Winter sports are played on Ice or snow across the globe. Earlier such winter games were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial ice and artificial snow allow more flexibility for people. Common individual Winter sports games include cross-country skiing, snowboarding, alpine skiing, speed skating, ski jumping, figure skating, luge, skeleton, ski orienteering, snowmobiling and bobsleigh. Some popular winter sports played with teams are curling, ice hockey, bandy and more.
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Worlds Most Popular Winter Sports Games Are:
Polar bear swimming, South Queensferry, Scotland
Now for the ultimate chilling thrill. Brace yourself and take part in a polar bear plunge into icy below-zero waters. Great fun or complete insanity – you decide. Just don’t forget to warm up with a hot chocolate afterwards.
If you’re up in Edinburgh for New Year’s Eve, make a splash at the Loony Dook event in nearby South Queensferry the next day. Up to 1,000 people parade in fancy dress then plunge into the freezing Firth of Forth to the sound of bagpipes. The chilly water’s reputedly the perfect hangover cure.
Ice sailing, Madison, USA
Glide elegantly across a frozen lake on an ice boat, a specially designed framework fitted with runners. Head for that stretch of flawless black ice and feel the breeze on your face as you build up speed. As you fly along the shore, you’ll feel like you’re moving through the snowy scene of a landscape painting.
Do try and catch one of the frequent ice boat regattas held at the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club in Madison, Wisconsin. It’s one of North America’s most active ice boat communities and its members have been building and racing their boats for over 100 years. You can get on the ice yourself with a skating lesson in one of the city’s parks or take part in a candlelight snowshoe trail through a conservation area.
Skijoring, North Pole, USA
Skijoring combines a dash of cross-country skiing with walking the dog. The sport has reputedly been practised since 2500 BC, but you can forget dashing through the snow with huskies hauling a traditional sled. Here a team of dogs or horses pull you on cross-country skis at high speed.
You can explore the trails yourself near the town of North Pole in Alaska. This was the venue of the most recent dog-skijoring world championship. Drive down Santa Claus Lane, Kris Kringle Drive and Mistletoe Lane and admire the Christmas decorations sparkling away, even in a July heatwave. You’ll know you’ve arrived at the Santa Claus House when you spy the 12-metre-tall Santa statue and sacks of the 400,000 letters that arrive each year.
Ice Climbing, Passeier Valley, Italy
Enjoy scrambling up cliffs and mountainsides in the summer? You should give ice climbing a go. Rock climbers learned to handle icy spots at high altitudes and then ventured to icy climbs such as frozen waterfalls. You can join them and tackle the surreal sculpture-like formations as you go.
You can catch some of the action of Ice Climbing World Cup. You’ll be amazed by the Ice Tower, one of the competition sites, soaring vertically for 25 metres. Back on the ground, you can get a different perspective on the mountains during a romantic night-time ride on a horse-drawn sledge.
Wok Racing, Winterberg, Germany
Is this the world’s most wok’n’roll sport? You can hurtle down a bobsled or luge track at over 60 miles an hour in your kitchen wok. Reinforce the base, coat the edges and jump on board. Don’t forget to attach ladles to your feet as they reduce friction and complete the offbeat effect of this unique activity.
See the site of the sport’s first competition at Winterberg and ride down the run on a toboggan. You can try snowkiting or winter hiking – trudging through the deep snow is as exhilarating as it is exhausting. Wander through the town’s quaint streets, imagine its medieval witch hunts and visit the 18th-century St Jacob’s Church.