As local officials prepare for Boulder’s annual Skijoring the Big Rock event, a wave of experienced, award-winning skijorers have begun to arrive for the weekend’s festivities.
Minnesota native Jennifer Butler moved to Billings with her family in the early 1990s before relocating to Whitefish about 15 years later. There, she came across the beloved Montana winter tradition that would become her passion, skijoring. She emerged as one of the more promising riders, and in 2014, when her son David Rizzolo turned 18, she brought him on as her skier.
They have since built a potent partnership, winning a handful of top races, including the Open Buckle – the award given for winning the top-level competition – at Whitefish’s 2023 event. Butler, 59, and Rizzolo, 30, spoke with The Monitor about the appeal of skijoring, the very real dangers, how the sport has changed and what makes Boulder’s event so special. — David Lepeska
