is a snowball fighting-competition from Japan. Today there are annual tournaments in Sōbetsu, Hokkaidō in Japan, Kemijärvi in Finland, Vardø in Norway, Murmansk in Russia, Mount Buller, Victoria in Australia, Luleå in Sweden, Anchorage in Alaska, Aparan in Armenia, Jasper, Alberta and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in Canada. The word consists of the Japanese words yuki (snow) and kassen (battle) with rendaku. Hence yukigassen means snow battle, but is a common term for 'snowball fight' in Japanese. Gameplay Yukigassen is a game between two teams with seven players each. The game is played on a court with certain measurements, and the winner is determined through rules made by the Japan Yukigassen Federation. It is similar to capture the flag; players are eliminated when hit with snowballs. Players wear special yukigassen helmets with face shields, and a set number of snowballs (90) are made in advance. Tournaments World Championship in Sōbetsu, Hokkaidō, Japan European Championship in Kemijärvi, Finland Swedish Championship in Luleå, Norrbotten, Sweden (Luleå University of Technology) Nordic Championship in Vardø, Finnmark, Norway Australian Championship in Mount Baw Baw, Australia from 2019 Anchorage, Alaska, United States Jasper, Alberta, Canada Russian Championship in Murmansk, Russia Champions League of Yukigassen in Aparan, Armenia Medal winners (until 2017) 2017 Here is a list of medal winners in the Swedish championship, held in Luleå in 2017 Gold Medal: Team Minttu Silver medal: unknown Bronze medal: unknown 2013 Here is a list of medal winners in the Canadian National championship, held in Jasper, Alberta, in 2013 Gold Medal: unknown Silver medal: unknown Bronze medal: Team Goliath Snubbing 2012 Here is a list of medal winners in the third Swedish championship, held in Luleå in 2012 Gold Medal: I & Co Silver medal: KREwasion Invasion Bronze medal: Team LTU/Backyard Porsön 2011 Here is a list of medal winners in the second Swedish championship, held in Luleå in 2011 Gold Medal: Backyard Porsön Silver medal: Cockroaches Bronze medal: I & Co 2010 Here is a list of medal winners in the first Swedish Championship, held in Luleå in 2010 Gold Medal: Team LTU/Backyard Porsön Silver medal: I & Co Bronze medal: Gefle Snow Warriors 2007 Here is a list of the medal winners in the European Nordic Tournament in Vardø in 2007 Gold Medal: Hiawatha (Norwegian) Silver medal: IL Tempo Gigante (Norwegian) Bronze medal: KP 55 (Finnish) 2006 Here is a list of the medal winners in the Nordic