What are Sports turning into??

TetsuoHashimoto

I mean what the F*ck are these extreeme Sports?

Some little rich Yankee on a BMX and Skateboard trying to be a "Tony Hawks" or something??

Join the Circus you clowns, this is not a sport! It's simple teenage junk.

TetsuoHashimoto

BodySurfing... That's different

TacT

I tried everything as a kid. (23 now) I used to play for the local soccer team, I went to glenalbyn and pld tennis/hurling/swimming, I tried hockey, fencing, table tennis and then I tried skateboarding. I take it you never tried much and as such just stupidly dismiss anything that's different to you or new to a generation. You are afraid of change, you live in a shell and were conditioned to like what you were shown and do what you were told. Ever hear the expression "To each their own" ?
I do what I like and love which doesn't happen to be football/tennis/hockey/rugby but I have no need to slate these people for what I see as silly or boring to me. What's your problem? Get out of bed the wrong side this morning?

Oh and FYI our "Tony Hawks wannabe's" as you so childishly put it are getting a lot more money/recognition for this country and it's talent than the local GAA team (we've had 10 feature articles in the uk's biggest skate magazine in the past 3 yrs featuring Ireland) and the very talented one's are making a v.cosy living out of it. (We constantly get people skating from all corners of the world visiting us for a skate) Then you can look at say the hurlers, do any of them have their name on product that influences kids in what their next purchase will be? Are they harassed by groups of kids for autographs and information on their list of "tricks" and how long they have been at it for and when they're next "demo" will be?
Unfortunately we're not all as closed minded as you and thank god we allow ourselves to go through changes that form an integral part in developing our character and personality that makes us who we are, not sheep.

seamus

That'll do tac, save me ranting on

For me it's adrenaline, adrenaline, adrenaline. Believe it or not, BMX and skateboarding take quite a chunk of skill and determination. You fall down, you get back on and keep going. Bodysurfing? Pfft...so you fall off and hit water. Boo Hoo. Pussy

Remember - bones heal, chicks dig scars And there's no rush like the fear you feel when you know that a serious crash is imminent and there's f*ck all you can do about it!

TacT

thanks seamus

This guy obviously never got on any kind of board in his life. If he did he would have far more respect for the level of balance and skill required to move a board around all while making it look like a walk on a sunny day. For me this seems to be the downfall of it, because tricks etc keep advancing and people keep pushing the limits (due to their level of skill and years of practice) they make it look too easy, then you get silly folk like this saying "ha that's so stupid why don't you play a real game?"

We do what we love.

Enygma

Right, this was exactly what's not supposed to happen here. People slagging off different sports. I know BMX and skateboarding take a lot of skill, but I get the feeling you don't even know what bodysurfing is and you seem to be saying that there's no danger or no rush? Oh you fall off and hit water?

Ever been caught in a rip? Pinned down? Paddled out in a 6ft swell? On a reef break? Try it some time. See who's the pussy

And there's no rush like the fear you feel when you know that a serious crash is imminent and there's f*ck all you can do about it!

Except for the rush you feel when you pull it off at the last second. and that's why we all do it isn't it?

TacT

I've been bodyboarding on more occasions than I can remember in a load of different places in Ireland and France I have been in shallow water and have crushed my shoulder against the seabed after being ejected 4 ft from the lip of a wave. I couldn't move my arm for a week (but it was worth the few tubes I did catch
Seamus you naughty boy take it back.

We know this is what's not meant to happen here. If people extend the same courtesy as I do to the sports board/rugby/etc then there won't be a problem. i.e I don't go in there asking how people can consider football more of a sport than skateboarding/surfing/bodyboarding/whatever it may be. I thought I had done a decent job in my reply, I never slated bodyboarding as being piss easy, that was all seamus's fault
It is relatively easy compared to it's counterpart surfing though, but that's part of the reason it's so popular.

When I was in Easkey in Sligo I got caught in a rip and was dragged down the coastline, all I could see was everything moving into the distance at a speed that scared me senseless!

seamus

Originally posted by Enygma
but I get the feeling you don't even know what bodysurfing is and you seem to be saying that there's no danger or no rush? Oh you fall off and hit water?

Ever been caught in a rip? Pinned down? Paddled out in a 6ft swell? On a reef break? Try it some time. See who's the pussy

Ah yis can never recognise subtle trolling No I have no idea what bodyboarding is, so am not fit to comment. I was hoping to pull off good troll though:p

Enygma

Actually I'd say bodyboarding is as difficult as stand-up surfing, if not more seeing as there are various disciplines (prone, drop-knee). The problem is peoples attitudes in this country towards bodyboarding. People seem to think it's for kids who wanna have a bit of fun in the surf.
If you ever see a good body boarder you'll quickly realise that the body needs to be in tip top physical condition to perform some tricks (360 inverts for example).
It is easier to get into though but to become a really advanced bodyboarder you need to put in as much practice as a stand up surfer.

Also bodysurfing isn't the same as bodyboarding. Body surfing is where you go out without any board at all, most likely just a set of fins. You swim for the wave in the same way and ride it on your chest or back. It's a pretty cool rush.

I thought I had done a decent job in my reply, I never slated bodyboarding as being piss easy, that was all seamus's fault

I was actually replying to seamus, just took me ages and you got in there first

TacT

oh lol body surfing

used to love doing that, then bodyboards came along, still love doing this when I don't have a bodyboard handy though

DeVore

Extreme sports are not like normal sports and I've been trying to think of the defining difference. The best I've come up with is that with "regular" sports there is a score, possibly a team, or at least a time (race time) or distance covered.

With extreme sports its about you and your mental state. The adrenaline rush and the desire to push yourself further while your mind screams at you to go have a cocktail in the hottub

This year I was tricked (pretty much) into doing a fuk-off big drop-in jump (where you ride the board off into thin air effectively and just drop and ride away. They are pretty easy actually as all you have to do is not panic and try to land with knees bent!
All the same it was a total rush and I was taken back to my first days on the board when just doing a carve set my heart racing.

This post is, of course, a troll. But inevitably people are going to look at extreme sports and say "pfff, thats not a sport". i wonder what their criteria are for saying something is a sport or not.

I've never been one for team sports like rugby and soccer but I wouldnt denegrate them for it.
Personally its about the state of mind I get into when I'm riding and pushing myself further and getting scared...

Is it a sport? Who knows, fuk it, who cares. But I challenge you to follow me

DeV.

TacT

Well put.

I like to follow my own progress and work off my own motivation to achieve whatever goals I set out for myself in said "past-time" all the while getting a great adrenaline rush while trying/failing/achieving said goal, could be a jump off a cliff or my first carve on a snowboard, either way it's what I enjoy doing.
Maybe a troll or maybe someone that's spent so much time following football he's forgotten what it means to go out and try something different and have a laugh. Basically he's been brainwashed
Read the charter pls!

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

Jak

It was a trolling attempt obviously enough.
Nonetheless, Its a slow morning here so I've been baited. I ain't taken offence to anything posted - just thought I'd stir things a little more for the sake of conversation based on a few things i read there ...

Personally (and I am exceptionally biased) I'd say extreme water sports generally are considerably more dangerous than the extreme street sports (for lack of a better definition). True falling on the water doesn't usually hurt as much as on a street if you are just planing along - but then only the most inept of BMX'ers and Skateboarders have actually drowned while out on the streets.

Also if you take a newer sport like Kitesurfing - the risks are greater again - especially for the middle level and the drops and knocks you get are easily on a par with falling on the street.

As for bodyboarding requiring comparable skill to surfing .. at any level .. I'd have to disagree. Bodyboarding just is not that difficult - decent waves and most anybody could manage a 360 or rollover in no time. The same is just not true with windsurfing, kitesurfing or surfing.

If I was to rank them for skill I'd have to say bodyboarding < sailing < waterskiing < Diving < kitesurfing < windsurfing < Surfing. Surfing is hands down the toughest water sport I ever tried and I am still brutal after my few shots at it.

Personally I never got into any of the street sports properly - but while I don't consider them as dangerous as water sports or as exhilarating (just my opinion - Ive always prefered water) - there is no doubt that at the top end they require comparable skill. It is no coincidence that people like Dave Mira, Tony Hawkes and so on also make great snowboarders and wave riders. The only difference is that most folk have trouble getting up on a surf board first go - while if you have trouble getting onto a BMX perhaps you are about to join the list of drowned bikers mentioned earlier. Simple point is that the street sports probably have a higher ratio of day trippers which does not do the sports credibility much good.

Final point on whether these extreme sports are really sports? I'm not sure I really care. I have never encountered anyone with an overtly negative view towards them - most people usually pass it off with 'Well it ain't for me, but it looks great'

JAK.

DeVore

Hahhaha. I've never drowned in snow, though come to think of it I came as close as you can

Oddly the most sarcastic people about snowboarding are other snowboarders. Personally I have no time for knackers on a board.
Kids you see with 1000 quids worth of Burton board, a No Fear t-shirt and a wallet chain get sod all respect from most serious boarders. "feel the fear and do it anyway" is a common expression and is one any decent boarder knows. The moment you start feeling cocky you are going to lamp into something or board off something you cant handle (*puts up hand* been there).

Boarders who tear through and down the beginners areas so that people will oooh and aah at them (noone does) just annoy the **** out of me, but thankfully they are usually day trippers and once you get up the mountain to the red/black stuff you meet the serious boarders who are all much nicer and usually a good bit older

DeV.

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by tactical anni

Then you can look at say the hurlers, do any of them have their name on product that influences kids in what their next purchase will be

HA!

youve obviously never played Jack O'Sheas GAA Extravaganza on the X-box!

TacT

lol!

Yeah Right
I'm sure even if it did exist it's popularity would never get anywhere near the response from any version of tony hawks for the playstation 1 or 2

pyure

cool, an extreme sports board nice one

my xtreme sports - snowboarding, skiing, windsurfing, surfing (not to hot at surfing)
used to skateboard and stuff years ago, but i gave that up...kept running into thing - walls, cars, people...

of these sports the hardest i think is surfing, most fun is snowboarding/windsurfing depending on how im feeling, prolly more boarding tho

also, the reason most boarders on the red/black runs are older is coz its so much more difficult...i basically nailed skiing in 3days, zipping down the higher runs, doin jumps, skiing off piste (watch out for those trees, i should know), it was all suprisingly easy...boarding on the other hand was so much more difficult, i still got it off eventually and its much more rewarding

i used to go to windsurfing 'school' in france every summer - 6hrs a day (2 groups of 3) 6days a wk for 2wks..****in mad craic but it'll make **** outta your arms and give you major blisters.

windsurfing along the shore line, as close to/in waves as possible is good fun, provided you have enough wind (we had a private beach so no chance of swimmers )

hopefully gonna go to canada next year for some major snowboarding fun

TacT

I disagree about the surfing vs anything, you may have your opinions but it's all down to an individuals ability and perceptions of what they are about to try. For example, you go to try out bodyboarding and you say, hey that's easy, then when you get on it seems pretty easy and you get the hang of it pretty quick.
Someone else not so confident would probably find it harder because they approached it with the wrong attitude/mild fear.

It's different strokes for different folks. I'd bet money that a skateboarder going to surf will find it easier than a surfer trying to skate for his first time. It all depends on your strengths and weaknesses, each sport takes it's own level of skill and you adapt to it as best you can, which is different for everyone.

I will reiterate this a million times on this board, you need a positive mental attitude like an Evil Kenievel if you really want to progress. You need to be confident, have a good level of balance in general and with a bit of determination you will do things you never thought you could ever learn.

I never expected to progress or land half the tricks I can on my skateboard now, partly because I found it so hard when I started out I ended up pretty much saying to myself "Wow if I could learn that trick in my lifetime then I'll be happy" and I've learnt a whole lot more and I'm loving it!

cerebus

Originally posted by pyure

also, the reason most boarders on the red/black runs are older is coz its so much more difficult...i basically nailed skiing in 3days, zipping down the higher runs, doin jumps, skiing off piste (watch out for those trees, i should know), it was all suprisingly easy...boarding on the other hand was so much more difficult, i still got it off eventually and its much more rewarding

No offence, but I think this is a bit of a generalisation - some people will find it easier to ski, some people will find it easier to board.

I've often heard it said that it is easier to get to a reasonable level on a board than it is on skis - then again, with newer short/shaped/fat skis it probably is much of a muchness.

As for snowboarding being more rewarding than skiing, I be more inclined to say do whichever floats your boat - on a big powder day you can't beat a board, but if I'm trying something scary in the backcountry I'd like to be on skis (Though the new split boards are pretty cool!)

pyure

ok yup, big generalisation there so ill agree with your points cerebus, cept the bit about preferring ski's for trying scary stuff in the backcountry - i find thats more fun on a board - but its a close thing and like u say, whatever floats your boat

hmm, while im here, where's the cheapest place to go skiing, hoping to go next summer for a few intensive weeks, but the cheaper it is the longer i can stay for, so any suggestion ?

waves
pyure

DeVore

I've taken a lot of newbies boarding (partly cos it good to have mates along but mostly cos you can buzz off them when they start getting the hang of it and start getting thrilled cos they carved a turn )

I'd say from my experience that skiing is harder to get up the mountain (ie: off the babyslopes) but has a more even level of progression. So maybe a week to start going down the steeper stuff. Boarders usually make that in 3-4days and from that point on just take off until they have got to a plateau (just before being able to serpentine down the hill ... where the rider kicks quickly from heels to toes and back again while pretty much going straight downhill). They usually stop there for a good while as they are having fun and theres no pressure to leanr more (they can carve or at least leaf-fall down the black runs already).

Once you get serpentine down, the next real barrier is jumps and half pipes which are the last thing you learn (I've just started them, half pipes are a LOT fúckin scarier then they look on TV hahah).

Skiers on the other hand seem to have a more gradual progression and so start off slower but pass the boarders out when the boarders plateau.

Just my 2 cent.

DeV.

TacT

It only seems more easy/difficult to you based on your perception of what you are trying/saw/tried, this doesn't reflect on other people and as I said in another topic different people will adapt to some things better than others and there is no real way to prove which is more difficult because it all depends on what experience you had in the past with something you saw as a kid/something else you tried before might make it easier to do this, but harder to do that.