Balless sports that use nets

[Derek]

I was asked a question during a quiz that has everyone i know stumped!

The question is: Name five sports that use a net and dont use a ball

So far we have
1. Badminton
2. Ice Hockey
3. Fishing

I questioned this because it depends on peoples' defenition of 'sport' ... some dont consider fishing a sport, although i would consider it so.
However, thought i'd post it here and see what comes up.

Any other ideas?

[Corey]

Underwater hockey is clearly it's own sport at this point and should at least get honorable submention:

http://www2.uiuc.edu/ro/uwhockey/

Also Hot Air Ballooning, that's a cargo net around the basket.

Also Ringette. http://www.ontario-ringette.com/

The sport of, "Footbag Net" http://www.footbag.org/net.html

Sailing. Nets are integral to Catamaran. On a Catamaran, 25% of the boat is made of net as seen here:

http://eric.ortis.9online.fr/images/ya%20a%20picoler%20sur%20lecatamaran.jpg

http://www.incentivemanagement.com/Foto%20catamaran.jpg

Butterfly catching http://www.naba.org/sightings/Archives/June2002Archive/sightingsJune2002Archive.htm

Massive, large scale Ornithology as seen here
http://www.solvinbretzel.com/EN/Photos/images/Solvin1.gif
here
http://www001.upp.so-net.ne.jp/sylvaphile/petitsautdr.gif
and here
http://192.211.16.13/n/nadkarnn/ngs/image45U.JPG

Some versions of "Carom", and ancient and modern sport resembling table top hockey use nets. Also some version of Crokinole do same. They both use pucks/discs instead of balls.

Snowshoe-ing. It could be argued in a court of law that snowshoes rely on a net for suspension as seen here. http://kudu.net/outdoor/winter/gear/snowshoes/eskimo.htm

Scuba Divers use nets for a variety of things, especially carrying things. In particular "Treasure Diving" as a sport relies 100% on usage of a net, for without it you wouldn't be able to retrieve any booty. Underwater all carrying cases are made out of pieces of net. Divers also use nets for a variety of other purposes. This would apply to other forms of diving too like "Abalone Diving" which I hear is all the rage with sporty kids nowadays.

Trampoline and/or trampolining. In fact at all Trampoline competitions (was an olympic demo sport at one time) there is a huge net surrounding the canvas.

Gladiator sports feature a variety of net based things, mostly as in throwing nets.

High wire walking and/or Trapeze. Surely this is sport. If billiards is a sport then High Wire Walking certainly is!

This is a bit off the beaten path but you know what, there's a traditional Eskimo sport which uses a fishing net. I can't remember it's name nor how it works but I definitely am sure that it exists and that it was one of their core sports as included in the usual stuff like the cheek pull and ear pull and stick pull. They like pulling things. I'll have to check into this, it seems to me it was actually a very interesting sport which enhanced ones net hunting skills somehow when played ferociously.

Oh yeah that's right, the Polynesians had a version of that too, extremely ancient stuff. In fact they only had a handful of sports and that fish net thing was a big one. I think the other two were canoeing and whipping spears at coconuts, no lie. Man those were the days.

Also ancient, Mayans playing basketball (tlachtli) and or soccer with skulls, also North American Lacrosse as originally played with skulls. Both with nets but no ball. And in the same vein Mongolian/Tibetan skull polo, altough net usage is inconsistent. Sometimes also play with a sheep carcass instead of a skull.

Does this count as as a ball? http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albums/albup81/danthingy.mpg Or a sport for that matter? According to Tom Kapilik, no, because not only is it possible to smoke while playing flaming puck unicycle hockey, but it's downright advisable. And you can get a free light.

Oh yeah. Orienteering. Forgot about that. Too fun. You know when people go under cargo nets or over them, like the army guys do? That's know as Orienteeing if it's part of a course, i.e. an obstacle course, and it's a sport. Some people call it adventuring or "Eco-Challenge". hehe... Anyhow Orienteering rules. Outward Bound!!!

Considered an *extreme* sport is "Human Cannon Ball" http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/trobinso/physicspages/PhysOf99/Circus-Cohen/CANNON.html you definitely can't smoke while doing that so it get's the TK stamp of authenticity. [thumbs up] Can't play more than once though if you omit the net, it's more or less integral.

Strong man contests have long featured a variety of net based events such as excelled in by your own fine countryman Geoff Capes, i.e. see the hoist pull here http://www.mcshane-enterprises.com/ASL/UltimateChallenge.html which involves a cargo net, no balls, and one heck of grunt. I've seen various versions of this which involve a variety of pulling, pushing, hoisting, and throwing nets. One popular one which I believe is Eurpoean in origin, is the hauling of fishnets back and forth across a dock to see who's stronger. And so forth. Anyone who doesn't think the hoist pull is a sport should go ask Geoff Capes for a little convincing nurturing.

K. That's it, I give up, that's all I can muster and I can't musters no more as Popeye says. Bonne chance!

Just as a footnote, as a hobby, Adam and I are collaborating on developing a new sport, "White Water Wrestling" so we'll definitely add net usage to that as well.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Stefan_M]

the picture tells the game :D





fishnets or fishnet stockings?


Stefan

[Brett]

I questioned this because it depends on peoples' defenition of 'sport' ... some dont consider fishing a sport, although i would consider it so.

My Dad is always fond of saying:

"If you can easily smoke while you are doing it is is a game, not a sport." - Tom Kapilik (1946-)

... think about it ...

[Corey]

Har! :) But then that cascades into a co-dependency on, "what you consider *easily* smoking"... :)

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Stefan_M]

Found an older sport, not very popular today.

Stefan

[Adam]

For example:

Darts,
Fishing,
Bowling,
Cards (poker, kanasta),
Golf**
Horse Shoes,
Bacci,

Are all "Games" by my dads definition.


Football,
Soccer,
Hockey,
Track and Field***,
Water Polo,

Are all Sports by Tom Kapilik's definition.

** golf is iffy becuase although smoking may not effect a single game that you play it can cause your performance to deteriorate over time.

*** Track and Field is also iffy because I am pretty sure that you could smoke while doing the Shot-Put or Javelin. But it would be difficult to smoke while running the 100M dash.



Adam Kapilik.

[Corey]

Hee hA ha! Smoking Javelin guys, hehe... I'm in tears, choking with laughter even... Also they should be having a doughnut and coffee...

Old guys... Ya gotta love'em. :)

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Adam]

Yup words of wisdom from Tom Kapilik....

smoking javelin, now that would be funny. I forgot to mention that Archery and Traget shooting are also "Games" in that definition.

Adam Kapilik

[Corey]

Indeed, I've long been advocating for a, "Smokers Olympics". Again, now that's something I'd pay $50 to see. I really do think it would be good to tie this in with doughnuts and coffee too though before we go any further. I'm no smoker, but if I was, I'd make sure to have a doughnut and coffee on hand at all times. Actually a really great thing would be to grow a big pot belly on which to sit the doughnut box for easy access. Ahhhh yep.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[JimS]

Footbag A.K.A Foot Volley

http://www.footbag.org/net.html

http://www.footvolley.com/world/

I was trying to remember the name of the Eskimo game that Corey mentioned, a group of people hold the edges of the net, (or was it a blanket?) and bounce the person in the middle. Sort of a homemade trampoline.

Also, many stockcars have netting in place of side windows, although their tires smoke.

[Corey]

Yeah that's a different one, but you are *absolutely* correct that Eskimos did do that game with both Hides as well as fishing nets, so that's one *for sure*. I remember reading that for a fact. Seems to me Norwegians have a toss-the-person-in-the-fishnet sport thingy too now that you mention it.

But the sport I'm thinking of is different it basically involved one guy catching another guy (who's trying to evade) by throwing a small net on him, I think. But there was an odd twist on that somehow too which I forget, i.e. there was a small wooden bindle involved which one guy would hold in his mouth until the other guy could tug at his ear hard enough to make him shout and then snatch it out. or some similar variation. Eskimo sports all seemed to be geared towards breaking down barriers, or at least that's a theme. One thing's for sure, if you throw a net on me and then pull my ear until I scream, it's pretty hard for me to maintain any significant pretense going forward. It's a great way to say "Hi" to a new son-in-law for example, a real ice-breaker.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[JimS]

Oops, to be politically correct I should have used the word Inuit rather than Eskimo, please take no offence my fine northern aboriginal friends.

Rather than a net, they seem to prefer to use a blanket made from seal or walrus skins.

http://www.ahs.uwaterloo.ca/~museum/vexhibit/inuit/english/blanket.html

While this version of ear pull may not use a net, it does sound like an interesting Inuit sport to watch.

http://www.explorenorth.com/library/aktravel/bl-eskolympics.htm


Speaking of Aborigine’s, this time from the ‘land down under‘ comes “a traditional Aboriginal game called kee'an. Kee'an originally involved throwing a large-sized animal bone over a net into a pit or hole.”

http://www.unsw.edu.au/news/pad/articles/2003/sep/Indigenous_games.html

[Corey]

Inuit are only one type of Eskimo or Northern people, I doubt a Dene or Yupik would prefer to be called Inuit but who knows. Bottom line neither you or I meant any disrespect to anyone and I think that's apparent. :)

Cool link on the aboriginal thing Kee'an (http://www.activeaustralia.org/isp/traditional.htm#13). As to the hide thing, yes hides were preferred, especially for kids, but for grown men they often used fishnets because you have to be a bit tougher and those guys loved games of toughness.

Now that being said, they used old worn out fishnets, not new ones since they rely on those for food, this lead to the occasional broken wrist or ka-bonked forehead which, not surprisingly, seems to actually be part of the fun involved, particularly amongst adult males. You know how it goes. It's only funny until someone gets hurt, and then it's hilarious... :)

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Derek]

Well i think that just about covers it :) - thanx guys!

One thing i have concluded is it's too debatable to answer.
There'll always be someone saying .. "I wouldnt agree with that one ..." etc.
So altho there are heaps of possible answers, choosing five is down to one's own opinion.

Anyway, i think we got 'five' to suit everyone here :)

[Corey]

Well I hope you included, "White Water Wrestling", I mean sure, we're a young sport, but I think that with Adam's charisma combined with my 1987 Firenza we'll go far. C'mon, take a chance...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Lorne]

Some online games are approaching the realm of professional sport...(e.g. Starcraft in Korea, various first person shooters in North America...) although they definitely fall into the Tom Kapilik game category. :)

Those use "the Net" too. ;)

[Corey]

Tom should publish something called, "Tom's Guide" which rates various aspects of reality on their usefulness. I'd read it every month...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)