It so often seems that when I learn about a seemingly obscure activity, if I scratch the surface, I quickly find an entire subculture, involving publications, manufacturers, and even pros. My question is, what activity do the most people participate in, that the fewest folk make any money at?
My niece and travels all over the country playing this. But as far as I can figure, essentially not a single person makes their living off of it. I think someone makes the weighted pucks in their garage. Other than that, people make their own gloves and sticks, and all other gear - swimsuit, fins, mask and snorkel, are originally intended for other uses. They play in swimming pools that are primarily used for other activities.
So what are your nominations?
A couple others I can think of but have no familiarity with are hashing and whatever you call that type of orienteering where you seek out hidden sites.
Ummmmmm…anything I’m interested in? But seriously-
Benchrest (target shooting from a steady bench): The rifle can easily cost $3,000. Then you’ll need to reload for it. Expect to spend at least another grand for the tools to make PRECISION ammo. The barrels last about one season of shooting and will cost 500bucks to replace. Prizes at matches are typically a barrel or maybe a scope for first place. After first place you get hams and gift certificates from some business owner who also shoots. You will never come out ahead. I have a long-range rifle but haven’t fired it in competition in ages.
Unlimited Air Racing: Hot-rod P-51 Mustangs, Corsairs, Sea Furies, etc. The planes go for 2million bucks and up if they’re already modified and ready to race. Wanna hot-rod your own? A “stock” Mustang goes for about uhhhhh 2million or so. They race once a year and I doubt that prize money covers the cost of getting to Reno. I do not have a hot-rod warbird.
Well would ballroom dancing count? At my college we have a club that competes nationally. I find that sort of interesting. I also want to join because I think it would be fun and good exercise.
We had a Medieval (spelling almost certainly wrong) Society at our college, and I know a few other people who participate in historical recreations. Seems to be pretty big, all the various Civil War stuff, Town Ball, etc., and they’er so different from the modern things that I dont’ think you can really call anyone involved int hat a “pro” in the same sense that a modern soldier or baseball player is a pro.
Juggling. I know quite a few people who practice regularly, and learning isn’t hard at all. On the other hand, there are probably less than a hundred people in the United States who do it professionally. Juggling well enough to entertain an audience for a long time is hard. Learning to juggle three balls or rings takes perhaps an hour or two of practice, and you can do it even without someone to train you. On the other hand, learning complex tricks such as under the legs, behind the back, or juggling blindfolded takes months before you even approach being competent.
Guild of Assassins: It’s a really student-y activity I suppose, but there’s a society at my university and several others. Doesn’t even approach being something that could be done professionally, though.
I could be bitter and say there are no professional orchestral trumpeters, but that’s provably false. Thankfully.
If it’s mainly the ratio of those who have participated on any level to those who make a living performing (not selling paraphenalia), I’d nominate chess. Almost everyone has played chess, but even some grandmasters don’t make a living solely by playing.
Writing fan fiction. And indeed participating in most of fandom, period. Of course, the actual creators of television shows/movies/anime do get money from it, but that’s about it.
Is it really that few? I remember having magician-jugglers (granted, most were not simply jugglers, it was a part of a larger act) at countless school functions, street fairs, storytelling hours, etc, etc, etc when I was a kid.
occ, I couldn’t swear to it. It’s just what my uncle told me, and I view him as being the expert on this subject since he juggled for a circus for a few years before settling down to a career as a psychologist (strange, but true). In my experience, I see juggling at public events very rarely in the United States, but somewhat more frequently in Europe.
Speaking of underwater hockey (and I never, ever thought that sentence would ever be spoken) …
Not once but twice did a team from Moldova sign up for the World Underwater Hockey Championships, only to defect once they arrived in the host country - Tasmania in 2000, Canada in 2003.
My niece was at the 2003 tournament where that happened.
She was all bent out of shape because the defection screwed up the pairings.
I recall following Tasmania there was some question whether all the Moldavan team members could even swim.
Regarding the other nominees: I think most of them, including juggling, orienteering, shooting, and re-enacting have plenty of folk selling supplies and materials. Ballroom dancing is a HUGE industry, with TV specials, movies made about it, and more.
Fan fic and other internet activities may be as non-remunerative. But they strike me as a little different, in that they are pretty much solitary activities.
Checkers is probably a good one, tho someone has to be making al of those boards and pieces.