After a brief hiatus, skijoring makes a return to Teton Valley
DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI) - Skijoring is an event where a person on skis is pulled by an animal like a dog or possibly a motor vehicle. The event is something many people enjoy watching in the wintertime, and in the Teton Valley, the event is making its return.
"We started preparing for it nine months ago. And we have we're going to have 60 volunteers out here during the next week to set up the course to make it safe for the horses, make it safe for the spectators," Teton Valley Skijoring Corporation president Neal Stobaugh said.
The reason for the return of the Driggs Skijoring event is due to a large amount of growth of popularity in the sport of skijoring.
"It's a growing sport and you're seeing it from southern Colorado all the way up to Whitefish, Montana. And then and then Calgary, Canada, all the way back to Maine. So it's a growing sport and it had been on and off here for 20 years. And so now we're bringing it back because it's an exciting sport. It's like it's exciting to watch," Stobaugh said.
Stobaugh says they are expecting a large crowd.
"We're expecting about a thousand spectators, I hear, on over each day during the weekend."
The event will take place during the weekend on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26.
"It's Saturday and Sunday, Gates open at 10:00, We'll have the opening ceremonies at 10:45, and it should go on until 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. each day. We'll have a band Saturday night. We're going to have registration on Friday for all the competitors and we're going to have karaoke after that for a little bit of entertainment on Friday night," Stobaugh said.
Sunday will mark the visit of a special visitor to the area as the first Native American astronaut on the International Space Station will hold the opening ceremonies.
"We have the first Native American astronaut on the International Space Station. So he is traveling to all the states and featuring little-known sports in each of the states and for the state of Idaho. They're going to they're featuring Skijoring. He's going to be opening up the day and he'll be doing an inaugural run on Sunday."
All are encouraged to attend and are welcome to see the festivities. The event will take place at the Driggs Wellness Center of Huntsman Springs Drive, a mile outside of downtown.
