Top 10 places to practice an Olympic sport

updated 3:49 p.m. ET March 2, 2006

When the Greeks competed for Olympic laurels thousands of years ago, they didn't have to contend with snow or clothes – indeed, they competed naked, outdoors. Things have certainly changed since then – and not just in the clothing department.

Since the Winter Olympic Games were officially launched in Chamonix, in 1924, hundreds of global competitors have hit the slopes, the rink, and icy tracks in the hopes of taking home the gold. In honor of this year's Winter Olympic Games, the 20th event of its kind, we've compiled a list of top places to practice Olympic sports – because watching the games unfold in Torino has got us in a sporting mood. Some of the sports are so unusual – i.e., bobsledding, luging, freestyle skiing – it's rare to see them in action outside of a televised event, but you can try your hand at these, and other more common winter sports, like snowboarding and cross-country skiing, at first-rate sites across North America and beyond. Not surprisingly, some of the best sites to test your prowess once hosted Winter Olympic Games themselves – namely, Lake Placid, Calgary, Salt Lake City/Park City – but you may be surprised to learn that you can learn how to figure skate in Florida, practice the biathlon in Germany, speed-skate in Holland, and try curling in Minnesota. See you on the Luge Rocket!

Biathlon
Mix cross-country skiing with target-rifle shooting and what do you get? The Biathlon, one of the most unique sports on the Winter Olympic schedule. This Norwegian hybrid of cross-country endurance and marksmanship got its first Olympic showing in Squaw Valley in 1960, but is best learned today in the tiny town of Oberhof, Germany, host of the 2004 Biathlon World Cup. Newcomers can train with experienced instructors at the state-of-the-art Rennsteig Arena, where lanes can be reserved for firearm target practice and amateurs can watch professionals perform their stunts (in practice and competitions) from platforms lining three onsite tracks.

Bobsledding
Bobsledding (or bobsleighing), an Olympic regular since the 1924 games in Chamonix, is the perfect activity for those who crave speed. Happily, you needn’t train for years on end to give it a whirl – head to Utah Olympic Park, in Park City, Utah (30 miles from Salt Lake City), where, for $200, you’ll get a snazzy helmet strapped on your head and a seat (with room for up to two more of your wildest companions) in a four-man bobsled, with an experienced driver to pilot the dare-devilish run.

Cross-Country Skiing
Listed among the original 1924 Winter Games competitions, cross-country skiing is as old as 5000 BC, and got its start, not surprisingly, in snowy Scandinavia. While it may be one of the easier winter sports to learn, it’s also one of the most psychologically demanding to complete, especially when long distances are involved; you can test your mettle on the superb Nordic tracks built for the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, and most recently used for the 2005 Cross-Country World Cup. Managed by the Canmore Nordic Centre, the 37 miles of trails here are technically closer to Banff than they are to Calgary, giving you the opportunity to try world-class downhill and cross-country skiing in a single trip.

Curling
While it’s occasionally been reduced to a demonstration (rather than competitive) Olympic sport since being introduced to the roster in 1924, curling remains one of the most novice-friendly sports in the Winter Games line-up. Minnesota’s Bemidji Curling Club has produced over 50 state and national titles in its 70+ year history; you can learn the ins and outs of the sport that’s part bowling, part ice sweeping, and no parts skating, from club managers (and, if you’re lucky, US Olympic team coach Bob Fenson) here between November and April.

Figure Skating
One of the most highly watched – and contested – sports of the Winter Games, figure-skating has been part of the Olympic program since 1908 (dancing was added in the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Games). Today, novices can actually cut their own figure eights at top ice rinks around the US. One of our favorites is in sunny Florida, of all places, where Incredible Ice, a 75,000-square-foot facility in Coral Springs, offers daily lessons and the chance to perfect your axels with top-rated professional coaches.

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