Ever tried Kitesurfing, Roller Soccer, Parkour, Sandboarding, or Mountain Boarding? How about Skijoring, Snowkiting or Snow Kayaking? Whatever the season, check out the coolest combo sports or invent your own!
Kitesurfing
Snowboarding meets hang gliding when you launch 20 feet in the air over water.
Kitesurfing is a mixture of paragliding, wakeboarding, surfing and windsurfing. Practice in flat waters similar to wakeboarding and water skiing or in waves like surfing with the ability to jump and fly. Some pros achieve heights of 60 feet and 100 yards in distance!
Mountain Boarding
Mountain boarding, also known as dirtboarding, or all-terrain-boarding, is one of the newest board sports. Originally intended to take the place of snowboarding during months when there is no snow, it’s developed into a sport in its own right.
A mountain board is similar to an oversized skateboard. The size of the deck is shorter than the average snowboard, and the wheels consist of small plastic/alloy hubs. Wheel size varies depending on which type of riding is done - smaller wheels for freestyle riding and jumping; larger ones for downhill. Like a snowboard (and unlike a skateboard) the feet of the rider are attached to the board deck with bindings, however boots are not required.
Roller Soccer
Imagine a game that combines elements of roller hockey and soccer and you have Roller Soccer.
League matches are played five-on-five in roller hockey rinks using a standard, size five soccer ball. A match consists of two, 25-minute periods. Teams earn one point or two points for each goal scored. Two points are earned only when the ball passes between the legs of a defender on its path into the goal. All players are forbidden to handle the ball while the ball is in play; specially identified goalkeepers are allowed, but not required. Gooooal!
Parkour
Parkour (par-koor) is a form of extreme gymnastics developed in the late 1980’s in Paris.
This urban extreme sport blends gymnastics and martial arts with skateboarding moves swapping uneven bars and floor mats for fire escapes and concrete. Parkour translates roughly from the French ‘parcours’ or obstacle course. Parkour athletes use whatever is around - stairways, benches, fountains - as obstacles and springboards to vault and jump.’ Crews aspire to ‘freeflow’ or achieve a state of mind over matter - this is the nirvana of parkour.
Sandboarding
After the snow melts, diehard boarders face the end of another winter season. How to cope? Try sandboarding. The sport, already huge in Australia, Africa, and Brazil, is taking off in America.
Sandboarding can be done standing up and barreling down the slope on a board, or, for the more adventurous, lying down and racing at speeds of up to 50 mph
Just find a place with sand dunes, (check local regulations and stay away from fragile dune grass) grab a sandboard and carve like you would in powder. Top U.S. spots include Jockey’s Ridge State Park, N.C., Sand Master Park in Florence, Ore, and Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Colo. Remember there are no chair lifts and you need to close your eyes and mouth when you fall!
Winter Combo Sports
Skijoring
Cross country skiing has gone to the dogs. A popular sport from Scandinavia called “skijoring” can be a great workout for you and your canine. Fido is outfitted with a special harness and leash so he can pull you, wearing your XC skis, along pristine trails. Once your and your pooch are proficient you can search out races and more.
Snow Kayaking
Know of a pristine hillside covered with newfallen snow? If sledding or tobogganing seems old hat, grab the kayak from your garage and improvise. A kayak will work fine if the snow is really cold, so the kayak doesn’t stick. You can get some speed going and use the paddle to carve out snow and stick the paddle behind to use as a rudder. It’s not as accurate as a sled but about the same as a toboggan and a lot more fun.
Snow Kiting
Fast growing and simple to learn, skiers and boarders across the world are discovering the fun of snow kiting. All you need is snow and a power kite and you can turn a cold winter’s day into a blistering, adrenaline-soaked experience. Speeds of over 60 mph have been recorded as snow kite riders blast themselves along with just the power of the wind.
Wind power is one of life’s few free rides and already snow kiting enthusiasts have achieved incredible things. From a ground breaking unsupported journey to the North Pole and back to huge kite-powered adventures through Alaska, the world of winter sports is embracing this fantastic new sport.
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