in2adventure Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 I want to get the dogs into skijoring. Well, more for me than them I've used reg cross country skis, but see all sorts of stuff with the skier using those ski skates. What is better, does it matter? I am probably not doing this to compete (although you see where that statement got me in agility ) but just to have fun and be outside with the dogs. I snowshoe, but want to be a little more involved with the dog. Still working on piecing together equipment and will probably fudge some of it to get started and see it I even like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouettestable Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 You can use either type, but a lot (most, if not all) of the skijor competitors will use the skate skis. There are a couple of sites where you can find out a lot more about skijoring. One is Sled Dog Central, in their forum there are sub-forums dedicated to skijoring (general) and skijoring equipment. Also there is Skidogs.ca and another site that I think is called skijor now, but I'm not positive of it's address. I think it's advertised on the SDC home page, or you could maybe search and find it. One of the newer SDC Talk members is a skijorer who runs a couple of border collies. He posts under the name diamonddiscdog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Thanks! Can you use skate skis like reg XC skis? Like I said, I have no plans of racing, but if I had skis that did both, it would hurt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouettestable Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Thanks! Can you use skate skis like reg XC skis? Like I said, I have no plans of racing, but if I had skis that did both, it would hurt You can, though the skate style boots are much more rigid than the classic style ones, for better support while "skating". You can also get what are called combination boots that are adjustable for either style apparently. My sister said that hers are that kind. I'm really not a cross country skier at all and I just picked up some equipment to give it a try. Since I've always done downhill and am used to the stiffer boots, and have skated to cover flat ground I opted for the skate style. I don't really do it often, I much prefer sledding to skijoring but that's probably because I'm not very good at skijoring and I have bad knees. If it didn't hurt and I could stay on my feet better it would be a lot of fun. Something else about skate vs. classic, I think a lot of the classic style skis are waxless with the fishscale pattern on the bottom for traction. The skate skis are usually smooth and do get waxed. One reason the racers prefer skate skis I think it because they can go faster than with classic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 You're awesome! i've been searching all over for info and couldn't find the answers I was looking for. Those were it in a nut shell I love to sled, but don't have the means....and only two dogs. Skijoring would be so much more practical for me. Besides, I need the exercise anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouettestable Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Glad I could help. If you love to sled, you could get started with just two dogs and a light sled, maybe even a kicksled. I actually started with just one dog and a somewhat heavier sled that I was given and got my daughter into the kid & mutt classes. Since I was the one doing the training with him (not her) I thought adding another dog would be helpful so he'd have an easier time pulling me around and we could do more than just a lap or two around the field. I ended up adopting a couple of pups and thought "great, now I can have a 3-dog team!" But when they grew up and started training one of them didn't like the sled (though he'll skijor). By then I was looking forward to running 3 dogs, so of course I started looking around again and adopted 2 more pups (hey, why have a 3 dog team if you can have a 4-dog?) Also by this point, I had bought a smaller, lighter beginner/recreational sled (just 15 pounds and my daughter needed that to race right?) I entered the first two in a couple of novice 2-dog classes and later moved on to racing in the 4-dog sprints as my pups grew up and were ready. In the meantime I decided I needed to extend my training season and had dh build me a dryland training rig, bought an upgraded sled for racing, was given another couple of pups...heh, heh! This stuff really grows on you. I have a window cling on my truck that says "Beware of Mushers... They will suck you into their addiction" and it has a picture (the view from the sled) of my team flying down a trail. Last season my daughter entered her first 2-dog, 2-mile youth class and she has plans to race in the 4-dog class in the future. Which will mean more dogs, another sled, more lines, harnesses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 That's so funny. that's kinda how my friend got started in it. Found a husky mix dog at the SPCA and thought it would be cool if she pulled a sled. 15 dogs later........ I started out helping him hook up dogs on his practice runs and then graduated to running his "spare" dogs in the novice classes. He did sprint stuff so most races were 3-10 miles long. If I hadn't been in college at the time, I would probably have a kennel of Alaskan huskys instead of a couple BC's I LOVED watching the kids race. We used to go to Marmarot Canada (sp?) and they had the coolest kid races there. The parents would just tell the kids to hang on and the dogs did the rest. Occationally a team would have to be nudged back on course I'm sure you read the book Winterdance. I laughed so hard I cried. I'm no expert (maybe know enough to call myself a super novice at best), but do know enough to get myself into a lot of trouble with the right amount of gear and dogs It's amazing how some of these sports grow on you and how immersed it becomes in your life. I'll let you know how this all turns out. Hopefully I won't crash and burn my first time with the dogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesqf Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 From what I know of skating skis & technique (I've never actually done it) you need groomed/packed tracks to do it on - more than just following where previous skiers have broken a trail. Which, of course, is a big part of why I've never done it. So it will depend a lot on where you'll be doing your skiing. If it was me, and just starting to get equipment, I would begin with regular cross-country skis, since you can use them anywhere. You can also get regular skis in waxless or waxable. If you have variable weather/snow condition, waxless is probably better to start with, though if the snow's consistent and you know what you're doing, waxable can be better to ski on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted October 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 That's what I'm thinking, too. I can get my hands on all sorts of regular XC ski stuff really cheap. I used to ski all the time and like everything else let it go. Hopefully it shouldn't be too hard to pick back up. If I find myself doing it all the time, I may invest in the good stuff. Everything is so complicated now and very specialized. You almost needed classes just to learn about the gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouettestable Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 We used to go to Marmarot Canada (sp?) and they had the coolest kid races there. The parents would just tell the kids to hang on and the dogs did the rest. Occationally a team would have to be nudged back on course We raced at Marmora last year for the first time and had a great time. Except I just about cried over the kid & mutt class. I had no idea they were giving away a brand new sprint sled as the first prize when I loaned out our best kid & mutt dog. My daughter also ran him but was beaten by the other little girl who is 5 years younger and lighter to pull. They took 1st and 2nd place but the sled would have been ours if I had of chosen a different dog to loan out. The little girl who won it doesn't even have 1 dog, let alone a team. She said she was going to put the sled in her bedroom and put her stuffed toys in it. We were planning to go back this year and try again but there is going to be a scheduling conflict with a different race we usually attend. If I hadn't been in college at the time, I would probably have a kennel of Alaskan huskys instead of a couple BC's Alaskans are fast but the BC's do well too. Last year my team was Lightning (BC/lab - great command leader and our kid & mutt superstar), Rain (BC), Storm (BC) and Thunder (whoknowswhatmixbreed - not from sledding lines at all or I would just call him an Alaskan). Thunder is the slowest dog on my team so this year I'm taking him out of the racing team and putting in Flurry (BC). My daughter will use Lightning for any kid & mutt classes or Flurry and Dru (BC) for any 2 dog classes she does. I have a friend who races with a purebred BC team in the 4-dog class and the lady who mentored her used to race BC's in the 6-dog classes. I'll let you know how this all turns out. Hopefully I won't crash and burn my first time with the dogs Crash and burn...been there, done that when skijoring. Once I split the seam on some old track pants when I fell (luckily at home on my own trail, not out in public!). Another time I had a nice, not too fast run down the road with one dog one morning when my daughter was on her way down to the schoolbus. Since it went well I thought I'd try it the next day with 2 of the slower dogs, but in the morning rush of of getting DD ready for school, when I let some of the dogs out in the yard the slower ones went out. Not taking time to think about what I was doing, I decided to take the ones that were inside (Lightning and Rain). This was my first time with 2 dogs and I picked 2 of the hardest pullers and I crashed right at the end of my driveway I got up ready to try again and just braced myself. I didn't move my feet, or my arms, I just tried to keep myself upright and let the dogs go, snowplowing all the way down the hill on the road. I think that was my one and only time hooking up 2 dogs while I was on skis. Did I mention I'm not a cross-country skier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesqf Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Last year my team was Lightning (BC/lab - great command leader and our kid & mutt superstar), Rain (BC), Storm (BC) and Thunder... Methinks I see a pattern here :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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