Weird Winter Sports in Canada

Skiing, snowboarding, ice climbing and tobogganing – let’s face it, compared to what is offered below – these activities seem to be cast aside for the boring tourists and middle aged corporate execs who travel to find fun in Canada.

Not for us – the ski slopes and the button lifts! No, no, no. We want something a little more right?

How about the Skeleton?

How about Skijoring?

How about Ice Blocking?

Confused?

Well don’t worry – we’re here to look at some of the weirdest and wackiest winter sports on offer around a multitude of slopes and snow resorts around Canada including: Whistler in British Columbia, Ottowa in Ontario, or Banff in the Western rockies – to name a few.

Before you venture on to give these novel snow activities a go we’d recommend some winter sports insurance for your own benefit as these definitely aren’t the most sanity led sports on offer around the world.

Wok Racing

Yes you heard that one right – Wok Racing. Wok racing is fortunately/unfortunately exactly what it sounds and it’s a sport that’ becoming increasingly popular amongst slopes of Canada as stemmed from the more established craze in Europe (Not in Asia oddly). Basically participants race downhill in specially designed woks – clutching the handle bars for dear life we assume and compete to twist and turn their way down a course. Sounds crazy to us but fun too.

Skeleton

Now a popular sport even though the Skeleton still sounds like something only lunatics would try to do – and as proven at the 2010 Winter Games it’s actually a recognised Olympic sport. This is another variation on sledding where contestants run 50 yards down a hill before launching themselves on a featherweight sled and race down a curved course slope at speeds of up to 80mph; definitely one we’d recommend practicing on any possible beginner’s slopes – and another reason to highlight a need for some specialist winter sports cover!

Ice Sailing

Ok so basically you take a boat cut off the bottom add wheels and then you’ve got an ice sailing boat. This weird sport developed in the north to make sailing opportunities still available in the winter when everything is – more or less – ice. This sport may not be the weirdest around – and may be interestingly innovative and useful but it still is a little bit barmy if you think about it!

Skijoring

Skijoring in itself isn’t that weird but you’ll understand why we’ve included it once we get to our next entry. Skijoring is racing on skis over a course whilst being pulled by a team of dogs or Canadian arctic foxes. Doesn’t sound too fast paced or exciting but it remains a little odd. This is a popular sport in the less mountainous regions of the winter worlds but nowhere near as weird as…………..

Equestrian Skijoring

Yes if a man or woman being pulled along by foxes on skis wasn’t weird enough how about someone being pulled along by a Canadian wild horse? Equestrian Skijoring has become very popular in the states (where else?) and generally includes a track of jumps and trick opportunities as contestants are hurled along by a charging horse. This seems like utter madness to us but if you fancy giving it a go head over to Colorado this winter.

Curling

Okay so curling is quite an established sport but let’s face it it’s basically rolling a chunk of metal along a sheet of ice whilst a team of cleaners sweep the ice away from the metal. Ok I know I’m being silly and it’s a little more complex than that but seriously this is still a weird pastime by anyone’s standards.