Best in the West Showdown expands to three days of competition in its seventh year
By Leslie Kilgore EBS CONTRIBUTOR
As the skijoring culture and competitive events continue to grow across the West, so does one of the most anticipated regional events of the season. Big Sky Skijoring’s Best in the West Showdown will return to Town Center from Feb. 7 to 9 for three days of competition and celebration.
Big Sky Skijoring is a nonprofit organization that supports skijoring in and around Big Sky, established in 2018. The organization’s founders wanted to bring the culture and competition of this uniquely Western sport to Big Sky’s residents and visitors.
The annual Big Sky event is one of the biggest and most popular within the greater skijoring community. Competitors travel from around the West to earn titles, cash, and the traditional belt buckles awarded at the end of the weekend.
It’s so popular that in the past few years, spots to compete in Big Sky filled up almost immediately with many turned away from a long waitlist, according to past competitors.
This year, the event has expanded to three days instead of two. Skiers, snowboarders and horseback riders will compete together in various divisions of skill, with the novice division competing on Friday, Feb. 7, and the junior, sport and open—or pro—divisions on Feb. 8 and 9.
“We are over-the-moon excited and look forward to three heart-pounding days of the wild, Western sport of skijoring,” said Justa Adams, executive director of Big Sky Skijoring. “We can’t wait to show Big Sky what our incredible team has been working on this year.”
The event will return to Town Center in the same location due to a land donation from Lone Mountain Land Company. In recent years, the location of the event has been uncertain, with LMLC agreeing to donate the space for last year’s event, and now again for 2025. LMLC owns and plans to develop the vacant land in the future.
“We are grateful to Lone Mountain Land Company for allowing us to use the land in Town Center as the Simkins family did at our start,” Adams said.
“Big Sky Skijoring truly is the Best in the West Showdown,” Bayard Dominick, LMLC vice president, stated in an email to EBS. “We are excited to have it back in the Town Center of Big Sky for another year of incredible competition. The fans it brings to our community make it a truly unique event. It’s an honor for us to support with the land use and we wish everyone a safe and successful race.”
Competitor registration will open online at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7 and organizers say spots will fill up fast.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available, and tickets for spectators are currently on sale. Tickets and more information about competing are available at bigskyskijoring.com.
