Alumni catch air, find community and a good time through skijoring

Sara Goodpasture rides her horse. Photo by Torin Alm

Cowboy hats, denim and faux fur coats. A big crowd chatting excitedly, lounging on bleachers that gleam in the sun. Horse hooves stomping on dirt. The aroma of fried food wafting through the morning air.

This might sound like a rodeo - and that isn't far off. It's a skijoring competition at Nampa's Ford Idaho Center. Athletes compete in high-speed races for cash, belt buckles and glory. And quite a few Boise State alumni are in the fray.

What is skijoring?

KJ Savaria (B.S. construction management, 2018) on the skijoring track. Skiers must catch rings and keep hold of the rope as they're pulled at speeds of up to 40 mph. Photo by Torin Alm

Skijoring is a winter sport in which a horse (or sometimes a motor vehicle, a dog or another animal) pulls a person on skis. The name is derived from the Norwegian word skikjøring, which means "ski driving."

In competitive equine skijoring, skiers must hold their grip on a rope, navigate obstacles and grasp rings while being pulled up to 40 miles per hour.

Broncos on the track

Sara Goodpasture (B.S. health sciences, 2017) and her parents, Maggie and Steven Weekes. Photo by Torin Alm

Boise State's proximity to outdoor recreation areas tends to attract adventurers, so it's no surprise that several alumni have taken on the challenge of skijoring.

For mother-daughter duo Maggie Weekes and Sara Goodpasture, skijoring runs in the family. So does a Boise State education. Weekes moved from Maryland to pursue a Boise State degree in business. Goodpasture, who grew up in Meridian, graduated in 2017 with a bachelor's in health sciences.

Before Goodpasture was a skijoring athlete, she was a rodeo queen - crowned winner of the Miss Rodeo Idaho pageant in 2019. Michelle Bobbit, one of Goodpasture's rodeo queen coordinators, is also secretary and treasurer of Wood River Extreme Skijoring in Bellevue, Idaho. Goodpasture credits Bobbit for introducing her and her mother to the sport.

Together, Weekes and Goodpasture form the skijoring team "Pink Chaos Crew." At the Nampa event, Goodpasture was unmissable in her hot pink outfit, including a cowboy hat, neon jacket and fluffy pink chaps.

KJ Savaria, a construction management alum from Haley, Idaho, has been involved in the sport for over three years. Savaria grew up skiing. After graduating from Boise State in 2018, he began a career in project management and real estate, but picked up a side gig ski coaching for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. The parent of one of Savaria's ski students encouraged him to give skijoring a try. Savaria described the sport as "electric."

"I don't know if you've ever been water skiing or behind a surf boat, but that's the closest comparison," Savaria said.

In the skijoring community, you know you've made it when you win a belt buckle. Crafted by silversmiths, the rodeo-style buckles are awarded only to top teams. Savaria won his first buckle in 2026.

No practice, just performance

Hailee Harris (B.S. psychology, 2020) smiles following her first skijoring run. Photo by Luan Teed

Athletes aren't necessarily able to trial run skijoring prior to the competition. Even those who do own horses rarely have access to a full course in their backyard. Often, new competitors try out skijoring for the first time in front of a crowd.

"You just kind of show up and do it," Savaria said. "I know some people practice behind snowmobiles, with a rope. It's not quite the same."

Weekes and Goodpasture practiced skijoring using a DIY setup, where Weekes, sitting in a wagon, was pulled by their horse. "Practicing helped the horse," Weekes said. "It didn't help me so much."

Hailee Harris (B.S. psychology, 2020) made her skijoring debut at the Ford Idaho Center on Feb. 7.

"The experience was more [intense] than I thought it would be," Harris said. "It's pretty quick. But really, being out here is for fun. Supporting friends, and doing Idaho things."

Why skijor?

Skijoring fans at the Ford Idaho Center. Photo by Torin Alm

Skijoring is rapidly gaining popularity, with many hoping it becomes an Olympic sport. If skijoring makes it to the 2034 games in Salt Lake City, Savaria said he'd love to be part of it. Otherwise, he's happy participating in skijoring competitions across the country.

Goodpasture loves skijoring for the community it provides.

"Everyone gets along so well," Goodpasture said. "It's such a cool blend of walks of life, because you get the hippies and the snowboarders and the skiers, but you also get the nitty gritty cowboys and cowgirls. As much as we all want to win a belt buckle or some money, I go for a good time."

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