According to official data, modern sport includes more than 200 different disciplines. About 30 sports are included in the program of the Summer or Winter Olympic Games. However, there are hundreds and even thousands of unofficial sports all over the world, or sports that are known only locally, only in some country, region or city.
Most sports fans follow football, volleyball, basketball, hockey and boxing matches. These sports are well-known and globally advertised. There are also many fans in such sports as cricket, tennis, Formula 1 racing and Moto GP. Billiards, swimming and even curling have their own audience of fans as well.
But there are also sports that shock and amaze in the variety of sports disciplines. Most people do not know about them and have never even heard of them.
Winter Triathlon
Let’s start with a triathlon but with an uncommon one. Many have heard of the summer triathlon, which is part of the official program of the Olympic Games. This competition consists of three stages – swimming, running and cycling, which athletes pass without a break.
However, this sport has a winter version. For obvious reasons, winter triathlon does not include swimming, as swimming in winter is impossible or at least a dangerous activity. Instead of swimming, athletes do a ski run. Marathon and bike cross are included in the winter triathlon also.
Wakeboard
Wakeboarding is a sport that is similar to snowboarding, but instead of a snowy slope, the athletes use the water surface – lake, river or artificial ponds. A wakeboard is similar to a snowboard, but if in the winter version of this sport the athlete rolls down the mountain, then in this sport an additional boat or winch is required.
Wakeboard is one of the sports that is very popular among fans of extreme entertainment. Despite the fact that you can find official wakeboard competitions, it is not yet included in the program of the Olympic Games. On the other hand, snowboarding was recently included in the program of the Winter Olympics.
Skibobbing
If you love cycling but can’t ride a bike during the snowy season, learn more about skibobbing. Skibobbing is downhill skiing on a special sled that looks a bit like a bicycle. Instead of wheels, these sledges have skis.
Zorbing
Let’s turn to more extreme and more unusual sports. One of them is zorbing. The goal of the zorbing competition is to go down the mountain inside a special inflatable ball. An alternative variant of the competition is to overcome the river.
For the first time entertainment appeared in the middle of the 70s of the last century. As a sports discipline, zorbing began to interest athletes in the mid-90s. Despite its young age, this sport attracts a wide audience of extreme sports enthusiasts. In addition, zorbing is a popular attraction in some countries.
Snow Polo
The classic version of polo involves two teams of riders on horses who hit the ball with the help of special clubs. A winter version of this game also exists, although it is less popular. Snow polo is a well-known sport in “snow” parts of Europe, as well as in some northern states of the United States.
Like the summer version of this sport, winter polo is an expensive hobby. To take part in matches, you need to spend money on the maintenance and training of horses. Therefore, this sport remains inaccessible to a wide audience.
Underwater Hockey
Traditional hockey is an extremely popular game in the USA, Canada, Russia, Scandinavian countries. A less popular variation of this game is field hockey or ice hockey (not with a puck, but with a ball).
The most interesting variant of hockey is underwater one. The game takes place in the pool, a special puck moves along the bottom of the pool, and the players use special short sticks to hit it. Underwater hockey players do not use scuba gear with compressed O2, so in order to become a successful player, you need to be able to hold your breath for a long time.
There are not so many fans of this sport, as well as professional athletes. Bets on underwater hockey matches are not accepted either. You can learn more about bets and bookmakers at this link, but remember that sports betting is dangerous for your personal budget. Do not risk amounts that you cannot afford to spend on entertainment.
Chess and Boxing
This is probably the most unpredictable and spectacular sport, the competitions of which are held indoors – it is a hybrid of two sports disciplines, boxing and chess.
Competitions are held in several rounds. First, two opponents sit down at a table with a chessboard and play a regular chess game. Then, after a certain time (3-5 min), the game changes and the two participants have a short boxing match. Then the situation repeats itself, and the opponents continue the chess game. The winner is the one who either knocks out the opponent or checkmates him in a chess game.
Bossaball
Continuing the theme of hybrid sports, bossaball is a Spanish sport that is a hybrid of gymnastics, football and volleyball.
Outwardly, bossaball resembles volleyball, since there are two teams and grid. However, unlike classic volleyball, trampolines are located on the field, and players can jump high and make up to 5 touches of the ball, hitting it with any part of the body.
Quidditch
Quidditch is the most unusual sport on our list. Fans of books about the young wizard Harry Potter may guess that this one looks like something described in the works of a famous British writer. And they are right.
Of course, unlike the original, players in Quidditch don’t use magic to move around on the field. Instead, they move by running (but there are still brooms involved – the players simply carry them in their hands). Several balls of different colors are the main sports equipment in Quidditch. The game is popular among young people and teenagers. However, it is not recognized as an official sport in any country.