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Posted
Off_White said:

GW, I know you've got a pic of the Duke for your avatar, but you're more like the horse pulling his wagon what with the blinders you're wearing.

 

I'm just creating discussion, Off; nothing more.

Posted
Dwayner said:

In answer to your question.....it ain't "sport".

I beg to differ. It meets all the criteria for a sport, even if it is't Dwayner's preferred activity.

 

"An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively."

 

Where is the bloody Doctor, you know, DFA?

Posted

Just because you can't climb steep faces with hard grades with no means for protecting it traditionally, doesn't mean it is not a sport, isn't extremely challenging, or worthy to spend time on and climb.....I enjoy both, suck at both, and find each style challenging in different facets.

Posted
catbirdseat said:

Dwayner said:

In answer to your question.....it ain't "sport".

I beg to differ. It meets all the criteria for a sport, even if it is't Dwayner's preferred activity.

 

"An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively."

 

Where is the bloody Doctor, you know, DFA?

 

what's the set of rules? i see a lack thereof in bolting... i guess gravity is an unavoidable one rolleyes.gif

Posted

It’s such a rush when you have one of those Eureka moments. When suddenly some obvious truth is revealed. That happened to me today. It was the combination of a nice summer day and several postings on this site combining into one Eureka moment.

 

I was walking downtown reveling in one of the glories of summer: beautiful women. Short. Tall. Standing. Sitting. Smiling. Frowning. Young. Old. I realized that almost every woman I saw brought a smile to my face. Thinking a bit further I decided well that’s the way God made me. Feeling trapped in my genetic cage I the decided to try to find the same joy in looking at men. I failed. Sure some guys were cute but most seemed a bit unattractive and the more I wanted to find them attractive the more unattractive they became. I decided that my heterosexuality could not be denied. I was indeed pretty much trapped in my genetic cage.

 

Then it hit me. My love of sport climbing is just another manifestation of the same urges and desires that express themselves as my heterosexuality. Think of the character and traits we consider feminine. Then think of the traits that we consider masculine. Now think of Sport and Trad climbing. Trad climbing is a celebration of the masculine: competition, danger, risk and death (death is particularly interesting when we consider the symbolic death that occurs after ejaculation) The feminine is consensus, joy in each others successes and the joy of repeated success. (think of multiple orgasms) These fem traits temper the more traditional “male” traits inherent in the sport.

 

I won’t belabor the issue with many examples but I would like to throw a few into the pot. Look at the competitive scene in Yosemite. Didn’t Hot Henry Barber almost get beaten up after stealing some FAs? Peter Croft was slammed and ridiculed when he first appeared on the scene. Now compare this to Alan Watt’s encouraging other to repeat his test pieces. He revealed and was inspired by there successes. Think of how traditional climbing objectives are often phallic in nature and think of Sport climbing’s infatuation with caves. And finally think of Layton’s macho posting of his injuries and compare them to Anna’s joyous posting of an actual climb! Finally think of the broad appeal of Sport climbing it appeals much wider percentage of the population than Trad climbing: I would say maybe by a 9:1 ratio.

 

Now please in no way assume that I am making a value judgement here. I am not. We are resplendent in our divergence. I just find it interesting how some of the same drives that can express themselves in our sexuality can also manifest themselves in our choice of climbing styles. Sure in my youth I experiemnted with trad climbing but now that I am more comfortable with myself I find myself mostly a sport climber.

 

PP bigdrink.gif

 

Posted

So you're saying you're a gay climber who really wants to be a gay lover, but you haven't gotten over the residual manliness of your heterosexuality?

 

Or are you just saying that sport climbing is gay, but there's not anything wrong with that.

 

Or are you saying that sport climbing is like sex with a female while trad climbing is like sex with a male?

 

Or are you saying sport climbing is for girls while trad climbing is for boys?

 

I'm confused.

 

I thought sport climbing was so that people could chestbeat about climbing higher grades without actually having to 'climb' the climbs they claimed to have climbed. Or was it just that face climbing is so much easier and less painfull than crack climbing but can't be done safely without bolts?

 

Where's them mensa types to sort all this out for us?

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