Snowsports are super fun. Skiing, snowboarding, and many other activities can take place in the cold weather. It’s what makes the Winter Olympics so entertaining. Now, if you’re an avid skier or snowboarder, you’re probably clued up on everything there is to know about both snowsports. But if you want to know more snowboarding facts or ski facts, continue reading our fantastic list of interesting snowsports facts!
Winter Olympics Facts
As fun and enjoyable as the Summer Olympic Games are there’s nothing quite like the exhilarating drama that the Winter Olympics creates. Purely from an aesthetic point of view, watching elite athletes glide across snow, with the white powder flicking up in the air, is one of the finest sights in sports.
Our first interesting snowsports fact about the Winter Olympics is that animals were once allowed to compete in the games! While no animals joined in with official sports, dogs and horses both played a role in demonstration events. In the 1932 Winter Olympics, dog-sledging was featured, while horses performed skijoring in 1928 - an event that involves athletes being towed on skis behind riderless horses.
Another crazy fact about the Winter Olympics is that athletes who compete on the bobsleigh hurtle down the track at speeds of around 90 miles per hour. That’s faster than the national speed limit on UK roads - incredible! If you’re unfamiliar with bobsleighing, it’s when a group of athletes sit in a bobsleigh and navigate turn tights on hair-raising courses made of ice at ridiculous speeds.
Ski Facts
If you thought our interesting snowsports facts were all dried up, you were wrong. There are plenty more ski facts for you to learn, including the history of skiing and where the word ‘ski’ originates from.
Did you know that the word ‘ski’ actually comes from the Old Norse word ‘skio’? This meant ‘stick of wood’, and the term ski was coined in modern Norway in the late 19th century. Other nationalities then adopted it with different pronunciations in each language.
Our second interesting ski fact includes space. If you want to become an astronaut one day, you should start training in cross-country skiing. The reason for this is that Harrison Schmitt, a member of the 1972 Apollo crew that was the last NASA astronaut to land on the moon, claimed that cross-country skiing was great preparation for walking on the moon.
Do you know just how popular skiing is? Every year, around 350 million people worldwide visit ski resorts to take in the slopes and the snow. You can too with a visit to The Snow Centre. Book a lift pass at our Manchester or Hemel locations now for a great day on the snow.
Snowboarding Facts
Now you’ve got a handful of ski facts to wow your friends, you can surprise them with some snowboarding facts too! Did you know that snowboarding was originally called ‘snurfing’? An American engineer by the name of Sherman Poppen invented snowboarding in the 1960s. His wife first coined the term snurfing by combining snow and surfing. As the sport's popularity grew, sports companies changed the name to make it more attractive.
The banning of snowboarding is the last of our seven snow sports facts. Did you know that in the 1980s, snowboarding was actually banned from some ski resorts? Due to the nature of snowboarding, it attracted a younger audience, which made it appear like a teen craze rather than an Olympic sport to be respected. This saw many resorts ban snowboarding until they realised just how popular it was!
Ski Like a Pro at The Snow Centre
Now that you’re armed with some amazing ski facts and general snowsports facts, you’re ready to get on the slopes at The Snow Centre.
So, what are you waiting for? Whether you’re near Manchester or Hemel Hempstead, pick up a Lift Pass and enjoy our real snow slopes to develop your skills and build your confidence. Who knows, you may not be far off booking a trip to Europe!
If you have any questions about what you can do at our The Snow Centre locations, don’t hesitate to contact us, and a member of our team will be happy to help.
