Is Curling a Sport?

I heard this question teased on the radio while I was driving home tonight. Didn't hear any actual discussion so I don't know arguments were put forward pro or con. And if any curlers or curling fans somehow stumble across this, let me just say that I don't have any problem having curling in the Olympics. It did start me thinking on how things become classified as 'sport' or not. It interested me enough that I wanted to put some thoughts down in pixels.
Some judging criteria:
  • A. Would the Greeks have considered it a sport? I'm not quite enough of an historian to judge this completely but I'm thinking of the 'stronger, faster, farther' type events here. Contests where people compete to physically outdo one another.
  • B. Does it have an objective result? When it's finished is it clear that we've awarded the correct winner or did it overly rely on someone's opinion? What percentage of neutral people would agree?
  • C. Is it something that appeals to sports fans? You occasionally hear that Nascar isn't a sport because it's not really an athletic display. It's inarguable that there is an enormous crossover between Nascar fans and obvious sports.
I'd say that curling meets B and C pretty clearly. A is a little questionable but if you transported some ancient Greeks to today's world I don't think they'd have trouble with its inclusion. If you accept 'precision' as an athletic skill then I think it passes. It's certainly as much of a sport as archery. Pulling a bow requires more strength but there's no award for the longest shot.
Looking at this list I wonder if the better question is whether or not figure skating is a sport. It fails B pretty clearly and I could be convinced that it fails C. Skating obviously requires athleticism but I'm not sure that quality alone is enough. Are skaters more athletic than ballet dancers? Does anyone think that ballet is a sport?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to knock a bunch of events out of the Olympics. I'm pretty much fine with whatever they choose. If anything, I'd love to see some more stuff out there. But I think it's an interesting question.

Comments

Sarita said…
Archery requires more strength? That stone weighs about 40 lbs. Not too far off the 50 lb. bows the men use.
6:00 AM
Peder said…
But you're sliding the stone on ice. And when curling you're using more of your body to create push.
6:43 AM
Test said…
how about the core body strenght you need to have to stay a)upright and b)in control when curling? If you are off, your body is off, I mean, you screw the flow of the stone.

and re: skating. Somedays I think that it is more like other indvidual sports. If skating isn't considered a sport, why would snowboarding or skiing be considered a sport? It's the ability to get your body trained to handle those jumps and spins (how do they not throw up - seriously??) that creats the 'sport' for me.

Looking at Shawn White last night, thinking, how is snowboarding considered a sport (don't get me wrong - love it)... perhaps b/c they were having way, way, way, way too much fun :)
8:46 AM
Peder said…
They've stopped listening to headphones while snowboarding, right? That bugged me.
And I'll admit, I wonder if figure skating is any more of a sport than 'Dancing with the Stars' is.
9:25 AM
MamaD4 said…
They show it on Eurosport and Hans just can't seem to get enough of it...he seems to enjoy the ladies' matches more for some reason...
9:42 AM
Peder said…
Rachel, I'd rather watch curling than golf. Especially the women...
1:51 PM
Test said…
Peder - the silver medalist was still listening to his ipod last night.
3:37 PM
Alfred T. Mahan said…
I have a somewhat unique take on this, as my *entire* family (except me) either curls or has curled at one point or another, including my niece, and we know several of the members of both US teams.

So yes, I'd say curling is a sport. As has been pointed out, the stones weigh 42 pounds apiece, and sweeping takes a great deal of effort. The teams really do work up a sweat down at the St. Paul CC during a match, and bonspiels can be intensely competitive.

With that said, all the curlers I know, and I know a lot, have a sense of humor about the sport. For example: Monday Night Curling!
6:37 PM
MamaD4 said…
Bonspiel--there's a word I haven't heard for a long time. Curling was very popular down by Mankato in the tiny burg of Mapleton. Is it a Scottish thing Andrew?

I even dated a curler once.
8:27 AM
Alfred T. Mahan said…
Rachel-oh yes, it's a Scottish thing. If it involves some weird physical activity and alcohol, it's probably Scottish in origin.
7:10 PM
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