PBS高端访谈:滑雪跳与竞技结合的一种极限运动（在线收听）

JUDY WOODRUFF: Now to our “NewsHour Shares”, something that caught our eye. While most of the country is ready for spring -- I know I am -- some extreme athletes out West are more than happy to savor the last bit of winter. Julia Griffin teamed up with Montana PBS for this report.

JULIA GRIFFIN: In Big Sky, Montana, earlier this month, snow fell gracefully, and seasoned skiers readied for competition. But hold your horses. This wasn't your average ski race. Welcome to the rough-and-tumble world of skijoring.

SCOTT PING, Skijoring America: Skijoring is a horse and rider pulling a skier through a series of gates and jumps in the least amount of time possible.

JULIA GRIFFIN: Scott Ping has been a skijoring rider for more than 20 years.

SCOTT PING: My horse Kona is the best ride ever. I just sit there and go, yah. That's all I do. He does all the work.

JULIA GRIFFIN: Riders like Ping tow their teammates through a 700-foot obstacle course at nearly 35 miles an hour. The skiers weave among slalom gates and launch from snow-packed jumps. Should they drop their rope or fail to stay upright, the team's run is disqualified.

MELISSA OSTRANDER, Skijorer: You want to go fast, but you don't want to go too fast as to where you lose your skier.

JULIA GRIFFIN: Horse lover Melissa Ostrander ran the entire Montana skijoring circuit this year.

MELISSA OSTRANDER: You got to pay attention to your skier. You got to know your horse, and you got to control your horse. That's the hardest part about being a rider, is making sure that you don't hurt anyone else, your horse, your skier, your anybody around here, and making it fun for everyone.

JULIA GRIFFIN: While the name may be unfamiliar, skijoring isn't new. A version of the adrenaline-filled sport was an exhibition event at the 1928 Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Today, participants of all ages and experience levels compete across the U.S. and Canada. Pete Jessen and his wife Anna are full-time ski patrollers at Big Sky Resort. They race together at skijoring events.

PETE JESSEN, Skijorer: She says couples that play together stay together, and I say, any time you put two sports together, it's twice as fun. She likes going fast on the horse. I like going fast on skis, and it all came together really well.

JULIA GRIFFIN: For the pros, bragging rights, buckles and big bucks are up for grabs. At some competitions, prize purses can top $20,000. But, for most, the camaraderie of the tight-knit sport is the biggest draw.

MELISSA OSTRANDER: It's basically a big family, and we come together at this event and say our howdies, get along, drink some beer and go racing.

JULIA GRIFFIN: Official skijoring competitions will return to the Rocky Mountains next December. For the “PBS NewsHour,” I'm Julia Griffin.

JUDY WOODRUFF: The key is knowing when to let go.

茱蒂·伍德瑞夫：现在进入NewsHour Shares栏目，有件事情引起了我们的注意。当这个国家大部分人都准备好了，要迎接春天的时候，我知道我是这样——一些身处西部的极限运动员正兴高采烈地感受着冬季最后一丝寒意。朱丽亚·格里芬联合蒙大纳公共广播公司，为您报告。

朱丽亚·格里芬：在“大天空州”，蒙大拿，本月早些时候，雪花款款落下，老练的滑雪运动员准备展开竞技。但是可坐稳了。这不是一次平常的滑雪比赛。欢迎来到马爬犁滑雪游戏的多彩世界。

斯科特·平，美国马爬犁滑雪游戏：马爬犁运动要求一名骑手驾着一匹马，拉着一名滑雪者在尽可能短的时间内，完成一系列过门和跳跃动作。

朱丽亚·格里芬：斯科特·平是一位有着20多年滑雪游戏经验的骑手。

斯科特·平：我的马科纳是有史以来最棒的。我只是坐在那里，走着，是的。这就是我所做的全部。而他做了所有的工作。

朱丽亚·格里芬：像平这样的骑手，拖着他们的队友，以几乎每小时35英里的速度，通过一个长700英尺的障碍赛道。滑雪者在障碍门间穿梭，并从用雪堆砌成的跳台上起跳发射。一旦他们放下绳子或无法保持直立状态，这支参赛队伍的赛程将被作废。梅丽莎·奥斯特兰德，马爬犁滑雪游戏：你想跑得快，但你不想跑得太快，那样你的滑雪队友会跟不上。

朱丽亚·格里芬：爱马人士梅丽莎·奥斯特兰德跑，跑完了整个蒙大纳今年马爬犁滑雪游戏全程。

梅丽莎·奥斯特兰德：你得注意你的滑雪者。你要了解你的马，你必须驾驭你的马。这是最难的一部分，作为一个骑手，确保你不伤害任何人，你的马，你的滑雪搭档，你身边的任何人，让每个人都开心。

朱丽亚·格里芬：虽然名字可能有点陌生，马爬犁滑雪游戏已有历史。在瑞士圣莫里茨举行的1928届奥运会上，一个充满刺激的运动作为一个展示项目出现。今天，所有年龄和经验层次的参与者都在美国和加拿大竞争。皮特·杰森和他的妻子安娜是Big Sky Resort的专职滑雪巡逻队员。他们也在马爬犁的参赛之列。

皮特·杰森，Skijoring项目运动员：她说，一起玩马爬犁的夫妇百年好合，我说，任何时候你把两项运动放在一起，就有了双倍的乐趣。她喜欢上马飞驰。我喜欢快速滑行，而且一切配合很好。

朱丽亚·格里芬：对于职业选手来说，炫耀资本、皮带扣和大钱都是可以争取的。在一些比赛中，奖金可高达20,000美元。但最重要的是，这项运动让友情更加紧密，这是它最大魅力所在。

梅丽莎·奥斯特兰德：它基本上是一个大家庭，这个运动让我们聚在一起，比如说相互问候，相处，喝点啤酒，然后去比赛。

朱丽亚·格里芬：明年十二月，官方滑雪游戏比赛将再度在落基山脉举行。PBS NewsHour，我是朱丽亚·格里芬。

茱蒂·伍德瑞夫：关键是知道何时放手。