Winter sports are some of the most popular recreational sports around the world. Where there are steep mountains, there are skiing resorts. Some of the most popular holiday destinations around the world are places where you can ski, skate, sled, or just relax in the snow, and drink hot cacao. In this article, we are going to take a look at a few of the most popular winter sports in the world.
Skiing & Snowboarding
Skiing is one of the most popular, perhaps even the most popular, winter sport in the world today. The origins of the sport, as we know it today, can be traced back to Scandinavia. Though, variations on the sport have existed since the Ancient era.
Today, ski slopes can be found all over the world, and they are some of the most popular holiday destinations for people looking to get in a good workout, as well as participate in an exciting and dangerous sport.
Apart from recreational purposes, skiing is also quite a popular competitive sport, with the biggest event in the skiing world being the Winter Olympics skiing competition, which includes various events, including a ski race, a ski trick competition, etc.
Ice Hockey
The sport of ice hockey had its origins in Montreal, Canada. Heavily inspired from its field counterpart, ice hockey is played in most countries with a colder climate. Though it is played in certain countries with warmer or milder climates, it is nowhere nearly as popular.
The sport is most popular in Canada, by far, where it is the most dominant sport, not just in terms of watching, but also participation and betting. Betting sites like novibet.ie have reported that ice hockey tournaments get a whole lot of traffic from Canadian, American, and Scandinavian punters.
On the international scene, there are six countries which dominate the ice hockey scene. Often called the Big Six of Ice Hockey, the six countries include Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, The United States and the Czech Republic.
Sledding
Sledding is definitely one of the most beloved winter sports, with people all over the world participating from a very young age. Sleds have been used for practical purposes for a very long time, however, the sport is a rather modern invention. While most sledding is done recreationally, with commercial sleds, there are three Olympic variants on the sport. These three include luge, skeleton and bobsledding, all of which are quite big in the winter sports world.
Figure Skating
Possibly the most popular event at the winter Olympics, figure skating encompasses a large portion of disciplines. It mostly refers to a person (or people) performing on ice while in figure skates. The disciplines included under the figure skating umbrella include theater on ice, four skating, synchronized skating, etc.
Apart from the Winter Olympics, the most popular figure skating events include the Figure Skating World Championship, and the World Junior Championships, which draw in a large crowd of fans annually, and have been growing considerably in the past few years.
Nordic Combined
It is a competitive winter sport in which people participate in ski jumping and skiing. In 1924, it was first introduced in the Olympics. Later, Norwegians and Finns dominated the Nordic Combined and took over this sport.
It is internationally known and practiced by many players. Now, women are also participating in this game and winning medals. If we talk about its significant event, it was held in 1892. It is considered one of the most popular winter games across the globe.
Curling
Players play curling sport on an ice floor, in which they slide stones to the targeted area. Four concentric circles are considered a targeted area. It involves the use of bowls. Shuffleboards and boules. Two teams play this game simultaneously, with four members on each team.
The sliding stone is granite that can easily glide over the ice. It is necessary to make proper strategies to target the stone and make a goal. The defendant’s team restricted the path of another team and snatched the stone to achieve their goal. This game looks like a game of chess on an ice board.
Bobsled
In this winter sport, a team of two or four people can participate. A player has to make timed runs by twisting and rolling on the ice tracks. A sled, also known as Bobsled, is given to players with gravity support.
This game was first developed and played in Switzerland. The purpose of designing such sleds was to carry passengers. Later, many changes were made and involved in this game. Many competitions take place in the United States. It has become an international sport, and people worldwide participate in this game to get a medal.
Skeleton
It is a quick-action winter sport of sliding. In this game, many participants have to slide on a small sled on the ice track. By a small force, they ride the slide at a speed of 120-130 Km per hr. You might be thinking why its name is a skeleton.
It is because of the sled that participants ride. It looks bony and appears like a skeleton. In 2002, it was introduced in the Olympics, and after that, it was internationally recognized. It is an exciting game and fun to watch as an audience.
Slopestyle Snowboarding
It is a combination of skiing, ski jumping, and snowboarding. But many obstacles are included on the track, like jumps, rails, terrain parks, etc. A participant must know about the tricks to deal with the obstacles. One can score high if more obstacles are passed.
You must know about the different categories of this sport, like flipping, spinning, grabbing, and grinding. Regarding freestyle slopestyle snowboarding, you should also consider aerials, crossing, half-pipes, etc. In 2014, it was introduced at the Olympics in Russia and was widely popular.
Final Thoughts
You can participate in any winter sport that you like. But it will be good to check how these games are played with all the details. You can also learn techniques of these games and play whenever you desire.
