Winter Sports Trends in the Rocky Mountains

The ski region surrounding the winter sports destination of Alberta in the Canadian part of the Rocky Mountains is one of the best-known and most popular ski destinations in North America. One of the biggest advantages of the Alberta ski region is the natural quality of the powder snow that covers the local slopes and trails, making artificial snowmaking largely or even entirely unnecessary.

In recent years, alongside the traditional disciplines of skiing and snowboarding, a number of new winter sports trends have taken hold in the Rocky Mountains. In their original or adapted forms, these have gradually been adopted by other ski resorts around the world. Specific examples of these trends in and around Alberta include skijoring, igloo building and ski mountaineering.

Skijoring, which was originally invented in Scandinavia over 100 years ago but only became popular in Canada, is roughly comparable to water skiing. Instead of a motorboat, the skier is pulled across the slopes or trails by one or more dogs, which is why skijoring also incorporates some elements of traditional sled dog races. Numerous operators in Alberta offer igloo-building activities. They not only teach tourists how to build an igloo properly, but also aim to give them a theoretical understanding of Inuit dwellings. At the end of these workshops, participants spend the night in the igloos, which can provide adequate protection from wind and cold thanks to the insulating properties of snow. Ski mountaineering combines alpine skiing, off-piste skiing and snowshoeing. The ascent follows sometimes very challenging routes through deep snow, before the descent takes skiers back down at high speed on well-groomed slopes. This form of recreation can be described as both adventurous and physically demanding, and should only be undertaken in groups.