Winter sports in the United States

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Popular winter sports in the United States include (from left to right, top to bottom) figure skating, ice hockey, skiing, and snowboarding

Winter sports in the United States are popular, both professionally and recreationally. Most sports activity on ice and snow takes place in the northern half of the country, but indoor facilities, simulators and artificial surfaces enable participation in all geographic areas.

Contents

The US has about 2000 ice rinks for skating sports. Ski touring, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing opportunities exist wherever there is sufficient snow cover on public access land, such as National Forests, state parks, and municipal parks. [1] The US has over 135,000 miles of snowmobile trails.

Compared to 2022, total winter sports participation grew by 22% in 2023. [2] Snow sports generated over $20 billion for the US economy in 2016. [3]

Sports

Curling

Once popular only in "the upper midwest and small pockets of New England", curling is gradually making inroads in the rest of the country. [4]

Ice skating

Figure skating

The governing body of figure skating competition in the United States is US Figure Skating. There are over 186,000 competitors as of 2020. Figure skating competition is a popular televised sport in the US. [5]

Speed skating

The national governing body of speed skating competition is US Speedskating.

Ice climbing

Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) reports over 3 million participating in ice climbing across the US. In 2019, ice climbing gear purchases were more than $15 million. [6]

Annual Ice Fests are held in Ouray, Colorado and Bozeman, Montana. Denver hosted an international World Championship in 2019. [7]

Ice hockey

Twenty-four of the thirty-one professional National Hockey League teams are based in the United States, the other seven in Canada.

USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. In the 2022-23 season, USA Hockey had 556,186 registered hockey players.

Skiing

Skiing in the US is a multi-billion dollar industry of growing popularity, with over 11 million recreational snow sports participants in the winter of 2022–23. [8] Annual reported totals of the skiing population vary somewhat with the quality and length of the ski season, which averages 106 days. Most popular are the regions of the Rocky Mountains, the Northeast and the Sierra Nevada/Cascade Mountains. The states of California, New York, Florida and Texas are home to the most skiers. [9] [10]

There are 480 alpine ski areas, [11] around 1,000 cross-country ski areas and more than 20 ski jumping hills in the US. There are 7 states which offer backcountry snowcat and heli-ski opportunities. The largest resorts see more than 85% of skier visits. More than 85% of alpine ski areas use snowmaking to some extent. Between 2008 and 2013, US ski resorts experienced annual revenues of about $3 billion.

National organizations include U.S. Ski & Snowboard, USA Nordic Sport (USANS), United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association, National Ski Council Federation, NASTAR, National Ski Patrol, Professional Ski Instructors of America, Snowsports Industries America (SIA), National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), Cross Country Ski Areas Association and National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association.

Sledding

Bobsled

Historically, the United States has only had limited success in bobsledding at the Olympics. [12] USA Bobsled is the governing body for bobsledding in the United States. [13] [14]

Kaillie Humphries is one the most successful bobsledders for the United States. [15]

Luge

The national governing body for luge is USA Luge. US has 30 World Cup wins since 1994. Lake Placid, New York hosted the World Luge Congress in 2016 and 2024. Luge facilities are in Lake Placid, Park City, Utah, Muskegon, Michigan, and Negaunee, Michigan.

Skeleton

Sled dog racing

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March from Anchorage to Nome, entirely in the state of Alaska.

Marquette, Michigan plans an annual Dog Sled Race, depending on snow conditions. The UP 200 held in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is another sled dog race. The trial covers over 240 miles of challenging terrain through the areas of Marquette, Grand Marais, Wetmore, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and finishes at Mattson Lower Harbor Park in Marquette. The UP 200 is one of America's premier 12-dog, mid-distance sled dog races, qualifying teams for the Iditarod.

Snowboarding

Snowboarding originated in America, and after rapid growth in the 1980s and 1990s has stabilized at over 7.5 million participants in the US. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Snowmobiling

Recreational snowmobiling in the US began in the 1950s and by 2010 had from 3–4 million participants. [21] The International 500 Snowmobile Race (since 1969), World Championship Snowmobile Derby (since 1964) and World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb competitions are held annually. World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb competition is held in Jackson, Wyoming at the Snow King Mountain resort each year in March. Alaska's "Iron Dog" at 2,031 miles (3,269 km) long is the longest snowmachine race in the world.

Snowmobile trails can be found in 27 states. National organizations are the American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA), United Snowmobile Alliance and there is a regional Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimbing Association.

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing may be the oldest winter sport in the Americas, arriving with the first people over the Bering land bridge. [22] The United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) was founded in 1977 to serve as a governing body for competitive snowshoeing. Since 2001 they have held annual National Championships in February. Since 2019, participation in snowshoeing is up 12%. [23]

Multi-sport events

Arctic Winter Games

Alaska has participated in every Arctic Winter Games, and has hosted the event 7 times starting in 1974.

Winter Dew Tour

In 2008 the Action Sports Tour (AST) first annual Winter Dew Tour included halfpipe and slopestyle competitions. In 2019, the Winter Dew Tour moved to its new home at Woodward Mountain Park at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Events include slopestyle, superpipe, team halfpipe, snowboard streetstyle, and adaptive banked slalom.

Winter X Games

Winter X Games are held in Aspen, Colorado every winter, starting in 2002. The first Winter X Games took place in 1997 at Snow Summit ski resort in Big Bear Lake, California. The X Games were next held at Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado for two years. Mount Snow, Vermont hosted the X Games in 2000 and 2001.

Winter Olympics

The United States is a traditional powerhouse in the Winter Olympics. [24] [25] However, the 2018 Winter Olympics saw the country's worst performance in terms of medals in 20 years. [26] [27] Over the past 6 Winter Olympic Games the US has consistently earned at least 9 gold medals.

Participation

In 2022, winter sports had over 30 million US participants. [28] Outdoor Foundation reports that 8 million people participated in cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or telemark skiing in the 2012-2013 winter season. [29]

Winter sports are underrepresented by ethnic minorities due to the fact that such sports are expensive to play. [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] In an effort to broaden participation, the Share Winter Foundation and its partners aim to share winter with 100,000 youth by 2028. [36] Other inclusion-focused programs include SOS Outreach, and Discover Winter in Utah. [37]

Other notable events

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter sports</span> Sports or recreational activities which are played on snow or ice

Winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice. Most are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally, such games were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and artificial ice allow more flexibility. Playing areas and fields consist of either snow or ice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Winter Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Turin, Italy

The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter Olympics, the first being in 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo; Italy had also hosted the Summer Olympics in 1960 in Rome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sled</span> Land vehicle used for sliding across snow or ice

A sled, skid, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle that slides across a surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners similar in principle to skis. This reduces the amount of friction, which helps to carry heavy loads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowmobile</span> Land vehicle designed for travel on snow

A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Championship</span> Index of articles associated with the same name

A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sledding</span> Gliding sport

Sledding, sledging or sleighing is a winter sport typically carried out in a prone or seated position on a vehicle generically known as a sled, a sledge (British), or a sleigh. It is the basis of three Olympic sports: luge, skeleton and bobsledding. When practised on sand, it is known as a form of sandboarding. In Russia sledges are used for maritime activities including fishing and commuting from island to island on ice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skijoring</span> Winter sport involving being pulled on skis

Skijoring is a winter sport in which a person on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog, another animal, or a motor vehicle. The name is derived from the Norwegian word skikjøring, meaning "ski driving". Although skijoring is said to have originated as a mode of winter travel, it is currently primarily a competitive sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Ski Team</span>

The U.S. Ski Team, operating under the auspices of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, cross-country, ski jumping, and Nordic combined. Since 1974 the team and association have been headquartered in Park City, Utah.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to transport:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Louise (Alberta)</span> Glacial lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Lake Louise is a glacial lake within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Situated 11 km (6.8 mi) east of the border with British Columbia, Lake Louise is located 5 km (3.1 mi) west of the hamlet of Lake Louise and the Trans-Canada Highway.

The USOPC Athlete of the Year awards are part of a series of awards presented by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to athletes who have distinguished themselves in one of the Olympic or Paralympic sports. Awards are presented to the Olympic or Paralympic SportsMan of the Year, SportsWoman of the Year, and Team of the Year.

National Sports Academy was a private preparatory school for winter-sport athletes in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The academy was closed in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The United States participated in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The U.S. team had a historic Winter Games, winning an unprecedented 37 medals. Team USA's medal haul, which included nine gold, marked the first time since the 1932 Lake Placid Games that the U.S. earned more medals than any other participant.

The Camden Snow Bowl is a small, town-owned ski area in Camden, Maine. Located about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from Penobscot Bay on the eastern slope of Ragged Mountain. It also features a toboggan run on which the U.S. National Toboggan Championships are hosted annually. During the summer, visitors are able to hike, mountain bike, or boat and fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mont-Sainte-Anne</span> Ski resort in Quebec, Canada

Mont-Sainte-Anne is a ski resort in eastern Canada, located in the town of Beaupré, Quebec, about 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Quebec City. The mountain is part of the Laurentian mountain chain and has a summit elevation of 800 m (2,625 ft) above sea level with a vertical drop of 625 m (2,051 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The United States competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, from February 7 to 23, 2014. Team USA consisted of 222 athletes competing in all 15 sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beijing bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics</span>

Beijing 2022 was a successful bid by Beijing, China and the Chinese Olympic Committee for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The IOC selected the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 31, 2015, which Beijing won.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Goodwill Winter Games</span>

The 2000 Winter Goodwill Games was the first and only winter edition of the international sports competition Goodwill Games. The competition was held in and around Lake Placid in the United States from February 16 to February 20, 2000. Approximately 500 athletes from 20 countries participated, competing in 11 sports.

References

  1. ↑ Winter sports National Park Service
  2. ↑ Popke, Michael (2024) A Record Number of Americans Participated in Sports Sports Destinations
  3. ↑ Foersterling, Jack (2018) Low Snow Years Cost Ski Towns $1 Billion Powder magazine
  4. ↑ "Puzzling yet popular, Americans are learning to love curling". Associated Press. February 16, 2018.
  5. ↑ Lewis, Jon (2024) Figure skating cruises on NBC Sports Media Watch
  6. ↑ Cochrane, Andy (2020) How Ice Climbing Moved From Niche to Mainstream Field mag
  7. ↑ Mitka, Nate (2019) Denver Hosts First US Ice Climbing World Championship GearJunkie
  8. ↑ Kuta, Sarah (2023) Ski Areas Reported More Visits Than Ever This Past Winter Smithsonian Magazine
  9. ↑ The State of US Skiing and Snowboarding: 2022-2023 kenver.com
  10. ↑ Insights, data & more: A closer look at skier participation around the United States Freeskier 2023
  11. ↑ Ski Areas 2023 NSAA
  12. ↑ "SLEDDING SPORTS / Bobsled best U.S. bet". SFGATE. February 9, 2006.
  13. ↑ "At Olympics, Holcomb still an inspiration for USA Bobsled". Toronto Star. February 15, 2022.
  14. ↑ Dave Sheinin (2022-02-20) [2022-02-19]. "U.S. bobsled's secret weapon: A mysterious 'genius' who sees things others don't". The Washington Post . Washington, D.C. ISSN   0190-8286. OCLC   1330888409.[ please check these dates ]
  15. ↑ Prewitt, Alex. "Kaillie Humphries, Elana Meyers Taylor Steer the Way for Women in Bobsled". Sports Illustrated.
  16. ↑ Higgins, Matt (March 6, 2016). "Snowboarding, Once a High-Flying Sport, Crashes to Earth". The New York Times .
  17. ↑ "Why snowboarding is fading in popularity". Nypost.com. January 23, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Snowboarding declining in stats, coolness". Denverpost.com. December 26, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Is snowboarding melting in popularity?". Ocregister.com. February 23, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Don't Believe the Hype: Youth Snowboarding is Thriving". Snowsports Industries America. March 6, 2018.
  21. ↑ Snowmobiling Fact Book International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, 2013
  22. ↑ "Snowshoes" The Museum Journal vol II #4:82-94 (December 1911) Penn Museum
  23. ↑ Akabas, Lev (2023) Americans More Active sportico.com
  24. ↑ Graham, Bryan Armen (25 February 2018). "USA fell short at the Winter Olympics and things could get worse". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  25. ↑ Doyle, Terrence (16 February 2018). "The U.S. Stunk At The Winter Olympics Until Extreme Sports Came Along". Fivethirtyeight.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  26. ↑ Steinberg, Leigh. "5 Reasons Tiny Norway Dominates The U.S. In Winter Olympic Medals". Forbes. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  27. ↑ Lauletta, Tyler. "The US team is falling apart at the Winter Olympics and on pace to have its worst medal performance in 2 decades". Business Insider. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  28. ↑ Nearly 10 Percent of U.S. Population Participated in Winter Sports Last Season SGB Media 2023
  29. ↑ Eisen, Hilary (2015) Winter Recreation on National Forest Lands Winter Wildlands Alliance
  30. ↑ Prigeon, Jermell. "Bobsled Opening Doors for More Black Athletes to Live Winter Olympic Dreams".
  31. ↑ "United States seeing uptick in diversity for Winter Olympics team". USA TODAY Sports. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  32. ↑ Douglas, William (3 February 2018). "2018 Winter Olympics: Numbers show black athletes making inroads in winter sports". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  33. ↑ "Economic report" (PDF). /gzg764m8l73gtwxg366onn13-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com. 2018. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  34. ↑ "Winter sports face a double threat, from climate and demographic change". Economist.com. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2019– via The Economist.
  35. ↑ "Trying to make Team USA look more like America". The Washington Post . 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  36. ↑ Primeau, Brittney Buti (2023) Nonprofits unite to bring inner-city students to the slopes for a life-changing experience sharewinterfoundation.org
  37. ↑ Kelly, Tom (2024) Winter sports Sports Business Journal


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