Skjoring is a lovely sport. Equal parts cross-country and water skiing, Skijoring is fast, dangerous, and apparently well suited to rear-engined Porsches. While lesser Skijorers might hitch a ride behind a horse or a team of dogs, the most intrepid head to a frozen lake hitched to a motorcar. Going back to the 1950s, Porsches have been used for this incredibly dangerous pursuit. Everything from 356s and 550 Spyders to 911s have seen use on frozen lakes and snowy fields. This, however, is probably the first time a 991.2 GT2 RS has joined in this grand tradition.
Porsche’s latest video featuring Skijoring is beautifully shot, and features the lovely background of St. Moritz. While downhill skiers routinely go more swiftly than the subjects of this video, simply having 700 horsepower on tap on level ground must be enough to terrify the skiers. The contrast in sound between the GT2 RS and the air-cooled 911 alone makes this video well worth the watch. Fortunately, unlike actual races, the track contains just two cars and two skiiers, keeping the potential danger to a minimum.
For real skier-and-car based terror, one needs to look back a few decades. Dog-powered Skijorers needed to train their dogs to pass without getting too friendly. The challenges for drivers are very different. Drivers need to have situational awareness well beyond the norm. The sheer closeness of the cars and skiers in this video boggles the mind. The selection of historic Porsches is wonderful as well, and it appears that every car on the snow is air-cooled. I spotted several 356s, a 550 Spyder and a tiny original Fiat 500 at the back of the pack.
While the other videos show the skiers on level ground on a circuit, this final clip shows something altogether more useful. This longhood 911 Targa provides a remarkably good stand-in for a tow rope, and brings a single skier up a mountain. Given the state of some chair lifts I’ve seen, this looks like a remarkably good approach to the ascent.