Now, if you’re reading this, you probably love horses. But do you love skiing? How about combining those two incredible things and getting a thrilling winter sport out of it? That, folks, is skijor!
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A Lil’ History:
Haven’t heard of it? Though it isn’t on your regular sports channels and streaming services, skijoring has been around for several hundred years, likely starting simply as a means of transportation. The word “skijoring” originates from the Norwegian “skikjøring,” which translates to “ski driving.” It gained its footing as a sport in the 1800s in places like Switzerland and France before making its way to St. Moritz for the 1928 Winter Olympics as a demonstration sport.
What is Skijor, Really?
Now down to the technicalities of the sport. As mentioned previously, it consists of a horse and skis. The sport usually involves two people: the rider of the horse, and the skier pulled behind. The rider controls the horse on the course, and the person skiing behind carries no poles, but instead holds a tow rope in the same manner as water skiing.
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The horse is guided to gallop down a straight track, where the skier must navigate slalom gates and jumps on either side of the track. Jumps are 2-7 feet in height, lower on curved tracks or where snowboarders occasionally wish to compete.
Where Can I Experience This?
Large skijor events are held in Banff and Calgary, Alberta in January and February every year, respectively. We highly recommend checking them out and embracing skijoring as your new favourite winter sport to watch, and maybe even one day participate in!
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