LOOK. “Most bizarre winter sport in the world” is talking about TikTok | The best thing on the web

The striking winter sport in itself is not new at all. The name skijoring comes from the Norwegian word “skikjøring”, which means “ski riding” and originally referred to a way of traveling in winter. As a competitive sport, it also has its origins in Scandinavia. Skijoring made its official debut in Stockholm, Sweden, during the Nordic Games in 1901, 1905 and 1909. It was then with reindeer.

Now skijoring is promptly galloping into the realm of superhero status on social media. The sport is currently all the rage on TikTok. This has everything to do with the so-called SnowDays Festival that continues until February 4 in Banff, a small town in Alberta, Canada. A local TikTokker captured footage of skijoring through local streets in Banff during that festival last week, and that video is now going viral. There are clearly many people who have never heard of skijoring. They eagerly marvel at this dangerous and “most bizarre winter sport in the world”.

The images from Banff show skijoring at its best, with skiers trying to make the craziest jumps behind sprinting horses to loud cheers and at full speed. For the occasion, a gigantic Canadian flag is also patriotically flown.

Several people say online that, in addition to Scandinavian countries, skijoring has also been practiced elsewhere in North America for years, such as in Alaska and Colorado. This includes jumping, racing and slaloming behind the horses. Sometimes dogs are used instead of horses, sometimes vehicles or motorcycles. Enthusiasts can also try it in Switzerland and the French Alps, among others, albeit in a slower and more accessible way.