Every four years, athletes from around the world congregate to compete at the highest level on the world stage. Barreling down tracks, jumping off precipices, and performing meticulously crafted choreographies catch audiences with their jaws dropped, but one question remains: what is the best Winter Olympic sport?

In this article, I will rank the five best Winter Olympic sports based on three criteria. First and most importantly, the entertainment value that sport offers. Second, the skill required to master that sport. Third, the legacy that sport has engraved on the Olympics.

So, without further ado, below are the definitive top five Winter Olympic Sports.

5.   Hockey –

Hockey snuck its way into fifth place after Team USA won a notable gold medal in this year’s Olympics. Every hockey game causes audiences sitting in front of the TV screen to jump from their couches and root for their team. The tense pressure in the ring, as well as the passionate atmosphere in the stands, creates a unique environment where the aggressive nature of the sport makes it easily entertaining.

Additionally, hockey is one of the only traditional team sports involving six players on either side facing off during three 20 minute periods. Aside from requiring extreme endurance, hockey hockey players must learn how to maneuver gracefully on ice and effortlessly control their pucks while being constantly barraged by other skaters at full force.

Hockey has also been in the Olympics since debuting in 1920 and has set the stage for some of the most heated rivalries in history, from the Miracle on Ice to Crosby’s Golden Goal. Among the numerous niche sports in the Winter Olympics that require living near specialized facilities, hockey, with 2 million players worldwide, provides an entertaining and relatable sport that audiences can truly connect to.

4. Bobsledding  

Barrelling down a track of ice at 90 mph isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but athletes dedicate their lives to testing the limits of their speed. For many of us, there’s something innately enticing about watching people attempt to go as fast as possible, and this innate sensation resulted in the creation of bobsledding. When it appears on TV once every four years, audiences can’t help but to stare.

Although entertaining, bobsledding is also considered one of the hardest sports to master, where precise movements are needed to control a sleigh from flying senselessly off the track. But to get the sleigh moving, the team needs to quickly push their 400-pound sleigh from 0 to 25mph in less than five seconds. 

Since bobsledding only appears during the Olympics, its iniquity has bonded it to the Olympics, making it impossible to think of one without the other. Due to its use of ice to dart down the track at high speeds, its legacy has cemented itself in the Olympics for future crowds to enjoy.

3. Alpine Skiing

In third place falls alpine skiing. The variety of events allows audiences to personalize their watch. If they want to watch fast paced technical turns where precision is key, slalom fits; if they want to watch someone zip down a hill at full speed, downhill is the perfect match. It’s not just the variety; alpine skiing is widely known as the most dangerous Olympic sport, and the anticipation of a crash, however unfortunate, makes it all the more entertaining. No matter the event, a front view mirrors that of a Formula 1 car ripping through an asphalt track.

Alpine skiing isn’t just entertaining, it’s generally known as one of the most difficult and technical sports displayed in the Winter Olympics. For example, turning on razor edges going 80 mph with only a helmet and a thin plastic suit from going off course and launching yourself into a tree takes serious dedication and courage. The control, mental courage, and natural affinity for skiing make it one of the hardest sports to master.

Since 1936, alpine skiing has expanded in popularity but also in variations, going from a single combined event to incorporating new disciplines such as super-G to giant slalom. Because of its blend of precision, danger, and pure speed, alpine skiing has remained a cornerstone in the Winter Olympics and never fails to captivate an audience.

2. Figure Skating

Arriving at second place in my definitive top five best Winter Olympic sports is figure skating. Besides its iconic, world-renowned nature, this sport offers perfectly choreographed spectacles that entice audiences around the world to continue watching. The elegant fluidity of professional dancers, combined with the breath-holding tricks of an athlete create something unique in the Winter Olympics.

The visual enchantment of figure skating is due to the myriad abilities skaters must possess. For these athletes, there’s no room for error. They must spin four revolutions a second and fall with a force of three times their body weight while continuing the choreography seamlessly. The sport demands countless requirements: the flexibility of ballerinas, the control of speed skaters, and the stamina of runners. To only say these athletes are dancing on ice is a dangerous understatement.

For many, looking forward to the Olympics is synonymous with solely anticipating the figure skating events. The rivalries between countries and the dramatic stories of the dancers reach headlines worldwide, creating the most iconic Winter Olympic sport. Ensuring loyal audiences around the world since its inclusion in 1924, figure skating has become the face of the Winter Olympics.

1. Snowboarding  

Snowboarding! Due to my completely unbiased reasoning, snowboarding is the definitive best Winter Olympic sport. As a kid, watching snowboarders flow down a precipitous hill and launch themselves in the air created an indescribable sight. As glistening snow scatters off their board while spinning in the air, they leave a trail of wide-eyed spectators in disbelief. More than anything, snowboarders have a charisma like no other sport, from their suits and goggles to incredible revolutions, snowboarding is by far the most entertaining sport.

Due to the steep learning curve, practicing just a few times can lead to a competent level, but learning the shocking flips and spins requires tremendous dedication. When performing in competition, every revolution, flip, or grab must be perfect; there is no room for error. Snowboarders are pushing the limits by achieving 1440 degree rotations on advanced tricks, only achievable through a life dedicated to full-time training. The bodily control while midair and the comfort when riding the board make executing a run exceptionally difficult but also captivating.

While only making its debut in the recent 1998 Nagano Games, snowboarding has become an iconic factor of not only the Winter Olympics but also winter sports. This new way of global movement normalized the alternative style amongst a ski-dominated culture and helped reshape fashion, youth identity, and sports culture.

However, aside from the ranking, all Olympic sports deserve immense attention and admiration. Every sport requires athletes to invest countless hours of intense, mind-numbing training to achieve their Olympic dreams.