Winter offers many opportunities to get active. Some prefer accurate skiing, others casual snowboarding, while still others prefer leisurely hiking and tobogganing. Which winter sports type are you? SnowTrex has listed some winter sports types.
The skier-sporty and downhill-oriented
The powdery piste under your skis, the wind in your face – downhill skiing combines the thrill of speed with technical skill and a sense of what it must be like to fly. Most winter sports enthusiasts enjoy alpine skiing, many as pleasure skiers, some also as off-piste cracks or racers on speed tracks. Skiers have many options on the mountain, so the two-board sport appeals to a broad target group. Beginners in particular have an advantage when skiing, as they have a secure footing on the two boards and the modern carving skis make learning particularly easy.
The snowboarder – cool and creative
The comparatively young sport of snowboarding is also characterized by great versatility, combined with a cool image: in addition to normal downhill runs, the snowboarder’s repertoire includes freestyle acrobatics in the fun park or in the half pipe as well as deep snow skiing. He does what he wants and where he wants. In this way, he has developed into a kind of antithesis to the skier. Meanwhile, there are also many young freestylers and freeriders on skis, so the rebel image of the boarders has become somewhat relative. However, the original coolness and composure can still be attributed to the snowboarder.
The ski tourer – sustainable and mountain-savvy
It’s not for nothing that ski touring has become a megatrend recently. The nature-friendly way of going to the summit under one’s own power and rewarding oneself afterwards with a pleasurable powder descent has a special appeal for many. “Forget the harmful ski lift, go up the mountain yourself!” is the motto of those who climb the mountain naturally. However, the sport requires good physical condition, discipline, and experience in the terrain. Those who dare to do it, prepare well and show stamina will be rewarded with a unique experience of nature.
The cross-country skier – agile and pleasure-oriented
The most popular of the Nordic sports, cross-country skiing appeals to endurance athletes who want to move through nature in a physical way. Controlling the narrow cross-country boards and even skating requires some practice. But once you’ve got the hang of it and are on track, you glide swiftly along and can enjoy the winter landscape in all its splendour. The fact that the enjoyment run stresses the whole body in a healthy way then becomes a pleasant side effect.
The biathlete – intense and versatile
Biathlon, a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting, is even more physically demanding. The athlete is required to have both endurance in cross-country skiing and precision in shooting. Originally, a military sport, biathlon has become an Olympic discipline and is very popular with the public. At the guest biathlon and at taster courses in biathlon centres such as Ruhpolding, Anterselva or Obertilliach, those interested can practise at the shooting range and on the cross-country track.
The ski jumper – daring and athletic
Unlike downhill skiing, ski jumping doesn’t just make you feel like you’re flying, you’re actually doing it – and over quite a long distance. Ski jumping requires intensive practice and a bit of courage, but it is not reserved for top athletes. In ski jumping schools, for example in Bad Mitterndorf (Tauplitz) or in Oberstdorf, the curious can get instruction. Beginners can already achieve a distance of around 15 m on small hills. A special form is the “Nordic combination”, which combines ski jumping with cross-country skiing.
The luger – rustic and fun-oriented
Hardly any winter sport is more original than tobogganing. All you need is a toboggan and a slope with a bit of an incline, and you’re ready to go. Tobogganing is also wonderfully suitable for winter hikers. After all, you first have to get to the top to go down. A short hut hike, for example, can be wonderfully combined with a subsequent toboggan run. From the simple plastic bowl to the solid Zipfelbob to the highly technical aluminium sledge, there is every imaginable toboggan variant. Depending on the vehicle, the ride can be really fast, and if the track is also winding, the descent becomes an adrenaline rush. Many of the prepared runs in the Alpine regions are kilometre-long and illuminated in the evening. Trips to toboggan runs are therefore not only entertaining family fun for children, but also a day’s entertainment for action lovers.
The snowshoe walker – trendy and close to nature
New forms of gentle winter sports are all the rage. One of these is snowshoeing, hiking with large aluminium shovels under your winter boots. The practical thing about this relaxing sport is that you don’t need any previous experience. It’s gentle because you can discover nature without any prepared paths or outside aids because you’re going straight into the deep snow. Snowshoe hikers simply trudge off and let themselves be guided by the natural features of the landscape. Of course always with maximum consideration for nature reserves and animal nesting sites. For, among other things, it goes into the forest and, with a bit of luck, you can even observe wild animals. So, the experience of nature can hardly be more intense.
No matter what type of winter sport you are – winter holidays are something great! Where can you go?
