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TxAggie wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:06 pm
Sport implies competition. In that regards, backpacking is only a sport against yourself.
Is backpacking a physical activity? Absolutely.
A sport? Nah, not in my personal opinion.
This from Dictionary.com:
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.
a particular form of this, especially in the out of doors.
sports, (used with a singular verb) such athletic activities collectively:
Sports is important in my life.
diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.
Yes, the definition states "often of a competitive nature", then lists fishing and hunting in the same passage - pretty loose definition of competitive. Then the three other definitions seem inclusive of backpacking. I am not a semantics expert, so I'll defer to those who are.
Just curious, @TxAggie , do you consider rock climbing or mountaineering as sports? They generally are not competitions against other humans, yet both almost universally considered sports.
TxAggie wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:06 pm
Sport implies competition. In that regards, backpacking is only a sport against yourself.
Is backpacking a physical activity? Absolutely.
A sport? Nah, not in my personal opinion.
This from Dictionary.com:
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.
a particular form of this, especially in the out of doors.
sports, (used with a singular verb) such athletic activities collectively:
Sports is important in my life.
diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.
Yes, the definition states "often of a competitive nature", then lists fishing and hunting in the same passage - pretty loose definition of competitive. Then the three other definitions seem inclusive of backpacking. I am not a semantics expert, so I'll defer to those who are.
Just curious, @TxAggie , do you consider rock climbing or mountaineering as sports? They generally are not competitions against other humans, yet both almost universally considered sports.
Ed
Rock climbing actually has sanctioned events and a ranking structure, so I would say yes for rock climbing. Mountaineering, while arguably even more physically demanding than backpacking, is even less of a sport than backpacking, because at least there is a recognized Fastest Known Times for many backpacking trails.
Now, does this mean that any of these are any less of an endeavor than if I considered them a “sport?” Absolutely not. In fact then not being a sport leaves the impression that those who engage in these activities are even more passionate about them. By not considering them a sport I’m not personally diminishing their (our) accomplishments, or that they aren’t athletes. It’s one of those arguments where a question was asked on opinions, and I gave mine. Some agree with me, others don’t and it’s cool to see the reasons pro and con.
Almost all outdoor activities can be practiced for various reasons; recreation, exercise/health reasons, getting in touch with nature, and many other reasons, as well as a sport. Mountaineering has its "sport" faction too. Time records are not the only competitive measure. Big name mountaineers are often "sponsored" by outdoor equipment companies; about the same as a basketball player making money in sales of shoes, for instance. Competition for "first ascent" was historically a big driver of climbing. Most "big name" mountains have had their first ascent, but there are hundreds of lesser-known mountains to "conquer". Just the phrase of "conquering" is competitive.
It is the way you pursue your activity, not the activity itself, that defines it as a "sport".
I think many of us who backpack may cringe at calling backpacking a sport, because backpacking often attracts those who have shunned standard sports in their youth or who view "sports" as trivial play. Most of us simply do not pursue backpacking as a sport, that does not mean it cannot be. There are records sought- "oldest or youngest to do xxxx", fastest time, even side-by side competition of who can get from point A to B first. It is our game; we can make it a sport or not.
I just saw this thread and have really enjoyed all the responses. This would have been a fantastic paper for me to write while I got a philosophy minor in my undergrad.
Personally I completely agree with what @Wandering Daisy wrote.
It is the way you pursue your activity, not the activity itself, that defines it as a "sport".
That's a lot of what gets talked about in philosophy as you can imagine... Is is the way in which you talk about something or some action that defines it, especially if its' a human construct. This gets pretty messy if you try and define universal meanings and things that seemingly are outside of human constructs... But I digress.
Never put off a backpacking trip for tomorrow, if you can do it today...
Alpine Mike-
