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MINOCQUA, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – Competitors from around the globe gathered at Minocqua Winter Park for the Sled Dog Dryland World Championships.
Participants from 23 countries from as close as Canada and Mexico. To as far as Australia and New Zealand, all came for the first time the United States has hosted this week-long event.
“We’ve got racing going on every single day,” Niina Baum, board member with the U.S. Federation of Sled Dog Sports and organizer, said. “It’s going to be a little bit different every day as there are different classes and categories, so different athletes will be running… Everything from selling products to educational type vendors if people want to learn about getting into mushing.”
Though not widely known, the sport is gaining popularity. It was created to allow sled dog athletes to practice without snow. The first dryland championships were held in Italy in the early 2000s. Bringing the event to Wisconsin holds special significance for organizers.
“To be able to bring it to Wisconsin, which is where I grew up, I only grew up like an hour from Minocqua as well, so it’s kind of like bringing it to my hometown community,” Baum said. “It is really special to me as well… You know Wisconsin is a lot of times overlooked in stuff so it’s really awesome to bring people from around the world here and showcase all the amazing things that we have aside from the race.”
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