# Is the Winter Olympics just various types of sliding? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** olympic-sports\ **Created:** [February 11, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586 "2026-02-11T19:18:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/41 "2026-02-11T21:49:06Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > No reason we couldn’t have Snow Beach Volleyball. Think of the uniforms! Expect significant shrinkage. And a completely unrelated sport, flagpole licking. Nobody wins. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/42 "2026-02-11T21:59:39Z")
Snowman making. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/43 "2026-02-11T22:01:42Z")
Ignorance fought! 👍 ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/44 "2026-02-11T22:04:40Z")
There’s a similar scene at the end of _Bananas_. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/45 "2026-02-11T22:07:45Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > I think there’s a 50km ‘walk’ (the funny hip swinging one)… Okay, but do they fight crime while race walking? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/46 "2026-02-11T22:19:02Z")
[Speedwalker!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJVBZuxTo1I) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/47 "2026-02-11T22:47:42Z")
Sliding rocks across ice? Oh wait. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/48 "2026-02-11T22:49:35Z")
Son-of-a-wrek is very disappointed Race walking on Ice is not a sport. He’s also insisting out door bowling on a frozen lake would be fun. Boy ain’t right. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/49 "2026-02-11T22:55:26Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > He’s also insisting out door bowling on a frozen lake would be fun. Has he never seen curling? If not, send him to YouTube for enlightenment. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/50 "2026-02-11T22:56:50Z")
Two person blind ski jump. One blindfolded ski jumper with an ear piece, one guide with the same, radio’d together. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/51 "2026-02-11T23:58:42Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > I understand Leonidas was a very good midfielder too. That was before he got into the chocolate business and lost his form and gained a big round belly. > **[Leonidas | Master chocolatier - Belgian chocolate and pralines](https://www.leonidas.com/en)** > > Leonidas is a Belgian chocolate company that produces chocolates and other chocolate related products. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/52 "2026-02-12T01:20:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Two person blind ski jump. One blindfolded ski jumper with an ear piece, one guide with the same, radio’d together. Dump the blindfold and make it a Winter Paralympics event. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/53 "2026-02-12T01:44:37Z")
Psst, Ronaldo (the real one, the Brazilian) did not let such small details stop him… [![](https://www.infobae.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-wordpress-client-uploads%2Finfobae-wp%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F06%2F12064304%2Fronaldo-gordo-1920-2.jpg?auth=6f5b33bfc8a97b21b96d0f13a2463c1e2c06e9faa20c28b1913575c9d2344ed5&smart=true&width=992&height=557&quality=85) ](https://www.infobae.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-wordpress-client-uploads%2Finfobae-wp%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F06%2F12064304%2Fronaldo-gordo-1920-2.jpg?auth=6f5b33bfc8a97b21b96d0f13a2463c1e2c06e9faa20c28b1913575c9d2344ed5&smart=true&width=992&height=557&quality=85) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/54 "2026-02-12T02:21:41Z")
There’s always ice tennis [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/A76FQScl4QQ/maxresdefault.jpg "The Perfect Ice Tennis Court w/ @PavelBarber") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A76FQScl4QQ) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/55 "2026-02-12T03:00:40Z")
Shame about the vid’s music, but boy is that a great idea for a sport! ---
**Author:** ![Latimera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/latimera/32/497_2.png) [@Latimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latimera)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/56 "2026-02-12T03:29:31Z")
Funny that nobody has mentioned snowshoeing…that’s a winter sport that doesn’t really involve sliding. Not an Olympic event…but it could be… ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/57 "2026-02-12T03:37:14Z")
They did ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/58 "2026-02-12T03:38:56Z")
I was disappointed when I learned that the luge was a small sled; I had thought people went down the track on their butts, which would be a good event in itself. Possibly apocryphal story but told to me by someone I trust and who heard the story from someone in a position to know, like any good urban legend: The 1964 Canadian 4-man bobsled team was a real underdog. Other teams liked their energy and goodwill, but their sled was so rickety another team gave them their practice sled, which was a substantial upgrade. In a sports miracle, the Canadians won the gold! In an after race interview, a sportscaster said to the person behind the driver, “was there a point when you knew you had a winning time? At this moment, we see you lean forward to say something to the driver. Do you remember what you said?” “Yes, I do. I said ‘slow down you son of a bitch, you’re going to kill us all!’” If it isn’t true, I don’t want to know. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/59 "2026-02-12T03:41:21Z")
Oh, Son-of-a-wrek knows all about some curling. Loves that sport. He just thinks bowling on ice, outdoors would be fun. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586/60 "2026-02-12T03:55:23Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Mixed Pairs Windshield Scraping. Judged on speed, completeness, style and degree of difficulty (using a herring instead of a credit card.) There’s a related winter event in the motorsport category: hurriedly squeezing a car into the garage where it’s a tight fit just before a major snow or ice storm, thus avoiding the Mixed Pairs Windshield Scraping event altogether. Contestants are judged on weather timing and precision driving. Plowing into the workbench at the side of the garage is immediately disqualifying. So is smashing into the one at the front. These obstacles have been carefully designed by the IOC to present maximum challenge to contestants. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-winter-olympics-just-various-types-of-sliding/1027586.md?page=4)