As we all know, winter is here. That’s why this article will be about my favourite and the most popular winter sport; skiing. There are more than 14 million active skiers in the US while only 7 million snowboarders. It’s fair to conclude that a person is more likely to ski than snowboard. You are probably asking yourself “why is that”? Well, skiing is considered easier and many people picture snowboarding as being more dangerous than skiing. Skiing is of course a lot of fun but various requirements have to be met for you to have a good skiing experience. In many countries skiing is practically impossible simply because of the lack of mountains and cold enough weather. That’s why countries like Lithuania or Albania have no vivid ski interest.
That brings me to another restriction: the cost. While skiing might seem cheap, it is quite the opposite. Renting the necessary equipment such as ski boots, skis and helmets can cost quite a lot. Accommodation is also needed and can be very expensive near popular tourist destinations. Poles are quite keen on skiing and Poland is also where I first skied. In the chart of skiers in Europe we are in the top 15 for 2018 (I have chosen older data to avoid weird alterations caused by COVID-19). Skiing is enjoyed the most in the Alps by the French, Swiss and Austrian men and women. The most popular and beautiful places are located in Switzerland. Switzerland is surrounded by mountains, having the Alps by the French and Italian border. On the west plateau we can find the Jura mountains which are smaller and rockier than the Alps. Switzerland is commonly agreed on being skier’s paradise.
Now I would like to talk about the different types of skiing. Many people think skiing is just going down a mountain (alpine skiing), but it can vary. Some of the most popular types of skiing are ski jumping and cross country. Firstly, let’s look at ski jumping. It is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the longest jump after descending from a specially designed ramp on their skis. This sport is probably the most fascinating of all winter sports. I always wonder how the competitors don’t break their legs. Poland is an active competitor in this sport and has one of the most respected teams. Our best known competitors are Kamil Stoch (still active) with 47 wins in major tournaments and 39 World Cup wins, Adam Małysz (retired) 51 major tournament wins with 39 World Cup wins other notable competitors include Piotr Żyła and Dawid Kubacki.
Furthermore, I would like to touch on cross country, otherwise referred to as ski walking/running. This sport is a part of the 3 classic Nordic sports which include the other sports mentioned before. It is just like Nordic walking but practiced on snow and with the use of special skis to help people move around. Often paired with the skies are ski sticks which can help balance, steer or stay in place. This sport is not very popular in Poland but when I tried it, I really enjoyed it.
To sum up, there are many variations of skiing and it can be enjoyed by everyone. Unfortunately, ski slopes are closed right now but I recommend that everyone gives it a shot when they can. Of course, maybe not the ski jumping, it is a tad extreme. What do you think of skiing and did I encourage you to try it? I hope you learned something, also thanks for reading. See you next time.
Michał Mazurek
Bibliography
https://www.statista.com/statistics/801008/europe-number-of-people-skiing-by-country/ derived on 24th January 2021 statistics website.
Polish ski jumpers
derived on 24th January 2021