Naked Family Points
The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer and the urge to get out into the fresh air is increasing. The first warm spring days put most people in a good mood and make them look forward to outdoor sports. But which outdoor sports are currently on trend and what could you try out this year? In this article, we present five current outdoor trend sports that you can try out without a lot of experience or expensive equipment.
- Trail running
- Gravel biking/racing cycling
- Pumptrack
- Paddle tennis
- Spike ball
Credits: Elias Neier
Trail running
Have you ever seen a small path in the forest and wondered where it goes? Trail running is the best way to explore all local, forest and meadow paths. Many people find running boring and monotonous. But that can easily be changed with the right choice of route. Trail running, as the name suggests, moves the running unit to narrow single trails or hiking paths in the terrain. You don't have to run several thousand meters up any mountain, there are many small forest and meadow paths in most places that you can explore. Hilly to flat forest trails are suitable for beginners, where you can enjoy nature to the full and add some action to your running session. The only things you need are running or trekking shoes and sportswear.
Gravel biking/racing cycling
Gravel biking and road cycling are currently booming like never before. This hype is justified, because what could be better than exploring little-used gravel and side roads by bike? But what are the differences between road bikes, gravel bikes and mountain bikes? The biggest difference is certainly the tires. Mountain bikes are fitted with wide, studded tires to ensure maximum grip off-road and to be able to ride over rough stones and roots. Gravel tires, on the other hand, are much narrower and have only minimal studs to avoid getting flat tires on gravel and dirt roads, but offer little rolling resistance. Road bike tires are even narrower and have no studs at all to ensure minimum rolling resistance and maximum speed on the road. This means that those who like to ride fast will probably opt for a road bike. However, those looking for a compromise between speed and off-road capability are best advised to choose a gravel bike. So to all bike mice and those who want to become one: get on your bike. We have summarized the most beautiful road bike routes in the Salzburg area for you HERE.
Credits: Elias Neier
Paddle tennis
This new sport is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Paddle tennis is a mixture of squash and tennis. Like tennis, it is played on a court with a net, but the walls count as part of the court, as in squash, and can be included in the game. The court is also smaller than in tennis and the ball cannot go out. A point is therefore scored when the ball either bounces twice on the ground, goes into the net or touches the wall of the opponent's half without touching the ground first. The racket is also smaller and harder than in tennis in order to reduce the speed of the ball. Paddle tennis is therefore easier and quicker to learn than traditional tennis and is very suitable for beginners. The game is played in teams of two against each other. This makes the sport a perfect group activity.
Roundnet / Spikeball
As the name suggests, “Roundnet” is played on a round, approx. 1m large, stretched net onto which a small, fist-sized ball is hit. The rules are similar to volleyball. The game is played in teams of two against each other on the same net. The ball may be touched three times per team before it is hit onto the net. A point is scored when the ball hits the ground. Spikeball is very easy to learn and you can take the net with you and set it up anywhere. It is most fun to play in the sand, but it also works very well on a flat lawn. Spikeball is therefore perfect if you are looking for a flexible outdoor sport that you can play with friends regardless of location and without infrastructure.
Pump track
A pump track is an artificially created wavy track on which you move by “pumping” up and down. Many pump tracks are now asphalted, which means you can ride on them with a wide variety of means of transportation such as bikes, roller skates, skateboards, longboards and scooters. Riding a pump track is not only fun, but is also a perfect full-body strength and endurance workout, as the pumping movements are performed by both the arms and the legs. The pump track sport is also becoming increasingly popular in Austria and more and more tracks are being built. These are a very popular meeting place for young and old in many places. You can find out whether there is already a pump track in your region HERE. We have summarized some of the best pump tracks for you in this article.
Credits: Dmitrijs Krilovs
What do these 5 outdoor trend sports have in common?
On the one hand, all five sports keep you fit and are perfect for having fun with friends in the fresh air. On the other hand, good sports glasses such as our VOLT or BLADE, with sufficient UV protection in sunny weather and versatile interchangeable lenses in bad weather, are essential for all five activities. If you're asking yourself: “Which sports glasses are the best?”, take a look HERE. 😉