Highlights include horse-drawn skiers racing over jumps on snow-packed streets; tethered hot air balloon rides; Nordic, sled dog and mountain bike races; and broomball games
LEADVILLE, Colo. (Feb. 2, 2011) — Hoof beats will once again echo through the streets of historic downtown Leadville, Colo., during the 62nd annual ski joring competition. Held in conjunction with the Crystal Carnival Mar. 4-6, Leadville ski joring is where the cowboys come to play in the winter. One part old West, one part extreme sports, this wild and wacky weekend offers the highest incorporated city in North America a chance to really strut its stuff, with horse-drawn skiers racing over jumps on snow-packed streets; Nordic, sled dog and mountain bike races; a paintball biathlon; and broomball games. New this year, tethered hot air balloon rides will be available as well and should provide spectacular photo opportunities.
Leadville has been hosting ski joring competitions since 1949. Ski joring, which entails a horse and rider pulling a skier down a snow-packed road over jumps while spearing rings in a timed competition, draws teams from all over the country. This year’s event will include four classes on Saturday and again on Sunday: the Open Class, for experienced competitive teams; the Sport Class, for beginners; the Legends Class, for experienced teams who are getting a little long in the tooth for the Open Class; and, new this year, the Snowmobile Class. The Open Class will feature a $1,000 added purse each day; the Sport and Legends Classes will each feature a $500 added purse each day. The entry fee is $70 per team in the Open Class, and $60 per team in the Sport and Legends Classes. Skiers must prequalify to compete in the Open Class. On Saturday morning at approximately 10:30*, kids can also try their hand at ski joring behind a snowmobile for just $5 a ride. More details are available at http://www.leadvilleskijoring.us.
The Crystal Carnival, which commemorates the original winter sports festival held in Leadville in 1896, offers winter fun for the entire family. All events are free for spectators; some require fees for participants.
Schedule of Events
Friday, Mar. 4
6:30 p.m. Harrison Avenue Knock-Out Nordic Sprints — 400-meter sprints under the lights, with cash prizes (http://www.leadvillenordic.org) $3 entry fee
Saturday, Mar. 5
All Day Free sledding on Dutch Henry Sledding Hill — Bring your own sled or rent
a tube for $5 per hour (snow permitting; tube rental available 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
7 – 11 a.m. Pancake Breakfast to benefit the Advocates of Lake County (Elks Lodge)
8 – 11 a.m. Ski Joring — Registration at the Elks Lodge
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 3rd Annual Mt. Massive Mush — Presented by Mount Massive Golf Course and the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club (http://www.rmsdc.com/new-site/race-info.html)
10 a.m. Kids’ Parade — Children (ages 5 – 12) are welcome to join in and will receive a free balloon
10 a.m. 4th Annual Leadville Biathlon — Kids’ 1K at 10 a.m.; 5K at 11 a.m.; 10K at Noon (Tennessee Pass Nordic Center; http://www.leadvillenordic.org)
10:30 a.m. Kids’ Ski Joring — Kids can try ski joring behind a snowmobile for $5 a ride
11 a.m. Tethered hot air balloon rides at the bottom of Dutch Henry Hill on Hwy. 24 (weather permitting; $7 per person)
11 a.m. Ski Joring Draw, Calcutta and Competition — Teams draw for time slots, followed by Calcutta Sale. The Sport Class, Legends Class and Open Class competitions will follow in the afternoon.*
2 p.m. Shelter Dog Shuffle — Ski, snowshoe, run or walk with your dog in this one-mile race at Mount Massive Golf Course to benefit the Leadville/Lake County Animal Shelter and Planned Pethood Assistance
2:30 p.m. Tethered hot air balloon rides at the bottom of Dutch Henry Hill on Hwy. 24
3:30 – 9 p.m. Lake County Ice Skating Rink — Admission $2.25; skate rentals are $1 for kids; $2 for adults
7 p.m. Mineral Belt Mayhem — An 11-mile loop on Leadville’s Mineral Belt Trail; registration and check-in at 5 p.m. at Cycles of Life, 309 Harrison Ave.; race starts at 7 p.m.; part of the Winter Mountain Bike Race Series
Sunday, Mar. 6
All Day Free sledding on Dutch Henry Sledding Hill —Bring your own sled or rent
a tube for $5 per hour (snow permitting; tube rental available 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
7 – 11 a.m. Pancake Breakfast to benefit the Advocates of Lake County (Elks Lodge)
8 – 11 a.m. Ski Joring — Registration at the Elks Lodge
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 3rd Annual Mt. Massive Mush — Presented by Mount Massive Golf Course and the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club
10 a.m. Broomball Game “The Guns vs. The Hoses” — Policemen vs. the Firemen
11 a.m. Ski Joring Draw, Calcutta and Competition — Teams draw for time slots, followed by Calcutta Sale. The Sport Class, Legends Class and Open Class competitions will follow in the afternoon.*
11 a.m. Tethered hot air balloon rides at the bottom of Dutch Henry Hill on Hwy. 24
11 a.m. Broomball Game — ALCO vs. Safeway
2:30 p.m. Tethered hot air balloon rides at the bottom of Dutch Henry Hill on Hwy. 24
3:30 – 9 p.m. Lake County Ice Skating Rink — Admission $2.25; skate rentals are $1 for kids; $2 for adults
*Exact timing of ski joring events depends on the number of participants. Ski joring competitions usually begin in the early afternoon.
Located in the center of Colorado, 103 miles west of Denver and 129 miles northwest of Colorado Springs, Leadville is known for its rich history, Victorian architecture, friendly small-town atmosphere, and beautiful scenery. The downtown district is lined with specialty shops and antique stores, eateries, museums and inns. Go to http://www.visitleadvillecolorado.com or call 888-532-3845 for more information.
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Note: High-resolution photographs available. Online version: http://pitch.pe/121531
About Leadville and Twin Lakes
Leadville, the highest incorporated city in North America, is located in the geographic center of Colorado, 103 miles west of Denver and 129 miles northwest of Colorado Springs, on US Highway 24, part of the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway. Once one of America’s richest, longest-lived and bawdiest mining boomtowns, 70 square blocks of the downtown area has been designated as a National Historic Landmark of Victorian architecture. Activities include skiing, fishing, camping, golfing, hiking, whitewater rafting, four-wheeling, biking, museums, historical tours and train rides. Nearby Twin Lakes, located 15 minutes from Leadville at the eastern entrance to Independence Pass, is also a National Historic District and a popular summer destination for camping, boating, hiking and fishing. Visit www.visitleadvillecolorado.com for more information.
About Ski Joring
The sport of ski joring began several hundred years ago in Scandinavian countries as a way to travel during the long winters. Laplanders skied on Nordic skis holding the reins attached to reindeer. Ski joring found its way to North America, where ranchers attached a long rope to the saddle horn of a horse that was ridden at high speeds down a long straight-away. Currently, the sport of equestrian ski joring has become a highly specialized competitive sport, where competitors must navigate a course of jumps, gates and sometime spear rings. Competitive ski joring competitions are currently taking place in more than five states in the USA, and in several countries worldwide. In some parts of the world, skiers are pulled behind dogs, mules and snowmobiles. Whatever the means, the sport of ski joring is growing rapidly, and is just as much fun for spectators as it is for competitors. Courtesy of the North American Ski Joring Association.
About the Crystal Carnival and Ice Palace
During the winter of 1895-1896, local businessmen decided to combat the downturn of the town’s mining economy by building an incredible Ice Palace. Requiring 5,000 tons of ice to be cut from the nearby lakes, the Ice Palace featured life-sized sculptures of prospectors and burros, a skating rink and a “gallery of commerce” with frozen produce, beer and more. A Crystal Carnival, with parade and fireworks, lit up the town and the throngs who came in by train from Denver and around the country. The Ice Palace melted in the spring of 1896.
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