With extreme sports becoming more popular globally, winter’s cold days are slowly becoming the most exciting time of the year for many adventure seekers. However, keep in mind that most winter sports require intense training and practice since you’ll be going through ice- and snow-covered rocky terrains and harsh weather.
Most facilities have professional snow removal companies to groom their slopes and clean activity grounds, but it can still be dangerous to reckless people. So, when exploring the following extreme winter sports, practice with caution.
Freeriding
Freeriding is a unique style of extreme skiing or snowboarding that’s practiced off-piste, meaning natural and ungroomed terrains. To get the starting point, freeriding requires you to use a ski lift or go up the slope using skis. Additionally, since it takes place in ungroomed territories, you need to get accompanied by a professional guide who knows the freeriding area inside and out and can quickly assess weather conditions before and during the activity.
This type of skiing requires a unique skiing technique to master the deep snow. All in all, there’s no other extreme winter sport that lets you immerse yourself into nature than freeriding, allowing you to venture into far from famous slopes while gliding through deep snows on untouched slopes. Plus, you can get to do this while enjoying stunning views of your surrounding mountain landscapes.
Snowkiting
Snowkiting is similar to water-based kiteboarding. It’s a generally fun sport that you can tackle during wintertime and is gradually becoming one of the most popular extreme winter sports worldwide. The activity uses kite power to let you slide on the snow-capped terrains using inflammable kites or racing foil kites. As newer technologies emerge, snowkiting is getting better, allowing users to take part in the sport safer. Plus, snowkiting is a fun activity you can try with your friend and family.
Ice Yachting
Ice yachting is a team sport that you can enjoy with your friends during winter. These are similar to riding yachts in water, but the vessel itself is a unique combination of sailboats and ice skates, where participants need to slide over icy trails at a fast pace. Ice yachts are around 40 feet in length and can hold up to 6 to 7 individuals evenly distributed to ensure the boat has a ‘good balance.’
Snow Biking
Snow biking is a combination of bicycling and skiing, guaranteeing pure fun and a unique experience on the slope. You can use snow bikes on groomed slopes or powder snow, with riders navigating the slopes using short foot skis’ additional assistance. As snow bikes are safe to be ridden even without any previous experience, the sport is suitable for anyone looking for an exciting and thrilling new winter activity.
Snow Kayaking
This sport is becoming a trendy extreme winter activity that many individuals are learning and partaking. It’s an exciting sport that combines snowboarding, speed riding, and kayaking, giving you the thrill of all extreme sports. Like most winter sports, it requires essential pieces of equipment and gear, ranging from eye gear to helmets. Participants use a two-bladed paddle to ensure balance while in the boat, involving lots of balancing acts alongside bravery to fly over snow.
Ice Diving
Ice diving isn’t as easy as other extreme winter sports and involves live-threatening risks. Although it’s similar to water diving, you’ll need special equipment to go ice diving. After all, as its name suggests, you’ll be diving under the ice. It’s usually done in an overhead environment, where double tanks and an emergency surface crew must be present on-site. Just make sure you follow the instructor at all costs.
All in all, ice diving is an extreme winter sport that’s simple but is one of the most dangerous ones yet, requiring training and bravery.
Snocross
Snocross is one of the most thrilling winter sports anyone can enjoy. It’s a racing sport that uses snowmobiles on designated tracks with several hurdles you’d typically find in a standard racing track, ranging from tight turns to extreme jumps. Over the years, snocross has increased in popularity and is one of the most sought after snowmobile racing variations.
The sport requires extreme weather conditions to keep the tracks frozen and usable, so if you wish to give it a go, make sure you’re geared up from head to toe properly.
Like other sports, winter sports are continually evolving, and new variations are being created year after year. Those mentioned are some of the best and extreme winter sport trends you should add to your next winter escapade for an unforgettable and thrilling experience.
