As the weather grows colder, many of us are tempted to shy away from the chill, whether it’s a foot of snow in Scandinavia or rain, rain and more rain here in the UK. However, there’s a whole group of people who meet the cold head-on: winter athletes.
Whether they’re training for the slalom up in the hills or indoor curling on the ice, these athletes live and breathe their snowy sports. And they’re rewarded for their hard work with iconic winter sport trophies from the NHL Stanley Cup to the prestigious Crystal Globe which looks like it’s made out of ice. In this blog, we’ll be exploring some of our favourites.
The Stanley Cup
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We decided to start our list of iconic winter sports trophies with perhaps the most famous of them all – the Stanley Cup. Awarded annually to the champion of the National Hockey League (NHL), this massive engraved trophy is the oldest to still be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, having originally been commissioned in 1892.
The NHL season runs from October to April, when the winners of the play-offs finally get to lift this iconic trophy. 25 teams from the US and 7 from Canada compete in 82 games over the winter season to determine their standing before the top teams are entered into the play-offs.
FIS Ski Cross World Cup Crystal Globe
Moving from North America to the entire world, we come to the Crystal Globe. This recognisable, eye-catching trophy is made from glass, giving it the appearance of an ice sculpture – incredibly fitting for the array of winter sport tournaments it celebrates.
Pictured here is the FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) Ski Cross World Cup iteration of the award, but it’s far from the only time this iconic crystal trophy makes an appearance. It’s also the trophy of choice for the season standings leaders of the Alpine Ski World Cup, the Freestyle Ski World Cup, the Biathlon World Cup, the Bobsleigh World Cup, the Skeleton World Cup, and the ISU Short Track World Tour.
The Stanley Cup might be a household name, especially in the US and Canada, but the Crystal Globe is iconic to any winter sports lover around the world. And we have to say that at Laser Crystal, it’s our favourite on this list – how could we not? We love all things crystal!
Winter Olympic Medals
It couldn’t be a list of iconic winter sport awards without a mention of the Winter Olympics, could it? Whilst not necessarily what you picture when you think ‘trophy’, the gold, silver and bronze medals are legendary in their own right. The winter iteration of the renowned Olympics draws in billions of viewers worldwide – just over 2 billion people tuned in to watch coverage of the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
With over 100 events across 15 disciplines from skating and curling on the ice to snowboarding and ski jumping out in the snow, the Winter Olympics are a true highlight of the winter sporting calendar.
The Four Hills Golden Eagle
Speaking of ski jumping, this next trophy is one of the more uniquely-shaped ones on our list. A golden eagle sits atop a glass cube, spreading its wings to fly in a position that mimics the outward angle of the tournament’s competitors’ skis as they take off.
The tournament itself takes place over four mountains across Germany and Austria in December and January – Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck, and Bischofshofen. It’s taken place every year since 1953, with eight events spread over just nine days. It’s one of the most prominent events in ski jumping, and the crowning glory is that beautiful gold trophy.
ISU Figure Skating World Team Trophy
Another gorgeous crystal trophy is awarded to the winners of the ISU Figure Skating World Team event. As elegant as the competition it celebrates, the crystal cup is engraved with ornate designs across the surface, and has been presented to the winners of the competition every year since the first event in 2009.
The aim of this particular event is to encourage nations to promote figure skaters in all four disciplines featured at the ISU World Championships – the ladies’ event, the mens’ event, the pairs’ event and the ice dancing event. The competitors receive points for their performance in each event, and the team with the most points overall is the team that lifts the trophy.
This is the newest trophy on our list, but we love how traditional the cup itself has been carefully designed to look. Figure skating is a beautiful sport and this trophy truly reflects that!
The IBSF World Championship Trophy
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The cup awarded to the winners of the Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships consists of a traditional, engraved trophy design. These championships have taken place almost every year since 1930, and are a high point of the season in non-Olympic years.
As well as the trophy, champions are given their own medals to keep, with multiple disciplines including the four-man bobsleigh, the women’s monobob, and the mixed-team skeleton all producing winners from across Europe and North America.
Celebrate Every Win With Glass Awards
As the UK’s leading manufacturer of 3D crystal, our two decades worth of experience in creating crystal awards and trophies allows us to achieve unbeatable quality by using state-of-the-art 3D laser engraving to adorn each trophy with the name of the recipient.
Our huge range of crystal awards, trophies and gifts includes a wide variety of designs to suit all budgets, tastes and occasions, including sporting events such as school sports days, local football teams, and more.
Let us know what you need and when you need it, and we’ll do the rest. We ship worldwide and offer a same-day courier service for UK orders. Every award will be supplied in a high-quality, satin-lined presentation gift box.
Browse our range of crystal awards or contact the Laser Crystal team for further information, to receive a quote or if you’d like a sample. Alternatively, pop us a call on 01202 675000 and we’ll be happy to chat to you about your project!