New London, New Hampshire - January 29, 2009
Horses and skiers typically have little in common.
But add rings, rope, and a helmet and you've got a winter sport that makes downhill skiing look, well, sort of easy.
"It's like skiing on steroids," said Geoff Smith of the New England Ski Joring Association. "It's fast."
"You're getting sprayed by chunks of snow and ice and sometimes a flying horse shoe," skier Chris Lucier said.
It's called equine ski joring.
The sport has its roots in Norway.
"The Norwegians would take reindeer and they'd drive across the flat lands on skies," Smith explained.
It was a demonstration sport featured in the 1928 Olympics.
Ski joring caught on out west in the 1940s and is now finally gaining momentum throughout New England, attracting adrenaline junkies looking for a new way to play in the snow.
"It's like water-skiing behind a horse, and it's just a fun thing to do," Smith said.
Skiers and riders race down a 900-foot obstacle course while weaving through cones and launching off jumps, all while trying to grab six rings in about 20 seconds.
"If you miss a gate, they add 5 seconds onto your time. If you miss a ring it's a 2 second penalty," rider Christina Thorp explained.
It's a task that's easier said than done.
"We don't like to talk about the injury factor," Lucier said. "It happens here and there."
"The hardest thing for the horse is controlling their speed and their eagerness to go," rider Pam Grace said. "So they get in the area and it's just get out of my way and let me go! And it's all we can do to hold them back."
The horses reach speeds of nearly 40 mph which is why timing is everything for the skiers.
"It's a half split second. A split second is a long time here," Lucier said.
And believe it or not, competitors say ski joring is best suited for families.
"A lot of our competitors, the husband will ski and the wife is a horse person and it's like what a great combination to bring together," Smith explained.
And that's why I decided to give it a shot. After being told 8 year olds compete, I figured there was nothing to it.
And I was right-- so long as I skied very slowly and avoided the jumps.
Not quite as impressive as these guys, but it's an adventure sure to get your heart racing, no matter how fast or slow you go.
And if you'd like to check the sport out for yourself just head to New London, N.H., this Saturday. The New England Ski Joring Association is holding its winter competition on the Colby-Sawyer campus. The group also holds clinics throughout the year to introduce newcomers to the sport.
Click here for more information on ski joring and this weekend's competition.
Keagan Harsha - WCAX News Click here to see more Destination Recreation stories.
