Now let’s see the best sports to participate in during winter –

1. Alpine Snowboarding 

In 1998, it was introduced in the Olympics calendar. Also, it is practised on special grounds. You must need special skiing gear along with a skateboard. Participants mostly enjoy zigzag rails of snow. They can cover a particular distance at different speeds. Participants need to choose a single track so that they can’t change later. As further, they go without derailing or losing track then it is better for them. So if you are planning to participate in this sport then keep this in mind to win the game.

2. Alpine Skiing 

In this type of sport, participants need to use skiing equipment. Such equipment helps to slide down the hills which are covered with snow. It is very important to practice it under professional guidance. This sport can be dangerous to do with yourself without proper guidance and skiing equipment. It is complicated for the beginner. But once you get a hold of it then it’s easy and an enjoyable experience for you as a participant. It requires a lot of practice as more medical assistance and aid is needed for this sport.

3. Figure Skating 

In 1908, Figure skating was the only first winter sport to be included in the Olympics. Its participants can be individuals, duos or teams. Participants need to skate on ice. This sport consists of four categories. Like singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. The good age to start your practice is 4-6 years. Because children pick things quickly and can learn the basics of them. They can grasp the ice skating moves faster than the 2-3-year-olds.

4. Ice Hockey 

Ice Hockey is one of the most popular winter sports to play. It is played consistently in different winter games. It is played just like the general hockey game. But here skaters try to shoot pucks using sticks. Ice hockey is very popular in Canada. It is their national winter sport. It is a game between two teams. Each team consists of six players. Participants need to wear skates and other safety tools. Because of its speed and frequent physical contact it has become one of the most popular international sports.

5. Ski Jumping 

In Ski Jumping a simple concept is applied here. Skiers first wear and handle all the safety equipment and then take off from a descending ramp. They need to jump at the end and try to fly till they can actually. Points are awarded according to the ski jumping style and distance of jump covered.

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Ice Joker

It’s no secret that Playn’ Go have always kept it cool with their slot releases. And this hasn’t changed with their new released slot Ice Joker which was released in December 2020. Grab your warmest jacket and get ready for an icy adventure to the North Pole. You won’t bump into Santa but you’ll experience a winter wonderland. With incredible 3D graphics and animations, which you’ll appreciate as you gaze into the starry sky above and explore the white heaven.

Ice Joker features a five-reel and three-row layout with a fixed 20 paylines. It has an above-average RTP of 96.23% and is medium volatility. Enjoy Frozen Re-spins, Scatter Symbols and Expanding Wilds as you put on your best iceskates and glide across the ice. And it’s definitely worth playing with a jackpot of $300,000!

Santa’s Wild Ride

Take a trip to your favourite time of year in Microgamings new release slot Santa’s Wild Ride. This game was released in November 2010 and has become one of Microgamings most popular slots (all year round). Because who doesn’t love a Christmas themed slot game? It’s the best thing about winter. Remember that feeling as a kid waking up on a frosty Christmas morning rushing downstairs eager to see what Santa Clause has delivered? Staying up late hoping to catch a glimpse of his magical sleigh floating through the sky with his nine loyal reindeers? This game will bring that feeling back to life for you.

Santa’s Wild Ride features five-reel and three-row layout with an incredible 243 ways to win. It has an above-average RTP of 96.47% and medium volatility. You’ll find mince pies, elves, Christmas cakes, cookies, letters, Mrs Clause, reindeers and all things Christmas on the reels! Enjoy Wilds, Scatter Symbols, Free Spin Rounds and an Autoplay option as you get jolly spinning the reels! See what presents this slot game has in store for you. And have the opportunity to win up to $200,000! If that isn’t magic I don’t know what is.

Storms of Ice

Storms of Ice was released by Playtech Vikings extremely recently at the beginning of February 2021. I’m guessing you’ve probably heard about the North American ice storm that caused a lot of damage this February? And left millions of Americans without any power! Well, Storms of Ice follows this theme. You’ll have to keep your wits about you as many objects risk being destroyed on the reels. If you can brave the storm this wintry themed game is one you won’t forget.

This game features a five-reel and three-row layout with 25 fixed paylines. It has an above-average RTP of 96.9% and a low-medium volatility. You can enjoy Free Spin Rounds, Scatter Symbols and Wilds as you persevere through the storm. Gold treasures await you buried in the ice that has long been forgotten.

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However, if as an adult you enjoyed the theme you might be inclined to play a sort of Frozen-esq video slot from Quickspin.

Crystal Queen Artwork

Crystal Queen is a 5 reel, 56 payline video slot featuring similar characters to Frozen. You’ll spot a friendly looking reindeer (or is it an Elk? it’s hard to know for sure), and a handsome woodsman. The star of the show is the Crystal Queen herself. White haired (like Elsa) with a glittering crown adorned with crystals, her character is framed against a deep purple and pink starry night sky. There’s a red haired character too in the form of the beautiful princess.

Game special features

The scatter symbol is a stunning red jewel in a gold frame. Hit 3 or more jewel symbols on the reels and you’ll trigger 10 free spins! You’ll also unlock more rows giving you more chance to hit paylines and win more money.

Swooping reels occur when you win a winning combination. The symbols disappear and more swoop down to replace them meaning you get an extra chance of making a winning combination. At the top you’ll notice 3 frozen rows. When you win the row above will melt giving you more paylines and a x3 multiplier. When you hit 3 winning combinations in a row the top row will melt and you’ll get x5 multiplier. These rows will stay unfrozen until you don’t make a winning payline and the reels will refreeze.

Wilds

There are also two types of wild symbols in the game. You have regular wild and a spreading wild.  Regular wilds appear on reels 4 and 5 during the base game and spreading wilds appear on reels 1, 2 and 3.  During the free spins round regular wilds appear on reels 1, 2, 4 and 5. Spreading wilds appear on reels 2, 3 and 4 whilst free spins are in session. Naturally you’ll be happy to hit wilds and increase your chances of winning!

Where can you play Crystal Queen?

If you want to play Crystal Queen for real money you will need to open a new online casino account.  You should register at a fully licensed and regulated casino to make sure your information and transactions are safe and secure. If you want to try this game for free you can play it at CasinosJungle.com.

Any online casino operator that is hosting Quickspin games will most likely have the Crystal Queen slot game available. You’ll be able to play on your mobile or on desktop. Let’s hope you get a lucky break and hit a big win hot enough to defrost even the iciest Queen.

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720 Ways To Win

The game is not designed like a regular Las Vegas or Atlantic City slot game. The game is designed with 5 reels but in a 3, 4, 5, 4, 3 formation. In the base game the symbol you want to his is the “Siberian Storm” logo – strike 5 of these and win x1000 your bet. 5 orange tigers will payout x400 and 5 white tigers will payout x300. There are other lower symbols including an amber bracelet, a tiger’s eye, a horn and blue, purple, green claw like jewels. Plus there’s a wild symbol which appears on reels 2, 3 and 4 and substitutes for the tigers and the Siberian storm symbol. Wins pay left to right and right to left!

Siberian Storm Free Spins

Hit the tigers eye symbols in any position on 5 consecutive reels to trigger 8 free spins. If more than one combination per spin awards free spins (if say one of the reels has two tiger’s eyes and the rest have one) the sum of all the spins on the winning combination is awarded. This means if you are really, really lucky you could earn up to 96 free spins! You can retrigger free spins up to a maximum of 240 free spins. That is an incredible amount of free spins and surely an opportunity to win a massive amount!  During the free spins round the symbols look different.

Game Design

The theme is a Siberian frozen landscape. An icy scene with snow covering the forest floor fills the background. The reels themselves are frozen with icicles and ice sculpture tigers heads.

How To Play

You can play Siberian Storm on a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. You should also be able to try out the game for free in demo mode. This will give you a chance to see how the game works. You can see what kind of payouts to expect from each combination and to see if you like the theme and game style. Playing free is a great way to explore the game and try to trigger the free spins round completely risk free! If you want to play with real money, you’ll be able to find Siberian Storm at any online casino offering IGT games.  Alternatively you can find this video slot in many land based casinos. Particularly famous in Las Vegas, Siberian Storm can be found all over the world!

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The history of the Ice Capades

The Ice Capades was the brain child of a group of people calling themselves the Arena Managers Association. They represented all the major arenas in the area – including Boston Garden, Springfield Coliseum, Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, and Philadelphia Arena. Their goal was to form an ice show that could tour their arenas in 1940 and 1941.  Crowd numbers increased for hockey matches when some half time entertainment was booked, noted Pittsburg rink owner John H. Harris. His vision for the show was a sort of carnival-on-ice. Jugglers, comedians, chorus girls, and professional skaters were hired to entertain the crowds. The chorus girls in particular drew in crowds and Harris named them the Ice Ca-pets.

The show was a smash hit, with something of a Vegas style show but made for families. The show was also far more accessible, being brought to local arenas. Stars of the day featured, performing acts found more commonly on vaudeville stages. All was going very well for the Ice Capades until… the 80’s….

Decline capades

Times change. Shows that once delighted children and families were now being jostled aside for the video games, arcade era of the 1980’s.  The Ice Capades tried to inspire audiences to attend, referencing pop culture. Shows included Smurfs and the Flintstones.  Even in the 90’s the show tried to be more accessible featuring music and acts nodding to Goldfinger, The Pink Panther, West Side Story and Rocky IV.

There was another underlying issue with the whole show on ice spectacle. Ice skating had acquired a more sophisticated audience appreciating a more grown up show. Figure skating has become popularised in the Winter Olympics. A new show “Stars on Ice” enabled amateur but highly skilled ice skaters to perform for money.  Disney also brought out “Disney on Ice” so younger audiences could still see their favourite cartoon characters performing in the rink. This resulted in dwindling audiences for the Ice Capades and eventually was forced to file for bankruptcy. There was a final saving grace when the company was sold to Dorothy Hamill and then Pat Robertson and a Cinderella themed tour was announced. The tour was due to visit 64 cities across America, but when the time came, the arenas were not sold out and the show was cancelled. And with it, the Ice Capades.

Revival

There was an attempt to revive the show in the year 2000 by former skating champion Almut Lehmann Peyper.  However, the show did not perform financially well as hoped so the show was closed by November.  Another revival attempt happened in 2008 but the following Spring the event organisers canceller the tour.  Asides from a reunion that occur with former Ice Capades members, it seems the show has been finally laid to rest.

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Winter Berries

Brought to you by Yggrasil, Winter Berries is a fruity, frosty winter treat. This is a 5 reel, 25 payline, 96.7% RTP slot. The key feature in this game is Sticky Wins. When you hit a winning combination the berries get frozen in ice and the reels respin giving you more chances to win! The more reels that are frozen, the higher the multiplier will be. The sound effects of the berries crisping over when they freeze are particularly satisfying.

Wild North

Playn’Go has created a northern wilderness inspired 5 reel slot game called Wild North.  There are 40 paylines and special features include scatter icons. Match 3 scatters which will result in unlocking the Northern Lights Bonus round. The bonus round grants you free spins and multipliers. High paying game symbols include the bear, wold, lynx, deer and owl. This game has remained popular with players because of the attention to detail in the natural artwork. In particular when you trigger the northern lights bonus you see the evidence of the care and attention applied by the Play’n Go game designers. And the potential big wins make it an exciting way to spend some time.

Icy Wonders

Icy Wonders video slot game is brought to you by Netent. The game features some cute penguins characters. There is a bonus round that gives you the chance to pick a penguin. Depending on the penguin you pick you could receive 10, 20 or 30 free spins! Plus you’ll get a x2 multiplier to give your winnings a boost. This is a low variance game with an RTP of 93.5% so this is one for beginners.

Winter Wonders

Red Tiger Gaming has created Winter Wonders, a magical fairy inspired slot. The reels are adorned with hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades for the low paying symbols. High paying symbols include the fairy, a crown, a jewelled necklace and a jewelled snowflake. Strike x3 purple and blue Free Spins symbols to trigger the free spins bonus. Other features include Magic Nudge, Big Wilds, Special Reels and Magic Reels. You’ll start the game in a frozen winter wonderland, maybe the fairy can bring some warmer wins you way!

Northern Sky

This is a 9 line video slot created by Quickspin. It is largely popular due to the intricate details in the design, which make it very attractive to players. Winter animals such as bears, wolves, owls and caribou are the key symbols. They appear to be carved out of crystals or gems to add a mystical, wealthy feel to the game! Northern Sky is a high variance slot with beautiful Northern Lights inspired artwork in the background. Key features include free spins and unlimited respins!

Frost Bite

If you are an old school type of slots player, this might be the winter themed game for you. Frost Bite is a Microgaming classic 3 reel slot with one payline. Symbols include frost bite, snowflakes, bars, and a creature that looks like a combination of Alice in Wonderland’s Cheshire Cat and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. He is frozen blue and giving you a big smile. Bet 2 coins and hit 3 Frost Bite symbols you’ll win x1600 your bet.

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The Day After Tomorrow:

If there was ever a shock awakening about climate change this is it. In the Day After Tomorrow, starring Jake Gyllenhall, the whole world is becoming an icy tundra.  New York is freezing over and a new ice age is coming.  Warning you may want to wear an extra jumper when you see how much snow and ice there is.

White Christmas:

This is the classic feel good romantic musical comedy starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. Released in 1954 it’s still a popular watch during the holiday season. Even if you’ve never seen it, you’ll probably know a few lyrics. I’m dreaming, of a white Christmas just like the ones I used to know… Feel good Hollywood classic.

Home Alone:

Another Christmas movie that deserves a mention. Kevin McCallister, played by child star Macaulay Culkin, gets left alone by accident when his huge family goes on vacation. Kevin must defend his home from a couple of robbers and he does so by setting up lots of clever (and painful) tricks and traps. This is 90’s slapstick comedy at it’s finest.   The whole movie is set in a wintery snow scene and will certainly make you feel warm and cosy.

The Shining:

Let’s take a dark turn and explore the movie based on Stephen King’s novel, The Shining. The film starts off bright and sunny with Jack Nicholson playing writer Jack Torrance taking his wife and son to a remote hotel in the Rockies. The winter rolls in and with it Jack starts to lose his mind… This is a classic Kubrick movie. Scary, creepy and exciting and all set in the snowy Rocky mountains. You’ll be glad you have a warm blanket to hide behind!

Die Hard:

This brilliant Bruce Willis action movie has it all.  It’s Christmas Eve and a load of office workers having their staff Christmas party in the Nakatomi Plaza, including hero John McClane’s wife.  German villain Hans Gruber holds the party goers hostage in order to steal millions in bonds and its up to John McClane to save the day. Action and adventure in the dead of a winter’s night.   Perfect!

The Revenant:

This 2015 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy will certainly make you feel glad you’re in a nice warm home. The main characters are out on a fur trading expedition through the American wilderness. It is freezing cold and the protagonist must overcome many difficult challenges in order to survive the wild. He also nearly gets killed by a grizzly bear, so it’s a pretty hard time for him.  Not a feel good movie but it is an epic and won plenty of awards.

There are a ton of Christmas themed movies that you might also enjoy for your winter themed home cinema session. What about Polar Express, The Santa Clause, Scrooged, How The Grinch Stole Christmas or A Christmas Carol just for starters? Whatever you choose, enjoy it!

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Most people will know this song – Winter Wonderland. Originally the song was written by Felix Bernard and Richard Bernhard Smith in 1934. First recorded by Richard Himber this hugely popular song has been covered by many many artists.

Any idea how many times Winter Wonderland has been covered? You know it’s got to be a lot, because it really is very famous. It probably features on most Christmas albums as a classic song. Any ideas?

The answer is Winter Wonderland has been covered over 200 times!

Song Origins

According to Spinditty, Richard Bernhard Smith suffered from tuberculosis as a child. As a result he was largely confined to his room and could only watch children having fun in the snow scape below. He penned his thoughts and feelings into a poem which was later set to music. Poor Richard eventually died of his illness at only 33 years old. It is nice to imagine that the sadness of his story has been vastly over shadowed. He has left behind a musical gem that has survived long after his death and is beloved by many.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular cover versions of the song…

Darlene Love

Released in 1964, Darlene Love brought out this delightful, 60’s girl group style version. The track was featured on Phil Spector’s “A Christmas Gift For You”. It’s impossible to sit still when this rendition comes on the airwaves or in a movie soundtrack. Darlene with her distinctive, powerful voice has been listed in Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 greatest singers of all time and 2011 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame.

Dean Martin

In 1966 Dean Martin released “The Dean Martin Christmas Album.” With his recognisable, classic easy going style the album was a hit. He sold 850,000 albums in December 1966.

Tony Bennett

Just two years later in 1968, Winter Wonderland was covered by popular singer Tony Bennett. The track was included on his first Christmas album “Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album.” The album was released in 1994 and again in 2007.

Michael Bublé

Our modern day crooner, Michael Bublé has a smash hit Christmas album. Released in 2011, his 7th album topped the charts and so far has sold over 12 million copies around the world. The album featured covers of many popular Christmas songs such as “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”,  Winter Wonderland appeared on the deluxe edition of the album along with Frosty the Snowman and Silver Bells.

Other famous artists who have covered this track include Leona Lewis, The Andrews Sisters, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Kool and the Gang, Robbie Williams, and many more!

The fact that it has stood the test of time demonstrates what a beautiful sentiment this song embodies. No doubt Richard Bernhard Smith would be extremely proud of the longevity of his words.

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The Winter Games History

The first ever Winter Olympics was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. Events were held over 11 days. The key events were cross country skiing, Nordic combined skiing, military patrol skiing, ski jumping, curling, ice hockey, bobsleigh, figure skating and speed skating. Since then the games have been held every 4 years except for during World War II.  The games have developed and expanded with many more sports added including snowboarding. For a period of time the summer and winter olympics were held during the same year but after 1992 the games were split into alternating even years.

Pyeong Chang 2018

The last Winter Olympics were held at Pyeong Chang in South Korea. This was the first time ever the Winter Games had been held in the country. Some new sports were added to the international competition – mixed team alpine skiing and mixed doubles curling. Also added was mass start speed skating and big air snowboarding. The traditional torch relay was marked by the inclusion of 7,500 torch bearers to represent the population of 75million people. Additionally, the torch was protected by 2018 support runners.

Highlights included Czech Republic’s Esther Ledecka who won gold medals in two different sports. She took gold in the super-G skiing event and snowboarding parallel giant slalom.  Canadians Tess Virtue and Scott Moir took gold in ice dance and in the team competition, becoming the most decorated and famous figure skaters in the history of the Winter Olympics.

Russia was subject to a doping scandal and lost a bronze medal that had been won in the mixed doubles curling.

Beijing 2022

The next Winter Games starts on Friday 4th of February 2022 and ends on Sunday 20th of February. The games will be held across 3 provinces and attract international participants from around the world.

However, the games are often the subject to controversy and political under tones. The upcoming games are no different, with many calls to boycott the games. The reason for the criticism is to highlight human rights issues in China. In particular focus at the moment is the labor program in Xinjiang for the Uighurs. Countries around the world are still deciding whether to designate China’s actions as genocide. In October 2020 over 160 human rights groups requested the games be moved. However, the International Olympic Committee has yet to make any kind of concession. Their stance seems to be to separate politics and sport.

This wouldn’t be the first time boycotts have been used during the Winter Games. In 1980 the USA and allies staged a walk out of the summer games. This was in response to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. In return communist countries refused to participate in Los Angeles games in 1984.

Betting on the Winter Games

As technology has advanced, audiences around the world can view in depth analysis, statistics and close up shots of all the winter games events. Popular online betting sites for Canadians include betway sports, spin sports, and 888sport. The Olympics are so famous and enjoyed by people around the world. For this reason most online bookmakers will offer odds on major events. Betting on sporting events can make the result a bit more fun. However, we strongly urge you to only bet for entertainment, and only what you can afford to lose. Anything can happen on the event day, there are no guaranteed wins!

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Queen of the North video slot

Head up to the frozen north to this snow covered landscape. Here you’ll find the Queen of the North herself, a mystical Celtic woman. Flanked by creatures of nature, including an owl and a formidable stag, she holds a magic staff. Her hair is long and silver, adorned with traditional plaits and a jewelled crown. She’s here to (hopefully) help you win a substantial jackpot prize. It also seems like she’s on a mission to take over the north.

This slot game has an RTP (return to player) of 96.09% and there’s a chance to win 200,000 coins jackpot!

This is a 5 reel, 5 payline video slot game. The game has a medium – high variance and features Wilds, Free Spins, Scatters and a gamble feature.

Game symbols

Symbols featured in the game include The Queen Of The North, an owl with a full moon, a white reindeer, a sickle, mystical herbs, a ring with a deep blue gemstone, and Ace, King, Queen, Jack Ten low paying symbols. Naturally the symbol you want to get is the Queen, as she can provide x500 your stake.

Free spins round

Hi x3 of the gold celtic knot to unlock x15 free spins! During the free spins round the Queen of the North wild symbol expands to cover the whole reel. And in turn this will help you score big wins!

This is definitely not one of the better known Bally slot games (now owned by SG) Launched in 2016 you may have come across it already. There’s nothing wildly exciting about the game but the soundtrack is good and the graphics are solid.  The payout is not bad either and much better than some you would find in a land based casino.

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