The winter season is upon us with howling winds and gentle snowflakes falling upon our noses. To celebrate, here are five classic sports that return with the cold weather.
#5: Hockey
Hockey takes its place at number five as one of the most well-known winter sports, combining the difficult skill of skating with a puck, sticks and a whole lot of protective gear. It is always a thrill to watch and the players always give their best to every game. Overall, it’s a pretty fun sport and, though difficult, is incredibly rewarding for participants and viewers alike.
#4: Ice Climbing
At number four is the one and only ice climbing, the best sport for those who live for the thrill. Climbing risky and rugged mountains wasn’t enough for people, so they thought, “What if we added a slipping factor?” and ice climbing emerged. In all fairness, ice climbing is an amazing experience and I highly recommend the sport to more people. There are some pretty good places that you could try, such as Cathedral Ledge Road in North Conway, NH for more experienced climbers. Just make sure you have your equipment, and like any other form of climbing, don’t look down.
#3: Ice Skating
Whether gliding like a natural or feeling like a newborn calf on their legs for the first time, ice skating is a sport most people try at some point if given the chance. With skates, warm clothes and some balance, you can glide through the ice, laughing along with friends as you fall and stumble. Ice skating is a sport open to everyone, no matter how good they are at the actual skating part, though that can be part of the fun.
#2: Snowboarding
Where else would snowboarding be but at a strong number two with only a board, a bunch of core strength and a whole lot of balance needed? The saying, “Skiing is easier to learn but harder to advance in, while snowboarding is harder to learn but easier to advance,” could not be more true. With seven course levels of expertise, the sport typically takes place on some sort of incline whether that be a mountain or a hill. A lot of good snowboarding areas are located nearby like Ski Ward or Wachusett Mountain, both of which could be good places to start.
#1: Skiing
In first place is one of the most iconic sports in the world: skiing. Like snowboarding, skiing typically takes place on a mountain or hill and its course levels (1-9) are based on what terrains you can ski and what techniques you can successfully use. As long as there’s some sort of snow — whether ice, powder or moguls — you can ski it with enough experience and sometimes a little luck. As New Englanders, we’re lucky to have easy access to slopes that are good for beginners, like Ski Ward, which is a hill perfect for beginners or a little racing. Mountains with more advanced terrain can be found in quintessential ski towns like Wachusett and Nashoba Valley.
