Want to try a winter Olympic sport and wondering where you can play winter sports in Greenville, SC? The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing China will begin soon and will introduce a whole new generation of kids to winter sports. From Friday, February 4th through the 20th, athletes from all over the globe will compete for the coveted gold medals in their category.
If you or your child are inspired to participate in some of the sports included in the Olympics, you’re in luck! Some of the activities are easily accessible in the Upstate, and we are going to tell you all you need to know to get that Olympic Dream on track.
Enjoy the opening games by immersing yourself in the culture of the hosting country with some of the Upstate’s Best Chinese Food! Chinese Food In Greenville | Chinese Food In Spartanburg
The 2022 Winter Olympic Sports In Beijing, China
Watching figure skaters glide effortlessly past their partners on the ice, and as a child trying to mimic them on the living room floor; I think every little girl has a memory like this. What am I saying? As a full-grown adult I still try to do this.
The Winter Olympics includes several different sports, in just a few different categories, unlike the Sumer Olympics.
- Skating
- Figure Skating
- Ice Hockey
- Short Track Speed Skating
- Speed Skating
- Curling
- Skiing
- Alpine Skiing,
- Cross Country Skiing
- Freestyle Skiing
- Ski Jumping
- Biathlon
- Nordic Combined
- Snowboarding
- Sledding
- Bobsleigh
- Luge
- Skelton
Playing Winter Olympic Sports Near Greenville, SC
While not all of these are easy to access from the warmer climates of the Carolinas, hope is not lost if you want to try your hand at one of the things from each category! So grab your winter gear and let’s get to work on that Gold Medal, (or maybe just one of those little gold-wrapped chocolates.)
Skating
This sport will be the easiest to access locally, year-round. Indoor ice rinks like the Pavillion in Taylors offer lessons for all ages, and skill levels.
Figure Skating
Aspiring Olympic Skaters can practice on their own during open skate times offered at the Pavillion in Taylors, or take lessons through the US Figure Skating’s Learn to Skate USA program.
- Open Skate – The Pavillion, Taylors
Admission includes skate rental, and ranges from $7 – $9. Check the Freestyle Skate Schedule online for rink abvailablity. - Group Skating Lessons – The Pavillion, Taylors
Registration for the 8 weeks of 30-minute classes ranges from $116 for Greenville county residents, to $141 for out-of-county residents. The sessions run throught the year.
Short Track Speed Skating / Speed Skating
- Basic Speed Skating Skills – The Pavillion, Taylors
This skating basics course is open to Children ages 6-17, and covers the fundamentals for all types of skating sports, including Speed Skating. Registration for the 8 weeks of 30-minute classes ranges from $116 for Greenville county residents, to $141 for out-of-county residents.
Ice Hockey
- Open Rink “Stick Times” – The Pavillion, Taylors
This is an all ages open rink practice session. $10 per session - Adult Pick-Up Games – The Pavillion, Taylors
These are unsupervised, practice game sessions. $13 per session - Try Hockey For FREE events – The Pavillion, Taylors
A free hockey clinic open to kids ages 4-9. The 2022 event is Saturday, March 5, 2022 from11:45am-12:45pm - Childrens & Adults Hockey League – The Pavillion, Taylors
Hockey leauges for all ages are available, and you’ll be playing on the same ice where the Greenville Swamp Rabbits practice! - The Carolina Rage Ice Hockey League – The Ice Station, Greer
- Open Rink “Stick Times”– The Ice Station, Greer
Curling
- Palmetto Curling Club – The Pavillion, Taylors
Free Curling Clinic for adults will be held on February 15th, 22nd, and March 1st. For more information and to register for this free event go to the Palmetto Curling Club Event Page.
Skiing / Snowboarding
- Sapphire Valley, North Carolina offers ski school, Frozen Falls Tube Park, The Vordach Zipline Experience and, of course, snow skiing.
- Appalachian Ski Mountain offers a Homeschool Program for students ages 6 to 18 years old and family members. Ski lessons are for students ages 6-18 years old and snowboarding lessons are for ages 7-18.
- Beech Mountain offers skiing, snowboarding, tubing and ice skating. The Beech Mountain Resort offers specials including discounts to students and teachers on snow days.
For more skiing and snowboarding options, head to the Kidding Around Guide to The Best Ski Slopes Near Greenville
Sledding
So this is a tricky one to locate in the southern US, however, there is a comparable alternative. Alpine coasters are going to be the closest thing to the high-speed sledding you see in the Olympics, that is safe for novice enthusiasts.
- Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster in Banner Elk, North Carolina will operate in the snow, so you can experience the closest thing to what an Olympic sledder does.
- Georgia Mountain Coaster zips through the hills of North Georgia at a brisk 28mph. The good part is you don’t have to get a running start like the Olympiads do!