Growing up in Steamboat Springs, Parker Temple became a local legend at the Winter Carnival’s street events, winning the skijoring, street slalom and donkey jump competitions. 

A decade later, Temple, 26, still returns to his hometown from Bozeman, Montana, to take part in the joys and celebrations of the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival.

For the 111th annual carnival this year, he is sharing the experience with, among others, his friends Jack Feick, 25, and Sydney Wild, 22, who work as ski instructors in Bozeman. 

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“I love to see the community come together to celebrate skiing,” Wild said. “This is amazing.” 

At the start of the carnival, Temple and his crew swept the podiums in both the gelande jumping and ski ballet events earlier in the week. Temple continued his winning ways in Saturday morning’s street events with a victory in the shovel race.

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The shovel race is simple yet risky. Athletes must mount the business end of a shovel while the handle is tied to a rope pulled across the snow by a cowboy on horseback. The fastest time down Lincoln Avenue is awarded the victory. 

Feick, the fourth-place finisher in the event, said the key is balance.

“I think you have to keep your feet out on the sides to stabilize,” he explained. “You get style points if you go one-handed.” 

Wild managed to maintain her balance and take third in the competition.

“I just closed my eyes the whole time because there was so much snow in my face,” she said. 

“Not everything that comes off the ground is snow,” Temple added. 

Temple dazzled the crowd on his run and crossed the finish line in 9.2 seconds to be crowned champion. Other street event winners from Saturday included Liam Farrell, 8, who broke the all-time donkey jump record with a leap to 49 feet, 2 inches. 

Callen Poster, 6, and Charlotte Linford, 11, won the skijoring races for the 6-9 and 10-14 age groups. Stella Erps was the day’s street slalom champion. 

This is Feick and Wild’s first time experiencing Steamboat Springs and the Winter Carnival. Neither have been able to wipe the smile off their faces all week. They both look forward to returning in the future. 

“There’s no place like Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on a sunny Saturday pulling people down the street on shovels,” Feick said. “It just doesn’t get any better than that.” 

Horse Event Results
Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024
Skijoring (Ages 6-9) — 1. Callen Poster, 7.1; 2. Lincoln Gale, 7.6; 3. Jack Bailes, 8.3.
Skijoring (Ages 10-14) — 1. Charlotte Linford, 7.3; 2. Logan Price, 7.6; 3. Laniee Haack, 7.6. 
Street Slalom — 1. Stella Erps, 7.9; 2. Quinn Mansfield, 8.1; 3. Piper Keenan, 8.9.
Donkey Jump — 1. Liam Farrell, 49-2; 2. Christopher Bernitt, 43-1; 3. Avi Schuett, 33-6. 
Shovel Race — 1. Parker Temple, 9.2; 2. Andy Polski, 9.6; 3. Sydney Wild, 10.