Skijoring is a winter sport which combines cross country skiing along with dog power. The skier is attached to their dog with a belt and towline and is pulled by the dog across the snow. Skijoring is a team sport which allows both human and canine counterparts to exercise and enjoy the great outdoors.





History

Skijoring has been around for hundreds of years.The sport purportedly began in Scandanavia as a means of transportation during the winter months. Skijoring first began using reindeer and wooden skies, horses have also been used. Eventually skijoring made its way to other countries, including the United States, where today it is used as a means of recreation. Dogs are now more commonly used than reindeer and horses.




Types of Skijoring

The majority of skijorers are RECREATIONAL.. They like to get outside with their dogs to enjoy the relaxation of a peaceful trail winding through the beautiful outdoors. Often a group will get together at one of the local skijor trails for a fun run or a low pressure training session. Recreational skijorers are more about enjoying the trail along the way than getting to the end of the trail quickly, although many recreational skijorers participate in Novice or Sport skijor races. These types of races are a fun way to get together with other skijorers and enjoy the spirit of the race without the pressure of competing with trained Pro racers.







Pro RACING skijorers, on the other hand, train diligently for speed and proper technique in order to get to the finish line as quickly as possible. Many hours are spent training their skijor dogs to execute commands to near perfection, and they and their dogs are in tip top physical shape.

If you are interested in racing you may wish to attend our advanced training session.







Back Country Skijoring

BACK COUNTRY SKIJORING, or distance skijoring is the practice of "getting away from it all". Skijorers hit the trails, mainly ungroomed, with their dog using back country ski's and generally a sled or pulka to carry their overnight gear. Often back country skijorers head to the boundary waters for a weekend of fishing and camping. Others head north for a Yurt to Yurt skijoring experience. Dogs and skiers must be up to distances over the norm of groomed urban skijoring trails. Both must be able to withstand the cold, and the skier must be knowledgeable in winter survival.



Getting Started

Most dogs of medium size (30 pounds and up) will be able to skijor if trained properly. If you can cross country ski (or are willing to learn) you are a good candidate for the fun sport of skijoring. Our club offers many beginner level skijor presentations and training clincs throughout the year. We plan fun runs and races. See our home page for a schedule.

Our Yahoo group is a friendly online group where you will be able to search our archives for information and join in online skijoring discussions. click here to join.

Our training page contains numerous tips and training techniques to get you and your dog off to a positve start on your way to skijoring fun.