Anyone ever heard of this?....Interesting.
http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Content ... 000ers.pdf

Geez ... can I PLEASE have a Gold Medal ? I've been sitting here for a very long time ...



Ahhh ... I LOVE meetings !!! (Especially WITH jelly-filled donuts ..)

It's time to re-think some of the sports included and not included in the summer olympics. Rock-climbing could be included. Somehow it would have to be formalized to where some "scoring" metric can be applied (e.g. as in gymnastics), but the physical skills needed to climb certain routes is certainly "olympic"-worthy.

To make room, we delete badminton, table tennis and any other sport that can be played in your backyard after a picnic.

I know the sport has changed a lot in the last 35 years, but when I first got into it climbing was an outsider's sport, literally and figuratively. You did it on real rock, outside, ideally in places where you'd get some solitude and where spectators wouldn't gawk at you. You didn't get elected class president, get dates with cheerleaders, or get athletic sponsorship because you were captain of the climbing team. It was a sport for thinking people, a way to challenge yourself physically and mentally, in the company of like-minded close friends, who didn't care that others thought climbers were crazy or at best a bit weird. Climbers were independent people and formed teams through friendship, to achieve common climbing goals, to learn from each other, and enjoy each others' company. You climbed for the joy of it; though of course many sought personal pride and the recognition of other climbers for completing a new route. Relatively few climbed for recognition of non-climbers or for national glory.

While I don't object to an Olympic event in which people make their way up artificial "rock," on behalf of teams defined by national boundaries, in front crowds of non-athletic fans and television cameras, for the sake of medals, that sport is so different from the sport I was introduced to when I was teen that I just hope they don't call it "climbing"

surgent wrote:It's time to re-think some of the sports included and not included in the summer olympics. Rock-climbing could be included. Somehow it would have to be formalized to where some "scoring" metric can be applied (e.g. as in gymnastics), but the physical skills needed to climb certain routes is certainly "olympic"-worthy.

To make room, we delete badminton, table tennis and any other sport that can be played in your backyard after a picnic.

Only problem I can see with that is that I'd like to get rid of all of the circus events - anything that is scored subjectively by a panel of judges. Where in the olympic motto is "more graceful"?

surgent wrote:
.... and any other sport that can be played in your backyard after a picnic.

Hey, Scott ... I resent that remark. I'm still waiting for that BEER somebody promised me ...

surgent wrote:It's time to re-think some of the sports included and not included in the summer olympics. Rock-climbing could be included. Somehow it would have to be formalized to where some "scoring" metric can be applied (e.g. as in gymnastics), but the physical skills needed to climb certain routes is certainly "olympic"-worthy.

To make room, we delete badminton, table tennis and any other sport that can be played in your backyard after a picnic.

. . . after consuming excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages.

Why judge on a point system?

Just set up a route and base results on speed. Fastest climber gets gold. I'd rather watch speed climbing than the 20K walk which is an actual Olympic event.

surgent wrote:
To make room, we delete badminton, table tennis and any other sport that can be played in your backyard after a picnic.

Nobody cares what I think, but I think they should cut out all the "P.C.B.C" (Politically - Correct - Bull - Crap) and focus in on GREED and THRILL of COMPETITION more.

And, everybody knows it's called PING PONG! ...... FUR CRYING OUT LOUD ....

Agreed:

1. Beer drinking should be a new olympic sport.
2. It's not called table tennis, it's ping pong.
3. Bears are big and cute and should be fed whenever possible.
4. A proposed rock-climbing olympic sport would be based solely on speed up to a point. But in the spirit of equestrian, I think that before any climber goes climbing, they stand there in all their gear-y gloriness to be judged for appearance, akin to "dressage" in equestrian. Points are awarded for most cams, most psychedelic colors and scraggliest beard growth.

surgent wrote:Agreed:

.... Points are awarded for most cams, most psychedelic colors and scraggliest beard growth.

Yes - and they should also be DEDUCTED points for using a cell phone or mobile device, UNLESS of course they're the BLUE MAN GROUP ..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GERirBDsyZQ[/youtube]