Sport in Ottawa national titles again in 2014 and in 2017. Each year, Ottawa hosts one of the largest curling tournaments in the world, the OVCA Ottawa Men's Bonspiel (more commonly known as the "City of Ottawa bonspiel") which has been held since 1956. Ottawa is home to one of the oldest curling clubs in the world, the Ottawa Curling Club which was founded in 1851. Curling in the Ottawa area is overseen by the Ottawa Valley Curling Association. Ottawa has had three International League franchises in its history. The Ottawa Giants (1951), the Ottawa Athletics (1952–1955) and most recently, the Ottawa Lynx
Winter sport bandy. Based on the number of participants, ice hockey is by far the world's most popular winter sport, followed by bandy. Winter sports often have their own multi-sport tournaments, such as the Winter Olympic Games. Snow and ice during the wintertime has led to other means of transportation, such as sledges, skis and skates. This also led to different pastimes and sports being developed in the winter season as compared to other times of the year. Naturally, winter sports are more popular in countries with longer winter seasons. While most winter sports are played outside, ice hockey, speed skating and