With the winter season already upon us, our thoughts start to turn to images that evoke the spirit of December, the lead up to Christmas and the wintry months that follow the turn of the year. Cogitations of snow trickling down, glazing the floor in the wintry white powder, the prospect of presents being exchanged, and perhaps the potential to bolt on a pair of skis and take advantage of the natural beauties around Vancouver all spring to mind.
While Vancouver is ideal for nature lovers and those who adore the outdoors, there are alternative ways to enjoy the winter activities without leaving the warmth of the house. For sports fans especially, the winter season opens a plethora of sporting entertainment away from the ice rinks and football fields. With slopes open for business around British Columbia, the interest in sports such as alpine skiing, biathlons, cross country skiing and ski jumping suddenly piques.
Over recent years, there has been another growing movement that compliments sports perfectly and could prove a perfect fit for the colder months of the year too. The rise in sports betting has captured the attention of sports fans all over the country due to the added dimension of interaction the activity gives to following and watching sports. While watching sports has been a favoured pastime for centuries, the act of wagering on sporting events is beginning to establish itself in the mainstream and it does not only apply to the more popular sports such as NHL, NFL, and NBA, but also to other sports like those on the snow.
Springboard for Lesser-Known Sports
While there is added excitement to a sporting event provided by placing a wager on a person or team, sports betting has also boosted the profiles of lesser-known sports such as alpine skiing and cross-country skiing, with more betting markets emerging on Canadian sportsbooks. With the 2026 Winter Olympics just over a year away, winter sports betting online with online sportsbooks such as LuckyKoala not just give fans of snow sports, but also general sports fans the opportunity to scout out the next potential winner of the ski jumping at the Winter Olympics or favourites at the plethora of ski-related events held in Finland and around Europe at this time of the year.
Skiing Set to Take Centre Stage
The concept of betting on sports online was given lift off in April 2022, when Ontario became the first province to legalize and regulate sports betting. The passing of this legislation gave sports in Canada an even greater profile and more exposure and increased the anticipation and clamour around sporting events throughout the year.
For this time of the year, the aforementioned snow sports are set to take centre stage, with events such as the Alpine Ski World Cup already in full swing. With prestigious tournaments and championships set to follow in the coming months, there is plenty of skiing to get excited about. Between 28th December 2024 – 6th January 2025, the Four Hills Tournament in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck will welcome the best ski jumpers in the world, with the competition levels ramping up even further in Trondheim for the World Championships taking place between 25th February and 9th March 2025. The Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing World Cup and the various disciplines involved add even more excitement to the winter sports calendar. The challenge is finding time for all of it, and potentially picking the champions.
