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Faster horses, higher jumps and more fun.
Countdown to the 2026 20th Anniversary Whitefish Skijoring has started! February 14 & 15, 2026
Upcoming Events
20th Anniversary of Whitefish Skijoring
February 14-15th, 2026 take part in celebrating 20 years with tight competition, delicious food and warm company.
Our Story
We are a Non-Profit organization and we strive to host a Skijoring event in the Flathead Valley each year. You are invited to join the festivities! Check out the Competitor Information and Spectator Information to explore how you can be part of the fun, or volunteer to really be a part of the action! We can't put on the race without our Sponsors, so consider getting your business name in front of hundreds of spectators and competitors at the race!
Whitefish Skijoring History
As reported in the London Independent, Pamplona may have its running of the bulls, St Mortiz its tobogganing maniacs, and Warren Miller its cast of crazies but Skijoring has been part of the local tradition since the 1960s.
Founding Father of Whitefish Winter Carnival, Norm Kurtz, challenged local ski legends of the Big Mountain Ski Resort, Martin Hale, Dale Evenson, Gordy Taylor, Dick Maddox, and others to take part in the high-speed event. He also recruited Mountain Trails Saddle Club horsemen, Elmer Smith, Herb Knuth, the Morris brothers, Doc Kauffman, and others to saddle up their fastest horses to pull the skiers. There was no cowboy chic to it--just dally up and go!!
How It Expanded
The event was held on Central Avenue in the early years but later moved to the Mountain Trails Saddle Club on Wisconsin Avenue, where Stumptown Ice Den now stands. Great fun continued every year until the mid-seventies. In the early 2000's a local businessman spearheaded a successful campaign to bring this exciting event back to the Flathead Valley. It is more exciting than ever. Faster horses, higher jumps, and more fun!!