Xinjiang's fur skiers find fame in Asian winter games

The sport, which has been included in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, made its official debut at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin on Sunday.

Buluer from Hemu village near Meilifeng said skiing on fur skis since childhood had greatly helped him to excel in ski mountaineering.

The 19-year-old from the Mongolian ethnic group has stood out as one of the most talented skiers on China's ski mountaineering men's team, winning the ski mountaineering men's sprint at the Games on Sunday. He will also take part in the mixed-team relay on Wednesday and is likely to win another gold.

Team China enjoys an upper hand in ski mountaineering in Asia, and that was evident when it swept all medals in the ski mountaineering sprint events on Sunday. However, a gap still exists between China and European powerhouses, Buluer said. "The sport is yet to be well known to all. I hope to achieve better results to contribute to its promotion to attract more people to the sport in China."

Buluer said he has been skiing on fur skis since he was six. "I would go out on fur skis on the mountains all day with my friends when I was a child. We would skip lunch and breaks because we enjoyed it so much."

In December 2021, Xinjiang formed a ski mountaineering team, and at the age of 16, Buluer became one of the first members to join the team after his fur skiing talent was spotted by scouts.

"I hope my performance can encourage more young people from the Kazak and Mongolian ethnic groups from the villages in the Altay Mountains to take on the sport, because we naturally have the grit and passion for mountain life and sports," Buluer said. "But the more places I travel to for competitions, the more I feel that the mountains and snow in my home are the best."