Annie's
"Winter Sports" Page
"Thou
hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast
made summer and winter."
~Psalm 74:17~
Winter
Sports Safety
~The information below is taken from The World Book &
Compton's Encyclopedia~
In
winter sports, people must protect themselves against the cold in
addition to taking the precautions involved
with most other sports. A special hazard is a condition called
hypothermia, in which the body temperature falls
below its normal level of 98.6 °F. (37 °C). The symptoms of
hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, slurred
speech, stumbling, and drowsiness. If left untreated, the
condition may lead to death. Hypothermia can occur
even if the temperature is above freezing, especially if a
person's clothing is wet.
Winter Clothes: To help prevent
hypothermia, wear wool clothing. Wool provides better insulation
than other
fabrics do. Wear loose garments that do not restrict the
circulation of the blood. Several layers of light clothing
are better than one heavy layer. Cover your head, hands, and feet
because they lose heat quickly.
Snowmobiling is increasingly popular in
many northern climates and has led to a large number of
accidents.
Speeding causes many snowmobile mishaps. Never go faster than the
safe speed for your vehicle, and never drive
too fast for the snow conditions. A snowmobile should not be
operated in less than 4 inches (100 millimeters) of
snow. If possible, drive only in daylight. About three-fourths of
the fatal snowmobile accidents occur after dark.
Be especially careful when crossing roads and watch for such
obstacles as tree stumps, fallen logs,
and hidden branches.
Skiing causes thousands of broken
bones, sprains, and other injuries every year. To help prevent
skiing accidents,
use the proper ski equipment, including well-fitted boots, and
keep your gear in good shape. If you are a
beginner, be sure to get expert instruction. Go on difficult
slopes only if you are an experienced skier in good
physical condition. Stay with other people when skiing. If you
are injured while alone, it may be difficult
for someone to find you.
Sledding: Examine your sled and
repair any broken parts or split wood. Sharp edges should also be
eliminated
before you go sledding. Choose your sledding area carefully. Do
not sled on streets, where you might slide into
the path of an automobile. Steep hills are dangerous because you
might go too fast and be unable to stop. Do not
go sledding on frozen ponds or lakes if the ice could break under
your weight. The ideal spot for sledding is a
broad, gently sloping hill that is free of trees and far from any
road.
Ice
Skating:
In
the United States, thousands of people a year suffer injuries
while ice skating. Skaters may trip
on bumps in the ice, collide with other skaters, or fall through
thin ice. Beginners need expert instruction, and all
skaters should keep their skates in good condition.
Snowboarding is a relatively new way to
glide down snow-covered mountains. Snowboarding is technically
not skiing,
but it is performed on Alpine ski mountains. A snowboarder places
both feet on a single board that resembles a
large skateboard. Snowboarding resembles surfing or skateboarding
on snow. Snowboarders perform many of the
same movements as Alpine and freestyle skiers.
Ski Clothing is specially constructed
to be extremely warm and waterproof. It should also fit snugly
without
restricting movement. Elasticized waist and cuff bands, snaps,
and hook fasteners help keep snow from getting
inside clothing. Most skiers dress in layers to create air
pockets that trap heat. Alpine skiers generally wear
warmer, heavier clothing than cross-country skiers because they
produce less body heat while skiing. Alpine skiers
normally wear thermal underwear, a turtleneck sweater, a parka,
insulated ski pants, waterproof gloves, a hat, and
one pair of medium weight socks. Cross-country skiers dress in
similar clothing but wear looser pants that allow
greater movement. In addition cross-country skiers wear clothes
that can be removed easily. Both Alpine and
cross-country skiers wear goggles or sunglasses.
Snowmobile:
Snowmobile
is a motorized sled that carries one or two people over ice and
snow. People use
snowmobiles for work or recreation. Snowmobiling is a popular
winter sport in Canada, in the Northern United
States, and in colder regions of Europe. The first sled-sized
snowmobiles built by mass production were made in
the late 1950's.
Most snowmobiles measure from 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.4 meters)
long and about 21/2 to 5 feet (0.75 to 1.5
meters) wide. They ride on two short skis on the front of the
vehicle, and a wide track (belt) toward the rear.
An engine of about 8 to 100 horsepower (6 to 75 kilowatts) moves
the track, propelling the snowmobile. The
operator steers with handlebars. Most snowmobiles can go at least
50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour, and some can
go more than twice that speed. Snowmobile operators should make
safety their chief concern. Careless
snowmobiling has resulted in death and serious injury.
Tobogganing: Tobogganing, pronounced tuh
BAHG uhn ihng, is the winter sport of coasting on snow or ice by
means of toboggans, which are sleds without runners. A toboggan
is made of strips of hickory, ash, or maple,
with the front ends curved back. The strips are fastened together
by crosspieces. The under surface is highly
polished. The sled is usually 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters)
long and 11/2 feet (46 centimeters) wide. Four
people usually make up a toboggan team. The one at the rear
steers the sled. Tobogganists have attained a speed
of 900 yards (823 meters) in 30 seconds, or more than 61 mph (98
kph).
Indian hunters first built toboggans made of bark to carry game
over the snow. The Inuit (sometimes called
Eskimos) used to make toboggans of whalebone. Bobsledding, an
offshoot of tobogganing, has become a feature of
the Winter Olympic Games. A bobsled can reach a speed of about 80
mph (128 kph). Both two-seat and
four-seat bobsleds have a standard length of 9 to 12 feet (2.7 to
3.7 meters).
Related Link: Winter Sports in Austria
More
about Winter Sports
There are many different Winter Sports to take part in and to
watch. I have only listed a few of the many
below. This year may be a good year to take up a new Winter
sport. Maybe you should dig out your old ice skates
and go skating . Go ahead and buy some new mittens, a hat and
scarf to keep you warm and make you feel
fashionable. You might want to consider going to a Hockey Game
this season.
Let's look at some of the winter sports and learn about them together:
Ice
Skating:
Ice Skating: Ice
skating is the act of gliding over a smooth surface of ice on ice
skates--boots with attached
metal blades. For hundreds of years, people could ice-skate only
during the winter months in cold climates. They
skated on natural ice surfaces, such as frozen canals, lakes,
ponds, and rivers. Today, machines produce ice in
indoor rinks, making ice skating a form of recreation that can be
enjoyed throughout the year.
History of Ice Skating: The earliest evidence of
ice skating was found among Roman ruins in London and dates
back to 50 B.C. Excavations of the ruins uncovered leather soles
and blades made of polished animal bones. About
A.D. 1100, people in Scandinavia wore skates made of deer or elk
bones, which were strapped to their boots with
leather. These early skates were used for transportation.
Recreational ice skating may have begun during the
1100's in Britain.
Iron blades were first used in the Netherlands about 1250. Steel
blades on wooden soles apparently were first
used about 1400. These skates were lighter than iron skates and
made skating easier.
In 1850, E. W. Bushnell of Philadelphia produced the first
all-steel skates. These skates were light and strong,
and kept their sharp edges longer than iron skates. All-steel
skates greatly increased the popularity of skating.
Skating clubs opened across the country. About 1870, a young
American ballet dancer named Jackson Haines
became the first person to blend creative dance movements with
ice skating. He is credited with introducing
modern figure skating into Europe.
In 1892, the International Skating Union (I.S.U.) was founded.
That year, the first international speed skating
and figure skating competitions were held in Vienna. Figure
skating was included in the 1908 Olympics, and speed
skating became an Olympic event in 1924. Only men competed in
Olympic speed skating until 1960, when women's
competition began. Ice dancing became an Olympic event in 1976.
Men's and women's short-track skating was
added for the 1992 Winter Games.
Related
Links: Figure Skating & Learn2 Understand Hockey &
Learn2 Read Hockey Box
Scores.
Curling
for my Canadian Visitors
Curling is a game played on a
level sheet of ice sprayed with water droplets. Two
four-player rinks (teams) compete on a sheet of ice 146 feet (45
meters) long and 15 feet
7 inches (5 meters) wide. The players slide stones on the ice
toward a target. Curling
probably began in Scotland and the Netherlands about 400 years
ago. It has become
popular in Canada and in more than 20 states in the United
States.
The game. Each player slides two stones toward the house
(target), a 12-foot (3.7-meter)
circle at the far end of the ice. The competitors deliver one
stone at a time, alternating
with their opponents. When all 16 stones have been delivered, a
period called an end or
inning has been played. A game usually consists of 8 or 10 ends
and lasts 2 to 21/2 hours.
The stones of one rink that are closer to the house's center than
any stones of the
opposing rink score one point each. The opposing rink receives no
points in that end.
Related Links: Curling; TSN
Canada Curling News Page & www.curling.com
Skiing
Skiing is the act of gliding over snow on long, narrow runners
called skis. Many skiers enjoy the thrill of speeding
down mountain slopes. Others like the challenge of traveling long
distances across flat or slightly hilly terrain.
Skiing is an extremely popular form of entertainment. It is also
a major competitive sport. There are three types
of skiing: (1) Alpine skiing, (2) Nordic skiing, and (3)
freestyle skiing.
The
most notable change on the American winter sport scene in recent
years has been the boom in recreational
skiing. Although there had been small groups of skiers since the
early 1900s, their interest was primarily in
jumping. Recreational skiing did not gain popularity in North
America until after World War II.
Related Links: Visit Discovery Kids page
about Cross-Country Skiing or
The Weather Channel Skiers'
Forecasts.
Then try out: Learn2 Buy New Skis &
Learn2 Buy Used Skis & Learn2 Tune Your Skis or Snowboard &
Learn2 Cross-Country Skiing
for Beginners & Learn2 Follow Ski and
Snowboard Etiquette.
The
Toboggan and the Bobsled
For a
swift flight over hard-packed snow, tobogganing offers sport that
is as exciting as
skiing. The Indians were the first to use the toboggan, the name
of which goes back
to the Algonquian word odabaggan.
The
Indians probably used the toboggan originally for carrying their
loads of food and supplies through the woods
in winter. The Indian children used the toboggan for sport on the
hillsides. The boys and girls of the northern
tribes found the same pleasure in the swift flight of a toboggan
downhill that boys and girls do today who coast
on their sleds and bobsleds.
Toboggans
vary from single seaters of 4 feet to vehicles of 16 or 20 feet
upon which 12 persons may sit. They
are made of long thin boards with the forward end curved upward.
The steersman may lie at the rear and guide
the toboggan in the right direction by his trailing feet.
Also
popular are disk-shaped sleds made of metal or Fiberglas. These
are sometimes called flying saucer sleds.
They are actually a form of toboggan.
Bobsleds,
or double runners, are made by placing a long narrow platform
above two single sleds. The person at the
front steers by placing his feet on a crossbar attached to the
front sled or by using two ropes fastened to the
points of the forward runners.
Artificial
slides are made by scooping out a channel in the snow and banking
the sides or by building a trough of
wood and filling the bottom with snow. In these slides there is
little or no need of steering, for the sled remains
within the narrow channel.
The
snowmobile, a mechanized sled, has steadily gained popularity
since the early 1960s. Powered by a gas engine,
it runs on a rubber track preceded by a pair of skis.
Sleds
A Sled is a vehicle that has parallel
runners instead of wheels, so that it can move easily over snow
or ice. In the
Far North, where snow and ice cover the ground for many months of
the year, sleds are the chief means of
transportation. People in parts of Alaska and Canada's Yukon
Territory travel on sleds pulled by huskies.
Alaskan sleds are built to stand the roughest travel. The most
common Alaskan sled is the Nome sledge, a long,
narrow type with basketlike sides. A good team of dogs, hitched
to a Nome sledge, can haul 1,000 pounds (450
kilograms) of cargo. The Nansen sled, made of wood and lashed
with rawhide, is wider and lighter than the Nome
sledge. A 30-pound (14-kilogram) Nansen sled can carry a
600-pound (270-kilogram) load. Sleighs called troikas
are used in Russia. They are drawn by horses or reindeer. In
Lapland, reindeer pull sledges carrying heavy goods.
In early times, people made sledges from logs tied together. The
sledges were used to haul cargo over both snow
and bare ground. Later, people found that the sled would move
more easily and quickly if wooden slats, called
runners, were fastened beneath the logs.
Some North American Indians used a toboggan sled that looked like
a canoe on a pair of runners. The Pilgrims
made sleds from a box set on runners.
After 1870, the coasting sled came into use in the United States.
The original coasting sled was the "clipper"
type. It was built low, with long, pointed sides and runners of
round steel rods. The "girl's sled" was a light,
short box, with high, cutout or skeleton sides, and wide, flat
runners. The double-runner or bobsled is formed of
two clipper sleds joined end to end by a board. The rider steers
the sled by means of ropes, a wheel, or a
crossbar. Four to ten people ride in a bobsled. Specially
designed bobsleds of steel and fiberglass are used for
racing in winter sports events.
LaCrosse
~Submitted by Cat~
Annie:
We live on an Indian reservation (my husband is a full blooded
Seneca) and
the following is on my Seneca Page and I wondered if you might
like to have it for
your WINTER SPORTS page: "Lacrosse is a sport that has been
played by the
Senecas, centuries before the White Man's discovery of America.
It continues
to be popular today. Another popular winter sport, Snow Snake, is
the national game
of the Iroquois. Snow snakes are smooth, polished, flexible rods,
made of hard
wood. They are five to nine feet in length; one inch in diameter
at the head,
tapering to half an inch at the tail. When there is abundant
snow, a smooth,
shallow course is laid out by pulling a smooth-barked log in a
straight line. This
packs the snow. The course is then sprinkled with water to form
an ice crust.
Those playing, gather at one end of the track and take turns
throwing the snakes
with force, skill, and accuracy so as to make them travel the
longest distance
possible in the shortest time." You may see the entire page
at my home page: ~Cat
For
more Winter Related Pages visit:
Annie's Winter Welcome Page
Annie's Winter Page
Annie's Snow Page
Annie's Winter Links &
Activities Page
Annie's Winter Symbols & Things
Page
Visit my Annie's Olympics Page for the Winter Olympics
that begin on February 10th, 2006
Send a friend a Jolly Wishes or Snowman Jive ! or Winter Romance card.
You can see all the different cards I have available at Annie's
Card Shop.
Annie's
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