WHAT IS SKIJORING?

WINTER EXCITEMENT

Skijoring is an exhilarating and fast growing winter sport which combines cross country skiing and dog mushing. Originating in Scandinavia and literally meaning "ski-driving" in Norwegian, skijoring allows a dog and owner to exercise together while enjoying the outdoors. Imagine yourself on a beautiful winter's day gliding behind your canine best friend on a tree lined trail.

MINIMAL EQUIPMENT

Part of skijoring's beauty lies in its simplicity and minimal equipment requirements. Besides basic cross country ski gear, only three items are necessary to skijor: a harness for your dog; a skijoring belt for your waist; and a towline that connects you to your dog. For skijorers in warmer climates (or off season use), these three pieces of equipment also function well for roller skiing, inline skating, scootering or bikejoring with your dog. (Please review our SAFETY TIPS before trying these.)

POODLES TO POINTERS Virtually any breed dog can learn to skijor. Northern breeds like Alaskan Huskies, Malamutes and Siberian Huskies have traditionally been used for skijoring due to their instinctive will to pull, but any dog that loves to run is a good skijoring candidate. For example, the German Short-Haired Pointer is very popular in Europe, and recently a team of Pointer crosses won the sprint mushing world championships. If your dog is energetic and 30 pounds or greater, chances are she'll make a great skijor dog.

CANINE ECSTASY

Dogs love to skijor. They enjoy the exercise, meeting other dogs, outdoor scents, occasional wildlife encountered and of course companionship with their owners. From a dog's perspective, skijoring is as much fun as a walk times ten. If your dog jumps up and down when the leash comes out, just wait until she discovers what the harness foretells!

FROM RECREATION TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Skijoring has something for everyone, and can be broken down into five general categories: Recreational Skijoring, Skijor Sprint Racing, Skijor Distance Racing, Backwoods Skijoring and Pulka, or Nordic-style dog mushing. (Technically speaking, Pulka is not a category of skijoring, but rather a separate class of sport.) Each category provides unique challenges and rewards for its participants, but one theme resonates throughout - skijorers love their dogs and enjoy spending time with them outdoors.

RECREATIONAL SKIJORING

Recreational skijorers comprise the largest segment of the sport. They typically own one dog - the family pet - and allocate one or two days a week to skijor. If there's a skijor club in their area, they might attend a preseason seminar and participate in a fun run or two during the winter season. With recreational skijoring the emphasis is on fun, fitness and camaraderie between dog and owner. Interestingly enough, many recreational skijorers learn to ski so they can skijor with their dog!

SKIJOR SPRINT RACING

Do you enjoy the rides at Six Flags or Busch Gardens? If so, Skijor Sprint Racing is for you. Reaching speeds close to 30 mph out of the starting chute, top sprint skijorers can average over 20 mph during a five mile race. They race on ultra light skate skis in skin suits and have up to three race-bred dogs harnessed to them at once. Just watching the frenzied, adrenaline charged dogs at the start is exciting; imagine what it's like being tied to them! Sprint skijorers' dogs are impeccably cared for and carefully trained.

SKIJOR DISTANCE RACING Skijorers in this category race distances generally of 20 miles or greater, and sometimes as long as 320 miles in the Alaskan Iditasport. Skijor distance racing includes the romanticism of racing sled dogs in the wilderness combined with endurance conditioning for skijorer and dog team alike. Distance skijorers must plan carefully, know their dogs intimately, especially concerning nutritional requirements, and take needed supplies and survival gear with them on the trail. A working knowledge of winter survival is of paramount importance before attempting any distance event.

BACKWOODS SKIJORING

If you enjoy winter camping, then you'll find skijoring with your dog in the backwoods even more rewarding. Backwoods skijorers are drawn to the beauty and solitude of nature, and often skijor on ungroomed trails far from urban development. Equipment for this type of skijoring is unique, with wider, classical style back-country skis and poles being the norm. Furthermore, if overnight excursions are planned, the use of a small sled, or pulk, is recommended for carrying gear. Any breed of dog has the potential to backwoods skijor well, but larger breeds such as the Malamute tend to be most popular for their pulling strength and work ethic. Like distance skijoring, a thorough knowledge of winter survival is necessary before heading into the woods.

PULKA

Pulka driving, also known as Nordic-style dog mushing, involves skijoring with a small sled (pulk) attached between skijorer and dog. Since the pulk is the most efficient option for carrying supplies over a distance - as opposed to a backpack - backwoods skijorers and distance racers frequently include pulks in their equipment repertoire. In Scandinavia pulka driving is very popular, including racing, and children are often given rides in pulks specifically designed to carry them. Pulks can be pulled by a skijorer instead of a dog by attaching longer shafts to the pulk, which then connect to a modified skijoring belt. Pulka driving, like skijoring, has a world championship organized by the International Federation of Sled-dog Sports.

Top three photos by Joy Green
Pulka photo by Jack Kuntz

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