To simplify the equipment, cowboys on horseback simply attached a long rope to the saddle horn of a western saddle, added a knot at the end of the rope, and the skier held on as the horse was ridden at a gallop down a long straightaway—usually an open field or a snow-covered roadway. Originally these matches ran multiple teams of horse, rider and skier side by side against one another rather than single teams against the clock. This is how modern American races were born. The city of Leadville, Colorado, first organized an equestrian competition in 1949, which continues today. The Leadville version introduced gates, jumps and rings creating an obstacle course for the skier. In contrast, European races may or may not have a rider on the horse such as in Poland. In Saint Moritz, Switzerland, skiers rein the horses from behind and compete in a heat on a full oval track. Denver, Colorado, listed skijoring as an exhibition sport in their bid for the 1976 Winter Olympics. Although Denver won the bid, the city ultimately turned it down, and skijoring was likewise not held. There is an effort to include equine skijoring in a future Winter Olympic Games should they be awarded to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2030 or 2034. While it is highly unlikely the sport would be included as a competitive event due to several factors, there is hope that it would make an appearance to honor its 100th anniversary as either a demonstration sport or as part of the opening ceremony or torch relay. By 1924, skiers were being towed by motorcycles or automobiles in races. In modern-day Latvia, skiers are towed in a motocross-style event called Twitch'n'Ride. At the Arctic Man competition in Alaska, skiers are towed behind snowmobiles that travel up to 86 miles per hour (138 km/h). Currently, in the United Kingdom, athletes are skijoring on turf or in arenas. In some coastal regions in France and on Caribbean islands, skijoring occurs on beaches. In 2022, there are nearly 30 events in the United States and Canada as well as the White Turf event in St. Moritz, Switzerland, which spans three consecutive weekends and 7 events in the Podhale region of southern Poland. Equine skijoring continues to gain media exposure with live broadcasts of American events on the Cowboy Channel and the Wrangler Network.
Dog skijoring
Overview
Another theory suggests that skijoring may have originated in China, where dogs were used for pulling travelers over snow. Historian E. John B. Allen notes that during the Yuan and Ming dynasties (1271–1644), Chinese sources described "tens of dogs pulling a person on a pair of wooden boards ... galloping on the snow and ice faster than a horse". He explains that this material ultimately derives from a Tang dynasty account that was later incorporated into a Persian chronicle—often attributed to Rashid al-Din Hamadani—and made widely available through Western translations beginning in 1878. Modern dog skijoring assists a cross-country skier. One to three dogs are commonly used. The skier provides power with skis and poles, and the dog adds additional power by running and pulling. The skier wears a skijoring harness, the dog wears a sled dog harness, and the two are connected by a length of rope. There are no reins or other signaling devices to control the dog; the dog must be motivated by its own desire to run, and respond to the owner's voice for direction. Many breeds of dog participate in skijoring. The only prerequisite is a desire to run down a trail and pull, which is innate in many dogs. Small dogs (less than 40 lb (18 kg)) are rarely seen skijoring, because they do not greatly assist the skier; however, since the skier can provide as much power as is required to travel, any enthusiastic dog can participate. Athletic dogs such as eurohounds, pointers, setters and herding breeds take to skijoring with glee, as do most sled dog breeds; however, many other large, energetic dog breeds are utilized in this sport. The sport is practiced recreationally and competitively, both for long-distance travel and for short (sprint) distances.
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