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I know that without geocaching I probably would spend most of my time indoors. I was injured a while back, broken back and busted knees, so I really didn't do much of anything. Now after a year of part time geocaching I can walk nearly a mile (previously it was less than 100 yards) so I can say it does provide an incentive for rehabilitation. I still have difficulty, but finding a little box in the middle of nowhere drives me forward.

I see some caches require little to no effort to find while some take climbing a mountain to log. I have climbed a couple of small mountains, it took several hours to complete, but for some reason I had to find the cache on top and that is what kept me taking that one more step.

So I believe it does have some sporting aspects, but mainly it is fun and I get to see things I would probably have missed after my accident.

 

My vote would be yes it is a sport.

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Googlism for: geocaching

 

geocaching is not a crime

geocaching is illegal in nps areas

geocaching is "natural "

geocaching is a game where you use your gps to locate a hidden "treasure"

geocaching is a new 21st century recreation that came about as a result of the improving accuracy of electronic global positioning system

geocaching is een avontuurlijk spel voor gps gebruikers

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geocaching is currently not allowed on nps land

geocaching is treasure hunting for the 21st century

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geocaching is samengesteld uit geo wat staat voor geografie en caching wat staat voor het verstoppen van een schat

geocaching is a new 21st century recreation that came about as a result of the

geocaching is a sport in which individuals or organizations cache materials at particular locations

geocaching is now more fun

geocaching is a treasure hunt where you use a gps receiver to find caches hidden around the world

geocaching is a brand new sport that has recently become popular

geocaching is a rapidly growing global sport where outdoor enthusiasts seek out treasures planted all over the world

geocaching is a fast growing and entertaining sport that involves many outdoor types every year

geocaching is de nieuwste trend voor avontuurlijke wandelaars

geocaching is a fast

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geocaching is a great family friendly activity and a fun way to explore parks

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geocaching is a new outdoor activity which involves the search for hidden caches by inputting a set of given coordinates into your gps

geocaching is an adventure game where everyone with a gps unit can participate

geocaching is also referred to as gps stash hunt

geocaching is for you

geocaching is then you can read on for some of our experiences

geocaching is a new interest that uses global positioning receivers and the us government's global positioning system

geocaching is a new outdoor activity that brings treasure hunting into the 21 st century

geocaching is an entertain

geocaching is also one of our sponsors

geocaching is a ton of fun

geocaching is an adventure hobby that involves using a gps device to locate a cache

geocaching is a relatively new phenomenon

geocaching is fun

geocaching is a fancy name for a fun

geocaching is quickly gaining popularity

geocaching is a relatively simple game that blends the internet

geocaching is a fun way to get out while learning and using navigation skills

geocaching is an opportunity to get off your bum and see the world

geocaching is an opportunity to get off your duff and see the world

geocaching is

geocaching is an activity in which participants hide a cache and take a position at the location using a gps receiver

geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users

geocaching is a great way to justify the purchase

geocaching is for the seeker to find a cache hidden by someone else

geocaching is a gps based sport

geocaching is orienteering

geocaching is a pastime in which caches of items are hidden in non

geocaching is a game that was made possible when the accuracy of handheld gps receivers became good enough to locate objects within a few feet

geocaching is een nieuwe sport die ontstaan is in de verenigde staten

geocaching is all about

geocaching is the sport of searching for and finding caches that have been hidden around the world

geocaching is an adventure game based on a 'treasure hunt' theme where participants in one party use a handheld gps device to search for sealed caches left by

geocaching is an "entertaining adventure game for gps users

geocaching is kind of like a high

geocaching is "natural "

geocaching is a relatively new outdoor sport

geocaching is the coolest

geocaching is done knowing nothing more than the latitude and longitude of the cache's location

geocaching is een buitenactiviteit

geocaching is an activity that has taken off at an even faster pace than letterboxing

geocaching is civilized and family

geocaching is for everyone…young and old…whether you are a techno

geocaching is deceptively simple

geocaching is a relatively new sport/outdoor activity that is sweeping the nation

geocaching is a puzzle

geocaching is a relatively new hobby in which people use a global positioning unit to find hidden containers along trails in parks and other natural areas

geocaching is a new sport that's part treasure hunt and part hide

geocaching is simply a treasure hunt using a gps

geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps

geocaching is and requests an exchange of contents

geocaching is a giant

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Main Entry: sport

Function: noun

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

 

Sounds like a sport to me.

 

I kind of prefer to call it that. I think that calling it a game makes it sound a bit friviolous. You hear the debate in SC and when they talk about our playing games in cemeteries it makes me cringe.

 

Not being competitive, it's usually considered a game.

 

Skiing is considered to be a sport and the vast majority of skiers do not compete. Sames goes for fishing, climbing, kayaking and many other activities. Because something is a sport does not mean competetion is involved.

Edited by briansnat
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I will get flamed for saying this. But here goes.

 

If Cheerleading is a Sport, Then Geocaching is a sport.

 

Certain physical feats are required to reach a pre-set goal. Some of the goals are harder to reach. Points are rewarded. Highest point total wins.

 

I thought I could use Chess as an Example, but Googling that proves that issue to be a hot topic as well. (I'm pro chess as a sport.)

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Dictionary.com:

 

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

 

Other than some really easy P & Gs, geocaching requires physical activity. Definately geocaching is goverened by a set of rules (sic), customs goes without saying. Depending on where you live, it can certainly be competitive, but the definition does not require competition.

 

Just the facts. You decide if it is a sport.

 

EDIT: No competition required.

Edited by Jeep_Dog
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Best description I've read in these forums is that Geocaching is a RASH.

 

Recreational Activity Sport Hobby.

Anyone who was around in the summer of 2002 knows that the question was settled definitively when majicman coined the term "RASH." See the confirmation in this thread.

 

Sprinting is an Olympic sport.

Long-distance running is an Olympic sport.

NASCAR is a highly successful commercial sport.

 

But break a dozen traffic laws driving around an unfamiliar city at 2:00 a.m. to run sprints across parking lots, and it's a game? Sheesh.

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IMHO Geocaching is not a sport. For me, sport requires that there be a winner.

 

Where in the name of tarnation did you get that definition? I can think of many sports where there is no "winner". Skiing, snowshoeing, climbing, surfing, running (for pleasure) and fishing (well I guess technically the successful angler wins) to name a few.

 

On the other hand, when I play Monopoly, chess or Simon Says there is a winner but most people wouldn't call them sports.

 

but the definition does require competition.

 

That def says: ...and often engaged in competitively.

 

Often does not mean always.

 

BTW, you also left out another Dictionary.com def for sport:

3. An active pastime; recreation.

 

Is geocaching a past time? Yes. Is it active? Yes. Is it recreation? Yes. So its a sport.

Edited by briansnat
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Dictionary.com:

 

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

 

Other than some really easy P & Gs, geocaching requires physical activity. Definately geocaching is goverened by a set of rules (sic), customs goes without saying. Depending on where you live, it can certainly be competitive, but the definition does require competition.

 

Just the facts. You decide if it is a sport.

So what is mountaineering, rock climbing etc..... Sport or Game. I don't see many rules in either. Do you have fun doing it is ALLs that matter.

cheers

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For my personal definition, "sport" is on a higher plane than "games."

 

To be a sport, the activity should be largely self-regulated, does not require competition or score keeping to be successful, and not require objective observers to verify compliance with rules. Most important, sport must be character-building.

 

What the media call "sports" are largely just games in my estimation. Umpires, referees, penalty flags and instant replay to resolve who was cheating are far removed from sport. Such things destroy character, not build it. Whether it's football, soccer, baseball, hockey or basketball, winning depends more on who got away with more violations than who outplayed the others. The final score is all that counts.

 

On the other hand, golf, hunting, fishing, skiing and even backpacking are true sports. The only competitor (in many instances) is the player against himself. Any rules are self-enforced, and any penalties are self-complied with. Score-keeping is optional and there may not be a "winner" even though the effort expended was large and difficult. Character can be built with participation.

 

Geocaching? It fits my definition of sport.

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but the definition does require competition.

 

That def says: ...and often engaged in competitively.

 

Often does not mean always.

 

BTW, you also left out another Dictionary.com def for sport:

3. An active pastime; recreation.

 

Yup. Typo on my part. Meant to type "does not require competition."

 

Didn't need the third definition in there, so I did indeed leave it out. The first, most commonly used form, clearly covers geocaching as a sport, in my opinion. Didn't need to dig into less common uses.

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Just like Golf, I wouldn't call it a sport as much as a skill.

IMO, a sport has to have a defense.

 

~Golf does not have a defense; I've debated this with a golfer friend, and he said that nature is the defense in golf. So geocaching is a sport with nature as it's defense. If you think golf is a sport, than geocaching is a sport.

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With apologies to George Carlin, I post his definition of a sport:

 

It must be played with a ball.

 

There must be a chance of an injury to participants.

 

You must be able to bet on the outcome.

 

And you can drink beer while being a spectator.

 

 

Geocaching has two, maybe three of the four criteria. :mad:

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Not a sport.

 

A sport must involve:

 

1. Physical exertion (true for some, but not all, caches)

 

2. Must involve competition in which there is a defined winner and a loser.

 

3. If it requires the use of machinery or technology, its not a sport (I'm looking at you, NASCAR).

 

And, finally, if I can reasonably participate in it....it ain't a sport.

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Not a sport.

 

A sport must involve:

 

1. Physical exertion (true for some, but not all, caches)

 

2. Must involve competition in which there is a defined winner and a loser.

 

3. If it requires the use of machinery or technology, its not a sport (I'm looking at you, NASCAR).

 

And, finally, if I can reasonably participate in it....it ain't a sport.

So much for the photo finish, the instant replay, the glowing hocky puck, the computer designed baseball bat, announcers, radios, and of course the organ playing charge.

 

On second thought so much for golf, and bowling, and bass fishing, and biking, and polevaulting, and shooting.

 

That last one I probably could reasonable participate in.

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So much for the photo finish, the instant replay, the glowing hocky puck, the computer designed baseball bat, announcers, radios, and of course the organ playing charge.

 

On second thought so much for golf, and bowling, and bass fishing, and biking, and polevaulting, and shooting.

 

That last one I probably could reasonable participate in.

No no. The use of technology enhances those sports as you set them out. But such technology is not required to play.

 

For example...in NASCAR, a car is operated to compete. Hence, not a sport.

 

A bat manufactured by a new process is not the same thing. Nor is a glowing hockey puck, etc.

 

Biking is ok, because it is man-powered machinery (yes, I am changing the rules on the fly).

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With apologies to George Carlin, I post his definition of a sport:

It must be played with a ball.

There must be a chance of an injury to participants.

You must be able to bet on the outcome.

And you can drink beer while being a spectator.

Geocaching has two, maybe three of the four criteria. :mad:

There are a lot of people with balls who geocache. There are a lot of people who don't have balls, but by the very things they do whilst geocaching prove somewhat otherwise. (Stupid or Ballsy... you decide.)

 

The caches that promise some sort of dance with death, or have high injury potential for the participants? The best! (I wish there were more... I'd not bother with the others!)

 

Betting on the outcome? Come cache with me! Will she... or won't she find the cache?!

 

The best part is that beer drinking while being a spectator... The key, here, however, is to be faster than everyone else so you're to the top of the peak and back down before most everyone else... you can spectate their return to the parking lot over a nice cool Heinie (puhleeze... the beer) or hefeweizen. Hopefully they won't have been so long that you will have finished your beer... and theirs too, eh?

 

That said, geocaching is my hobby. Sometimes I do 'sporty' things in the pursuit of my hobby - hiking, walking, kayaking, etc and I keep in shape so it's easier for me to do my hobby, but you know what? There is NOTHING 'sporty' about walking up to a lampost in every strip mall parking lot in my town. Especially when I can park w/i 10 feet of said lamppost at any given location. Hmmm.

 

Now, if I could run from lampost to lampost, maybe...

 

I do like my hobby tho.

 

-=-

michelle

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IMO geocaching is both a sport and a game, much like hockey, basketball, tennis, lawn bowling, etc.

 

Each hunt is a game where the object is to find the cache, hidden by another player. Geocaching as a whole is a sport consisting of many people participating in many separate games.

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In my language the meaning of the translation of sport doesn't sound good to describe geocaching with. Translation of game sounds better to me, hobby the best.

 

RASH no matter if capitalized, brings mainly skin problems into my mind. :lol:

- Hello, newbie, and welcome to the RASH!

- Ick! Don't touch me!

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To one who geocaches as an escape from the pressures of every day life, geocaching is a much needed diversion.

 

To one whose goal is to visit somewhere new, get out in the fresh air, and take a nice walk, geocaching is a recreational activity.

 

To one whose goal is to be FTF on every new cache in has/her region, geocaching is a competitive game. (Geocaching is a "sport" to those adults embarrassed to admit that they "play.") To those less-concerned with "the numbers," geocaching is simply a game of "hide-and/or-go-seek."

 

To one who spends more time thinking and talking about geocaching than doing it, geocaching is an obsession. Ditto for one who feels compelled to snag every cache in his/her region, regardless of quality. Obsessions are rarely healthy.

Edited by Find Now, Log Later?
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How about "Geocaching is what it is"?

 

For me--most of the time--it's a recreation. When life gets too oppressive and the stress level rises just a bit too high, geocaching "re-creates" me and helps me to get away from the things that drive me nuts.

 

For some it's an obsession. They have to get out there, have to be FTF, have to cache or they go nuts. Hmmmm, maybe the "A" in RASH should be changed to "Addiction"...really "Activity" seems redundant and also repetitive. :lol:

 

For others it's a sport. They enjoy the friendly competitive nature. FTF's are not just about being first, it's about beating the other guys. They compare number, rub it in and generally drive each other nuts.

 

And then for some it's a Hobby. If they're in the area of a cache and feel like doing it, they do it. They might log a couple a month or a couple a year. These are the people I really don't understand, but hey...who am I to throw stones.

 

Bret

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Skiing is considered to be a sport and the vast majority of skiers do not compete. Sames goes for fishing, climbing, kayaking and many other activities. Because something is a sport does not mean competetion is involved.

When I ski, it is a competetion. My friends and I are always trying to out do each other. In fact just about everything I do, I try and do it better then those around me. If there is nobody around then I try to do whatever I am doing better then I did the day before, or the last time I did that same thing. Heck when I walk down the side walk to the store I am trying to get ahead of others.

 

I guess life is a sport

 

Chris

Edited by Cabear
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With apologies to George Carlin, I post his definition of a sport:

It must be played with a ball.

There must be a chance of an injury to participants.

You must be able to bet on the outcome.

And you can drink beer while being a spectator.

Geocaching has two, maybe three of the four criteria. :lol:

There are a lot of people with balls who geocache. There are a lot of people who don't have balls, but by the very things they do whilst geocaching prove somewhat otherwise. (Stupid or Ballsy... you decide.)

 

The caches that promise some sort of dance with death, or have high injury potential for the participants? The best! (I wish there were more... I'd not bother with the others!)

 

Betting on the outcome? Come cache with me! Will she... or won't she find the cache?!

 

The best part is that beer drinking while being a spectator... The key, here, however, is to be faster than everyone else so you're to the top of the peak and back down before most everyone else... you can spectate their return to the parking lot over a nice cool Heinie (puhleeze... the beer) or hefeweizen. Hopefully they won't have been so long that you will have finished your beer... and theirs too, eh?

 

That said, geocaching is my hobby. Sometimes I do 'sporty' things in the pursuit of my hobby - hiking, walking, kayaking, etc and I keep in shape so it's easier for me to do my hobby, but you know what? There is NOTHING 'sporty' about walking up to a lampost in every strip mall parking lot in my town. Especially when I can park w/i 10 feet of said lamppost at any given location. Hmmm.

 

Now, if I could run from lampost to lampost, maybe...

 

I do like my hobby tho.

 

-=-

michelle

I wonder how many people here know what HefeWeizen is. I know that it is dadgum good.

 

Chris

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Personally, I don't consider it a sport. My test to determine if it's a sport or not is:

 

Are the participants athletes?

 

I don't consider cachers athletes by virtue of caching alone. While I'm sure there are many athletes among us, simply caching does not make you an athlete. It seems everyone wants their recreational activity to be considered a sport. Not being a sport is not a bad thing!

 

Other things that are not sports in my book:

NASCAR

NHRA

IHRA

Fishing

Bowling

Competative eating

Board games(monopoly)

Games of chance(poker)

Games of skill(chess, scrabble)

Anything where people have to ask, "Is this a sport?"

 

Edit: I lived in Germany for 3 years. You better believe I know what HefeWeizen is! Pilsner, bleck. Although I'm more of a Stout fan myself.

Edited by cexshun
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Personally, I don't consider it a sport. My test to determine if it's a sport or not is:

 

Are the participants athletes?

 

What do the participants being athletes have to do with something being a sport. One of the definition of sport (according to Merriam-Webster) is "Recreation. A physical activity engaged in for pleasure". Geocaching certainly fits that definition.

 

If you go to a newspaper to read about a pastime where do you go? If its in the sports section, then its a sport.

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