Banff’s SnowDays Festival has social media obsessed

‘Doesn’t get more Canadian than that’

A ski resort in Banff, a small town in Alberta, Canada, has been taking social media by storm.

There’s another North American ski resort town giving Aspen a run for its money, with its acrobatic ski stunts and impeccable winter fashion, among other draws, going viral on TikTok.

Banff has a lot to offer and thanks to social media, more people can see what sets it apart. It is a famed UNESCO World Heritage Site, full of soaring peaks, lush valleys, and wildlife. It is also home to Canada’s first national park and the third-oldest national park in the world. It tends to draw big summer crowds, but its low season during the winter is reportedly when Banff is at its best. An account that posts videos from Banff and its neighbouring Lake Louise on TikTok, shared footage of “skijoring” in a town parade. The caption read: “Skijoring on Banff Avenue is in full swing!”

Skijoring – also known as ski driving – is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog, another animal, or a motor vehicle, and it’s considered one of the most dangerous competitive winter sports. In the video, you can see people on horseback pulling a skier behind them, giving the skier the momentum to do their stunts.

Below the video, many wrote that this was the most Canada thing they’d ever seen. “This is so Canadian,” someone commented. “Maybe we do live up to the stereotype.”

“Doesn’t get more Canadian than that,” one person noted.

Another video shows skiers doing backflips and others standing on horseback proudly holding the Canadian flag as they go down what seems to be Banff Avenue. The skijoring and horseback riding are celebrated during Banff and Lake Louise’s annual SnowDays Festival, in which cowboys, cowgirls, and skijorlings from Alberta all come to compete and show off their horse-riding, trick-riding, and ski stunts. The main exhibition occurs on 20 January and is a free event for all those attending.

There’s also a half-time fashion show competition, with a prize reportedly awarded to the winner with the best SkijorStyle. The viral account included snippets of people decked out in lush fur coats, fringe boots, and cowboy hats. Some people commented beneath the videos that the “Banff drip” was outstanding.

“Ski-haw,” one person wrote, while another added: “This is soo Canadacore.”

“All these outfits SLAYEDDDDD,” someone else commented.

To get in on the Banff fun, you can fly out to Calgary International Airport, and get a rental car to drive less than two hours to Banff National Park. To access Banff, you reportedly have to purchase a Park Pass either at the gate or ahead of time on the town’s tourism website. Depending on what you’re looking for, there are one-week family passes available under $150 and individual and day passes are available for purchase as well.