Aaron Oberlitner had about 30 minutes to practice before his first skijoring race in December 2017 at Rebecca Farm. He crashed about two-thirds of the way down the course.
Oberlitner, 26, of Kalispell, had been persuaded by a couple of friends to try skijoring and, after failing to cross the finish line during his first race, he would have been forgiven for giving up. But Oberlitner knew he was a good enough skier to cross the finish line; after all, he had been a ski racer at Whitefish Mountain Resort for over a decade.
So Oberlitner started to pay closer attention to the skiers who were making it across the finish line. He started to pick up some tips and tactics. A few weeks later, he clicked back into his skis and won first place. It turns out, Oberlitner was pretty good at skijoring. So good, in fact, that he won the novice division at skijoring competitions in Helena, Lincoln and Whitefish.
Now, Oberlitner — who during the week is a project manager for Knife River — is getting ready to redeem himself at Rebecca Farm at its second annual skijoring competition. The event takes place west of Kalispell on March 2 and 3 and features a new 800-foot course.
The event was originally scheduled for December but had to be rescheduled due to a lack of snow.
Skijoring got its start in Europe in the early 20th century. During the Nordic Games in Stockholm in 1901, reindeer pulled skiers through the course. These days, horses are the primary power for skijoring competitors. Skijoring competitors race through various obstacles, including jumps and gates. Every time they miss an obstacle, a second is added to their final time.
Oberlitner said the key to winning a skijoring competition is knowing how to handle the rope, something he did not fully understand when he first got into the sport. During that first attempt, he held on to the very end of the rope but that meant if something went wrong, there was no way for him to let out some of the slack; he just crashed. Now he knows that the moment the race starts, you have to start pulling yourself closer and closer to the rope.
“The guys who work the rope the best are the guys who usually win,” he said.
Oberlitner said he likes the fact that skijoring is a little dangerous. Last year, he was competing in the novice division. This year, he has moved up to the sport division and he’s hopeful that in a year or two he’ll be able to enter a few races as a professional.
Last winter, more than 90 teams descended on Rebecca Farm and organizers are hoping for a similar turnout this year. More than $20,000 in prize money will be awarded at the event.
Admission to the event is $5 and a number of local food and drink vendors will be on hand to fuel spectators and competitors alike. Kalispell Brewing Company will also have its Skijoring Stout on tap.
For more information visit www.rebeccafarm.org/skijoring