Surfing not a sport! WTF!

[Jimi]

what about social sports such as rock climbing? soccer? endurance cycling? how about skiing? is skiing a sport if you don't enter a competition?

I think the definitions of sport from dictionary.com define all these activities as sports, and so too is surfing.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

I don't understand how anyone can deny a physical recreational activity is a sport.. sorry.. Surfing is, by definition, a sport.

[parrysurf]

Thanks Jimi for seeing the obvious.

[essex sucks]

god i hate not coming on here for 2 weeks i miss all the fun will have read this later

surfing is a way of life for me as well as a sport

[Jimi]

Thanks Jimi for seeing the obvious.

Unless I missed someone's post earlier in the thread, I just thought a definition of a sport might be useful... and a few examples that fit...

I know my earlier post might be (too) obvious, but I haven't seen much case for the definition of a sport being ANY physical activity done for pleasure and recreation - whether competitive or not.

Don't get me started on chess being a sport... Next thing will be the world Sudoku Timetrial Championships...

Oh, and for the record, a passtime is anything you do to pass free time - it could be knitting, downhill office chair racing or picking your nose, but if it's a physically demanding activity, with a couple of people doing the same thing, then it qualifies as a sport.

[oldgrom]

SURFING IS A SPORT PERIOD!!!!! It is allso a lifestyle for some.

[buckthis]

He who rides the stick, Wins
anyone who cannot ride, loses
Its the game of life

[dukdiv]

getting out of bed (get-ing oût ov bêd)
phrase.
1.a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
b. A particular form of this activity.
2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
3. An active pastime; recreation.

*The above is actually the definition for sport from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sport.

[RJD]

what about social sports such as rock climbing? soccer? endurance cycling? how about skiing? is skiing a sport if you don't enter a competition?

I think the definitions of sport from dictionary.com define all these activities as sports, and so too is surfing.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

I don't understand how anyone can deny a physical recreational activity is a sport.. sorry.. Surfing is, by definition, a sport.

Dictionary defanitions tend to widen to encompass popular ideas. I.E. 'Sport' has been extended to cover active pastimes because people think it should.

By that definition Surfing is a sport, and there is a competative branch(es) of the sport too.

So by the dictionary definition yes surfing is a sport, but for me I dont think of it as a sport, its an active passtime, I ride a bike to but thats not sport either, unless I take part in a race. Is running for the buss a sport??

[parrysurf]

what about social sports such as rock climbing? soccer? endurance cycling? how about skiing? is skiing a sport if you don't enter a competition?

I think the definitions of sport from dictionary.com define all these activities as sports, and so too is surfing.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

I don't understand how anyone can deny a physical recreational activity is a sport.. sorry.. Surfing is, by definition, a sport.

Dictionary defanitions tend to widen to encompass popular ideas. I.E. 'Sport' has been extended to cover active pastimes because people think it should.

By that definition Surfing is a sport, and there is a competative branch(es) of the sport too.

So by the dictionary definition yes surfing is a sport, but for me I dont think of it as a sport, its an active passtime, I ride a bike to but thats not sport either, unless I take part in a race. Is running for the buss a sport??

Is an activity only a sport if it is a competition......absurd.

that is like saying your car is only a car if you driving it

Running to the bus is a sport....you are engaged physically in an activity with a deadline and a penalty for poor performance.

I know surfing is a sport. and a lifestyle and a lot more to each individual.

Evidence that surfing is a sport.........All of these activities are unarguably sports: Skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, swimming, cycling, running...ask the Olympics Tell lance armstrong or ryan nyquest that bicycling is not a sport.

Poker on the other hand is not a sport it is a game!!!

[twerked]

what about social sports such as rock climbing? soccer? endurance cycling? how about skiing? is skiing a sport if you don't enter a competition?

I think the definitions of sport from dictionary.com define all these activities as sports, and so too is surfing.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

I don't understand how anyone can deny a physical recreational activity is a sport.. sorry.. Surfing is, by definition, a sport.

Dictionary defanitions tend to widen to encompass popular ideas. I.E. 'Sport' has been extended to cover active pastimes because people think it should.

By that definition Surfing is a sport, and there is a competative branch(es) of the sport too.

So by the dictionary definition yes surfing is a sport, but for me I dont think of it as a sport, its an active passtime, I ride a bike to but thats not sport either, unless I take part in a race. Is running for the buss a sport??

Is an activity only a sport if it is a competition......absurd.

that is like saying your car is only a car if you driving it

Running to the bus is a sport....you are engaged physically in an activity with a deadline and a penalty for poor performance.

I know surfing is a sport. and a lifestyle and a lot more to each individual.

Evidence that surfing is a sport.........All of these activities are unarguably sports: Skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, swimming, cycling, running...ask the Olympics Tell lance armstrong or ryan nyquest that bicycling is not a sport.

Poker on the other hand is not a sport it is a game!!!

agreed on the poker. but what about chess? just because they're in the olympics doesn't mean xxxxx. how is trampoline an olympic event? sure it's crazy, and hard to do. but how that is on the same level as winning the marathon or decathlon. anything judged should not be in the olympics. in general, i really don't like the surfing competitions. the judging is too subjective, despite attempts to make it 'a level playing field.' look at the slaterxburrow debate. lance armstrong cycling = sport. ryan nyquest cycling = bro doing loop-dee-loops hopped up on red bull for the ho's and sponsors yo!

[parrysurf]

agreed I am not a fan of contests, and think if you need a judge to decide a winner it will never be fair.

I think most surfers do the sport as a pass time while others are up to the point of full lifestyle enthusiast. For the lack of a better term all action sports will remain sports......sport, sporty, sporting, sporttastic, sportarama, sportuniety, sportanious, sporticus, sportpendous, sporteriffic!!!!

IF IT HELPS LOOK AT IT LIKE THIS
SURFING
PLEASURES
OUR
ROAD
THROUGH LIFE

Enjoy the sport..

[Lomax]

what about social sports such as rock climbing? soccer? endurance cycling? how about skiing? is skiing a sport if you don't enter a competition?

I think the definitions of sport from dictionary.com define all these activities as sports, and so too is surfing.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

I don't understand how anyone can deny a physical recreational activity is a sport.. sorry.. Surfing is, by definition, a sport.

Well, by that definition, competitive video games are sports. Some might consider them sports, but that definition is way too broad, and I don't think most people would make that association.

[pkbum]

Why are we arguing over this?

[Lomax]

what about social sports such as rock climbing? soccer? endurance cycling? how about skiing? is skiing a sport if you don't enter a competition?

I think the definitions of sport from dictionary.com define all these activities as sports, and so too is surfing.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

I don't understand how anyone can deny a physical recreational activity is a sport.. sorry.. Surfing is, by definition, a sport.

Dictionary defanitions tend to widen to encompass popular ideas. I.E. 'Sport' has been extended to cover active pastimes because people think it should.

By that definition Surfing is a sport, and there is a competative branch(es) of the sport too.

So by the dictionary definition yes surfing is a sport, but for me I dont think of it as a sport, its an active passtime, I ride a bike to but thats not sport either, unless I take part in a race. Is running for the buss a sport??

Is an activity only a sport if it is a competition......absurd.

that is like saying your car is only a car if you driving it

Running to the bus is a sport....you are engaged physically in an activity with a deadline and a penalty for poor performance.

I know surfing is a sport. and a lifestyle and a lot more to each individual.

Evidence that surfing is a sport.........All of these activities are unarguably sports: Skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, swimming, cycling, running...ask the Olympics Tell lance armstrong or ryan nyquest that bicycling is not a sport.

Poker on the other hand is not a sport it is a game!!!

Actually, yes. An activity is only a sport if it is for the purpose of competition. When someone says they do something for sport, that means it is for competition. Sport fishing, for example, is not the same as leisurely fishing on a Sunday morning. Just because some fishing is sport doesn't mean ALL fishing is sport. Same goes for surfing. Some do it for sport, some don't.

[parrysurf]

^QUOTE: Actually, yes. An activity is only a sport if it is for the purpose of competition. When someone says they do something for sport, that means it is for competition. Sport fishing, for example, is not the same as leisurely fishing on a Sunday morning. Just because some fishing is sport doesn't mean ALL fishing is sport. Same goes for surfing. Some do it for sport, some don't.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FYI...Sport fishing is not a competition, it is when you hire a boat and the skipper and crew chase large fish and put the pole in the hands of paying customers....this for sure is not a sport.

So, if I understand this right a sport is.......only a competition.
1)All other activities, even if they are a sport in one instance, are not sports because you are not actively engaged in a contest.
2)Although you could be actively warming up doing an activity, and it not be a sport while 3 minutes later when challenged to a match the very same activity it then transformed into a sport.
3)Upon completion of said match you resumed doing the activity solely for fun or practice so it transformed out of sport mode.


I am glad it is simple......


reality check:
If it can be considered a sport as a competition then it is still a sport while doing this activity for practice or fun. Especially the more physical the activity is, the more sport like it become.

[parrysurf]

Why are we arguing over this?

It is a debate....right

[RJD]

that is like saying your car is only a car if you driving it

No its like saying driving a car isnt sport.

Unless your in a motor race, then it is a sport.

Your mum driving to the supermarket isnt enjoying a sport, F1 drivers certainly are.

[tree4]

Don't care if its classified as sport or not.

It's better than self help/group therapy/hypnosis/yoga/whatever rolled into one. One of the the best natural highs I've found so far.

[Lomax]

So, if I understand this right a sport is.......only a competition.
1)All other activities, even if they are a sport in one instance, are not sports because you are not actively engaged in a contest.

That's actually pretty accurate. Throwing a football is not a sport. Playing football is a sport. Running is not a sport. Running a race is a sport. As RJD said, driving isn't a sport. Driving in a race, you got it, is a sport.

Now whether training for competition is actually engaging in the sport itself is debatable. I say no. Certainly, you can do the sled to be a better run blocker in football, but doing the sled is clearly not a sport.

2)Although you could be actively warming up doing an activity, and it not be a sport while 3 minutes later when challenged to a match the very same activity it then transformed into a sport.

You say it like that to make it sound silly, but this is actually what I'm saying. Warming up isn't a sport. You wouldn't say that a quarterback taking warm-up throws before a game is "playing football", would you? And if he's not playing football, then what sport is he playing? Warming up for football?

3)Upon completion of said match you resumed doing the activity solely for fun or practice so it transformed out of sport mode.

Well...yeah. The second Usain Bolt crossed the finish line and broke the world record, he was no longer engaging in the "sport" of running. He was still running for some time. He also fell on the ground, wrapped himself in the Jamaican flag, and kissed his shoes. None of that is a sport.

I am glad it is simple......

It really is.

[parrysurf]

so while practicing soccer my kids are not playing a sport.....but they are practicing one....are they in a gray zone???


now if I was surfing next to Kelly Slater, he would be doing a sport becaouse he is a pro and preparing for his next event.....wait it is not a sport bcuz no one is surfing against him....wait a set is coming and he is taking position from me......who is sporting here?????

I am so damn confused, I need a sports expert to asses all activities, and give me a chart which explains when and why the same activity transforms into sport.

that would make it simple to understand this word!!