In March the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship event takes over Vieux-Québec. The newly invented sport brings athletes from all over the world. Dressed in hockey gear, four brave souls skate downhill in a rough and tumble roller derby-esque race with lots of leaps, drops, and sharp turns. The starting line is drawn in Upper Town and the finish line in Lower Town's Place Royale. It is immensely exhilarating to watch -- and free. Visit www.redbull.ca for details.

Québec has not had a team in any of the major professional leagues since the NHL Nordiques left in 1995. (The city, however, is currently abuzz over a possible Nordiques revival, which looks promising with the highly anticipated opening of a new arena in fall 2015.) Since 1999, though, it has been represented by Les Capitales de Québec (www.capitalesdequebec.com), a baseball club in the Can-Am League. Home games take place at Stade Municipal (Municipal Stadium), 100 rue du Cardinal Maurice-Roy (tel. 877/521-2244 or 418/521-2255), not far beyond the St-Roch neighborhood. Tickets cost C$8 to C$16.

There's also a local fan base for Québec City's junior hockey team (with players 16 to 20 years old), Les Remparts de Québec (www.remparts.ca). They play at the Colisée Pepsi from September to March. Tickets are C$6 to C$13.

If you're going to Carnaval (www.carnaval.qc.ca), you shouldn't miss the canoe races, where teams push, pull, or paddle (depending on the state of the river) from one end to another. The best place to view the competition is from the Terrasse Dufferin or from the lookout on the opposite bank in Lévis. Following that, hockey enthusiasts will enjoy the Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee de Québec (www.tournoipee-wee.qc.ca) held in February, where many hockey greats have been known to start their careers. Around the same time is the Snowboard Jamboree (www.snowjamboree.com), a trendy festival that even includes a fashion show.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.