Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. On January 29th, 1863, in the midst of the American Civil War, a few hundred men from Texas plotted a friendly activity against their camp mates from Arkansas. One thing led to another and soon, around 9,000 soldiers of the Army of Northern Virginia were involved in what?
2. The oldest representation of a human on skis is a small carving dating back from c. 5 000 BCE, and the oldest ski ever found was discovered in a peat bog and is anywhere between 4 500 and 6 500 years old. Both items were found in two different modern countries, but in which region of the world were skis first invented and used?
3. It first appeared in Canada in the late 1970's (although home-made ones have probably existed for decades!). Its design is very simple, borderline minimalist: a single rectangular sheet of plastic, with two holes on one side. Its use is even simpler: you sit or lie on it and hold on to the holes while going downhill with very little to no control as to where it is going. How is this toy/product called?
4. The World Ice Art Championship have existed since 1989 and is attended by sculptors from dozens of countries every year. There are three separate divisions (single block, multi-block and open), each of them divided into two sections (realistic and abstract). On average, a single block sculpture will weigh around four tons and will be completed in two days. Where is the Championship hosted every year?
5. In Canada, an easy treat consists of boiling maple syrup and pouring it on - clean - snow. It is then lifted with a stick or a fork and eaten. What is the Canadian name of this treat?
6. "Skijoring" (which can be translated as "ski driving") originated from Scandinavia and does involve standing on skis. However, what is so special about skijoring?
7. The first Icehotel was opened in 1990, and re-opens each year between December and April. The entire hotel is built from 27,000 tons of snow and ice blocks coming from the nearby Torne River. Everything in the hotel, from the rooms, the furniture, the art, and even the bar glasses, is made of ice, and every year, the hotel is re-built from scratch. Several ice hotels have opened since, but in which cold country is the original Icehotel located?
8. With tournaments in Japan, Finland, Norway, Australia, Alaska (U.S) and Saskatchewan (Canada), as well as a World Championship and a European Championship, this game is played between two teams of seven players each and is ruled by the Japan Yukigassen Federation. Which sort of activity is Yukigassen?
9. Today, they are often used for leisure, but they were used solely as a means of transportation until quite recently. While archeologists believe the first ones originated probably from Central Asia 6,000 years ago, their modern version originates from those traditionally used by North American Aboriginals to go hunting, fishing, and in general to go places during the winter. What are they?
10. The story says that, in 1885, a reporter from New York described this city as "another Siberia" and declared it was too cold for humans. In reaction, the Chamber of Commerce decided to prove to the rest of the United States that their city was very much alive, especially during winter times. They created the first Winter Carnival the following year and it's been happening every year without interruption since 1946. Where was the first modern Winter Festival created?
Source: Author
amidabutsu
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
WesleyCrusher before going online.
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