Big-time skijoring is coming to Interior Alaska this winter as the IFSS World Skijor Championships will be held in North Pole and Salcha at the end of February & beginning of March in 2013.
I am excited to be racing for Team Canada in the 1 & 2 dog classes!
You can visit Mushing Canada for the complete announcement.
But don’t you live in Alaska?? And aren’t your dogs American?
Yes and yes. My grad studies keep me in Alaska for school year round but I still have a Canadian passport. And your team affiliation is determined by the skier, not by the dogs.
The world skijor championships have actually been on my radar for many years. A few of the local legends have competed in past venues in Dawson City, Quebec City and Oslo. They were last held in Fairbanks about a decade ago and included the Birch Hill ski trails.
This time around the two courses will be very different. North Pole is pretty flat which means high speed loping action the whole time. Salcha is hilly, technical and to me sounds like a lot of fun. Only the 1-dog classes will be held in Salcha so it is important to train the dogs to really motor up hills.
These races will be 10-15 km. This is a little longer than most average skijor races (which seem to be 4.5 to 6 miles). Personally, I prefer either longer (mid) distances or straight up sprinting. Much easier to pace.
We’ll keep updating our progress throughout the winter. Happy training!
Duolii Kennel 