IFSS World Championships History


IFSS WC 1993 Fairbanks Alaska. Johnny Solhaug, Norway 1 st Place Mens pulka
Photo by Lisa B Fallgren Stevens

IFSS held the first World Championships (WCh) in Saint Moritz, Switzerland in 1990 with classes in only Sled Sprint (10-Dog, 8-Dog, and 6-Dog) and Skidog Pulka for men and women. 113 competitors arrived in the starting chutes to mark the momentous occasion. At first World Championships were held each year, but after the 1995 events, it was decided to hold them every two years, which facilitated the bidding process and enabled the host organization more time for preparation. As the world of sled dog sports changed, IFSS also added classes and styles to the World Championships to diversify and become more inclusive of the worldwide trends and developments. Mid-Distance sled events were first included in the 2001 World Championships, taking place in Marquette (Michigan) USA in conjunction with the UP 200 Midnight Run Race. Dryland racing saw its first showing in Ravenna, Italy, in 2003.

  • 1990 First Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Saint Moritz, Switzerland.
  • 1991 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Winnipeg (Manitoba) Canada.
  • 1992 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Badmittendorf, Austria: February 21-23.
  • 1993 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Fairbanks (Alaska) USA: Early March.
  • 1994 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Todtmoos, Germany.
  • 1995 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Lake Placid (New York) USA.
  • 1997 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Joensuu, Finland.
  • 1999 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Sils, Switzerland: February 19-21, 1999.
  • 1999 Winter Junior WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Baqueira Beret, Spain: December 18-19, 1999.
  • 2001 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Fairbanks (Alaska) USA: February 23-March 4, 2001.
  • 2001 Winter WCh Mid Distance Sled 6-Dog – Marquette (Michigan) USA: February 17-18, 2001.
  • 2002 Dryland WCh – Ravenna, Italy, November 29-December 1, 2002.
  • 2003 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog, Mid-Distance – Todtmoos & Bernau, Germany: February 7-16, 2003.
  • 2003 Winter Junior WCh – Hybe, Slovakia: January 18-19, 2003.
  • 2003 Dryland WCh – Aranda, Spain: November 29-30, 2003.
  • 2005 Winter WCh Mid-Distance Sled – Bend (Oregon) USA: January 7-15, 2005.
  • 2005 Winter Sled Sprint and Skidog  – Dawson City (Yukon Territory) Canada: March 11-20, 2005.
  • 2005 Dryland WCh – Lubliniec, Poland.
  • 2007 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – Gafsele, Sweden: March 8-11, 2007.
  • 2007 Dryland WCh – Piandelagotti, Italy: November 17-18, 2007.
  • 2007 Junior WCh – Szklarska Poreba-Jakuszyce, Poland: March 16-18, 2007.
  • 2008 Winter WCh Sled Mid-Distance – Pian Cansiglio, Italy: February 15-17, 2008.
  • 2009 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog, Mid-Distance – Daaquam (Quebec) Canada: January 17-25, 2009.
  • 2009 Dryland WCh – Saguenay (Quebec) Canada – October 30: November 01, 2009.
  • 2011 Winter WCh Sled Sprint, Mid-Distance and Skidog: Hamar, Oslo Norway: March 18-27, 2011.
  • 2011 Long Distance Sled Femundløpet, Røros, Norway: February 2011.
  • 2011 Dryland WCh – Borken, Germany: November 12-13, 2011.
  • 2013  Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidog – North Pole, Salcha and Fairbanks (Alaska) USA: February 26 – March 17, 2013.
  • 2013 Dryland WCh – Falzè di Piave, Italy: November 8-10, 2013.
  • 2015  Winter WCh Sled Long Distance – Finnmarksløpet, Norway: March 2015.
  • 2015 Winter WCh Sled Sprint and Skidogs – Bernau/Todtmoos Germany: February 20 – March 1, 2015.
  • 2015 Dryland WCh – Bristol Quebec, Canada: October 30 – November 1, 2015.
  • 2017 Winter WCh Sled Sprint, Mid-Distance and Skidog – Haliburton Forest, Ontario, Canada: January 24 – February 1, 2017.
  • 2017 Dryland WCh – Szamotuly-Kozle, Poland: November 23-26, 2017.
  • 2019 On-Snow WCh Sled Sprint, Mid-Distance and Skidog – Bessans, France: January 29 – February 2, 2019.
  • 2019 Dryland WCh – Nybro, Sweden on October 23-27, 2019.
  • 2021 No Championship events due to Covid 19 Pandemic.
  • 2022 On-Snow WCh Sled Sprint, Mid-Distance and Skidog Hamar Norway, February 23-27. On-Snow WCh Sled Long Distance Särna Sweden February 28 to March 6th. On-Snow WCh Sled Sprint, Mid-Distance and Skidog RNB Östersund, Sweden, March 10-12.
  • 2023 Dryland WCh Ólvega, Spain on November 20-26.
  • 2023 On-Snow Sled Sprint, Mid-Distance and Skidog Åsarna, Sweden February 26 to March 2nd. On-Snow WCh Sled Long Distance Alta, Norway, March 10-17.
  • 2025 On-Snow WCh and World Masters Sled Sprint, Mid-Distance, Skidog and On-Snow WCh Sled Long Distance Røros, Norway February 5-12.
  • 2025 Dryland WCh and World Masters Minocqua, Wisconsin USA, October 21-26.

1991 IFSS World Championships Winnepeg Manitoba Canada.

  • Gold medal – Terry-Streeper, Canada (middle).
  • Silver medal – Linda Leonard, USA (right).
  • Bronze medal – Eddy Streeper, Canada (left).

 

IFSS WC 2011. Opening Ceremony at Holmenkollen, Oslo Norway 
Photo by Rebecca Knight