would you say speedsolving is a sport

[quanloh]

this post being a unoriginal post

Nah we dont really care if this post is original/unoriginal, just this debate has been around for awhile, and all points has been discussed/opposes.
But hey let's do it one more time.
I think cubing is a sport.
We compete with each other with a measurable result, under a common rule set, which all participants agree, we cheer for victories, feel sad for "close loses", excited for rivalry, make friends with competitors, train to get better.
I dont see how this is not a sport.

 

[cubenerd74]

Tbh, if a sport requires physical exertion to be considered one, then there are quite a few Olympic sports that wouldn't be a sport. Take sliding events in the Winter Olympics as an example. The only part where there is physical exertion is the start, and after that, it's just a matter of making turns accurately. There's also archery and shooting, which I think make a good analogy for cubing. Those two sports require next to no physical exertion, especially shooting, and the main challenge is concentration, accuracy, and nerve management-oddly similar to cubing...

tl;dr-If archery is a sport, then cubing is, too.

 

[Ayce]

I’m sure 90% of people who say cubing is a sport don’t do sports themselves. Does cubing make you an athlete? Absolutely not. It is not a sport.
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I think it’s a good debate, there should just be one thread pinned by admins to prevent new threads with same arguments. I don’t blame you for making this thread.

 

[FenTheGoat]

I’d argue chess isn’t a sport either

I don’t know if this would change your mind or not. But some of the top chess players use so much brain power that three can burn up to 9,000 calories a day.

 

[FenTheGoat]

I’m sure 90% of people who say cubing is a sport don’t do sports themselves. Does cubing make you an athlete? Absolutely not. It is not a sport.
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I think it’s a good debate, there should just be one thread pinned by admins to prevent new threads with same arguments. I don’t blame you for making this thread.

I agree with cubing not making you an athlete, but I do think it’s still a sport.

This opens up a whole new debate, what is an athlete?

 

[JDAW6]

I’m sure 90% of people who say cubing is a sport don’t do sports themselves. Does cubing make you an athlete? Absolutely not. It is not a sport.
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I think it’s a good debate, there should just be one thread pinned by admins to prevent new threads with same arguments. I don’t blame you for making this thread.

not sports make u an athlete. Like Doug chess doesnt make u an athlete but it is a sport

 

[siwoo]

Tbh, if a sport requires physical exertion to be considered one, then there are quite a few Olympic sports that wouldn't be a sport. Take sliding events in the Winter Olympics as an example. The only part where there is physical exertion is the start, and after that, it's just a matter of making turns accurately. There's also archery and shooting, which I think make a good analogy for cubing. Those two sports require next to no physical exertion, especially shooting, and the main challenge is concentration, accuracy, and nerve management-oddly similar to cubing...

tl;dr-If archery is a sport, then cubing is, too.

this is the worst analogy you could have made.

"Take sliding events in the Winter Olympics as an example. The only part where there is physical exertion is the start, and after that, it's just a matter of making turns accurately."
sliding events in the winter games take a whole lot more of physical exertion than is stated here. since you've excused the start, let's go to during the race. for some sliding events, its all about going as fast as possible, which means the sledder must be aerodynamic. this is achieved by pinning yourself down constantly to your vehicle, which requires you to pressure yourself physically to be flat. also , "it's just a matter of making turns accurately." is a giant understatement. the amount of precision needed at that kind of speed to turn accurately is absurd. in events such as Luge, the calf and shoulder muscles are slid around in order to make turns. i would say sliding constitutes far more physical portion than is insinuated!


"[archery and shooting] require next to no physical exertion" most inaccurate statement i've ever heard.
an olympic bow is really heavy and just holding it for the period of competing time is physically straining. not to mention how firing the bow puts extra exertion upon the bearer. as for shooting , please read the below excerpt by actual 2004 olympic competitor Suma Shirur.

There is a lot of physical activity that is not seen from outside. Because the most natural aspect of the human body is movement. If I have to control the movement, hold my body steady, at the same place for a long period of time, I need a lot of muscle endurance. That needs a lot of strength. For that, you need to have good fitness - Suma Shirur

Nearly all cubing is done sitting down compared to these sports. No amount of explanation will rationalize your absurd analogy. do your research plz

 

[Arcanist]

It, by definition, is a sport.

But it's like marching band.

Even though it is a sport by def, it doesn't meet other mental requirements

I believe it is, but most others don't.

"I believe it is, but most others don't"
I feel like the poll disagrees with this statement.

 

[ruffleduck]

I don't consider cubing a sport. I also don't consider many Olympic "sports" to be sports. Competitors in cubing (and golf, track, swimming, diving, archery, etc) don't really "compete" against one another in the sense that they can influence the others' results. In a cubing competition, cubers are cubing, and other people also just happen to be cubing. Where's the competition? A cuber might as well be doing his ao5 in a vacuum. Competitor A and competitor B don't even have to do their ao5 at the same time, or on the same day, or at the same place--they only do so for convenience.

 

[NebraskanSpeedsolver]

"I believe it is, but most others don't"
I feel like the poll disagrees with this statement.

Sorry, I'll fix the post
I mean most non-cubers, or most of the population of this planet lol
That's okay tho

 

[Jorian Meeuse]

"I believe it is, but most others don't"
I feel like the poll disagrees with this statement.

Because obviously, that poll is the most objective, non biased poll that could exist on this topic, not at all influenced by the fact that the voters are on a speedsolving forum.

 

[ruffleduck]

Because obviously, that poll is the most objective, non biased poll that could exist on this topic, not at all influenced by the fact that the voters are on a speedsolving forum.

The implication you seem to be getting at is that speedsolving members are abnormal cubers (in regards to their opinions, at least). Interesting take. I may agree.

 

[Jorian Meeuse]

The implication you seem to be getting at is that speedsolving members are abnormal cubers (in regards to their opinions, at least). Interesting take. I may agree.

I was technically trying to say speedcubers aren't a very just representation of 'most others', which would include besically everyone on earth, regarding a question about speedcubing.
But I guess what you got from it is also a statement I don't want to deny.

 

[F'prime]

The primary definition of "sport" in the Oxford English Dictionary is: An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

By that definition cubing and chess both qualify. Exertion is strictly physical or mental effort, or the application of a force (not a measured amount of either). Cubing and chess both require mental and physical exertion, albeit somewhat slight on the physical side depending upon the event.

However personal definitions of sport obviously differ. I too believe that sport should be considered as a slightly more physically involved event. I prefer to think of cubing competitions as a mental competition with oneself looking to achieve a higher ranking than those also competing; in short, a competition. Because I've never competed in a WCA event or competition I prefer to think of my cubing/twisty puzzling as a skill development challenge with myself. I would never say that I was practicing a sport while trying to figure out a new puzzle. I would however say that I was testing my ability to get past the current challenge.

The best answer in this entire thread.

 

[FenTheGoat]

This thread seems to get kinda heated, so here’s a pic of a cat!

 

[siwoo]

This thread seems to get kinda heated, so here’s a pic of a cat!

The hero we needed

 

[THE_V01DL0RD]

This thread seems to get kinda heated, so here’s a pic of a cat!

thank you

 

[fes_77]

I don’t know if this would change your mind or not. But some of the top chess players use so much brain power that three can burn up to 9,000 calories a day.

Wait your lying I REFUSE to believe this

 

[OtaMota]

Wait your lying I REFUSE to believe this

It is a thing I have heard of before, not sure how true it is though.

 

[ProStar]

I don’t know if this would change your mind or not. But some of the top chess players use so much brain power that three can burn up to 9,000 calories a day.

I’m aware; I was at one point quite into the chess world myself, and am definitely mentally and to an extent physically exhausted after a tournament. But, for as much as cubing technically fits sport requirements (as does chess), I can not convince myself to put basketball or soccer and cubing in that same category. Perhaps what we need is a difference between a sport and a physical sport that is more prevalently defined and known.