In recent years, Colorado and its surrounding states have become a hub for a variety of new winter sports. Many resorts now offer unique and fun winter experiences for those bored of skiing or snowboarding every weekend. From skijoring to snow polo, here are four unique winter sports for everyone to enjoy. 

Skijoring is perhaps one of the most unusual winter sports with a surprisingly large following. For this event, a person wearing skate skis is pulled by dogs in a manner that mirrors typical dog sledding. However, with a rigging system known as a towline, the competitor attaches him or herself to the dogs in place of the sled. But, this sport is not as easy or simple as it may sound. It is highly recommended that the skier have cross-country skiing experience, and it also requires groomed and dog-friendly trails. For those looking to try this new adventure, appropriate trails can be found in the Frisco Area or at Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort. 

For an even more adventurous experience, one can try horse skijoring in Leadville, Colo. Like in normal skijoring, the skier is on skate skis but in this event, is instead pulled by a horse through a pre-set obstacle course. This subcategory of skijoring is usually done in a competitive manner, with the skier racing the clock and facing penalties for mistakes made on the course. On March 4 and 5 of this year, Leadville, Colo. will host their 74th annual Leadville Ski Joring competition with cash prizes for any who are interested.

In Colorado’s neighboring state of New Mexico, one can also find adults participating in highly competitive shovel racing. For this event, competitors grease up snow shovels and ride them down different ski slopes at high speeds. This sport first appeared in the early 1970s when lift operators began to race down from their shacks on snow shovels. Now, New Mexico holds the World Championship Shovel Races every year at Angel Fire Resort.

For those looking for something a bit less daredevilish, many Colorado ski resorts also allow skibobbing (or ski biking) where skis are attached to a bike frame and the ski bike is then ridden down the mountain. Skibobbing is more well known than some other winter sports with competitions that take place across the country. It first became popular in the 1960s, when it was brought to the U.S. from Europe by an American tourist enamored by the skibobs they stumbled upon across the seas. William Cartwright and his family were hooked on the sport after a trip to Europe and two years after Cartwright’s return to the U.S., he helped establish the first skibob club in Santa Rosa, Calif. 

In 1968, the American Skibike Association (ASBA) was founded in Colorado, and the sport is still surprisingly popular in the Rocky Mountain area. For those looking for an extra thrill, Colorado also offers high-speed skibob competitions where the current record is held at over 120 mph. 

Lastly, Colorado is crucial to the national snow polo scene. As one can imagine by the name, snow polo is simply regular polo played on a snowy field. Last year, Aspen, Colo. held the World Snow Polo Championship, with teams coming in from around the world to the St. Regis Aspen Resort to play in 20 inches of snow. Snow polo is also one of the few sports listed here to have an official international following and an annual World Cup. This year’s tournament will be held in Switzerland at Lake St. Moritz with teams from around the world competing from Jan. 28 to 30. 

For those who do not like to ski or snowboard, or for those who simply want to try something new this winter, there are plenty of unique snow sports that extend beyond the shortlist given above. With a wide range of athletic demands and required equipment between many unusual sports, there is something for everyone to enjoy this winter season.