New Winter Sports Trends 

Here are the new winter sports trends that you should try.

SNOWKITING, SPEED RIDING, TELEMARK SKIING, SKIJORING, DOG SLEDDING

A range of adrenalin-pumping snow activities have recently joined the classics, adding new zest to the world of winter board sports. Snowkiting, speed riding, skijoring, dog sledding and telemark skiing have been eagerly embraced by alpine resorts. True, snowkiting and speed riding already have a few seasons under their belt, and telemark skiing, skijoring and dog sledding have been going strong for a number of centuries, but there’s been quite a revolution in the way they’re practiced. Just put those skis and that snowboard down for a moment and come and discover these new, exhilarating snow sports with us.

Speed riding? Whatever’s that?

Speed riding takes a new approach to board sports, where the rider uses the unexplored space between the snow and the sky to play with gravity, weightlessness, and natural obstacles. Speed riding is an extreme sport for adrenalin junkies, combining parachuting, paragliding, and skiing. Attached to a paraglider and wearing skis, riders leap several dozens of meters over rocky outcrops, before skiing down the slope to the next leap into the unknown. Skiing while attached to a paraglider may look exciting and great fun, but it requires real expertise and a lot of practice. Playing with the mountain’s rocky relief, the snow, and differences in height, not to mention paragliding from slope to slope, will really make the adrenalin flow. But take care, this sport is addictive!

Snow kiting for a rush of adrenaline.

The summer cousin is called kitesurfing when you shoot through the water equipped with a surfboard and traction kite. Snowkiting is easier to learn, the surfboard replaced by a snowboard or skis. At speeds of over 70 km/hr, you’ll get an incredible buzz as you jump off the moguls when the slightest breeze can turn a small jump into a thrilling leap through the air. 

Telemark skiing, a new sport?

Invented in 1868 by Sondre Norheim, a Norwegian farmer from the province of Telemark, the sport has recently seen something of a revival. This wonderfully aesthetic form of skiing is a hybrid of alpine and cross country skiing, spruced up with a touch of freestyle. Telemark bindings leave the skier’s heel free to make turns with flexed knees. Nothing new there … but with the wide skies, the skier moves fluidly in an innovative and quite exhilarating fashion. The Norwegian invention adds a touch of elegance to board sports and is ideal for skiers looking for perfect balance with borderline fall angles. The telemarketer’s slogan is telling: “Free your heel and your mind will follow!”

Equestrian skijoring

In equestrian skijoring, the skier is pulled along by a pony. It’s a bit like a snow version of waterskiing and it comes directly from Scandinavia.

First invented as a means of transport, we can easily imagine a young, snugly-wrapped Norwegian being pulled along to school by his or her horse…

Today, skijoring is no longer just a means of transport but is a fast-growth and trendy ski resort sport. You’ll start with the basic techniques on short practice runs with a few moguls, and then out on the slopes. Once you’ve learned to handle your horse, you can really get going. The basics are simple to learn and great fun. When your instructor launches the pony on the trail, you’ll feel it accelerating and turning as if you were riding it.

Enthusiasm for these new winter sports goes hand in hand with the desire to get away from the crowds and learn different activities that are environmentally friendly and off the beaten tracks. By varying their offer, ski resorts can look to the future with greater serenity, despite the widespread “mechanical skiing” downturn.

Interested in trying out these new sports?

Check out our guide to resorts.
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