Feeling curious about winter sports and which are the most exciting? Lately, the sports intended for the colder months have become more and more popular, in part thanks to the hundreds of ski slopes around the world. If in summer we like to go to the beach and enjoy sports like surfing, kitesurfing. and kayaking, why in winter we should not challenge our bodies by trying new sports? Read on and discover 4 trendy winter sports and the best places to practice them – don’t be the last to try them out!
1. SKI TOURING
Skiing is king on most of the world’s slopes. There are many variants of skiing and there are many fans of cross-country, alpine, and speed skiing. However, the king in recent years has been backcountry skiing, which consists of ascending and descending mountains only with the help of skis, without any type of ski lift. That said, we want to add an important caveat… if you’re going to take this up, you’re going to need to understand mountaineering and, above all, to be in good physical shape.
Some of the most beautiful traverses for ski touring are in the Mont Blanc massif in the Alps. The easiest way to get to Chamonix is to fly to Geneva. Fortunately, more and more low-cost airlines are offering cheap flights. Best of all, being in the mountains, not in a resort, in most cases, you won’t have to pay any ski pass. You will only have to consider the cost of accommodation, transportation, and food.
Traditional skiing as we know it is also a sport worth trying at least once in a lifetime, as it is so famous all over the world that people even decide to bet on it. In fact, there are many online betting sites that let you bet on the best skiers in the world! Just so you know, ski events offer the highest profit potential for bettors and are an area most winter sports bettors will focus on. So why not start practicing skiing, and maybe have some fun in a mountain bay while enjoying a break and betting on your favorite skiers?
2. SNOWBOARDING
The passion for snowboarding, after its boom after the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998, is still as alive as in its beginnings and today, we can assure you that it is still one of the most popular winter sports. If you’re not a fan of the sport, you’ve almost definitely still certainly heard of it! In most winter resorts, you will find instructors willing to help you advance your technique. It is normal to need fewer lessons than to start skiing, so it can be more economical. In addition to the price of the equipment (or its rental), the practice of snowboarding can be more or less expensive depending on the place you choose for it.
If you choose a winter resort, you have to consider the cost of the ski pass or daily pass. To practice it, you will need appropriate clothing, similar to skiing but looser, because you will not be able to move your whole body if you wear rigid clothing. Of course, in addition to the protections and goggles, a snowboard needs to be adapted to the type of practice you are going to do. However, as with skiing, you can also practice alpine snowboarding outside winter resorts. We’d recommend this particular slope to practice this sport during the winter: St. Anton, Austria. Located in the Arlberg Pass, at an altitude of 1,300 meters, this enclave has 79 slopes, with many curves and elevations. It has a park for snowboarding.
And if you’re one who enjoys a flutter, did you know it’s also possible to bet on snowboarding? It’s a bit more limited than skiing but if you catch one of the major events, you can stake a wager on who you think is likely to win!
3. ICE SKATING
Did you know that skating today is followed by millions of people? But be aware that it is not an easy sport and requires many hours of training! Before you get out your training tools, keep in mind that there are many rinks to learn how to ice skate or simply have fun with friends!
Especially at Christmas time, there are spectacular places to practice this sport. Surely you have seen (probably dozens of times) the images of people skating on the rink at Rockefeller Center in New York? Well, you can also do it in several places in Europe! The equipment is not very expensive. You only need comfortable clothes, gloves, protection, and good skating boots. Ice skating is a sport for all ages and it is not particularly costly. The entrance fees to many rinks are around €5, as well as the rental of the boots. Here is one of our top recommendations for the best ice skating rink: Patinoire de Liège, Belgium: This is the second-largest ice rink in Belgium and the only Olympic rink in the region. Belgians love ice skating and often practice it when the lakes freeze over. This rink has 1,800 m2 and from the stands, you can admire how the professionals perform.
4. CURLING
This precision and team sport is now one of the trendsetters in the field of winter sports. Two teams of four participants compete by throwing eight 20-kilogram granite stones down a track 45.5 meters long and 4.75 meters wide. The sweepers, who carry the brushes, can vary the trajectory or speed of the stones once they have been thrown. It is a sport suitable for all ages and can be a lot of fun!
The equipment to practice curling is not particularly cheap; however, you can always rent it if you are not sure that you will be able to manage this expense. Here are some of the best places to get started in the world of curling: Zermatt, Switzerland (where you will find 16 natural ice rinks where you can play curling), and Jaca, Spain, where you can also see various competitions, such as the North/South League, or the Spanish Championships.