WALLACE, Idaho — Wallace’s beloved Extreme SkiJor event will return this weekend for its eighth year, despite a mild winter that has been tough on local ski resorts and towns.
The unique event features skiers and snowboarders being towed through the streets of Wallace by ATVs, competing for big air and big tricks.
“The jumps, the twirls, the rails, I had never even heard of this stuff until I moved here,” said Alex Mayberry, a Wallace local.
Organizers were determined to make the event happen despite the lack of snow. The city helped by changing its usual snow removal process.
“Normally the city, when it snows, the city takes it to a lot out of town, but they just left it for us,” said Siobhan Curet, president of Extreme SkiJor.
Those piles of snow were stored in the shade so they barely melted. A dump truck collected them from around town and put the snow onto the course, where groomers prepared it for competition. The process took only about an hour more than other years when there was more snow.
This year’s event matters more than usual because times have been slow in Wallace. The town normally gets a big influx of skiers heading to the mountain, but that hasn’t happened this winter.
“We just haven’t had the volume. So it’s great for everyone’s bottom line this time of year,” Curet said. “It helps everyone get through winter.”
The event costs nearly $30,000, but organizers say the money it brings into Wallace and the excitement it creates make it worth it.
Some locals treat the event like a holiday, and many were worried it might not happen this year.
“I’m so excited that we are able to do that this again this year,” said Justyce Dimitroff, a Wallace local. “This is like the one weekend every year that our small little Wallace town just becomes so big.”
The competition kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. and will run throughout the weekend.
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