Racer Michael Wason of Redstone found skijoring helped him overcome his depression after 20 years in the U.S. Army working in intelligence. He said the sport has kept him from falling back into it.<\/p>\n
He took up skijoring after adopting a German shorthair pointer in 2006 that would not stop pulling on the leash. To harness the dog\u2019s energy, Wason started taking it out on a skateboard and then on skis.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe pulled me off the couch,\u201d Wason said.<\/p>\n
Wason competed Saturday with a team of three dogs, including a Shar Pei-heeler mix, which was among some of the nontraditional breeds racing. A collie also took to the course on a skijor team.<\/p>\n Skijoring is appealing and growing in popularity because it doesn\u2019t require as much gear or as many dogs to participate as dog sledding, Wason said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that it is the future of dog sports,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Musher Dave Eckert traveled from Flagstaff, Arizona, to race his four dogs, a hobby he took up while living in Alaska and watching the iconic Iditarod races. The middle school teacher said he finds practicing with his dogs and listening to the pat-pat of their feet to be a magical experience.<\/p>\n \u201cI love working with the dogs and giving them the opportunity to do what they love to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Among the committed members of the small crowd were Winter and Decker Weston of Norwood, who came to learn more about skijoring, a sport they are taking up with their Aussiedoodles, Bootylicious and Mr. Boner Man.<\/p>\n Winter Weston is hoping with help from her dogs, she can spend a bit more time outside with her disability.<\/p>\n