Your favorite sport(s) besides figure skating?

[Mathematician]

"Hey, baby, watch me slide down this hill in this fancy sled, and then let's go snuggle by the fire while you tell me how brave and sexy I looked."

Definitely agree to disagree.

 

[4everchan]

Agree to disagree.

"Hey, baby, watch me slide down this hill in this fancy sled, and then let's go snuggle by the fire while you tell me how brave and sexy I looked."

and have you seen their gear... omg..

 

[Diana Delafield]

Agree to disagree.

"Hey, baby, watch me slide down this hill in this fancy sled, and then let's go snuggle by the fire while you tell me how brave and sexy I looked."

Or: "Men, our comrades in the valley are being overwhelmed. Let's all jump on this big log, Fortis the Strong can give us a push and then jump on himself, and we'll hurtle down the hill to help them fight!"

 

[icewhite]

You're joking about the sexual attraction and stuff, right?

 

[Diana Delafield]

You're joking about the sexual attraction and stuff, right?

Well, I am. I don't know about anyone else.

Edit: On second thoughts, winning gladiators were like catnip to wealthy ladies in Rome.

I guess "winning" would be an unnecessary adjective.

 

[TontoK]

You're joking about the sexual attraction and stuff, right?

Maybe a little, but a joke's only funny if there's a small ring of truth to it.

But I concede there may be other reasons for the origination of a sport than attracting a mate or inflicting violence. For example, I imagine people did cross country skiing as a basic mode of transport before someone said, "Hey I bet I can beat you to the fjord."

But figure skating definitely began, as @Mathman pointed out, as a means for young men to impress the ladies.

 

[icewhite]

I have enjoyed rollerskating as a kid and doing tricks on my bike although nobody could see me. I have also always enjoyed the feeling of gliding/fly-like feeling in many sports like cycling, skating, riding, and I very much enjoy movement in the outdoors, especially in/on the water. Many babies are so happy when they are in the water and children start to do tricks in water, on their bikes, on a rope, just to see if they can do it or what they can do. Enjoying the capabilities of your own body, interest in where it will go and where the limits are, I think those are also basic human features. There is also a very playful side in many sports.

 

[TontoK]

I have enjoyed rollerskating as a kid and doing tricks on my bike although nobody could see me. I have also always enjoyed the feeling of gliding/fly-like feeling in many sports like cycling, skating, riding, and I very much enjoy movement in the outdoors, especially in/on the water. Many babies are so happy when they are in the water and children start to do tricks in water, on their bikes, on a rope, just to see if they can do it or what they can do. Enjoying the capabilities of your own body, interest in where it will go and where the limits are, I think those are also basic human features. There is also a very playful side in many sports.

For sure, I certainly don't dispute anything you've written.

But the mini-discussion/joke was about the origination of a sport. I imagine biking and swimming are in the same category as I put cross country skiing. I bet they originated as means of getting from one place to another, and only later developed into racing or showing off tricks. Although swimming might have had something to do with finding food, too.

This started out as a one-liner, but it's really kind of interesting to think about.

 

[Mathematician]

And surely bobsled also was a means of transport during the ice age, when rather than walking we decided to carve out perfectly smooth roads in the natural linear ice formation to be traversed with an aerodynamic, safe and controllable sled we made from... something.

 

[TontoK]

And surely bobsled also was a means of transport during the ice age, when rather than walking we decided to carve out perfectly smooth roads in the natural linear ice formation to be traversed with an aerodynamic, safe and controllable sled we made from... something.

And this right here is why I can never seem to get anything done. I've just spent an hour researching the origins of bobsledding, a sport I care absolutely nothing about.

Short story: In the 1870's a Swiss hotel owner heavily promoted the joys of Alpine winters to wealthy Englishmen to expand the busy season. They "borrowed" boys' delivery sleds, strapped them together and started riding through the streets. They bobbed back and forth to increase speed and learned to steer, in a fashion. After a few collisions and near-misses the townspeople rebelled and the hotel owner set aside a special hill to keep his moneyed patrons happy.

Interestingly, one source claims the first organized competition was in 1898, and it consisted of co-ed teams, three men and two women.

 

[Mathematician]

And this right here is why I can never seem to get anything done. I've just spent an hour researching the origins of bobsledding, a sport I care absolutely nothing about.

Short story: In the 1870's a Swiss hotel owner heavily promoted the joys of Alpine winters to wealthy Englishmen to expand the busy season. They "borrowed" boys' delivery sleds, strapped them together and started riding through the streets. They bobbed back and forth to increase speed and learned to steer, in a fashion. After a few collisions and near-misses the townspeople rebelled and the hotel owner set aside a special hill to keep his moneyed patrons happy.

Interestingly, one source claims the first organized competition was in 1898, and it consisted of co-ed teams, three men and two women.

Yes, I just read on it and from the beginning they specifically were racing in the streets. So they started it for fun.

 

[jorge2912]

Mine beside figure skating and ice dance is roller artistic skating (was judge during 3 years) , artistic swimming (almost was judge but a day before do the test was on ER and in hospital during 2 months) , rhythmic gymnastics and artistic gymnastics.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I grew up in the snow and on the ice. I love snowboarding because the athletes all motivate and cheer for each other and it’s so fun to find new terrain to flow around in. Climbing a mountain and riding an untouched line is the scariest and most exhilarating thing I’ve ever experienced. I have friends in Colorado and Tahoe who let me couch surf as much as I want and some are very well connected with some of the top pros so I’m as spoiled there as I am with figure skating.

I love playing hockey too because I’ve worked with some amazing figure skating coaches that have given me advantages over a lot of the other players. Doing a camel spin celebration after a goal always gets people worked up and confused.

I love watching ski jumping on the tele and would love to spend a winter night in Austria watching it live, It looks like a real party

 

[kinari]

What are your top three (3) favorite sports besides figure skating?

With the 2024 Paris games just around the corner, we are also including summer sports

Volleyball, track & field, basketball!

 

[Josh78]

Gymnastics, swimming, track and field (but I basically love watching ALL Olympics sports!)

 

[snowflake]

Had fun reading this thread

For me: cross country skiing, biathlon(which of course has its origin from fighting in winter war) and track and field. Voted for biathlon. I have watched every world cup and WC races this season.

Luckily I’m allowed to watch more sports so:

all ski sports, ball sports like football, basketball, volleyball, handball and golf.

Also climbing and two not olympic sports: orienteering(love maps)and parkour.

I did many sports when I was young for fun. Loved everything with balls. Basketball was my main sport where I competed at a national level.

I like the sport of fencing. The history of judging in fencing It has many lessons for figure skating.

1. Origins. The first scoring system in fencing was, whoever was carried away bloodied and maimed was declared the loser.

Figure skaters are lovers not fighters. Early figure skating contests consisted of would-be swains trying to impress the targets of their affections by carving hearts and initials into the ice, the vanquished rival slinking away in ignominy.

2. Gentlemen’s honor. Once fencing adopted rules and protective gear, gentlemen were expected to announce touches against themselves. This era, however, has no echo in figure skating. Herma Szabo did not graciously concede defeat to Sonja Henie at the 1927 world championship. Instead she quit the sport in disgust at all the the corruption.

3. The era of human judging. The sword, like the figure skating blade, is quicker that the eye. The swiftness and and finesse of thrust and parry was beyond what can be discerned with the human eye in real time.

4. The age of technology. After experimentation and theorizing from the late nineteenth century on, finally by the time of the 1936 Olympics they had figured out a way to detect touches electronically by wiring the blade and lame (protective vest) for the saber. The foil and epee proved harder for various reasons, and it was not until the 1980s and 90s that the technology could be extended to these disciplines.

Figure skating? Who knows what the next hundred years will bring.

Twenty+ years ago I watched a quiz on Swedish TV. A woman got a tricky question.

Question: In what sport does Michelle Kwan compete?

Answer: Fencing.