We’ve taken some pretty adventurous trips over the years with R1T. Our latest one ranks among the most unique and thrilling of them all. If you’ve never heard of skijoring before, you’re in for a wild ride.
Skijoring dates back hundreds of years to Scandinavia, where reindeer would tow people through challenging courses carved in the snow—the fastest through all the jumps, turns, moguls and obstacles being crowned the winner.
Fast forward to today and skijoring is still very much the same unpredictable thrill ride, only now horses are doing the work.
Our trip centered around the Estes Park SkiJor Weekend, an event drawing thousands of spectators to one of the Rockies’ favorite ski towns. To make it a little more adventurous, we brought along two friends who had never tried skijoring before, Sandra Hillen, a former pro snowboarder, and Mike King, a lifetime skier and thrill seeker. Helping them learn the ropes was experienced skijoring rider Britta Nancarrow.
While Sandra and Mike are more than comfortable carving downhill, nothing prepared them for what they’d encounter on the skijoring track. A few days before the race, the team ventured out in their R1T to build some jumps and get a feel for what the ice rodeo is all about. Hot chocolate on the Travel Kitchen was a welcome reward after a long, cold day.
As we made our way to Estes Park and settled in, the energy kept building. We were soon surrounded by a crowd of thousands swarming the action. For our crew, Sandra and Mike made their first-ever runs—like nothing they had ever experienced on snow before—as Britta continued making strides into the professional skijoring ranks.
After a day of big air, fast rides, wild turns—and more than a few tumbles—sun set on the Rockies with yet another adventure in the books. Thank you to the Estes Park Skijor Weekend organizers and all the incredible riders, skiers and fans for welcoming us into your amazing sport. And special thanks to Britta, Mike and Sandra for being up for it!
Needless to say, when you bring an R1T on a skijoring trip, it’s hard to resist trying it with a few extra horsepower.
*Skijoring is an inherently dangerous winter sport. This content was captured with experienced professionals on a controlled course; do not attempt to recreate these activities and always follow local laws, safety guidance, and your Rivian owner’s guide.
