Ski Joring in Leadville Colorado

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I’m only an observer of this uniquely Colorado sport. The skier has what looks like a Wizards wand and collects rings. The jumps are between 4 and 6 feet high. The horses are running full speed and it surprises me how fast they are.   Dig the Video: https://youtu.be/1lpeOfmwr98

Skiers have a water skiing stance and have to carve enough to turn for control, but cruise steadily so the rope does not slack too much.

Ski Joring is a Scandinavian term and we all likely mispronounced it.

This picture says it all.  I set the camera to continuous shooting which grabs photos in quick succession.  Used for action shots like this.. Picked out this one and it says it all. The horseman in particular shows particular style and flair. The skier however…. Despite the garb, he proved he was one of the best of the riders.

After thinking on this post, I have to conclude that the horseman and skiers where all quite skilled and competitive in this sport. They all have a respectable amount of skill, bravery, and a dose of insanity for this to all work together.

I took over 300 photos during the event. This one made it all worth while.
The jumps where quite high and a hard landing.
Nice Blazer Jacket.
With Wizards wand in hand, the skier conjures up a safe landing.
Good stance to align from the landing to the next turn. After scooping the rings, they ride up the arm.
Full shot of the skier preparing for the ring grab with the Wizard’s wand.
Note the collected rings around the wrist, and the rope thoughtfully wrapped around the hand only once.
The Ring grab. Points are lost if not collected and kept. This is an obstacle course and the skiers appear experienced at this.
The skier looks to brace for a hard fall. His ride shows experience and success at finishing.
Good shot with the Delaware Hotel in the background. I’ve stayed there at the historic location.

 

 

Lucky photo I shot of the horseman turning to see his skier take a hard digger. Look at some crowd reaction along the walkway.

 

He was Ok, and stood to roaring crowd applause.

He was just shaken up and stood to roaring applause.

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