3 Thrilling Snow Sports for Adrenaline Junkies to Try

Winter lovers, rejoice! Whether it’s the polar vortex descending, or awakening of La Nina, this winter is off to a good start. And with it comes the opportunity to try all kinds of exciting snow sports. Skijorking, snowkiting and snowbiking are some exhilarating but less commonly known activities you’ll see offered around ski areas. If you’ve got the need to speed down a snowy hill, here’s our rundown on three thrill-seeking snow sports to try.

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Skijorking
Those with nordic ties may have heard of skijorking, where a cross-country skier is pulled by a single dog. There are many variations that use more than one dog, or a team of dogs to pull, but it differs from sledding in that the rider stands on skis instead of a sled. This may sound laborious for the dogs at first, but it really isn’t. The sport uses the dog’s innate desire to run and pull in order to propel the skier in motion.

Now thanks to St. Regis in Aspen-Snowmass, CO, you don’t have to go all the way to Norway or the Yukon to try this winter sport. The company offers skijoring lessons for dogs and their owners. And if you don’t have your furry friend with you, St. Regis will loan you one of their Aspen Animal Shelter dogs that like to run. Don’t worry, no dogs are harmed with this practice, the dogs love the snow just as much as humans! Add that to your bucket list of winter-loving activities to do in the beautiful wonderland of Aspen Snowmass.

Snowkiting
Another winter sport that’ll get your heart pumping is snowkiting. Snowkiting is a high adrenaline sport where you use large kites and wind power to glide over packed snow or ice on skis or snowboards. The kites will catch wind and accelerate you pretty quickly across the snow or ice (with speeds of up to 75 mph). You can glide on a variety of terrain — flat, upslope or downslope as long as there is sufficient wind to offset the drag.

Colorado Kite Force in Dillon offers a variety of snowkiting , kite skiing, or kite snowboarding adventures and lessons for adults, kids, families, of all ages and ability levels. Whether it’s your first snowkiting experience, or you want to hone your newfound skills, they’ll set up a date and time for a group or private lesson, depending on your needs. Lessons range from two to four hours on Lake Dillon in the heart of Summit County. Because Dillon is so close to some major ski areas in Colorado, you can easily partake in snowkiting if you’re skiing on the East slope of the Rocky Mountains.

Snowbiking
What about grabbing the handle bars of a snowbike to take a few turns downhill for a winter thrill? Snowbiking – a mix between skiing and bicycling – is where you sit on a banana seat while holding handlebars, and propel downhill on two small skis attached to your feet. Snowbiking has been around for a long time, but it’s starting to gain popularity because it’s easier than traditional skiing. A variation is called slopecycling, a mashup of a snowboard and a BMX bike, allows riders to take their tricks to the terrain park. If either sounds like your type of party, Keystone offers at 2-hour certification lesson and rental for $49.  As of this post, Keystone is the only resort to offer on-mountain instruction in Colorado three times a day. Contact Keystone Activities & Dining to reserve your rental bike and book a lesson.

Let’s pray for lots of that fluffy white stuff to play in this winter.  Which one of these high octane sports would you try first?

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