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Is Geocaching A Sport?


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From Merriam-Webster

 

Main Entry: sport

Function: noun

1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure.

 

From Dictionary.com:

 

sport n.

1.

1. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

2. A particular form of this activity.

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

3. An active pastime; recreation.

 

From Encarta:

Sport

noun (plural sports)

Definition:

1. competitive physical activity: an individual or group competitive activity involving physical exertion or skill, governed by rules, and sometimes engaged in professionally ( often used in the plural )

2. pastime: an active pastime participated in for pleasure or exercise

 

From Oxford online dictionary:

 

sport (GAME)

noun

1 [C] a game, competition or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job:

Football, cricket and hockey are all team sports.

I enjoy winter sports like skiing and skating.

2 UK all types of physical activity which people do to keep healthy or for enjoyment

3 OLD-FASHIONED fun or enjoyment

 

 

 

So yes, it is a sport.

Edited by briansnat
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Well, after seeing that definition, I guess I would have to say that it is a sport. Maybe I should look in the dictionary once in a while... Oh wait, that would take up valuable caching time, which is my sport of choice. :rolleyes:

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Well, after seeing that definition, I guess I would have to say that it is a sport.

 

Ahhh, not so quick though. :rolleyes:

 

From dictionary.com

hob·by1 Audio pronunciation of "hobby" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hb)

n. pl. hob·bies

 

An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.

 

But there is more.....

ac·tiv·i·ty Audio pronunciation of "activity" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (k-tv-t)

n. pl. ac·tiv·i·ties

 

3a specified pursuit in which a person partakes.

 

Therefore, I like to refer to geocaching as a sport/hobby/activity. :rolleyes:

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Thank you. I will now rub your post in his face. (In a nice way, of course!)

 

Not so fast. This forum and its inhabitants can't agree on whether geocaching is a sport.

 

I say it feels like a hobby.

 

"One of the hobbies I'm involved in is a recreational activity I call Sport Treasure Hunting."

 

...but I guess you can use it all in a sentence.

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The guys in my Army unit got into a heated debate one time about what constitutes a 'sport'. It was the Olympics that started it all.

It was finally settled that a sport is anything two people can wager money on without getting a third party involved for judging.

By this definition geocaching is a sport. "I got the FTF, nyah nyah nyah, pay up." or "My stats are higher than yours, pay up". Ice dancing was decided as not a sport as it requires expert judges to decide who won. Not that it doesn't require athleticism -- please note the difference.

 

Edit: spelling

Edited by wheetree
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The guys in my Army unit got into a heated debate one time about what constitutes a 'sport'. It was the Olympics that started it all.

It was finally settled that a sport is anything two people can wager money on without getting a third party involved for judging.

By this definition geocaching is a sport. "I got the FTF, nyah nyah nyah, pay up." or "My stats are higher than yours, pay up". Ice dancing was decided as not a sport as it requires expert judges to decide who won. Not that it doesn't require athleticism -- please note the difference.

 

The only problem with this definition in reference to caching is that:

 

1) We are quickly approaching the need for judges since apparently some folks don't know what constitutes a find.

 

2) Even if everyone properly logged their finds, TB's, etc, it's still apples and oranges since we all have unique caching styles.

 

I don't know about you, but I don't want to put money on whether my stats are higher I am going after mostly remote 5/5 caches and someone else only finds 1/1's in cache saturated areas. Then toss in whether or not they signed the log or the container.....

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One more for good measure:

 

ad·dic·tion ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-dkshn)

n.

 

1. Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance: a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction.

An instance of this: a person with multiple chemical addictions.

 

2. The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.

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It is both a floor wax and a dessert topping.

 

No Jeremy, I believe you were thinking of "GEOCACHER"

 

wax - ( P ) Pronunciation Key (wks)

n.

 

1. Any of various natural, oily or greasy heat-sensitive substances.

 

Disturbingly close to many of the folks I have met.

Edited by Blue Power Ranger
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:rolleyes: My brother and I have been having this argument for the longest time. Please put this subject to rest for me. Is geocaching and actual sport or is it a hobby? Personally, I think that it is a sport. What do you think?

 

As a Geographer the framework that we tend to work with is

  • Leisure - time during which the individual can make a completely free choice as to what activity they choose to pursue.
  • Recreation - a Leisure activity that involves physical activity
  • Sport - Recreation carried out within a defined set of rules

In addition, having carried some research by means of a swift trawl through the net I find that:

  • Game - a recreational activity carried out by members of the Working Class either singly or in a group (the latter is not to be encouraged)
  • Sport - a recreational activity carried out by members of the Upper Class where the objective is to kill small animals. This can be carried out either singly or in a large group (the latter is to be encouraged as it increases social interaction and may lead to mating rituals).

So it would appear that the competitive aspect of sport is a purely arbitrary imposition, and it can be effectively argued that in many sports rather than competing against another competitor one competes against oneself/environment/the person setting the activity. By this definition GeoCaching could be said to be a recreational activity carried out within a defined set of rules in which one competes against the cache placer. Whether it is a sport or not depends on your socio-economic class and on whether you intend to kill anything/one while you are engaged in GeoCaching! :unsure::unsure::unsure:

Edited by Jango & Boba Fett
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I think it depends on how you play the game. If you compete to see who in your local group can find the most caches in a weekend or get the most FTF's in a month then there is competition taking palce and you can call it a sport.

 

I on the other hand cache for the simple pleasure of it, could care less about numbers, and compete with nobody which better fits the definition of a hobby.

 

If you use the definition of sport that simply says something engaged in for recreation then reading is a sport....

 

AR_kayaker

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To me, there is usually training involved in sports.. but not for hobbies, and I don't train for geocaching. So, to me, it's a hobby/activity/recreation.

 

Although when it's over 32°C (90°f)and I'm deep in the woods and sweat like a pig, it feels like a sport!

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It is both a floor wax and a dessert topping.

 

An OLD SNL skit. You're showing your age Jeremy. :anicute:

 

It was called "Shimmer" the non-dairy floor wax. Dan Ackroyd did that skit.

 

Actually it was "New Shimmer". Ackroyd was the husband, Radner was the wife and Chevy Chase was the spokesperson. Jeez... how old am I? I still remember the catch phrase, "New Shimmer, for the greatest shine you ever tasted!" :grin:

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It is both a floor wax and a dessert topping.

 

An OLD SNL skit. You're showing your age Jeremy. :anicute:

 

It was called "Shimmer" the non-dairy floor wax. Dan Ackroyd did that skit.

 

Actually it was "New Shimmer". Ackroyd was the husband, Radner was the wife and Chevy Chase was the spokesperson. Jeez... how old am I? I still remember the catch phrase, "New Shimmer, for the greatest shine you ever tasted!" :)

 

:grin:Shimmer :)

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No, geocaching is not a 'sport'. Game, hobby, diversion, outdoors activity, but not a 'sport'.

 

Let's see:

 

Definitions of sport on the Web:

A hamster that is genetically different from the norm

www.hamsterific.com/Glossary.cfm

 

No, I guess in that context it is NOT a sport.

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:anicute: I have to go with hobby, primarily because there is no governing body of rules and enforcers (refs). We recently had a visitation from the local bomb squad sergeant who asked the same question. When the vocal part of the group responded 'Sport', he said that the local parks viewed sports as money generating activities and thus we should be paying fees to use the local parks. So definitely 'HOBBY'
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Yeah, but by some of those definitions bowling is also a sport. I have to agree with Dennis Leary that any activity where you always have an ashtray nearby and button for a waitress to bring you drinks is not a sport.

 

Personally I always saw the competition factor to be the difference between sport and hobby. Exclude the ubercompetitive number-cachers who could make Peanut Butter Jar opening a sport and I would consider Geocaching to be a hobby.

Edited by IGJoe
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My mother has always pondered on the definition of the word "Sports" when she discovered that darts was a sports (she lives in Japan and so only come across the idea of darts as sports since she got cable). So I don't know whether the term itself is reliable.

 

However, whether it makes you do physical exercise, etc, etc, the answer would be "oh YEAH!" for me, as this has been the only physical thing that I have been able to carry on doing for more than few weeks!

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It is NOT a hobby in any sense of the word.

 

A Hobby is collecting things such as stamps, coins, old car tires, etc... Or, tinkering like working on old cars, building bird houses, making quilts, etc....

 

Main Entry: hobby

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural hobbies

Etymology: short for hobbyhorse

: a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation

 

Now, to throw a curve into the equation, I believe collecting certain items from caches is a hobby. The Travel Bugs are a hobby.

 

I liken it to playing baseball, which is a sport. But if you collect baseball memorabilia, it's a hobby.

 

The folks who say that there is no score or no competition per se, how about jogging? Is that a hobby? Working out? A hobby? If ESPN shows a bunch of old farts playing POKER and call it a sport, then geocaching, where I climb to 13,100 feet or walk/bike a mile to sign a log and so much more, is darn well a SPORT.

 

Oh yes, one more thing, internet FORUMS are BLOOD SPORTS!!!

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Main Entry: hobby: a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation

A perfect definition of Geocaching, if you as me. My caching occurs outside my occupation, and I engage in it especially for relaxation. Kinda like my photography, my bowhunting and my kayak fishing.

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