Big Sky Skijoring prepares for sixth Best in the West Showdown

Lone Mountain Land Company collaborates to provide space for event in early February

By Jack Reaney ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Big Sky Skijoring will host its sixth annual Best in the West Showdown on Feb. 3 and 4, with schedule changes to improve the flow of daily action. 

The Western sport combines horses, skiers and snowboarders in a physical test across an obstacle course—in Big Sky, the course is built south of Town Center. Big Sky’s skijoring event began seven years ago and continues to bring a unique challenge and cowboy crowd to Big Sky. Although BSSJ faced insecurity after last year’s event regarding access to a large plot of land, Lone Mountain Land Company agreed to donate the typical event space for 2024 while BSSJ pursues a long-term location. LMLC owns and plans to develop the vacant land in the future.

BSSJ Director Justa Adams said the Best in the West Showdown is held in a dream location—surrounded by forest and walking distance from Town Center. 

“I’m so grateful for [LMLC] for allowing us to do it one more year,” Adams said. “I’m grateful to the Simkins family… The community collaboration of the support in every avenue with so many moving parts… It’s great. It’s wonderful.” 

“We are pleased to support Big Sky Skijoring,” Bayard Dominick, vice president of planning and development at LMLC, wrote in an email to EBS. “It is an exciting event for locals and visitors. We wish all of the competitors luck.”

For 2024, daily competition will begin at 10 a.m., significantly earlier than past years. By starting earlier, the pro-level open division will begin earlier in the day, ideally starting as early as 2:30 p.m., Adams said.           

Throughout the various skill levels, the event has registered 154 teams. 

“We were sold out within like three days. Registration is full,” Adams said. Spectator tickets are still available however, and Adams said prices did not increase over 2023. BSSJ will provide a discount to local workers. 

Also new for 2024, social events including registration, the calcutta auction and awards will be moved to Tips Up in Town Center. Adams sees Tips Up as very compatible for the crowd of cowboys and skiers—she also wants to support Lone Mountain Land Company’s businesses as much as possible in gratitude for the land access. She can’t announce the band yet for Saturday night, but said the live music will be wonderful. 

Last winter’s deep snowpack almost caused problems, Adams said. “So much snow it took up a fraction of our parking. We never thought that too much snow would be a problem, but it was.” 

While this winter brings the opposite extreme, it won’t take much more snow to build a proper course. Adams does not expect to postpone the event. 

She recently flagged down a dump truck full of snow from Town Center. A phone call or two later, the truck was delivering a truckload of sidewalk snow to the event space with LMLC’s quick approval. Adams reiterated her gratitude. 

“We’re working on some snowmaking right now,” she added. 

Lone Mountain Ranch GM Patrick McVey will be managing the course setup. John Delzer, owner of Delzer Diversified Incorporated and RentBiz is donating heavy equipment and operators to build out McVey’s design. 

“Patrick McVey’s dedication to this—he and I are the only ones still standing after seven years,” Adams said. “I am forever grateful to him and his knowledge and his commitment to [skijoring] and this community… Without John Delzer providing all the heavy equipment that we need to create this and do this… it would be much more difficult.” 

Merch, sled jumps and hot tub

Adams looks forward to revealing this year’s design for posters and merchandise to be sold at the event. 

“I have an incredible design this year. I’m so stoked about swag it’s insane,” Adams said. She’s excited about hand-dyed sweatshirts featuring the unique 2024 design.

Another spectacle at the event continues last year’s partnership with the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation. BSSEF and BSSJ are bringing Montana-native pro snowmobiler Keith Sayers to perform an FMX freestyle snowmobiling exhibition. During last year’s Showdown, FMX snowmobiler Willie Elam backflipped over skier Colin Cook and rider Richard Webber III as they crossed the finish line. The stunt went viral online and led to a 2024 partnership with Wrangler, according to a BSSJ press release. 

“Our brand is grounded in the spirit of people who work hard, have fun, and showcase courageous individuality,” Clay Hanback, a Wrangler representative, stated in the release. “After seeing the coverage of The Showdown, meeting with their team, and hearing their vision for the future, we clearly found that spirit. We are very excited to be part of the event this year and can’t wait to get out to Big Sky.”

Families will be able to meet the snowmobilers and see the sleds up close at the event, Adams added. 

On the skijoring track, BSSJ is taking feedback from prior years—riders said Big Sky’s course was challenging. For 2024, it will be more forgiving. 

“That doesn’t mean that the open [riders] are not going to have a very hard race to run. They’re going to have a very hard time hitting the gates,” Adams said.  

Last year’s open division course included a stunt jump over a hot tub. That element will be back, but for hot-tubbers, Adams will enforce a stricter dress and conduct code to make sure the event remains family-friendly. 

Adams is unsure if this year’s event will include any collaboration with Montana State University’s rodeo team—last year’s event included an opening parade with MSU Bobcat Rodeo. 

Title sponsors are LMLC, Lone Mountain Ranch, Delzer Diversified Incorporated and RentBiz. Adams said BSSJ is still accepting sponsorship opportunities.