ROAD TO SKIJOR 2020
Skijor USA
is back in the saddle and
leading the exciting "drive" toward 2020!
After a healthy respite, which we all needed,
we will be holding Organizers' Summits
over the next two weeks
on
Thursday, October 3rd & 10th
4:30-5:30 pm MST
&
5:30-6:30 pm MST
on both dates to offer flexibility.
Race organizers, please watch for an email for details
and to register a time slot.
We will be discussing topics such as compatible race dates, a new membership fee program, event insurance options, sponsorship outreach both national and local, budgetary guidelines, and changes to the 3D format and Rules & Regs.
Don't miss this opportunity to contribute and ask questions!
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~ A Sizzling Season Ahead ~
The 2020 season is shaping up nicely with
14 races currently on our roster!
We will be announcing an event calendar shortly.
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~ A Sizzling Summer ~
Skijor USA's
Board of Directors & Advisory Committee
have been busy this summer setting us all up for success in 2020!
The combined groups have met at least three times since March,
and Mark and Loren continue to meet monthly.
The Divisional Format
We will be announcing some tweaks to the 3D Format shortly
which have been discussed at length and voted upon
by our Advisory Committee members
Josh Abbott, Jerry Kissell, Clay Martin, Dana Stiles & Bruce Stott.
We feel that the format worked well in 2019 overall
and that organizers and competitors alike
welcomed the new concept.
We listened to your feedback and are now acting upon it.
In 2020, we will be expanding each division
in order to include a broader range of competitors in each,
and thus, we will be able to spread the wealth and recognition.
This will be accomplished by implementing slightly larger time splits.
We will also be determining placements with raw times and penalties will be added after the team's division is determined.
Our aim is to reward
clean runs and excellent teamwork
first and foremost.
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~ A Sizzling New Partnership ~
Skijor USA is excited to announce that we are partnering with
Mountain Time Films
on
Road to Skijor 2020: The Series
Some of you may recall the filmmaker and producer
who came to our West Yellowstone Finals.
After working throughout the summer together,
we are now proceeding to the next stage
and
creating a series which will highlight
key characters from our skijoring community
as the film crew follows them through the Skijor USA race circuit
"exploring Trials, Tribulations and Life on the Road".
"LOVE & WAR"
"It's a tight-knit community, complete with
all that that entails, love interests, rivalries, even a few grudges -
They all know each other, they all root for each other,
but they all want to win."© 2019 Mountain Time Films~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ SIZING UP 2019 ~
Skijor USA
wants to keep our finger on the pulse,
so watch for a 2019 survey coming your way soon.
We would love to get more feedback now that everyone has taken a well deserved summer breather.
Your voices remain vital and are our guide.
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~ CONGRATULATIONS ~
Our Team at Skijor USA
had some exciting things happen to its members this summer!
Jerry Kissell
successfully completed the Leadville Trail 100 MTB,
a 100 mile marathon mountain bike race.
Jerry trained for seven solid months,
and tested himself at the Leadville Skijoring Race last March.
Teaming up with fellow committee member, and legendary rider,
Dana Stiles, and her horse, Newt,
together they achieved the fastest time in the Legends Division on Day 1,
a sizzlin' 17.89, but incurred a 2 second penalty, finishing 2nd.
Then, on Day 2 they converted this to a 1st place finish with a clean run of 18.53.
This earned them 1st Place in the Overall in the Legends Division.
Jerry's achievement at the Leadville 100 MTB
came after recovering from a knee replacement which nearly cost him his life due to an unexpected series of infections.
Jerry credits his wife, Sue, largely with his success.
They just celebrated 23 years of marriage!
On a sadder note,
Dana's "horse of a lifetime",
Merlin,
was put to rest early this summer just shy of his 25th birthday.
Dana and Merlin spent 20 years at each other's side
and together captured countless wins and
dozens of championship titles in skijoring
from Leadville, Durango, Minturn, Silverton and Frisco
to Jackson, Cody, Whitefish, Red Lodge and Sun Valley.
He also competed in the Match Horse Racing
at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Merlin will go down in skijoring history as a true champion.
Josh Abbott
tied the knot with his beautiful girlfriend, Amanda,
who we so often see cheering him and Elvis on at races.
Josh is now busy guiding archery hunts with
Sage Peak Outfitters,
a company which he founded and owns.
Mark LaRowe
is opening a photographic art gallery in Helena, Montana
where he will feature his work for sale and do shoots.
Throughout the summer, he has been photographing landscape, rodeos, ranch life, weddings and portraiture
as well as conducting photo workshops.
Mark continues to build valuable relationships with competitors,
organizers and sponsors of skijoring along the way.
Click below to view Mark's contribution to
We Ride Sport & Trail Magazine's September Edition
"Montana Ranching: A Legacy of Family"
pages 8-16
Mark both authored and photographed the article!
https://weride-magazine.com/magazine/september-2019/
Loren Zhimanskova
has been living in New York City
and working at major sporting events such as
The PGA Golf Championship
and
The US Open Tennis Championship
where she worked for Rolex International.
She also works at corporate events at JP Morgan Chase, The Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Center and the Metropolitan Opera.
Through her many professional and collegiate affiliations,
she continues to spread the word about skijoring
with key influencers and potential sponsors.
She will be based in Saratoga, WY for the winter months.
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JOR ON!
Your Team at Skijor USA
Mark, Loren, Dana, Bruce, Clay, Josh, Jerry, Tony, Kitty & Paul
&
Your SJUSA Member Race Delegates
Photo courtesy of Mark LaRowe Photography