Yup. I'm a middle-aged skiing purist. There... I've said it.

But am I the only one that thinks that snowboarding is more of a scene/lifestyle than a sport? I agree you have to be physically fit to do it but even the OutGames relegates activities that require flare to the "Cultural events".

Someone please convince me.

Now if they did half-pipe on cross-country skis...



Nat

It can't be a sport when they still have acne and braces. Also, some of their daddies are damn hot.

Hmm which is why skating and gymnastics are not sports, right? wink

touche' Tonka

I used to be a middle-aged skiing purist, until I switched to boarding. Would you say the same thing if they had half pipe for skiers? I have seen skiers in the super pipe where I board. <ayn be they should allow it in the Olympics they do at the X games.

BoardCross is new this year in Olympics. Wait til you see that to pass judgement. Oh and don't forget to watch parallel giant slalom.

Did I ride on a lift with you Sunday? Are you the guy that said to me, "You strap that board on and shut your brain off!"

What kind of boat are you pulled behind on that board? Much wake?

Oh, y'all are talking SNOWboarding.

You're not alone. Just how is this recreational activity a "sport"? :confused:

How long until XBox 360 contests become Olympic sports?

I guess you're right. Let's look at the Gay Games: Darts, Dance Sport, Pool Billards, Bowling, Physique. Now that is a line-up of top notch sporting events. Hmm, looks recreational to me.

And let's not forget Montreal's Rende Vouz:
Aerobics, Bridge, Billards, Dancesport & Golf.

Oh yeah they other sports too, Basketball, marathon, water polo and volleyball to name a few.

Actually, try snowboarding once or twice before you start knocking it.

I'm not knocking it. I just don't think it's a sport. What's next, hopscotch?

I've been a "two-planker" all my life. I've tried boarding, and it was OK, just not my thing.

Half-pipe and super-pipe aren't the only events, there's racing too. I don't understand how people would consider someone racing going down a hill or over a jump on two thinner sticks a sport, but would then consider someone doing the same things on one thick stick not a sport. Doesn't make sense to me.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. And don't roll you eyes at me.

There is a rock, paper, scissors competition every year.

I don't look at some of these X-Games-type events as sports. To me, they're more like stunts.

Tennis Guy, I should clarify, racing down hill on a snowboard, I would consider a sport. That jumping/twisting thing on skis, I do not consider a sport. I guess it's the whole judged/subjective events I have a problem with.

In downhill and giant slalom (skis or boards) there is a clear winner and loser. I'm all for that. But when it comes to judging the quality of someones landing...? Then the line between winner and loser gets blurred. No matter how well trained the judges are, you will always have bias. Ask Jonny Weir if he thought any of his placements were due to bias.

ps. I'm not a big fan of figure skating either.

Ok, then gymnastics, diving, and figure skating all have to go. For that matter, anything involving referees has to go, because they have to make subjective calls on fouls, penalties, and awarding of points. I guess we're left with just races, although some of them involving some element of judging (false starts, obstruction of fellow racers, etc.). Maybe the only real sport is working out.

Thom Collins, thanks for the clarification.

You make a very good point that a lot of people make, about judged sports. I just think there needs to be seperation between not liking sports because they're judged and therefore can never be fair, and the fact that they're even sports at all.

I consider judged sports like figure skating, diving, gymnastics, and half-pipe snowboarding all to be sports. They all require the elements of athletecism, IMO. Each require their own strength, coordination, speed, timing, endurance, discipline, mental-toughness, etc...

Look at the beautiful bodies on gymnasts and divers, and the incredible legs and butts on figure skaters. How can they get bodies like those without what they're doing being athletic?

I'm in complete agreement with you about the bias being introduced in those sports, though. We could all fill entire volumes of how skater/gymnast/diver/ski jumper/snowboarder X got screwed in an event, and how skater/gymnast/diver/ski jumper/snowboarder Y reaped the benefit of some kind of bias, intentional or otherwise. I can understand why people would dislike or not care for those sports because of the bias aspect. It's a very legitmate complaint. I, personally, just wouldn't disqualify them as sports because of it.

snowboarding is a much a sport as poker!!!

I don't know, but quite a few 'boarders look like HOT STONERS!

Tennis Guy et. al...

Thanks for the good points. As I think more about this... would it be possible to change the nature of the evaluation? Could you still have figure skating, but break it down to quantifiable elements such as the highest triple axle, or could you quantify the least amount of splash in diving. There is great technology out there. I have used some of it in evaluating rowers. An accumulation of quantifiable elements seems to be more fair than anything I have seen so far.

BTW, this is getting away from the point... Why does there seem to be a fashion element to snowboarding? This makes it look more like figure skating than any subjective judging!

Hmmmm. Those eyes look kind of puffy to me. "Dude, like, I am so baked."

Shaun White (e molti altri) al party firmato Club Bud, from wavezone.it.

And who else should be there, but the lovely Barbara Bush?

[ February 15, 2006, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: twin58 ]

Well, you know what they say about opinions...

Okay, who decided that Snowboard Cross was an Olympic medal sport? The same people who decided that baseball and softball were not? This is like the craziest "sport" I have seen ever in the Olympics. I like change and bringing some modern times to the Games, but please.

The only nice thing is the gold medalist (Seth Wescott) is pretty darn cute. It was nice to see him building his dream house in Maine during the summers. I love me a man who is multi-talented.

I thought snowboard cross was awesome. It's a race, downhill on snowboards. If the 100-meter dash or NASCAR are sports, then so is this. Highly entertaining and competitive and strategic.

I agree. Short-track speed skating is much more chaotic and ridiculous than snowboardcross. My TV was on mute for that portion of tonight's broadcast, though...

The Board Cross seems a great event. I've enjoyed it immensely tonight.

Snowboarding is all the rage at Tahoe and other western ski resorts. It's not a lifestyle, it's a real sport that's going to be around a long time.

Now see, I agree. I liked snowboard cross. And I agree it is very much a sport. But here is the divide... the attitude of the participants. Am I wrong? They seemed to be more like track athletes, downhill skiers, and swimmers. Non of that punk-ass, stoner attitude. They were committed and winning is important to them. That's why I think half pipe is more of a scene. In interviews you always get "You know man, as long as it's a beautiful day with big air, I'm happy. If I win that's just a bonus. Peace out" The attitude and fashion add up to a big scene to me.

Snowboard cross-in, half pipe-out. IMHO

Snowboard Cross is now my favorite winter olympic sport. That was awesome. (I'm 40 and from South Texas....never skiied or snowboarded)

As a tail-end Baby Boomer(think Generation Jones, the age group before Gen X) I definitely think snowboarding is a sport more than curling(for you devout curlers - not trashing the sport you're into). Some people think that Nascar or Grand Prix drivers aren't athletes but you give it a try driving those cars driving a 180 MPH or more with g forces that can make you pass out. Maybe it has to do with me being exposed to snowboarding from all my skater/surfer friends who liked to ski and I thought what they're doing is a sport and that made not think twice snowboarding is not one. I started snowboarding at a late age(in my mid-30's) and to me it was easier and more fun than skiing and when I'm snowboarding I feel like I am participating in a sport.

If given the chance to do the halfpipe and snowboard crosscountry I'd do both just to see what it's like but I think I would do better at snowboard x-country...I'm not much of an acrobatic guy and probably end up getting a concussion if I tried those moves in the halfpipe.

Congrats to Scott and Lindsay(you had to add a little more mustard to your hot dog eh Lindsay?)and to the other U.S. x-coutry snowboarders. You made the sport look fun.

One more thing and I think it's the most important thing on the guys mind since we do dwell on looks...how many think that Seth Wescott is a hottie? Not only is he a hottie he has a great attitude towards life.

Snowboard cross is truly excting to watch and Seth Wescott is one hot dude

I have not been following the Olympics too much but in flipping the channels tonight I caught the Women's Snowboard Cross. I don't believe what I saw! Even in a sport like snowboard cross, if you hot-dog it and do a little styling YOU WILL LOSE! This girl Lindsay Jacobellis had a huge lead in the final home stretch but she slipped while trying to "showboat" it up a bit. This other girl Tanya Freden who was a distant 2nd passed right by her and crossed the finish line to get the gold. Oh man! Wow! What a terrible way to win a silver medal!

[ February 17, 2006, 08:00 PM: Message edited by: amazin12 ]

Speed, Strength, Agility and mental toughness are what I look for in sports, so yes snowboarding is a sport, especially snowboard cross. Just because people can't deal with things that are new to them it doesn't diminish their worthiness. Just get over it. If you want to knock a supposed sport, knock Poker.

Well after that hotdogging from Jacobelliss, I think we can safely say snowboarding is indeed a sport.

That was one of the greatest moments in Olympics history. If Terrell Owens had showboated and fumbled away a game winning TD, the press would be all over him. But a white girl gets a pass. She was showing off and showing up her opponents.

[ February 17, 2006, 08:13 PM: Message edited by: George Twins fan ]

That women's snowboarding cross was incredible. Two Canadians make the 4-person final, so we are 'guarranteed' a medal... and they both crash! The American girl takes a commanding lead, looks back at the final jump, sees she's in the clear, does a little style move, falls, and the Swiss girl goes gliding by to victory. The American girl finishes a humliating second. Meanwhile, one of the Canadian girls hops back onto the course, slides down after everyone else is finished, and takes the bronze. The fourth girl is carted off on a stretcher. What a sport. Love it! (Kind of remniscent of short track speed skating, where anything can happen.)

Bet you won't see anymore showboating in snow cross anytime soon. It will be a good lesson for those to come.

They're about to interview her live. I think she's a surfer dude type of girl because in a quick interview after she lost the gold I heard her use the word "gnarly". So I guess she's a "dudette".

Chris "Mad Dog" Russo on WFAN in New York is having a field day this morning with his take on the Jacobellis disaster yesterday. Russo has been on a roll lately. His ranting over the Bryant Gumbel comments was entertaining radio the last few days. For those of you who don't get WFAN or the feed over the YES network you're missing one of the funniest and smartest sports analysts ever.

I had to laugh at how serious Costas and Jimmy Roberts (is that his name?) were about the whole debacle. "One of the greatest sports gaffes ever?" Oh come on. We're not talking Buckner or Bartman here. She still won the silver. It's not as if she acidentally shot someone while hunting. Even one of the announcers said he might have done the same.

She didn't totally lose the gold because she hadn't won it yet. It's a great lesson to learn for her and all involved or watching, but don't be so dramatic.

Oh wait, that's right. Drama=ratings.

How about:

If you can do it while being totally out of shape, it's not a sport, it's a game.

Thus:

snowboarding = sport
archery = game
figureskating = sport
golf = game
hopscotch = mmm...debatable

I think you would need to had the word "well" to that phrase. You can smowboard and figureskate when you are out of shape you just can't do it well.

There is also the aspect of skill. Archery, Golf, Pool, Bowling, etc - all require a level of skill in order to do really well.

Then again it takes a high level of skill to build a hand-made cabinet, a beaded ball gown, or a seven tier wedding cake. Just waiting for cabinetry, sewing, and baking to be part of the Olympics.

But then again their is weight lifting, that requires a high degree of being in physical shape, but a low degree of skill, and it is considered a sport.

So I am more confused as to what a sport is.

I love snowboard cross! I want to see more of it! It is easily one of the most thrilling and coolest sports in the Olympics. I had no idea, but now I'm a convert. Snowboard cross (men and women), the alpine skiing downhill, Super G, and Giant slalom races, and the short track and speed-skating contests combine speed, danger, skill, and luck. (The incredible legs and butts on the speedskaters is an added bonus.) Talk about mirror neurons firing--when those skiiers go flying down those hills, I am right there with them. And the snowboard cross is definitely in this category!

[ February 18, 2006, 12:54 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

Right. So basically you are saying that mental state, presenting attitude, and fashion are the material elements which define the scope of a "sport." I dissent.

-Chris Sedition