Let's face it - the Winter Olympics could use a little bit of jazzing up by adding a few new and exciting sports. While snowboarding and freestyle skiing have plenty of high-adrenaline thrills, other sports like biathlon and cross country skiing are about as exciting to watch as home videos of your little sister's birthday party. From snowball fights to skier cross, Kidzworld looks at sports we'd like to see at the Winter Olympics.
New Winter Olympic Sports - Snowball Fighting
If you've ever been around snow, you can appreciate the satisfaction of nailing someone with a well made snowball. Could snowball fighting make it as Olympic sport? Probably not anytime soon - but the sport is growing. Around 200 teams now compete in Japan each year in the Snowball Fighting World Championship. Games are played on a field that is about as wide as a tennis court and is kind of a combination between dodge ball and capture the flag.
New Winter Olympic Sports - Skiercross
It's maybe the most chaotic and exciting sport on snow. Skiercross, like its snowboarding counterpart, involves four skiers racing each other on a windy course filled with jumps, banked corners and tight turns. It's a great spectator sport because the races are fast and there are tons of wipeouts as skiers try to maneuver through turns and pass each other in mid-air. Boardercross launched itself into the Winter Olympics for the first time in 2006 - hopefully skiercross won't be far behind.
New Winter Olympic Sports - Ice Climbing
Ice climbing is growing as a recreation sport - but it could also work as a competive event at the Winter Olympics. Climbers race each other in a timed race up a wall of ice, using ice axes, crampons and other climbing gear. Several countries around the world hold ice climbing races each year and this high adrenaline sport would be a good fit for the Winter Games.
New Winter Olympic Sports - Slopestyle Snowboarding
The Winter Olympics could always use more snowboarding events, so bring on a slopestyle competition. Seeing the top boarders in the world riding big rails or flying off crazy tabletops would be great for TV and showcase the athleticism required for slopestyle boarding.
New Winter Olympic Sports - Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing has been around as long as skiing, so it's time the sport made its debut at the Winter Olympics. Snowshoe racing may not be a great spectator sport but it's a true winter sport. Athletes could race sprints, long distances and maybe even compete in a dual event that combines a snowshoe race with ice fishing. After all, if they can combine cross-country skiing with rifle shooting, why not combine snowshoeing and ice fishing?
What sports would you like to see added to the Winter Olympics. Send your ideas to Kidzworld?
