Winter sport

A winter sport is a sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and ice allow more flexibility. Common individual sports include cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, speed skating, figure skating, luge, skeleton, bobsleigh and snowmobiling. Common team sports include ice hockey, curling and bandy. Winter sports often have their own multi-sport tournaments, such as the Winter Olympic Games.

The main of winter sports

The term 'Winter sports' refers to sport that take place on snow and ice. Keen competition has grown up around them, and the Winter Olympics are held every four years. There are two main types of skiing:

1. Alpine Skiing, which features downhill and slalom racing.
2. Nordic Skiing, which is a cross-country sport that also includes ski jumping.

A new type of skiing, freestyle, is about performance rather than speed. In sled racing, riders hurtle down a special runs. Skating includes figure, ice hockey, and racing.

List of winter sports

Note: an asterisk indicates that a particular sport is included in the Winter Olympic Games, as of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Ice skating

• Figure skating *
• Short-track speed skating *
• Speed skating *
• Synchronized skating

Skiing

Skiing

• Alpine skiing *
• Biathlon *
• Cross-country skiing *
• Freestyle skiing *
• Kite skiing
• Mogul skiing*
• Monoskiing
• Newschool skiing
• Nordic combined *
• Ski archery
• Skiboarding
• Skibob
• Skijoring
• Ski jumping *
• Snowkiting
• Snowshoe
• Speed skiing
• Speed riding
• Telemark skiing

Sledding

Sports that use sleds going down ice tracks or pulled by something:

• Airboard
• Bobsled *
• Dogsled racing
• Ice blocking
• Luge *
• Skeleton *
• Wok racing

Snowboarding

• Alpine snowboarding *
• Boardercross *
• Slalom *
• Snowskating

Snowmobiling

• Free style
• Snow-cross
• Recreation
• Cross-country
• Hill climbing

Team sports

• Bandy
• Broomball
• Curling *
• Ice hockey *
• Ice stock sport
• Ringette
• Sledge hockey - (winter Paralympic sport)
• Snowball fight - (last one standing)
• Snowman building - highest one
• Snow rugby
• Snow snake

Recreational sports

Some 'sports' are competed (or simply enjoyed) on a more casual basis, often by children:

• Building snowmen
• Ice boating or sailing
• Ice fishing
• Ice swimming
• Shinny
• Snowball fight
• Tobogganing
• snowshoeing

Notable winter sporting events

• Winter Olympic Games
• Asian Winter Games
• Winter Paralympic Games
• Winter Universiade
• Winter Dew Tour
• Winter X Games

See also

• Outline of sports
• Outdoor activity

References

• "Winter Sports: Sport guides". BBC Online. 2010-02-20. Retrieved Feb 22, 2010.