Fun Facts
» Skiers in alpine events make a series of turns while racing down the hill at speeds of more than 130km per hour
» In the 1952 Olympic Games, one competitor crossed the finish line in the slalom race backwards!
» Super-G and downhill ski poles are curved to fit around the body, but slalom and giant slalom poles are straight

Library Books
» Alpine and Freestyle Skiing
» Alpine Skiing : the Story of Canadians in the Olympic Winter Games
» Alpine Skiing: Steps to Success

Websites about Alpine Skiing
» Vancouver 2010 Page
See also: Paralympic Alpine Skiing
» Wikipedia Page
» Alpine Canada Alpin
» Print an informative Alpine Skiing poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» Biathlon means "the joining of two contests" where athletes combine cross-country skiing with rifle shooting
» The sport began as a military exercise for Norwegian soldiers

Library Books
» Biathlon, Cross-Country, Ski-Jumping, and Nordic Combined
» The Winter Olympics: An Insider's Guide to the Legends, the Lore, and the Games

Websites about Biathlon
» Vancouver 2010 Page
See also: Paralympic Biathlon
» Wikipedia Page
» Biathlon Canada
» Print an informative Biathlon poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» Bobsleigh got its name because early racers bobbed up and down to go faster
» A typical bobsleigh race lasts only 55-60 seconds
» Bobsledders wear shoes with spikes on them so they can run on the ice

Library Books
» Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton

Websites about Bobsleigh
» Vancouver 2010 Page
» Wikipedia Page
» Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton
» Print an informative Bobsleigh poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» The first people to cross-country ski were the Vikings more than 4,000 years ago.
» Cross-country skis do not rest flat against the snow but flex slightly upward under the skier's foot.
» Watch a video (7 mins) about cross-country skiing

Library Books
» Cross-Country Skiing for Everyone
» Cross-Country Skiing: The Story of Canadians in the Olympic Winter Games
»The Cross-Country Primer

Websites about Cross-Country Skiing
» Vancouver 2010 Page
See also: Paralympic Cross-Country Skiing
» Wikipedia Page
» Cross Country Canada
» Print an informative Cross-Country Skiing poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» Curling is often called "chess on ice" as players maneuver their rocks into scoring positions
» The curling stones weigh 42.1 pounds
» Watch a video (6 mins) about curling

Library Books
» Curling Secrets: How to Think & Play Like a Pro
» Curling: The Story of Canadians in the Olympic Winter Games
» Open House: Canada and the Magic of Curling
» Curling

Websites about Curling
» Vancouver 2010 Page
See also: Wheelchair Curling
» Wikipedia Page
» Canadian Curling Association
» Print an informative Curling poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» The first ice skates were made by tying animal bones to shoes
» Figure Skating became an Olympic Sport in the Summer Olympics of 1908
» It was the first Olympic Winter Sport

Library Books
» Figure Skating: The Story of Canadians in the Olympic Winter Games
» Figure Skating's Greatest Stars
» Olympic Ice Skating
» The Complete Book of Figure Skating

Websites about Figure Skating
» Vancouver 2010 Page
» Wikipedia Page
» Skate Canada
» Print an informative Figure Skating poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» Freestyle skiing involves three events: aerials, moguls and ski cross
» Aerial skiers can reach heights up to 15 metres on a jump
» Ski cross is the newest Olympic freestyle skiing event, making its debut at the 2010 games.
Watch a video of the sport
» A ski cross race lasts only about 60 seconds from start to finish, with competitors reaching speeds of up to 70 km per hour

Library Books
» Alpine and Freestyle Skiing
» Ski: Your Guide to Cross-country, Downhill, Jumping, Racing, Freestyle, and More
» The Winter Olympics: An Insider's Guide to the Legends, the Lore, and the Games

Websites about Freestyle Skiing
» Vancouver 2010 Page
» Wikipedia Page
» Canadian Freestyle Ski Association
» Print an informative Freestyle Skiing poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» The word hockey comes from the French word "hocquet" which means stick
» Hockey made its Olympic debut in 1920, but was part of the summer Olympic games
» A good hockey player can move the puck at speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour

Library Books
» Home Ice: Canada's 2010 Men's Olympic Hockey Team Guide
» Canada's Olympic Hockey History, 1920-2010
» Ice Hockey: The Story of Canadians in the Olympic Winter Games
» Canada Gold: Canadian Men & Women Hockey Champions

Websites about Ice Hockey
» Vancouver 2010 Page
See also: Ice Sledge Hockey
» Wikipedia Page
» Hockey Canada
» Print informative Men's Hockey and Women's Hockey posters from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» Competitors lie on a sled and race feet first down a track
» Luge is the fastest sliding sport, sometimes reaching 145 km per hour
» There are no brakes on a luge

Library Books
» Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton
» The Winter Olympics: An Insider's Guide to the Legends, the Lore, and the Games

Websites about Luge
» Vancouver 2010 Page
» Wikipedia Page
» Canadian Luge Association
» Print informative Luge poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» Nordic Combined is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and ski jumping
» "Nordic" means "from the north"
» The time between the ski jumping competition and the cross country race can be as little as 35 minutes

Library Books
» Biathlon, Cross-country, Ski Jumping, and Nordic Combined
» The Winter Olympics: An Insider's Guide to the Legends, the Lore, and the Games

Websites about Nordic Combined
» Vancouver 2010 Page
» Wikipedia Page
» Nordic Combined Canada
» Print informative Nordic Combined poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» In this sport, four skaters race at the same time with no lanes. Collisions are common!
» Short track skaters must wear helmets, knee pads and shin pads to protect themselves
» Canada and China are tied for second place for most short track Olympic medals
» Watch a video

Library Books
» Speed Skating
» Speed Skating: The Story of Canadians in the Olympic Winter Games

Websites about Short Track Speed Skating
» Vancouver 2010 Page
» Wikipedia Page
» Speed Skating Canada
» Print informative Short Track poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» Competitors race down a track on their stomachs on sleds
» Skeleton got its name because the first sleds used looked like human skeletons
» Skeleton riders wear chin guards and spiked shoes

Library Books
» Bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton
» The Winter Olympics: An Insider's Guide to the Legends, the Lore, and the Games

Websites about Skeleton
» Vancouver 2010 Page
» Wikipedia Page
» Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton
» Print informative Skeleton poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» Jumpers can reach speeds of up to 97 km/hr and jump a distance of up to 140m
» Finland has won the most Olympic gold medals with 10, Canada has yet to win a medal in the sport
» Currently, only men can compete in Ski Jumping at the Olympics
» Watch a video

Library Books
» Ski-Jumping: The Story of Canadians in the Olympic Winter Games
» Ski: Your Guide to Cross-country, Downhill, Jumping, racing, Freestyle, and More

Websites about Ski Jumping
» Vancouver 2010 Page
» Wikipedia Page
» Ski Jumping Canada
» Print informative Ski Jumping poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» The snowboard was invented in 1917 and was first made of wooden barrel boards
» Snowboarding was banned at most mountains until the 1990s because it was seen as rebellious and dangerous
» Early snowboards were called "snufers"
» Snowboarders have their own language. If you are an airdog (a snowboarder who loves to do high jumps), make sure you don't biff (wipe out)!
» In 1998, Canada's Ross Rebagliati was the first to win an Olympic gold medal in snowboarding
» Watch a video

Library Books
» Snowboard
» Snowboarding
» Off the Chain: An Insider's History of Snowboarding

Websites about Snowboarding
» Vancouver 2010 Page
» Wikipedia Page
» Canada Snowboard
» Print informative Snowboarding poster from the Vancouver Sun

Fun Facts
» Long track Speed Skating began in the Netherlands in the Middle Ages. In the 1200s, people were skating and racing along the frozen canals.
» Speed skating is the fastest human-powered, non-mechanical sport in the world
» Speed skaters wear special aerodynamic body suits that even cover their heads
» Watch a video

Library Books
» Speed Skating
» Speed Skating: The Story of Canadians in the Olympic Winter Games

Websites about Speed Skating
» Speed Skating
» Richmond Olympic Oval: the long track speed skating venue
» Wikipedia Page
» Speed Skating Canada
» Print informative Speed Skating poster from the Vancouver Sun