Text written by Alicia Martínez (English and German Teacher at AIT)
Though surfing has been practiced for many hundreds of years at many places all around the world its recognition as a sport is still questioned or not very clear. So it is very common to find people asking if Surfing is a sport and if not, what is it?
To clear up this matter we first should consider what sport is. And after searching some appropriate definitions I found three:
from dictionary.cambridge.org
Game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job. (Surfing in Cambridge Dictionary).
from oxforddictionaries.com
Activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. (Surfing in Oxford Dictionary).
and from wikipedia.org
Sport (British English) or Sports (American English) includes all forms of competitive physical activity or games which,[1] through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants, and in some cases, entertainment for spectators. (Surfing in Wikipedia).
In my opinion sport could also be understood as a traditional event in which rules are set and in which the winner can be defined by objective means.
NOW … tell us your opinion: Where does Surfing fall?
To be continued…
