The Weirdest Winter Sports You Never Heard About

Winter is here! Many people are already planning ski and snowboard trips with friends and family. However, this article is not about these all-time favorite pastimes but the weirdest winter sports. If you have ever thought that winter is boring and worth spending between only four walls, you will change your mind after our article. Those who love the snow and cold will find a way to make the otherwise cozy, hot cocoa sipping days more fun. If you want to kick your winter plans up the notch, you could experiment with the sports we collected below, but watching them is almost as exciting too. 

Winter Polo – Horses and Snow

This is perhaps a somewhat familiar pastime’s weird winter sport version. The polo’s roots go back to ancient Persia, and today it is mostly the elite’s favorite pastime in Britain, America, and Argentina. However, rich people are also present in the Alps, so it is not surprising that a snowy version of the sport played by teams of four has developed. The principle is the same, getting the ball into the opponent’s goal with the help of mallets, but there are also significant differences. The white wooden ball is replaced here by a red rubber ball, and the horses wear winter attires: a plastic cover, formerly made of leather, is placed between the hoof and the horseshoe, and a special rubber covers the legs.

Weirdest Winter Sports – Human Curling 

Curling is the odd sport out in the Winter Olympics – among many vibrant and energetic sports, curling is tranquility itself. With sweepers providing some dynamics and noise just in front of the comically and dramatically sliding stone. How could this be made more exciting?

For example, instead of sliding the stones, the contestants slide on an inflatable mattress. The more daring players don’t even use rubber donuts. The goal is the same: to finish as close as possible to the center of the circle at the end of the course, but this weird winter sport sounds much more fun!

Ski Biking – Combine Skis With Bikes

With the ski season, a new trend has emerged in the snow-capped mountains. Although, the idea isn’t entirely new. The prototype of the ski bike, the combination of skis and a bike, was invented in 1949 by Engelbert Brenter. What is a snow bike? A snowbike has handlebars and a seat, but instead of wheels, two skis are attached to the bottom. Also, the riders need to put two shorter skis on the bike, so they won’t lose their balance when turning. The fun can begin. Thanks to the flexible frame, you can try all the tricks that no cyclist would miss with a mountain bike or BMX. The manufacturers have also made sure that the snowbike fits easily on all kinds of ski lifts. And if a snowbiker falls out of the saddle during a bold maneuver, a safety brake quickly stops the ski bike.

The Rise And Fall of An Impressive Olympic Sport – Acroski

Believe it or not, ski ballet was a freestyle ski competition, officially recognized and held by the FIS (International Ski Federation) from the late 1960s to 2000. Somersaults, spins, and jumps were performed in a snow-covered flat area. It lived its heyday in the 80s, but today few people know and practice this unique sport. The tricks had to be presented between the start and endpoints of the slopes, initially dotted with mounds and ski jumps. 

In the 1970s, one of the weirdest winter sports gradually became an independent competition, and contenders competed on flatter and flatter slopes. It even appeared in the Olympics. Acroski showed up in Calgary in 1988 and Albertville in 1992. Accordingly, Olympic medals were also awarded to the winners. However, it was no longer on the program for the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, which sealed its fate. Eventually, in 1999, the FIS decided to cancel this competition. However, it’s the perfect time to check out the 2022 Winter Olympics odds at 22Bet Sportsbook and place your bets in time.

Ice Cross Downhill For Adrenaline Junkies

Imagine racing downhill on a 400-500 meters long, extremely narrow, winding ice rink at a speed of almost 60 to 70 kilometers per hour while doing your best to overtake your opponent. This sport is the ice cross downhill, formerly known as crashed ice. Speed ​​skating is also a pretty bold thing to do but imagine the same with a little gravity. The essence of ice cross downhill is that you have to race downhill on slopes with dangerous curves and almost vertical sections. 

The spectacular sport has a popular World Cup series called Crashed Ice. The riders race on an ice rink set up in the middle of a city to the delight of spectators. It’s called a sport, but it’s no secret that people enjoy it the most when riders fall hard. As surprising as it may be, positioning, aggression, and roller skating skills are more important than ice skating skills. It also doesn’t hurt if competitors aren’t afraid of heights. However, the most important thing is not to try ice cross downhill without experience and endurance.

Weirdest Winter Sports – Swimming Under the Ice 

Finns prove their toughness with this weird winter sport. The point is to cut a hole in the ice of the Baltic Sea. The competitors dive into the water, and from there, they have no other task but to endure as long as possible. There is an even more extreme version of this. The contestants swim under the ice for as long as they can. Then break out of the ice with their bodies.

This year a new Guinness record was set in the freestyle, freediving category. The French Arthur Guérin-Boëri swam 120 meters in three minutes, breaking Johanna Nordblad’s record of 103 meters, set just a few weeks before. Then, there’s also a version where you have to dive vertically down, taking one deep breath. The man record holder, the Chech David Vencl, could sink 81 meters deep under the ice. Check out all the Guinness record holders at online sportsbook sites in the UK.

Ice Climbing is Not For The Clumsy 

If you picture ice climbing, the squirrel from the Ice Age might come to mind. However, if you fall, you won’t go to the acorn heaven… Time is one of the most important factors since climbing takes place in uncomfortable conditions. The days are short and cold, and if we wait too much, climbing can become discomforting and dangerous. This sport requires fast progress and skills acquired on snow and ice are essential too. If you have them, the experience will be worth everything! Ice climbing requires an ice axe or ice pick.

The ice tool has a curved, bent handle and bounces back at a sharper angle to make it easier to cut into the ice, it’s pretty spectacular. A spiked climbing iron. Ice screws. As climbers go up, screws should be placed in the ice wall so that the safety rope can be attached to them. Helmet, rope, carabiners, etc., go without saying.

The Weirdest Winter Sports of Them All – Outhouse Races

You can imagine the funny things happening at the Fur Rendezvous festival in Alaska. The race is what it sounds like. Participants mount a homemade outhouse on their skis, with one of the team members seated on it. While the others push them toward the finish line. The organizers of the race value laughter and creativity more than speed, so it’s not worth taking it too seriously. However, only the first-place winner will receive a prize. Let’s face it, with a group of friends you can laugh your batt off, with one of the weirdest winter sports at home, any time.

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