6 winter sports you’ve probably never heard of

Just because it's winter doesn't mean you have to put away your kayak. Instead, why not take it to the hills? But be warned, snow kayaking is not for the faint of heart. In fact, helmet use is highly encouraged—though you can leave your lifejacket at home.

Shovel racing might sound a little silly, but it's an extreme sport. The practice began at a New Mexico ski hill in the 1970s, when ski lift operators, bored of riding the lifts down the hill at the end of the day, began sliding down on shovels instead. The sport grew into an annual race, which actually had to be discontinued for a few years because it was deemed too dangerous. Shovel riders can reach speeds of 65 miles per hour! You may never look at a shovel the same way again.

When it comes to acrobatics, figure skating gets all the glory, but there is another winter sport that's all about form and grace: ski ballet. Ski ballet also has one distinction that none of the other sports on this list share: it was an Olympic sport (if only for two years, 1988 and 1992). It's no longer a competition sport with the International Ski Federation, but there are diehards and revivalists out there keeping it alive.

Yukigassen involves getting into teams and pelting one another with snowballs, but it's no ordinary snowball fight—it's an all-out snow battle. It's basically a snowy version of capture the flag, complete with player positions and ice barriers. Teams try to capture their opponents' flag, but if you get hit by a snowball, you're out. The sport originated in Japan, but it's gone international. Jasper, Alberta has even hosted Yukigassen tournaments!

There's just one problem with most of the sports on this list: they don't involve horse-drawn chariots. But the Winter Cutter Races in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, remedy this with their gladiator-style chariot races on ice. Two-horse teams race a quarter-mile in whatever conditions the winter offers up. Just think of it as Ben Hur on ice.

Now here's a simple sport for wintertime. Step one: build an outhouse (does not need to be fully functional). Step two: race it through the snowy streets. Ok, we don't know how this tradition got started, but we do love the creativity behind the many themed outhouses. Whenever crafting and winter sports come together, it's an automatic win.