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Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:53 pm
by cheese
An obvious one we're missing is football/soccer which really only requires a ball along with some imagination to determine what constitutes a goal. I imagine something like this is played in schoolyards essentially everywhere. Also kickball if you're willing to get creative with the bases or find an open baseball/softball field somewhere. To play "ultimate" (i.e. ultimate frisbee) all you need is an open field* and a frisbee.

*although a few scattered trees/benches/etc. can serve as interesting obstacles/hazards

I'm not sure if this one counts as a sport but I was younger we played a game called "suicide" where all you needed was a tennis ball and the side of a building to bounce it off of (oh, and the recklessness disregard for personal safety required to sprint headfirst towards a brick wall):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_(game)

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 3:30 pm
by Jason
I never heard of cheese rolling. Supposedly the cheese reaches speeds of 70MPH.

Interesting tidbit - No one has died cheese rolling, although in 1982 eight people (4 children/4 adults) were struck by lightning during the competition.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 3:31 pm
by 7Wannabe5
Unfortunately, the only sport I am currently interested in learning is kiteboarding, and it is pretty expensive. Even more unfortunate is the fact that money would not be my primary limiting factor :(

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 4:09 pm
by daylen
Skateboarding... until you break your elbow.

I second wiffle ball! I use to play that as a kid.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:26 pm
by Jason
These people in Vermont built a 1/4 size replica of Fenway Park in their backyard for charity wiffle ball tournaments. There is also a stadium based on The Field of Dreams.

http://littlefenway.com

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/vermont ... fenway-vt/

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 8:10 pm
by Toska2
Can jam
Bocce ball
Orienteering
Calvinball

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 4:50 am
by recentlyretired
sailing can be very cheap. I purchased a 16 foot day sailor with trailer for $300 and an electric motor and battery for $200. Fixed/cleaned up boat and trailer for $45.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 6:20 am
by IlliniDave
Though it isn't always a strenuous physical activity, and I suspect not the kind of "sport" intended for the thread, fishing/angling is fairly cheap (compared to say golf or water skiing). If done from an angling kayak or canoe (former I think generally has the lower startup cost) it can add physical activity as a function of ambition. It tends to get one outdoors, which is often healthy in-and-of itself. For gung-ho people (like me sometimes, ha) it can provide opportunities to dip a toe in some wild/relatively undeveloped areas. I think the biggest benefit for me is it's a great conduit for mental relaxation punctuated by bursts of (perhaps primordial) excitement. 95% of the time or more I practice catch-and-release, but fresh fish can be excellent fare. I also like maintaining the skill because having it to draw on may extend life a little bit in some doomsday scenarios. It also combines well with other outdoor activities like camping and hiking.

I've personally spent a fair bit of money over the decades on fishing (though far less than many of my peers). Like many things it can be a slippery slope. I don't mind the cost because the money involved is discretionary and enables a lot of enjoyment for me. I could do it a lot cheaper if need be.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:16 pm
by flying_pan
I live in a pretty outdoorsy area (read: there is nothing else except nature and some bars, but I am not into that). Options for me are:

- running (there is a small park in the town)
- hiking
- paddling (I have a kayak I got for $200)

Running – you have to love it. I ran for almost all my youth, often on a stadium track, which is not very exciting from the diversity perspective... But I am totally cool with it. I just feel good running and I am totally into myself while I am doing that. I also know which distance to run, which speed, so it is more like a routine. I don't compete, it is just for my well-being. It is cheap, all you need is $35 pair of Asics (get the cheapest, they are the least "technical", so their sole won't thin too soon), and it will easily serve you couple of years. Producers recommend to change every 500kms, but we all know they need this profit. I usually change every ~5000kms. Clothes... well, get a sport shirt for like $10–15. That's it. Also, better not to run too much on pavement (like if you run 10kms every day, might be bad for your legs), so prefer grass/trails (maintained) if possible.

Hiking is not cheap. Main problem with hiking is that you need to get there. You can find carpooling or some public transportation, but my experience is that it is true more in Europe, in USA you have to drive. So, gas + wear and tear, often parking permits. The good part is that often there are "hubs" with tons of trails, usually there are campgrounds around as well, where you can walk all around. The total span can easily be 50+ miles (so, 80kms), so even a weekend won't be enough. I see it as small trips/vacations than regular sport, although I like hiking. If you have a lot of trails nearby, go for it!

Paddling is tricky. Technically, cheap kayak/canoe (used canoes are cheaper, since canoeing is more lame than kayaking; kayaking is not very cool though) is easy and will outlast you, but you need to transport it. This is the main problem. I have a truck I am using to transport my kayak, and there is a lake 5 kms from me, so almost no gas spent (costs me like $1 per trip) and I have no additional setup, I just throw it in the bed and secure with cam straps. But I know people have really crazy setups and they have troubles putting boats on top of their cars, so they use even more tech to assist...

So I think running is the winner. If you have snow, cross-country skiing is pretty cheap too (just get used gear), but you need to have stadiums/tracks close enough. Team sports often have fees which makes it not so cheap. But if you just play soccer with your friends, it is essentially free.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:31 am
by Jean
Regarding hiking in Europe vs in the US, in Europe, trails are everywhere, unless you're in a huge Metropolis (but then, you can easily leave it with public transportation), you Can hike from your doorstep. You don't need to be on public land to hike, because letting trail cross your property is part of the social contract between the owner, and the society defending those property rights. In addition, on longer hike, you will get to a town with some shops at least every week.
This means that despite the abundance of beatifull wilderness in North America, hiking is generaly more practical, cheaper, and enjoyable in Europe.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:55 am
by theanimal
flying_pan wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:16 pm

Producers recommend to change every 500kms, but we all know they need this profit. I usually change every ~5000kms.
How do you get your shoes to last so long? My toe box busts open well before 1000 mi (1600 km)

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 12:46 pm
by unemployable
Jean wrote:
Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:31 am
This means that despite the abundance of beatifull wilderness in North America, hiking is generaly more practical, cheaper, and enjoyable in Europe.
Access issues in the US exist but they're nowhere near as onerous as you make them out to be.

Of the 637 peaks in Colorado above 13,000 feet (3962 m, you're welcome), something like 620 of them are on public land with unfettered access and another dozen or so are private land but access is permitted for a fee. Some five or six are actually closed, although some people hike them illegally anyway.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 12:55 pm
by zocab
jacob wrote:
Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:14 pm
Cheese rolling.

You take a sturdy round cheese and roll it down a steep hill. Then you race to catch it.
It's fun and cheap until someone breaks an ankle.
I was going to counter this with the price of a cheese (and its perishable nature), but the famous cheese rolling competition apparently started using synthetic foam cheeses in 2013. (Oh, and the competitions tend to use a 3-4kg cheese which isn't all that expensive, unlike e.g. a 12kg cheese.)


If you're looking for expensive sports, rowing is arguably one. Single-person rowing boats new cost over 5000 EUR/USD/CHF, used you can get them closer to 2000. They do at least last for 15+ years if you maintain them. Most people will join a club instead (shared boats, multi-person boats available, plus you generally need to be a member if you want storage space for a private boat), but that still costs a few hundred EUR/USD/CHF per year.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 1:11 pm
by jacob
Also, originally, you'd eat the cheese at the end of the game. Not sure if they still do that with the styrofoam. It's possible.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:10 pm
by flying_pan
theanimal wrote:
Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:55 am
How do you get your shoes to last so long? My toe box busts open well before 1000 mi (1600 km)
I don't really have any secrets. I buy shoes with some slack in the front, so I can hike in them (so in uneven terrains, I don't push as hard in the toe box), and I try to get as few "features" as possible. They are nice, but it means shoes won't last that long, but I've never had a problem with toe box. I bought some shoes 2 years ago and they lasted me just a year, but I don't remember what they were called. Nowadays I just buy Asics Patriot and they serve me usually about 3 years (I think my average daily distance is 5 kms).

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:14 pm
by flying_pan
unemployable wrote:
Sun Sep 29, 2019 12:46 pm
Access issues in the US exist but they're nowhere near as onerous as you make them out to be.

Of the 637 peaks in Colorado above 13,000 feet (3962 m, you're welcome), something like 620 of them are on public land with unfettered access and another dozen or so are private land but access is permitted for a fee. Some five or six are actually closed, although some people hike them illegally anyway.
Personally, I don't think there are problems with access per se. 99.9% of the trails are on public lands, clearly marked and maintained (which is actually great and impressive, given that often they are in the middle of nowhere). What I meant is that usually you have drive there, often 1+ hour(s), unless you are lucky and live nearby a "hub". I am in several hiking groups in Oregon on Facebook, and despite having pretty dense trails network in the western part, people still often drive couple hours to get to certain waterfalls, mountains, etc. So for variety I don't think it is cheap to hike.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:38 pm
by Jason
We have been deliberating a trip to Europe. I have never been there. The Vatican. Meh. Eiffel Tower. Big whoop. The Louvre. A fucking museum. Notre Dame. Burn bitch.

But now, I have found good reason. To watch cheese rolling competitions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOyQBSMeIhM

I know JLF described it, but I had no idea it was this good. They roll a piece of cheese down the hill. A bunch of people who I presume are inebriated topple head over ass after it, and the ones who make it to the bottom of the hill without requiring a stretcher, get completely fucking decked as a reward. Its some real Monty Python shit. I had no idea the absolute endless variety of ways people can fall down a fucking hill. Some just run and dive and get a mouthful of dirt. Some bounce. Like multiple fucking times. Some somersault. Some wind up doing some type of hand stand back spring shit. Some cartwheel. Some are more vertically inclined. Some horizontal. Some fall forward. Some fall backwards. Some fight it. Some go with it. Some fall and just stop. Some fall and don't stop fucking falling. It's like fingerprints. Everyone has a different set of falls. Some show almost a gift. Some suck. Some are almost balletic. I'm thinking I'm a fighter and would build up such a speed that I would just be fucking airborne until one of those tackling motherfuckers completely knocked the wind out of me. All for a fucking piece of cheese. Rats would watch this shit and shake their little fucking ratheads at the absurdity.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2019 7:31 pm
by Laura Ingalls
@Jason


“The only that peeks my attention is Formula 1 because I like to drive fast and fight with people when they cut me off. But I'm guessing there's no amateur Formula 1 unless go carts or something. “


How is that different than regular driving in Boston?? :lol:

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 8:21 am
by 2Birds1Stone
My favorites are;

Running - road and trail
Cycling - once you have the bike, costs are minimal
MTB - ^ ditto
Swimming - I do have a wetsuit for open water swimming ($100), otherwise very cheap/free to do.
Hacky Sack/footbag - $3-5
Longboarding - spent 1000's of hours riding in HS/College on a relatively cheap ~$100 used board from Ebay.

Re: Fun & Cheap sports

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 8:06 pm
by mferson
I love cycling and sometimes I go hiking with my family or friends.