During the competition, skiers and snowboarders are towed by a horse and rider, traveling up to 40 mph. Brandon Francis with SkiJoring Utah said the sport is like a rodeo on skis.
“We just like to combine the two worlds of Utah, the greatest snow on Earth and our western heritages of riding horses,” he said.
Competitors will race over a snow-covered course with jumps, gates and rings. A new event was added this year as well.
“This year we've added a freestyle big air event. So it'd be great to see how much air these guys can get coming off our big jump, throwing back flips and twists and everything else,” Francis said.
He said his team was a bit worried about the course holding up during the recent warm spell, but the latest storm has brought a healthy blanket of snow to the course.
Heber got a few inches Thursday and the snow will continue off and on Friday and Saturday. A total of six to 12 inches of snow are expected in Heber.
“It's been a little challenge getting things set up. I mean, we spent the last two weeks making snow, getting ready for this whole thing, and we turn around and look what we're blessed with to put on top of it,” Francis said.
Single-day tickets and two-day passes are available for general admission and stadium chair seating. Tickets start at $20.
Racing began at 2 p.m. Friday and will start at 9 a.m. Saturday.
