[Elecraft] Is ham radio a sport ??

[Walter Underwood]

This is probably not worth discussing a lot here, because "is X a sport?" is a subject most appropriate for a pub. Or 75 meters. One might use fishing as an apt comparison for radio contesting, though.

I must, however, correct a misunderstanding before it goes further. Though one did obey Queen Victoria, she was not "she-who-must-be-obeyed". That was Ayesha, from the novel "She" written by H. Rider Haggard. "She" is a Victorian novel, but it is a stretch to find parallels between the queen and the 2000 year old sorceress who bathes in the fire of the Pillar of Life.

wunder
K6WRU

On Mar 20, 2013, at 7:33 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> I first noticed the term "radiosporting" in the 50's too, and assumed it was
> a translation from a Russian word since the term seemed to originate in the
> USSR. 
> 
> Like most of us in the 'west', I was raised with the idea that a "sport" was
> something that required a great deal of physical skill and endurance . That
> was Queen Victoria's definition when she decreed that all English boys
> should engage in physical sports to be in readiness to engage the Empire's
> enemies if and when needed. 
> 
> Keep in mind that in the latter 1800's, boys or girls growing up with too
> much exercise or outdoor air was considered very dangerous to their health. 
> 
> The Queen (someone who a later generation would describe as "she who must be
> obeyed") decreed otherwise. 
> 
> Queen Victoria's idea crossed the Atlantic and launched the Physical
> Education programs in schools all over the USA and in other countries. 
> 
> So a "sport" operating the radio seemed rather odd back then. Computer or
> video games were 30 years in the future. Otherwise they might have called it
> "radiogaming". 
> 
> 73 Ron AC7AC
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Paul VanOveren
> Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 5:44 PM
> To: elecraft reflector
> Subject: [Elecraft] Is ham radio a sport ??
> 
> The link is to a 1958 Sports Illustrated article, about Ham Radio being a
> sport. If you have seen it before, sorry for the bandwidth, but I found it
> interesting reading, maybe some others will also...
> 
> <
> http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1002473/index.htm
> --
> Paul VanOveren  NF8J
> 5911 Snow Av
> Alto, Mi 49302
> (616) 868-7149
> ______________________________________________________________