By Tradster
Jul 24, 2008
| Andy Librande wrote: Apparently the 7,500 people that watched just the Bouldering Championships at the Teva Mountain Games this past June thought that it was boring... http://www.tevamountaingames.com/flix.cfm Or that when major Rock Climbing film tours happen they are usually greeted with packed venues: http://www.bigupproductions.com/#/blog/260/ http://www.bigupproductions.com/#/blog/19/ Just saying that it does have appeal to a wide range of people if it is properly executed; not that I necessarily think that it needs to be in the Olympics, just that it can be a very fun sport to watch.
It is just my opinion that most climbing is boring to watch, and I've been to several Phoenix Bouldering Contests in the past to watch. Skiing, mountain biking, offer to me a much more exciting visual experience... |  |
By lucaskrajnik
From Anchorage
Jul 24, 2008
| William Dacier wrote: It is just my opinion that most climbing is boring to watch, and I've been to several Phoenix Bouldering Contests in the past to watch. Skiing, mountain biking, offer to me a much more exciting visual experience...
maybe your on the wrong website.... | |
By Zed
From Gotham City
Jul 24, 2008
| Watching climbing, unless you know how hard a route is and what that feels like, is about as exciting as watching paint peel. | |
By Paul Hunnicutt
From Boulder, CO
Jul 24, 2008
| It might be a hard sport to "sell" to non-climbers. Most people can't tell the difference between a 5.10 and a 5.14. If you summit a wall in Yosemite hikers make it out as if you are Tommy Caldwell. I guess there are other technical sports out there where the difference between hard and ridiculously hard is hard to visualize. It seems easier to watch a skier or boarder launch 25' in the air...versus the dude who just went 10' up. It is much more difficult to explain difficulty in climbing...no you see that crimp is only HALF a pad, the other you can get 1/3 of your finger on. And the stance is making him barn door, because the hold is rotated 25 degrees the wrong way. Personally I still don't make much sense of 5.14's I've seen. I know 5.15 is hard, but probably couldn't pick one out over a 5.14. I think unless you are at that grade it is really hard to understand the difficulty. Abstractly sure, but realistically no.
Having said that though I do think people can appreciate the acrobatic nature of climbing contests in general.
If curling can make it...why not climbing?
I could care less about the elitist "lets keep it secret" thing. If people enjoy climbing...so be it. | |
By Hank Caylor
From Eldorado Springs, CO
Jul 24, 2008
| Ken Cangi wrote: Watching climbing, unless you know how hard a route is and what that feels like, is about as exciting as watching paint peel.
I held a top 10 National ranking for 7 years(back when we really were supposed to go to the Olympics) (snowboarding blew climbing away and walked right in).
I agree with Ken. Really good climbers hiking really hard climbs on a 50' or 100' wall is like watching snails fuck. Sad but true. Climbers love to watch good climbing, but my parents and 3 brothers and sisters, or anyone else that doesn't climb for that matter just doesn't get it. To them, you are just grabbing plastic holds.
If Pro Bull Riding isn't in the Olympics, climbing organizations have some work to do to make it interesting enough to be viable.
I will admit that watching it live is VERY exciting, but on film to a non-climber, not so much. | |
By Nick Rhoads
Jul 24, 2008
| I couldn't care less if climbing is or isn't fun to watch, but I do think the Olympics would be detrimental to the "lifestyle". | |
By Not So Famous Old Dude
From Denver, CO
Jul 25, 2008
| There is only one way that climbing is interesting to watch for me - that's when it is on real rock, it is filmed from above, close to the climber, and the climbing is desperate enough that it is clear to the viewer that the climber is at his limit and a fall could take place at any moment. You get a bit of this when they show the top-down perspective of the mixed ice competition in Ouray, and in documentaries of big wall climbing sometimes.
But either way, the Olympics is off the table for climbing in my book. In fact, I think they should drop 2/3 of the other events as well and get back to just basic track and field for summer and skiing for winter and leave it at that. There are so many events now that all they can broadcast is the highlights. I'd rather see less events and more coverage of a wider array of competitors an NO back stories and "profiles." Just let me see the event.
Okay, so I'm living in a fantasy bubble. Is that so wrooooong??? | |
By Tradster
Jul 25, 2008
| Not So Famous Old Dude wrote: There is only one way that climbing is interesting to watch for me - that's when it is on real rock, it is filmed from above, close to the climber, and the climbing is desperate enough that it is clear to the viewer that the climber is at his limit and a fall could take place at any moment. You get a bit of this when they show the top-down perspective of the mixed ice competition in Ouray, and in documentaries of big wall climbing sometimes. But either way, the Olympics is off the table for climbing in my book. In fact, I think they should drop 2/3 of the other events as well and get back to just basic track and field for summer and skiing for winter and leave it at that. There are so many events now that all they can broadcast is the highlights. I'd rather see less events and more coverage of a wider array of competitors an NO back stories and "profiles." Just let me see the event. Okay, so I'm living in a fantasy bubble. Is that so wrooooong???
I agree. Back to basics. Climbing should not be an Olympic event. | |
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