Do you agree with Glen Plake?

[highpeaksdrifter]

I read awhile ago that Glen Plake said that recreational skiing isn’t a sport it’s a past time. His basis for this reasoning is that unless you’re a racer or competing in freestyle you're just out for fun and nobody’s keeping score so you can’t consider it sport.

I understand his thinking, but I still consider it a sport. Are 2 fat guys riding around in a golf competing in a sport because they have a score card to add up after their round while 2 skiers/riders going hard all day on a mountain are not?

What do you think?

 

[JimG.]

I read awhile ago that Glen Plake said that recreational skiing isn’t a sport it’s a past time. His basis for this reasoning is that unless you’re a racer or competing in freestyle you're just out for fun and nobody’s keeping score so you can’t consider it sport.

I understand his thinking, but I still consider it a sport. Are 2 fat guys riding around in a golf competing in a sport because they have a score card to add up after their round while 2 skiers/riders going hard all day on a mountain are not?

What do you think?

I agree with you; I wasn't going to mention the golf thing because that's a discussion I've been part of before and it is endless.

 

[nycskier]

For me skiing is neither a sport nor a passtime it is a way of life!

 

[wa-loaf]

He's confusing competition with sport. You don't have to be competing to be sporting. Racing is a competitive sport, just going out and skiing is a recreational sport. So IMHO he's wrong.

 

[JohnGD33]

For me skiing is neither a sport nor a passtime it is a way of life!

same here

 

[Greg]

I agree with Plake. A sport in my mind suggests competition. A recreational skier is not competing with anyone. It's a pastime, recreational activity, or hobby if you prefer. At least with golf, there is a score card involved. Depending on who you're playing with, it may or may not be a competitive situation.

 

[JimG.]

I agree with Plake. A sport in my mind suggests competition. A recreational skier is not competing with anyone. It's a pastime, recreational activity, or hobby if you prefer. At least with golf, there is a score card involved. Depending on who you're playing with, it may or may not be a competitive situation.

So keeping score makes it a sport?

See, I just don't agree with that. If it makes me tired at the end of the day, it's a sport.

Jacks, miniature golf, chess, checkers, poker, or whatever other game you might see would be a sport by your definition. They ain't.

 

[Greg]

So keeping score makes it a sport?

See, I just don't agree with that. If it makes me tired at the end of the day, it's a sport.

Jacks, miniature golf, chess, checkers, poker, or whatever other game you might see would be a sport by your definition. They ain't.

No, the scorecard suggest competition, whether it's against others in your group, or yourself to improve your score. M-W.com's definition of sport is as follows:

Main Entry: 2sport
Function: noun
1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION b : sexual play ( :lol: ) c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in

So I guess based on that, skiing is a sport. This is a discussion of semantics really. Again, to me a sport suggests a competitive physical endeavor with clearly defined rules and some sort of scoring system to declare a winner.

 

[downhill04]

I agree with Plake. A sport in my mind suggests competition. A recreational skier is not competing with anyone. It's a pastime, recreational activity, or hobby if you prefer. At least with golf, there is a score card involved. Depending on who you're playing with, it may or may not be a competitive situation.

There my not be an actual score card involved but when I ski with friends it is almost always a competition. Who can ski the best line down the bumps, who makes the best turns, who goes bigger of jumps/pulls the better trick. We all have a competitive side in us to be the best we can and skiing brings that out in all of us. Even when skiing solo I push myself to go faster, be smoother, etc…

For those reasons I think of it as a sport.

 

[wa-loaf]

See definition # 3:

American Heritage Dictionary
sport (spôrt, spōrt) n.

1.
1. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
2. A particular form of this activity.
3. Mockery; jest: He made sport of his own looks.
4. An object of mockery, jest, or play: treated our interests as sport.
5. A joking mood or attitude: She made the remark in sport.
6. One known for the manner of one's acceptance of rules, especially of a game, or of a difficult situation: a poor sport.
7. Informal One who accepts rules or difficult situations well.
8. Informal A pleasant companion: was a real sport during the trip.
9. A person who lives a jolly, extravagant life.
10. A gambler at sporting events.
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.

 

[Greg]

There my not be an actual score card involved but when I ski with friends it is almost always a competition. Who can ski the best line down the bumps, who makes the best turns, who goes bigger of jumps/pulls the better trip. We all have a competitive side in us to be the best we can and skiing brings that out in all of us. Even when skiing solo I push myself to go faster, be smoother, etc…

Sounds like too much pressure. I just want to ski and I really don't care if it's a sport or not. Seems like some think "sport" is cooler than "hobby" or "pastime"...

 

[JimG.]

This is a discussion of semantics really.

Again, to me a sport suggests a competitive physical endeavor with clearly defined rules and some sort of scoring system to declare a winner.

It is.

I consider mountain climbing a sport; it's probably the most physically demanding thing you can do depending on the altitiude, there aren't alot of rules, nor is there a scoring system. And you're not competing against anyone either. It's you against the mountain; you summit, you win.

And remember what Hemingway said...there are only 3 true sports in the world...bullfighting, car racing, and mountain climbing. And that's because each time you go out you could die.

 

[downhill04]

Sounds like too much pressure. I just want to ski and I really don't care if it's a sport or not. Seems like some think "sport" is cooler than "hobby" or "pastime"...

People can call it a sport, pastime, hobbie, it doesn’t really matter much to me as long as I get to ski. I have always just though of it as a sport.

My friends and I have always been a competitive bunch. There really isn’t any pressure involved. We just push each other to get better. End of the day we all sit back with smiles on our faces.

 

[SkiDork]

dictionary.com 1st definition is a little more interesting:

sport /spɔrt, spoʊrt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[spawrt, spohrt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

If hunting and fishing is on there, then skiing should be also

 

[thetrailboss]

It is what you make it to be....

 

[Marc]

Don't care what it's called so long as I can still do it.

 

[tcharron]

I believe it can be a sport, or a recreation. To me, sport is one thing pitting itself against something else. Sometimes, you ski and your pushing yourself against a particularly nasty hill, or a race against the clock. Other times, your just cruising. But I don't think it can be said that it can in no way be a sport. Basically, if it can be in the Olympics, it's a sport as far as I'm concerned. But then, cruising blues isn't in the Olympics.

 

[marcski]

Its Semantics. To me a sport involves physical exertion. One can engage in a sport and do so competively (as in declaring one a winner) or recreationally (where one engages in the sport for fun, just to participate or exercise or whathaveyou).

Oh, and the following is just my personal opinion: Golf is a game not a sport.

 

[Greg]

Its Semantics. To me a sport involves physical exertion. One can engage in a sport and do so competively (as in declaring one a winner) or recreationally (where one engages in the sport for fun, just to participate or exercise or whathaveyou).

Oh, and the following is just my personal opinion: Golf is a game not a sport.

Walk and carry 18 holes on a hot/humid day and it's pretty demanding physically. I only play once or twice a year and usually ride when I do, but even then after 18 holes, I don't feel like I was just sitting around. Most people that think golf is an easy "game" that fat old guys play never even tried it.

 

[tcharron]

Walk and carry 18 holes on a hot/humid day and it's pretty demanding physically. I only play once or twice a year and usually ride when I do, but even then after 18 holes, I don't feel like I was just sitting around. Most people that think golf is an easy "game" that fat old guys play never even tried it.

But Greg, that comparison is like saying waiting in the chairlift line is the 'game' part of going out to ski.

Oh, and change your damned avatar icon, we have enough green already!