skijoring

Participation in skijoring has grown as people find that many breeds of dog are fit and strong enough to pull their owners.

And for those who already own a dog and cross-country gear skijoring is a relatively inexpensive pursuit.

Skijoring (1928)

Skijoring is available whenever there is enough snow and costs an additional £20 for 30 minutes or £35 for an hour.

Rick Skoglund, an owner of the store, said a growing awareness of skijoring has boosted gear sales 30 percent from 2004 to 2005.

Leadville hosts an annual skiing event called Skijoring and Crystal Carnival in March.

IFSS World Championships in Skijoring:

Unlike modern equestrian skijoring in North America, there were no riders on the horses, there were no jumps on the course, and athletes competed simultaneously.

Skijoring (pronounced skee-JOAR-ing) has long been practiced in Alaska and Scandinavia, where sled-dog sports are part of the local culture.

Skijoring (also Skijoering) was a demonstration sport at the 1928 Winter Olympics, held in St. Moritz, Switzerland from February 11 through 19, 1928.

While skijoriing in Whitefish began in the 1960s, the "modern era" of skijoring was re-instituted in 2003 by long-time locals Scott Ping and Dale Duff.

Skijoring is an alternative to sled pulling, but mainly used in somewhat the same environment as sledding with the exception that the owner (cross-country skier) does not need a full pack in order to participate.

"There are untold thousands of households with one or two dogs that need to be exercised in the winter," he said, "and people are realizing that skijoring is a great alternative to walking the dog in the snow."

In the United States and Canada, skijoring races are often held in conjunction with sled dog races, skijoring being just one category of race that occurs during the day's activities.

Equestrian skijoring consists of a team of a single horse, generally guided by a rider, pulling the person on skis who carries no poles and simply hangs onto a tow rope in a manner akin to water skiing.

Equestrian skijoring has a niche in Montana, which hosts the World Skijoring Championships in Whitefish as part of the annual Whitefish Winter Carnival.