Going for winter sports: what is it, why do it, and where is the best place to go?
What are winter sports?
- Winter sports are athletic activities that take place on snow or ice, usually during the colder months of the year.
- They include both recreational pastimes like sledding, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and ice skating, as well as competitive disciplines such as ski jumping, biathlon, ice hockey, and figure skating.
- Less common, or more specialized, winter sports: kite skiing, snow blading, snow kiting, big foot skiing, mono-skiing, ice cricket, off-piste skiing, heli-skiing, paraskiing, ski jumping, ski mountaineering, speed skiing, bobsleighing, mogul skiing, luge, skeleton, telemark skiing, deep snow skiing, ski touring, ice-caving and ice diving.
- Many winter sports rely on specialized equipment like skis, snowboards, skates, and sleds to glide over frozen surfaces.
- These sports are popular in mountainous or cold-climate regions and are often associated with winter resorts.
- Due to the inherent cold and slippery conditions, winter sports are generally considered as more dangerous than other sports
Why should you go on winter sports abroad?
- For your physical health: most winter sports are a great work-out, in combination with clean mountain air
- For mental health: on the slope, the mountain top or deep in a snowy forest your worries melt away
- Raising awareness: going outside to enjoy snow and ice makes you more aware of climate change
What are the risks when going for winter sports abroad?
- Winter sports can be physically demanding, combining speed and skill, with slippery conditions. Injuries like sprained ankles, twisted knees, and broken bones are quite common
- Avalanches are extremely dangerous, but with proper preparation, the risk can be greatly reduced.
- Frostbite and hypothermia, especially when temperatures drop suddenly, a cold wind picks up, or you get lost.
- Running out of snow and ice due to climate change, snow seasons get shorter and less predicable
Where is the best place to go for winter sport abroad?
- Canada: Lake Louise - Alberta or Sun Peaks - British Columbia
- USA: Aspen - Colorado or Park City - Utah
- Australia: Snowy Mountains and Victorian Alps
- Chile: several resorts near Santiago
- Japan: resorts near Sapporo or Nagano
- France: both the alps and the Pyrenees
- Austria: in the Austrian Alps
- Sweden and Finland: endless ski touring and dog sledding
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- Japanese language skills not required.
- The jobs offered vary from lift operator to ski & snowboard instructor or chef.
- Uitgebreide en persoonlijke voorbereiding op jouw werk als snowboardleraar
- Uitdagende opleiding
- baangarantie bij een leuke wintersport school.
- starten met je droombaan in Oostenrijk of bijvoorbeeld Zwitserland, Japan en Canada.
- Uitgebreide en persoonlijke voorbereiding
- Uitdagende opleiding
- baangarantie bij een leuke skischool.
- starten met je droombaan in Oostenrijk of bijvoorbeeld Zwitserland, Japan en Canada.
Ga aan de slag bij een wintersportkamp als instructeur, kampbegeleider of bij de kinderopvang.
Ben je een doorzetter, flexibel ingesteld en sta je zelf graag op de piste? Ga dan tijdens het winterseizoen werken in de Alpen? Er zijn verschillende soorten functies als reisleider, horeca-medewerker, kok of schoonmaker.
Ben je gastvriendelijk en een echte aanpakker? Ga dan een aantal maanden werken in een wintersportgebied waarbij er naast werken uiteraard ook tijd is voor skiën en snowboarden. Er zijn verschillende functies beschikbaar.
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