When the weather gets cold and the snow begins to fall, most weekend warriors enjoy winter activities such as skiing or ice-skating.
But then there are those who refuse to accept that it’s winter. And out of their stubbornness, these hybrid winter activities (possible contenders for the 2018 Winter Olympics?) were brought to life:
Ski Biking/Snowscooting
If you think regular skis are boring, why not ride a bike with skis for wheels instead? Or if you’re the boarding type, go for a bike ride with snowboards attached to the bottom. Go ski biking in Colorado or snowscooting in France if you want to try something new, but not too extreme.
Ice Karting
In Kuusamo, Finland, locals love hopping on go-karts and racing each other on a frozen lake. And yes, this is basically a real-life version of the ice racetracks in Mario Kart, minus the banana peels. Sounds like the perfect blend of exciting and terrifying.
Snowkayaking
Back in 2002, a few kayakers in Austria got together one winter night and thought, Why let the snow stop us now? And in that moment, snowkayaking was born. And it’s exactly what it sounds like—kayaking down a snowy mountain. Think it’s hard? It is.
Speed Flying
If you’re looking for an extreme winter sport, then visit the Swiss Alps for some speed flying. This sport involves parachuting down from a helicopter on to the top of a mountain with your skis on, and then skiing down the slopes. I believe James Bond has done this a couple times. It might just be the most epic thing you’ll ever see or do.
Skijoring
Another hybrid sport, skijoring combines the basics of dog sledding with cross-country skiing. The result? A fun adventure where you’re pulled on your skis by a bunch of cute dogs, horses, or even a car.
Ice Climbing
If you’re a mountain climbing junkie, you may have once gazed upon a frozen waterfall and dreamt of it being your next quest. Fortunately, with the right gear, it can be a reality. Or, you can always climb a glacier in New Zealand.
Ice Yachting
Don’t worry, no multi-million dollar yachts were harmed in the making of ice yachting. Ice yachts today are more like small sailboats… on really, really big ice-skates. How else could you sail a boat across a frozen river?
Photo from SpeedRiding School.
