What is the Sport of Skijoring?

Skijoring! No, I didn't just sneeze, Skijoring is actually a Winter sport that combines your ability at cross-country skiing with the athletic ability of a sled dog. Skijoring (ski-jur-ing) is actually a Norwegian word that means "ski driving". The sport can indeed trace it's routes back to this Scandinavian country where people used to ski while being pulled by horses or even reindeer! Essentially Skijoring is the act of being pulled over the snow by a an animal while wearing cross-country skis. Today, Skijoring can be found wherever there is snow, and the animal of choice is now one or more dogs, although being pulled by horses can sometimes be found.

There are many ways to enjoy Skijoring, from simple recreational touring to races to long-distance backcountry Skijoring events. There is even a grassroots movement going on with the goal of establishing Skijoring as an Olympic event. For those that think an evening of skiing through the woods while being pulled by the family dog sounds romantic, you are not alone. Recreational skijorers comprise the largest demographic of the sport. Assuming you already own a cross-country ski setup, you can simply get yourself the necessary harnessing equipment. You can use skate skis, classic skis, and even backcountry skis. A Skijor harness for your dogs and a skijor belt for you (with leg loops like a climbing harness) with a tugline between you and your dog(s) is all it takes. The tugline can't be any normal rope though, it needs to have some stretch and give (much like a bungee) so that you don't injure you or your dog(s) by sudden jerks. The typical skijorer already owns the dog, it's the family pet. The main emphasis on recreational skijouring is fun, fitness, and bonding with your animal. If winter camping with your dog(s) sounds like fun, you could try backcountry skijoring. Your cross-country skis would be upgraded to the fatter backcountry style, and if you want to haul around all your camping gear for an overnight trip, adding a small sled called a "Pulk" to carry your gear is a technique common to skijoring. Pulks are attached between the skijorer and the dog(s). Pulks were first used in Scandinavia for carrying supplies over long distances as opposed to a backpack. It's also much sturdier for the skier to haul things in a pulk rather than a pack. In fact, Pulka racing is extremely popular in Scandinavian countries, which leads us to the other side of Skijoring, racing!

Those that choose to race can do so at varying levels and distances. There are many clubs across Canada and the United States that host races. The distances can range from 5 miles all the way to the extreme multi-day races covering over 300 miles like the Alaskan Idita-sport and the Yukon Ultra. But if your new to skijoring, stick with the local club races, have some fun, and work your up to the longer distances as you skills improve. A long distance skijorer must know his dogs intimately, such as how to feed them, how to monitor their output over long distances, how to train them, and what to do if something should go wrong in the wild. A good knowledge of survival gear and wilderness first aid is extremely important for the long distance skijorer.

So there you have it, the low-down on one of the best kept winter sporting secrets, Skijoring. Now for pronouncing it properly ....