Skijoring

A wild fusion of rodeo culture and full-throttle ski racing.

By Connie Jeske Crane

What is Skijoring?
Skijor Canada calls skijoring one of the fastest-growing winter sports in North America. A mix of cowboy rodeo culture and ski racing, a skier or snowboarder is pulled by a horse and rider around a snow course at high speed.
Early forms were practiced in Central Asia and Scandinavia. By the 20th century, skijoring had appeared in Switzerland, France and North America. The Canadian revival was sparked in 2020 when skijoring appeared during Banff’s SnowDays festival.

“We’ve never seen anything like that before on even any of our busiest days,” Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno recently told the Canadian Press. DiManno was referencing January’s skijoring weekend at the Banff and Lake Louise SnowDays festival, which delivered an all-time record for vehicles entering town, and saw 10,000-plus visitors pack the streets, many more watching livestreams in local bars, and some annoyed locals grumbling to the media.

In the wake, Kristina Macdonald, director of experience development and events for Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, says a review will follow. “Given just how significant the response was, it is something we’re going to have to look at, how we structure the event for next year.”

From a sport organizer’s perspective though, she also admits buzz like that is a good problem to have: “This was hugely successful in terms of our objectives, of creating economic impact and bringing vibrancy to our town.”

How did skijoring organizers do it, and how can they manage explosive growth? Insiders share their takeaways:

DECONSTRUCTING THE APPEAL

While it feels like skijoring burst on the scene, Macdonald attributes January’s record attendance to lots of hard work—“It was a four-year overnight success”—and the distinct appeal of the sport.

Authenticity

“I think the magic ingredients are the authenticity of being true to place, the partnerships and offering something unique,” Macdonald says, adding skijoring reflects “our Western and ski cultures, and blending the two is what makes it special.”

Skijor Canada founder Sam Mitchell, a horse trainer, says her involvement with skijor events comes from an honest place. “I just shared what I loved, so I was never selling it. We’ve been very fortunate that sponsors have come to us,” she says of homegrown businesses like Alberta Boot. “I think when you create something beautiful and fun and inclusive and dynamic, the right people come to it.”

Fashion and vibes

For fans, revelling in skijoring’s fashion culture—a quirky mash of cowboy hats, retro ski gear, vintage furs—is integral to the allure. Mitchell says, “It’s very appealing, right? You’re not seeing imagery like that anywhere else.” Noting an inclusive vibe which embraces fashionistas to cowboys to skiers alike, she says of fans, “Before we’re doing anything, they’re having a great time. Days before, they’re planning their outfits, talking to their friends, shopping vintage, making their own stuff.”

Social media

Images celebrating skijoring, says Macdonald, often go viral on social media, fuel FOMO and trigger astonishing responses. In Banff, she says, “I met a group of eight women dressed in fur coats from New York. They just saw it on TikTok and Instagram, and were like, ‘Yes, we want to go there.’”

FUELLING THE LOCAL ECONOMY

Macdonald says Banff skijoring events “created a significant economic boost,” noting bars like the Canadian Brew House had long lineups before they opened and hotels were at or near-capacity. “We’ve also heard from restaurant and bar owners that had best-ever days.”

Businesses who created skijoring offerings benefited even more, she says citing establishments who livestreamed competitions, and stores like the Big Bear Trading Co. Besides displays of Western wear, Macdonald says the shop offered a decorate-your-own-cowboy-hat activation, “which was a huge hit.”

MANAGING GROWTH

Post-Banff, Macdonald says organizers will gather with partners to get feedback and “see what creative solutions we can come up with” to manage crowds. Options could include regulating attendance through caps or admission fees, and/or alternative venues, she says.

For Mitchell, healthy growth includes a focus on the sport itself, ensuring sport integrity and safety are maintained. “I ride every course that we build on my best horse, as fast as I can, and if it’s not good for the horse, we change it… Because if the horses don’t like it, it’s no fun.”

As popular as skijoring is, she says, “Currently we’re not sanctioning other races,” meaning Skijor Canada isn’t growing beyond its two signature events for now—Banff SnowDays plus a three-day Skijordue in Calgary in February. “We want to show people how to do it safely and do it well.”

Published March 2026