There is nothing like a quadrennial competition known as the Olympic Games. Some like the FIFA World Cup might compare in terms of popularity, but the Olympics have a very long tradition, dating back to ancient Greece and in more recent history, to 1896.
The Winter Olympics date back to 1924, however, but are every bit as important as the Summer Olympics, particularly for the athletes and the people of the countries that they represent. The Winter Olympics have interesting sports which might surprise first-time viewers or those who prefer the Summer games.
Following are the most interesting Winter Olympic sports.
Snowboarding
Snowboarding has been an Olympic sport since 1998.
Snowboarding is a fun sport that has multiple disciplines, the halfpipe, the slopestyle, the snowboard cross, and the parallel, for both men and women. Snowboarding is fun in general, but when you get to see professionals doing flips and literally risking their necks in a high-speed, high-risk performance, then you will learn to appreciate what snowboarding is as a sport. You could also try snowboarding to see how difficult it is to simply go down a steep slope.
Curling
Curling has been there since the inception of the Winter Olympics but as a demonstration sport. It has had a long pause and was reinstated in 1998 as a sport for both men and women and mixed doubles.
Curling is a sport where people slide a rock on a sheet of ice, trying to hit a target as close as possible to the center. You know, the sport where people skate with the rock and wipe the ice in front of it.
It’s a great sport and can be a very fun group activity.
Skeleton
You have probably heard of bobsleigh and luge, but skeleton takes the cake in terms of how dangerous it is. It is the most dangerous of the three sliding sports because unlike luge, you are riding headfirst, lying on your stomach.
Skeleton is one of the fastest, most adrenaline-inducing Winter Olympic sports. It has had its fair share of fatalities, but every successful performance is stunning to observe.
Ski Jumping
It looks fun and terrifying at the same time, which it actually is. Ski jumping is one of those sports where you go down a very steep slope and jump off hundreds of feet in the air, only to land on your skis, hopefully. World records look amazing, as well as any successful jump. Failed jumps, however, are as scary as any other Winter Olympic failed performance. It can lead to serious injury or death, but that is one of the things that makes ski jumping an amazing sport.
Figure Skating
Figure skating is one of the most beautiful sports to observe. Figure skaters wear amazing outfits and combine an athletic performance and a dance into something fascinating. There are single and pair competitions, as well as ice dancing and team events. Whichever of these you decide to spectate, you will most likely see an amazing combination of art and athleticism of the highest level.
The Winter Olympics might not be as popular as their Summer counterparts, but they are full of amazing and interesting sports. These are some of the sports that you can see at the Winger games, the ones that should be most interesting to new viewers.