~ Skijoring 2021 & 2022 ~
While, sadly, many races are postponed until next year, let's support those that will be happening in 2021!* And if you happen to live in or close to Wyoming, you're in luck this month with four consecutive weekends of racing. Saratoga, WY ~ February 6 & 7 Pinedale, WY ~ February 13 & 14 Soldier Hollow, UT ~ February 20 Gillette, WY ~ February 20 & 21 Meeker, CO ~ February 20 & 21 Buffalo, WY ~ February 27 Skowhegan, ME ~ February 27 Leadville, CO ~ March 6 & 7 Skijor USA & Skijor International will continue to update both of our websites regularly and provide direct links to each race's website and/or social media page. https://www.skijorusa.com *Please note that all 2021 events are INDEPENDENT of any sanctioning body or organization. The races that have been officially postponed until 2022 are: Pagosa Springs, CO (January 22 & 23, 2022) Hailey, ID (February 19 & 20, 2022) Canterbury Park, MN Sheridan, WY Red Lodge, MT (March 12 & 13, 2022) & White Turf in St. Moritz, Switzerland (February 6,13 & 20, 2022) https://www.whiteturf.ch/en/ Of course, there are many other race venues familiar to all of us that will most ikely host an event in 2022, but this will not be announced until we have word directly from these organizers. They include: Skijor Canada Silverton Skijoring Sundance Winter Carnival Skijor West Big Sky Skijoring Gallatin Valley Skijoring Big Hole Valley Skijoring Whitefish Winter Carnival Skijoring at Rebecca Farm and more. . . There are also new venues that may pop up in 2022, like one in northern Idaho, so stay tuned! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ AN EXHIBIT ~
When Skijor International was established in 2012, it began collecting vintage postcards, photographs, posters, awards and other historical objects related to skijoring from many countries and past decades: France, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, Latvia, Sweden, Norway, Poland and, of course, the United States. Ten years later, in 2022, Skijor International will present this collection to the public. It will tell the story of equine skijoring by establishing a timeline spanning more than a century and taking us to a dozen countries! Other forms of skijoring will be included in the exhibit to a limited degree, but they are sure to tantalize the imagination nonetheless! There will be whimsical postcards of children skiing behind dogs, a farm boy towed by a Swiss cow, and elves skiing behind rabbits as well as photographs of people skiing behind reindeer, motorcycles, cars, moose and even airplanes! The exhibit will likely travel to 2022 events in a vintage Airstream. We also hope that, in time, it will be featured in select historical societies and ski museums in the United States, Canada and Europe. https://www.skijorinternational.com ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ IN THE NEWS ~ Skijoring just appeared in Air Canada En Route Magazine! Click on this link to view the article and photographs: https://issuu.com/spafax/docs/air-canada-enroute_january-february-2021/38 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Soon skijoring will be also be featured in an article in Ralph Lauren's RL Magazine! Skijor International was interviewed along with San Juan Skijoring and Red Lodge Skijoring. Skijor International / Skijor USA provided perspective on the sport's past history, present state and future growth. Many of you may not realize that Ralph Lauren has owned a ranch in Ridgway, Colorado for decades. Loren Zhimanskova, of Skijor USA and Skijor International, began her career working for Ralph Lauren in New York City over 30 years ago and went on to represent the designer in Paris and Munich. Twenty years ago, she was invited to Ralph's Double RL Ranch in Ridgway and shared a very memorable day in the company of Ralph, his wife Ricky and his daughter, Dylan. Ten years ago, Loren started promoting equine skijoring, and five years ago, Ridgway became the home of San Juan Skijoring. How GREAT that these two worlds have FINALLY come together! We will provide the link as soon as it has been published! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ LIVE BROADCASTS ~ This season, since some races cannot have spectators or are having to limit their numbers, several races intend to broadcast their events live. San Juan Skijoring did a FANTASTIC job a few weeks ago! They used numerous, alternating camera angles to show action up close and announcers who really knew their stuff and were easy to hear and understand. They even interviewed winning teams after the race each day! They got over 32,000 views and 210 shares of their video! Teams from Colorado, Wyoming and Montana competed in multiple divisions including a Switch-A-Roo in which the rider switched with the skier on Day 2. Congratulations to Overall Open Champions Michael Miller and Nevada Kramer of Montana Overall Sport Champions Brittany Delehant/Riggelman & Colter Fretwell of Montana Overall Novice Champions Fiona & Phoebe Alverson of Wyoming Overall Snowboard Champions Trent Sanders & Kalei Pitcher of Colorado Switch-A-Roo Champions Dennis Alverson & Aaron Griffen of Wyoming & Montana BRAVO! For complete results, click on the link below: https://www.facebook.com/sanjuanskijoring/photos/pcb.3763689640357188/3763689457023873/ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Saratoga Skijoring has announced that it, too, will provide a live broadcast feed, so TUNE IN this weekend if you can! Races start 9:30 am on Saturday & 10:00 am on Sunday! https://www.facebook.com/SaratogaSkijoring/ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Skijoring Utah SOLD OUT its spectator spots in JUST 24 HOURS! So let's hope that they will be broadcasting this season. If so, we will be sure to keep you in the loop! https://www.facebook.com/skijoringutah ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ SPEAKING OF INTERVIEWS ~ Scott and Francesca of Skijoring Magazine interviewed the organizers from San Juan Skijoring, Tyler, Sarah and Richard, and posted the interview on Face Book. It is VERY well done and informative. We encourage anyone who is looking to organize a skijoring race to listen and take notes!* This interview is refreshing and easy to follow and digest. It seems many of us are thinking more and more alike these days :) Topics included:
1) Teamwork: The importance of forming an event committee and delegating responsibilities according to people's strengths and interests.
2) Budgetary issues. Approaching and raising money from sponsors
plus securing "in kind" donations for essential equipment. 3) The absolute necessity of securing a snow cat with a tiller to build a safe
track and the fact that it needs to be packed and set the night before the race. 4) Design. Tracks do not have to be designed after a strictly traditional format,
but can be imaginative and unique to each race, yet they MUST ALWAYS
stay within certain safety parameters. 5) Partnership. The challenges of working with municipalities, local non-profits/
rodeo associations and chambers of commerce to get a race approved. 6) Volunteers. The importance of recruiting volunteers and rewarding them. A
local Elks Club, for instance, can often be your key to success. 7) Have an overall vision and put it on paper. Have the horse track pre-
determined and pre-approved, that is know the lay of the land in advance, minus
snow! The skier's track is easier to change, manipulate and adapt. 8) Be alert and ask for help. Listen to those with experience like veteran
competitors and ask for help if you need it! Most likely, you will get it. We are a
community with the same goals in mind, horse safety being #1. 9) Transparency. Be transparent and accessible to competitors and give advice
freely to those interested in putting on a new skijoring race. 10) A well-run, fair and safe race is more important to competitors than a large
prize pot, though having money to win never hurts!
Last but not least: Remember that the end goal it to keep it FUN! ! !
Let us be clear, there are MANY leaders in skijoring who have put on outstanding events and continue to help others to do the same, and yes, San Juan Skijoring can certainly be counted as one.
For the complete interview live, click on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/SkijoringMagazine/posts/834608287100616 JOR ON! and Stay safe and healthy! Loren Zhimanskova, President, Skijor USA, Inc. & Skijor International, LLC
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