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7 New and Unique Sports to Try
Identifying and breaking down 7 new and unique sports an average person can try and have a great time with friends
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New sports are constantly being invented. Some of these new sports have taken off in recent years (some even have their own leagues and cups). Below are just a few new and unique sports to try if you’re looking for something different.
Ultimate frisbee was developed in 1968 – 11 years later the Ultimate Players Association was established and it became an official sport. The sport has become a lot more popular in the last couple of decades, particularly within the US. So just what is ultimate Frisbee? As you can imagine, it involves a frisbee. Points are scored by passing the frisbee to a player beyond the end zone of the pitch. Players cannot take steps while holding the frisbee and opposing must intercept the frisbee while it is in the air.
Paddleboarding has historic roots but has only recently become popular. The sport involves a large board and a paddle and can be practiced on a lake, on a river, or in the sea. It can be practiced leisurely as a method of exploring or as a competitive sport. Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) is a modern variant that involves standing up while paddling. If you’re looking for a new watersport, paddleboarding could be the sport for you.
Gell balling is a new variant of paintballing that involves shooting small balls of gel. These gel balls are less messy, less expensive, and less painful. The sport also brings an added realism due to the guns involved – unlike paintball guns which use CO2 tanks, gel blasters use a motor. If you love paintball, it could be a fun sport to try.
Lacrosse has ancient Native American origins. However, it is only in recent decades that it has become a popular world sport. Players use lacrosse sticks and pass a lacrosse ball to one another before shooting the ball into the goal. There are different variants of the game, some of which allow body contact and are played with heavy protective equipment. If you like team ball sports, this could be a unique new game to try.
Earthing is a very new sport, starting in Denmark in 2013. Earthletes compete against one another to be the fastest human on earth in an event that merges sprinting and swimming. The course is 110m and involves a 60m sprint on land followed by a 50m swim. It is different to biathlon in that it is all about speed, not endurance.
Quidditch is the game from Harry Potter played on flying broomsticks. It has been adapted for muggles into an actual sport (still played on broomsticks but on the ground). Players must compete to throw the quaffle through one of the opponents’ goals. The game ends when the seeker catches the snitch runner. The sport has an official body and is played around the world. A great sport for Harry Potter fans?
Drone racing involves using remote-control drone robots and racing each other around a circuit. There’s even a Drone Racing League. It’s definitely a sport of brains as opposed to brawn as much of the performance comes down to the robotics – but it’s a sport nonetheless and one that could appeal to gadget-lovers.
