# Olde timey modern Olympics: Where's barrel-jumping? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397 "2004-08-18T14:36:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397/1 "2004-08-18T14:36:22Z")
When I was a kid I remember seeing a photo spread from the early modern Olympic Games (c. late 19th or early 20th centuries). I could swear that one of the events included barrel-jumping (athletes leaping headlong through a barrel with the end covers removed, \*not \* ice-skaters leaping over a row of barrels, Evel Knevel-style). After an hour of Googling, I have not turned up any reference to this event on Olympic history websites. Was it part of another event, perhaps the Steeplechase? Was it just a demonstration sport, if they had them back then? Am I misremembering? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397/2 "2004-08-18T18:21:20Z")
[Former Olympic sports](http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/past/index_uk.asp): > [@](#): > > Cricket > Power boating > Croquet > Rackets > Golf > Rink-hockey > Jeu de paume > Roque > Lacrosse > Rugby > Pelote basque > Tug of war > Polo > Water skiing But not barrel-jumping. This site confirms that it never was. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397/3 "2004-08-18T20:22:15Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > But not barrel-jumping. This site confirms that it never was. No offense there Elvis, but if you read my OP you’d see I specifically said I was **not** asking about jumping barrels on ice skates. I too found the list of discontinued sports you posted. But I’m wondering if the barrel-jumping event was, say, one of the numerous track and field events. Then it would not show up as a discontinued sport since T&F is still part of the games. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397/4 "2004-08-18T20:41:23Z")
Okay, I may be on to a lead here! I notice there was an sport called \*\*Artistic Gymnastics \*\* in the earliest Modern Games. Was tumbling through barrels part of the gymnastic routine of the day? ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397/5 "2004-08-18T22:05:57Z")
Slim lead. The official name of the sport that Paul Hamm and Courtney Kupets compete in is still “Artistic Gymnastics”. See, for example, [today’s results](http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/results/3534788.stm) (scroll down), or the explanations [here](http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/gymnastics/sport_guide/default.stm). Thie term merely distinguishes “regular” gymnastics from rhythmic gymnastics. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397/6 "2004-08-18T22:41:35Z")
I’m not finding much either, but out of curiosity what would be the “sport” in jumping through a barrel? Speed? Grace? Length of barrel? ---
**Author:** ![Curious\_Steve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@Curious\_Steve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curious_Steve)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397/7 "2011-12-16T10:29:51Z")
I am also struggling, the only reference I have is in the “Cronicles of the 20th Century” book where is mentions that in 1904 a new olympic sport of “The Barrel-Jumping”. There is a photo of some guys jumping through what looks like a wine barrel. It basically looks like Barrels instead of Hurdles. I have spent a good bit of time Googling and Binging but can find any reference. Surely more people should know about this weird and fun looking sport. It looks like great crack. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397/8 "2011-12-16T14:51:10Z")
Googling 1904 barrel jumping gives this [google books](http://books.google.com/books?id=H1cEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=1904+barrel+jumping&source=bl&ots=5UyIXcxFA9&sig=yeTs_maX4gs7oY5RZPxb2mODivo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RFnrTsIOieGYBZ_G-OgJ&ved=0CFIQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=1904%20barrel%20jumping&f=false) reference to Life Magazine. Apparently the 1904 Olympics was run in conjunction with the 1904 Worlds Fair, lasted 5 months, and included a hundreds of wacky side show “Olympic Sports” including a barrel jump. Edited to add, here’s the [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1904_Summer_Olympics) entry for the 1904 olympics, no mention of the barrel jump. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olde-timey-modern-olympics-wheres-barrel-jumping/260397/9 "2011-12-16T17:29:50Z")
Never mind, skipped over a few posts and what I said added nothing new.