# Is figure skating a sport? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147 "2007-01-30T18:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/21 "2007-01-30T20:01:37Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] There has to be defense for it to be a sport. If checking were allowed then figure skating would be a sport. [/QUOTE] You would rule out darts and bowling, but not pool? ---
**Author:** ![Intelligently\_Designed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intelligently_designed/32/20957_2.png) [@Intelligently\_Designed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intelligently_Designed)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/22 "2007-01-30T20:16:33Z")
Your Honor, Exhibit A against figure skating being a sport: [men’s costumes](http://www.scratchspin.com/2004/worlds04/best-men.html) . ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/23 "2007-01-30T20:17:33Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] The problem is that it has a subjective component to it. It’s judged. So, if you’re going to rule out figure skating because it’s judged, you should rule out boxing, too. For the record, I consider them both sports. I have a pretty broad definition that also includes darts, pool, bowling and golf. [/QUOTE] Well, subjective is one thing, but I think that it’s subjective element is dwarfed by the amount of physical beating (and as **Loach** has said, defense against said beating) that the sport, by definition, must have. The subjective nature could be taken from boxing and you’d fight until someone fell down and didn’t get back up. Take the subjective element from figure skating..and…you’ve got…winter on a frozen pond. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/24 "2007-01-30T20:32:42Z")
Perhaps one reasonable way you could define a sport vs. a competition is head-to-head contests vs. competing against someone else’s time or score. By this definition, golf, bowling and figure skating would not be sports, but boxing would be. A “sport” would be defined as a competition where winning and losing is determined by your direct actions towards and reactions to your opponent. In other words, there has to be physical interaction between opponents – some kind of offense and defense. While I think my definition is a fair one, I can’t put my heart into it because I want to believe that bowling is a sport. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/25 "2007-01-30T20:33:56Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] If in doubt I go by the rule “can the competitors wear slacks while performing?” If yes, it’s not a sport (golf, bowling, archery, darts, etc.) [/QUOTE] I prefer “can the competitors drink beer while performing?” which also leaves out many of the same activities. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/26 "2007-01-30T20:50:07Z")
[QUOTE=amarinth] I prefer “can the competitors drink beer while performing?” which also leaves out many of the same activities. [/QUOTE] Wouldn’t that also exclude baseball? ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/27 "2007-01-30T20:52:25Z")
Um. Anybody notice that to do something like figure skate you need to be in superb physical condition, have excellent balance and reflexes, and have a ton of endurance? I’d say those qualities are what characterize ‘sport’. Too, the fact that these activities are physical as opposed to mental (like chess), makes them ‘sport’. It’s not an issue of how competition is defined but rather that skilled physical effort is required to do it well. You just try doing one jump on ice skates someday and you’ll gain a massive appreciation for the strength and skill required. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/28 "2007-01-30T20:56:32Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] Um. Anybody notice that to do something like figure skate you need to be in superb physical condition, have excellent balance and reflexes, and have a ton of endurance? I’d say those qualities are what characterize ‘sport’. Too, the fact that these activities are physical as opposed to mental (like chess), makes them ‘sport’. It’s not an issue of how competition is defined but rather that skilled physical effort is required to do it well. You just try doing one jump on ice skates someday and you’ll gain a massive appreciation for the strength and skill required. [/QUOTE] I completely agree with you on the difficulty & the level of skill involved…I’m not sure that’s the right definition, of a sport, though. Ballet dancing is probably the epitome of what you describe, but is that a sport? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/29 "2007-01-30T21:00:04Z")
Crap, I think I’m starting to agree with my boyfriend. Shh, don’t tell him! 😉 [QUOTE=Asimovian] Perhaps one reasonable way you could define a sport vs. a competition is head-to-head contests vs. competing against someone else’s time or score. By this definition, golf, bowling and figure skating would not be sports, but boxing would be. [/QUOTE] Oooh, I like that. > [@](#): > > While I think my definition is a fair one, I can’t put my heart into it because I want to believe that bowling is a sport. 🙂 Just as part of me will always believe that figure skating is a sport. 😃 [QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] Um. Anybody notice that to do something like figure skate you need to be in superb physical condition, have excellent balance and reflexes, and have a ton of endurance? [/QUOTE] That makes them athletes, which no one is disputing; it doesn’t make what they do a sport. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/30 "2007-01-30T21:01:34Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] I completely agree with you on the difficulty & the level of skill involved…I’m not sure that’s the right definition, of a sport, though. Ballet dancing is probably the epitome of what you describe, but is that a sport? [/QUOTE] People enter ballet competions and win so I don’t see why not. Ballroom is now calling itself ‘Dancesport’ - and if you’ve ever tried the stuff those Latin champs do, again, it’s not simple. If you can figure out a way to win it and it’s physical, why shouldn’t it be known as ‘sport’? ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/31 "2007-01-30T21:09:13Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] People enter ballet competions and win so I don’t see why not. Ballroom is now calling itself ‘Dancesport’ - and if you’ve ever tried the stuff those Latin champs do, again, it’s not simple. If you can figure out a way to win it and it’s physical, why shouldn’t it be known as ‘sport’? [/QUOTE] I guess you can call it anything you want, but I don’t see it as a sport. I don’t really get the whole “ballroom dance as competition” thing, and frankly, the world of dance is competitive enough (as a ballet dancer who is trying to get a job), so I don’t understand the need to _create_ competition for it! ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/32 "2007-01-30T21:09:21Z")
My criteria, which usually comes up around the Olympics and X-Games (and happens to exclude some of my favorites) is: A. If it cannot be _objectively_ measured, timed, counted, or documented, then it is not a sport and has no place in the competition. This rules out anything that involves refs or judges (Hockey, Basketball, Ice Skating, Gymnastics, Snowboarding tricks, etc). B. If it does not contain athletic vigor but meets the condition of “A” above, then it is acceptable but perhaps not _very_ athletic (e.g., curling, bowling). C. If the human participant does not generate their own power, it is not acceptable (e.g., equestrian, motorcycle jumping, snowmobile racing). Natural power and gravity are excluded from this category (e.g., skis, street luge, skateboard, bicycle). It may be _my_ criteria, but I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/33 "2007-01-30T21:18:45Z")
[QUOTE=Misnomer] All competitions, in his book. Can anyone think of a reason why it _is_ a sport? I mean, by strict dictionary definition terms it is, but he thinks that something has to be won or lost objectively in order to really be a sport. [/QUOTE] I say it’s a sport. 1. It requires skill and strength 2. You compete against others and score points (even though they’re based on opinion…so are football and baseball sometimes) Chess is considered a sport in Russia. I call it a game on account of the lack of strength thing. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/34 "2007-01-30T21:19:38Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] I completely agree with you on the difficulty & the level of skill involved…I’m not sure that’s the right definition, of a sport, though. Ballet dancing is probably the epitome of what you describe, but is that a sport? [/QUOTE] If you make ballet into a competition it probably could be. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/35 "2007-01-30T21:19:52Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] I guess you can call it anything you want, but I don’t see it as a sport. I don’t really get the whole “ballroom dance as competition” thing, and frankly, the world of dance is competitive enough (as a ballet dancer who is trying to get a job), so I don’t understand the need to _create_ competition for it! [/QUOTE] You’re a ballet dancer? ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/36 "2007-01-30T21:26:06Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] You’re a ballet dancer? [/QUOTE] I was just going to say, “did I say I was?” Then I re-read my post. Let me amend a slight typo! [QUOTE=Me] I guess you can call it anything you want, but I don’t see it as a sport. I don’t really get the whole “ballroom dance as competition” thing, and frankly, the world of dance is competitive enough (_ **ask** _ a ballet dancer who is trying to get a job), so I don’t understand the need to create competition for it! [/QUOTE] Sorry about that! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/37 "2007-01-30T21:27:20Z")
(Now I am laughing at the picture of me & my 40-year-old 7-month-pregnant body trying to get a job as a ballet dancer!) ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/38 "2007-01-30T21:33:09Z")
I’m not a professional dancer by any stretch, probably not even a very good one. But I took ballet pretty much my whole life and I love ballroom dancing competitions. I imagine most people that are involved in ballroom dancing have a strong dance/ballet background. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/39 "2007-01-30T21:39:24Z")
[QUOTE=Caridwen] I’m not a professional dancer by any stretch, probably not even a very good one. But I took ballet pretty much my whole life and I love ballroom dancing competitions. I imagine most people that are involved in ballroom dancing have a strong dance/ballet background. [/QUOTE] I hope folks aren’t misconstruing what I am saying. I love to watch figure skating, all kinds of dancing, etc. I greatly admire the talent and years of training and practice that it takes to reach the level that you see in competition. I just don’t necessarily agree that it has to be considered a sport to be respected for those qualities, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Intelligently\_Designed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intelligently_designed/32/20957_2.png) [@Intelligently\_Designed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intelligently_Designed)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147/40 "2007-01-30T21:40:19Z")
What is “measured objectively”? By a computer rather than by a human? If so, does that mean that running the 100 meters is a sport today but wasn’t 75 years ago? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-figure-skating-a-sport/390147.md?page=3)