SKIJORING: A History

                                                 by Loren Zhimanskova

The first report of a person being pulled on skis (or wooden boards) by an animal or animals, dogs in this case, was recorded by a Persian historian thousands of years ago in the Altai Mountains of Central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan meet. These coordinates are referenced on the Home Page.  

For hundreds of years, Laplanders have been harnessing reindeer and strapping on Nordic skis as a way to travel across vast snowy expanses, and skijoring (originally called snörekjöring in Norwegian and meaning "ski driving") is now popular in all Scandinavian countries.  

In the mid 1940's, skijoring found its way to North America.  When World War II ended, men from the 10th Mountain Division, our "Soldiers on Skis", returned home. There were no ski resorts or lifts back then, so they had their cowboy friends attach a long rope to their saddle horn, and then they held on as the horse was ridden at high speeds down a long straight-away. Thus, American races were born.

Today, equine skijoring is a highly specialized competitive sport, where horses accelerate to over 40 mph in just three strides covering a track roughly 800-900 feet in length. Skiers must navigate a course of jumps, gates and capture rings while being pulled by a 30' rope at speeds up to 60 mph as they accelerate around gates. 

Competitive skijoring races are currently taking place in over 5 states in the USA as well as in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and the sport is practiced in various ways and across numerous countries worldwide: France, Poland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine and Russia.

Skijoring is believed to have made its official debut in Stockholm at the Winter Games of 1901.  In 1928, skijoring was featured as an exhibition sport at the Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland.  In 1976, Denver, Colorado listed skijoring as an exhibition sport in their bid for the Winter Olympics.  Denver won the bid, but ultimately turned it down, and skijoring was destined to remain in the shadows.  

Today, in Europe, equine skijoring gets the most exposure during White Turf in St. Moritz, Switzerland.  White Turf, an event which features horse racing on snow as well as chariot racing and skijoring, began in 1907 and draws over 35,000 spectators a day. 

In the United States, Leadville, Colorado has been hosting a competition down its main street since 1949.  Other popular venues include Butte, Helena, Wisdom, Columbia Falls, Bozeman, Whitefish, Red Lodge and West Yellowstone, Montana; Sandpoint, Bellevue and Driggs, Idaho; Jackson Hole, Saratoga and Cody, Wyoming; Soldier Hollow near Park City, Utah; and Steamboat Springs, Pagosa Springs, Kremmling, Silverton and Leadville, Colorado.  In Steamboat Springs, Colorado, skijoring remains a recreational tradition at their winter carnival just as it was at the Darmouth Winter Carnival for many years in Hanover, New Hampshire. 

© 2016 Loren Zhimanskova/Skijor International, LLC®