In Calgary, you participate in your favorite Harry Potter sport, play hockey at the bottom of the pool or throw an ax. That sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? So if the usual sports have bored you, it’s time to try something different. Check out the top 5 unusual sports available in Calgary, up next on icalgary.
- Ax throwing
Modern ax throwing involves throwing at a target. The task is to hit the bull’s eye as close as possible. Typically, targets are made of cottonwood, poplar, or pine.
Historically, ax throwing was part of the competition among lumberjacks. The creation of the Backyard Axe Throwing League in 2006 is credited with actively revitalizing this long-standing sport. The first commercial ax throwing venues opened in the United Kingdom and Poland in 2016, followed by Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
It is critical to ensure that the distance between the throwing line and the target is 3.7 m, so the ax can only rotate once. However, the rules vary from country to country, so not everyone complies with this requirement.
If you want to try this rather dangerous sport, you should know that the ax should have a wooden handle and weigh about half a kilogram. BATL Grounds, an ax throwing establishment, has been launched in Calgary since July 2015. So, head on over and join the local Ax Throwing League.
- Goalball
It is a sports game during which one team must throw a ball with a built-in buzzer into the goal of the other opposing team. This game was developed in 1946 as a rehabilitation exercise for World War II veterans who had difficulty seeing.
The game involves two teams of three players each. There can be three reserve players in each team. Players are not allowed to kick the ball. During the game, fans must remain quiet so as not to prevent players from tracking the ball with their hearing. The playground itself should contain tactile markings to enable players to find their positions in the playing area by checking the markings with their feet or hands.
The game is most popular among visually impaired people. Each player must wear a blindfold or tinted glasses to ensure a level playing field. Goalball finds itself on the list of the Paralympic Games program. This type of para-sport, unlike others, is not an adapted version of an existing sport.
During the 1950s and 1960s, goalball grew into a competitive sport. It debuted as a demonstration sport in the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany, before becoming a Paralympic sport at the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto. The first World Goalball Championship was held in Austria in 1978.
Notable goalball athletes in Calgary include Aron Ghebreyohannes and Tiana Knight. The Alberta Blind Sports and Recreation Association hosts regular tournaments and games in Calgary. The season lasts roughly from October through May, with the off-season lasting typically from June through September. For the rest period, participants continue their physical training and participate in monthly practices to support their technical skills.
- Kendo
Kendo (emphasis on the “o”) is the martial art of Japanese fencing with bamboo swords. The sport is derived from ancient Japanese sword techniques.
Kendo builds a complete personality and solid character, tempering the will and body of the swordsman. The sport aims to rekindle samurai traditions and strengthen the Japanese spirit.
Swordsmanship served as an essential part of the samurai warrior’s training in the Kamakura period (1185-1233). For four centuries, the sword was used only for self-defense in the absence of other weapons and for some other purposes. But in the 17th century, Samurai were once again allowed to carry swords, at which time swordsmanship became widely popular.
Simultaneously, dozens of schools emerged, offering potential pupils the opportunity to acquire the secrets of sword technique. These schools were strongly influenced by the Zen Buddhism movement. They used wooden swords for training, which often inflicted severe wounds. The master Naganuma Shirozaemon Kunisato laid the foundation for the bamboo sword practice in the 17th century. In 1920, the name of Japanese swordsmanship techniques was changed to Kendo. It is formally regarded as the birth year of Kendo.
Following Japan’s surrender in WWII, the United States prohibited the teaching of Kendo in schools, claiming that the martial art fostered Japanese nationalism. American pressure began to ease in the 1950s, so Kendo began to reclaim its image.
In a kendo sparring fight, two people compete against each other. The sparring starts with a bow. The sparring goal is to hit your opponent anywhere on their body with a bamboo sword (kendo shinai).
The Kendo Club is active at the University of Calgary. Everyone is welcome to join. For beginners, you only need athletic clothing. You may bring your own bamboo sword if you choose.
- Muggle Quidditch
Muggle Quidditch, also known as Quadball, is a sport that involves two teams of seven players. Each of the players sits on a broomstick.
The sport originated from a fictional one called Quidditch from the world of Harry Potter. It was developed in 2005 by two students at Middlebury College in Vermont, USA. The first game took place in 2007, with this college playing against another college’s team. The Intercollegiate Quidditch Association also started operating about this time. The Association became the International Quidditch Association after the first Quidditch team was founded in Canada.
To recap the essence of the game, you have three processes going on simultaneously. So, the chasers are doing their own thing, the beaters are doing theirs as well and the seeker is doing something else entirely. It’s worth referring to Joanne Rowling’s book for a better understanding. Unlike the Quidditch described in the book, where the pitch is oval, the Muggle pitch is rectangular with six hoops. Players must score the most points until a snitch ( a tennis ball in a long sock hanging from the shorts of an official dressed in a yellow uniform) is caught.
The University of Calgary offers a Quidditch club for Calgary Harry Potter fans who want to immerse themselves in his world even more.
- Underwater hockey
Hockey is the most popular winter sport in Canada. But what about underwater hockey? It is a type of hockey during which players compete underwater in a pool.
It originated in England in 1954. Alan Blake, the owner of a new Sub-Aqua Club, came up with a game he called Octopush. His goal was to get visitors interested in recreation not only through the summer months but also in the winter. A game created by Blake gained popularity outside of this club and eventually spread outside of England.
Underwater hockey is part of the World Underwater Federation. The first World Underwater Hockey Championship was held in 1980 in Canada. A year later, a women’s division was added to the championship.
The game involves two teams, with ten players in each team (six directly participating, plus four more as replacements). The game is divided into two periods of 15 minutes each. There is a rest period, three minutes, between each of these periods. A team has the right to a 60-second timeout in each period. The players must score the puck into the opposing team’s goal by pushing it with a stick down the bottom of the pool, just like in ice hockey.
The game requires large fins, a diving mask and snorkel, and a thick glove. A water polo cap is also advised. Underwater hockey has its own club in Calgary. The Calgary Underwater Hockey Club is open to anybody aged seven and up and operates in the spring and fall.
Don’t forget about classic sports, such as car racing. And to help ensure your car is in reliable condition, you can turn to MuchBoost at https://muchboost.com/.