The most amazing winter sports and their images

Winter sports can be truly amazing. Items such as sledges, skis and skates, which were originally designed for transport, have slowly developed into fully fledged sports with their own multi-sport tournaments, such as the Winter Olympic Games. Here is a list of some of the best winter sports around. 

Snowmobiling Snowmobiles are mainly intended for travelling across snowy terrains. However they can also be used for recreational sports, such as races. Snowcross is one of the most popular forms of snowmobile racing, and is even an event at the X Games. However, due to manoeuvrability, acceleration and strength of a snowmobile, accidents and fatalities are fairly common for those that ride. Despite the risks involved, snowmobiling still ranks high amongst the most amazing winter sports due to the speed of the riders and the tricks that are pulled off.



Speed Skating

Speed skating is a form of competitive ice racing which involves competitors racing against each other over a certain distance. Although the action is focused on the track, the skaters can hit incredible speeds which makes it a mesmerizing sport for spectators to watch. The sport is so exciting that even sports odds bookmakers Paddy Power offered odds on speed skating races. Apart from falling over or hitting the sides of the track, speed skating is a fairly ‘safe’ sport to compete in.



Bobsleighing 

Bobsleighing involves ‘guiding’ a bobsled down a narrow, twisted, iced track at very high speeds. Bobsleighing is a team sport and competitive bobsleigh racers compete in teams of two and four. The main ‘appeal’ of this sport is the speed of bobsleighs. Despite the narrow tracks, bobsleighs can hit speeds of up to 75mph, and can go around a 1200m-1300m track in less than a minute which makes the competitors ability impressive. 

Heli-skiing 

Heli-skiing involves down-hill skiing or snowboarding on an off-hill track which is accessed via the use of a helicopter instead of a ski lift. As heli-skiing involves you to use off-hill tracks, and sometimes unknown terrain, there is a huge amount of risk involved. The two main risks involved with heli-skiing are avalanches and tree wells – of which both can cause serious harm to the skier. Despite the deadly risks involved in heli-skiing, the skiers get to ‘explore’ the snowy environment down the side of the mountain at colossal speeds.



Snowboarding

Snowboarding is arguably one of the most recognisable winter sports. The sport involves descending down a slope while standing on a snowboard that is attached to the riders’ feet. Although the main objective of snowboarding is riding down the slope, there are multiple variations of the sport – ranging from freestyle, big air, and half pipe. Like the majority of winter sports, snowboarding involves navigating around a track at very fast speeds.

Ice Diving

Ice diving is a type of penetration dive and is considered the most adventurous scuba specialities due to the hazardous conditions. Despite the potential hazards that may arise, you get to experience beauty that few others ever get to see. Although not technically a sport, ice diving does require working in a team in case any problems occur. Tenders and a safety divers accompany the diver to communicate with them and can help if any problems occur whilst the diver is underwater. In terms of dangerous sports and hobbies, this is certainly one of the ones with the most risk involved.