History of Skijoring in Banff
Skijoring is an exciting event and celebration of our history and mountain culture.
Skijoring began its rich history in China hundreds of years ago and became more closely associated as a winter sport in Scandinavian countries in the early 1900s. The sport made its way to North America and to Banff, in particular, as a part of the early days of the Banff Winter Carnival.
In 2020, Skijoring returned to Banff as part of the annual SnowDays celebration with hours filled of adrenaline pumped excitement and entertainment.
Community Novelty Races
Join us to celebrate the spirit of winter with these snow-themed races on Banff Avenue.
Community Novelty Races were a big part of the Banff Winter Carnival that launched in 1917, and were re-introduced into SnowDays in 2020 as both a celebration of our history and of our mountain culture.
Watch these wacky and wild races on Banff Avenue
- Canoe Races - Teams go head to head in a round-robin format as they "skoot" their canoe (one leg in the canoe, one leg out) across a 100m snow-course.
- Fat Bike Skijoring - One fat bike rider pulls one ski or snowboard rider across a 100m snow-course.
- Reverse Dog-Sledding - Teams pull their four-legged friends on sleds across a 100m snow-course.
- Three-Legged Snowshoe Race - One grown-up and one child team up in this wintery three-legged race across a 100m snow-course.
