The sportiest activity that I do regularly is best categorized as...

[tye ]

Balls

 55/7%

Rackets

 22/3%

Bats, clubs...

 22/3%

Unmotorized land vehicles

 74/10%

Motorized land vehicles

 30/4%

Flight

 14/2%

Watercraft

 11/1%

Water sports

 29/4%

Snow/ice

 19/3%

Climbing

 17/2%

Wildlife

 14/2%

Domestic animals

 24/3%

Projectiles

 25/3%

Sparring

 46/6%

Crossing distances

 83/11%

Performance

 25/3%

Cards

 28/4%

Gaming

 81/11%

None (or programming)

 131/17%

750 total votes

[Abigail-II]

The fact that the long list of activities excludes sex shows how nerdy the target audience is. Either they don't have sex, or they do it so badly that even 'cards' is considered a more sporty activity....

Abigail

[hv]

.. or they do it so well it is classified as 'performance'.

[Paulster2]

C'mon, Abigail-II, doesn't Crossing Distances include sex, also? I mean, going from the bed to the floor, to the kitchen table, to wherever. Isn't that Crossing Distances?

[pelagic]

... or maybe their parents told them not to speak about it in public.

[Abigail-II]

Yep, and only nerds do exactly like their parents told.

Abigail

[grinder]

Oh!... I thought that was what the "balls" option was for. Can I change my vote please?

[BzBeauty]

First off, this also shows how pro-male the question is which is perfectly understandable - no dancing, no aerobics, no yoga.

As for sex...
that can fall under
Balls
Rackets
Bats, clubs...
Unmotorized land vehicles
Motorized land vehicles
Flight
Watercraft
Water sports
Snow/ice
Climbing
Wildlife
Domestic animals
Projectiles
Sparring
Crossing distances
Performance
Gaming
None (or programming)

The only one I couldn't figure out a situation for is Cards. Oh the limits of my imagination. Oh wait! There we go. Yup, can be classified under Cards too.

[diotalevi]

Oh I dunno, I looked for 'dancing' but had to slot in under 'performance' instead. It sure is an odd list though.

[tilly]

Depends which definition of sport you use. You'll note that Amorous dalliance; lovemaking. is an obsolete definition. Being such an old-timer you might not have noticed, but currently used variations concentrate on competition in some way.

And while sex has been a competitive activity in some times and places (why does ancient Roman history come to mind?), most of us are more familiar with organized competitions in things like poker and bridge than in sex.

On another note, I must admit that I have to wonder why cards would be split out from games in general. Perhaps a sign of someone who takes "Go Fish!" waaaay too seriously?

[theorbtwo]

I assumed "Gaming" referred to live-action role-playing. (I suppose table-top, such as dungeons and dragons, would fit there too, but if /that/ is the sportiest activity that I do regularly, then you are headed for ill health really quick.)

[tbone1]

It depends on how you keep score ...

[monktim]

The fact that the long list of activities excludes sex shows how nerdy the target audience is. Either they don't have sex, or they do it so badly that even 'cards' is considered a more sporty activity....

Abigail

That's why I had trouble choosing between Wildlife & Projectiles.

[theorbtwo]

I answered "domestic animals", meaning sex. After all, aren't humans domestic animals?

.oO(You and me, baby, ain't nothin' but mamals, so let's do it like they do on the discovery channel.)

[Jasper]

No one seems to want to admit to being into watersports... I wonder why..

[pelagic]

> admit ?
I do sailing (if I get myself to the sea every once in a while ...)

[ChuckularOne]

I just went sailing this weekend for the first time in years. It's more work than I remember!!!

[zakzebrowski]

I enjoy swiming... I just have a cleaner mind then you I guess... ;)

[Forsaken]

I'll happily admit to going windsurfing as often as possible. Nothing quite like a dash of cold salty water to clear the head, especially if it hits you at 50 KpH :-)

[tye]

Thanks go to ambrus for inspiring this poll, though I opted for fairly broad categories because I couldn't stop thinking of more specifics to add to ambrus' fine list of specific sporty activitiies.

[SirBones]

Does a Frisbee(tm) count as a ball or a projectile?

[SageMusings]

Well, we could've had private activities leading to eventual wrist injuries. I don't mean typing, either. Some programmers don't get it / out much.

[Kjetil]

Hm, I do about as much sports as I program... The rather marginal sport of ski-orienteering is my favorite. It is really concentration intensive, there is a high pace. I've been pic of the week on Norway's largest Orienteering news site: http://www.o-nett.com/tiki/tiki-browse_image.php?imageId=212

So, I picked Snow/ice on the poll. But I do a lot of orienteering too. Have a look at http://www.learn-orienteering.org/. That'll become a wiki based on my AxKit::App::TABOO module some day... :-)

I've done some mountainbiking and triathlons too, as well as the occasional street-running relay.

I'm not so much of a rock climber, though I have done a couple of alpine climbs, I like it more on ice. I've done some glacier stuff. That's rather nice. And I've been to about 6050 meters in Peru. I think we were very close to 20000 feet, but I didn't think about it at that time... Story at http://www.ausangate.kjernsmo.net/.

Uh, that was enough ego-boosting for one morning... :-)

[Popcorn Dave]

Too bad it isn't a multiple choice poll. I chose domestic animals since I've got two geriatric cats I'm caring for, but it was a toss up between that and programming.

[jepri]

Go ahead and vote twice.

The system never catches me when I do it.

Oooops, did I say that out loud?

[Popcorn Dave]

As far as I've ever seen, voting twice is only possible using different IP addresses. And my point wasn't really about being able to vote twice, just that the poll would perhaps be better suited to a multiple choice option.

[Zeitmesser]

Since the poll specifically referenced "The sportiest activity...", it doesn't seem like a good fit for multiple answers. Unless, of course, you meant that you have been programming your geriatric cats...

Zeitmesser

[theorbtwo]

.oO(Let's talk about sex, baby, let's talk about you and me...)

[exussum0]

Is that a plural you or a singular you? ;)

[tbone1]

I chose 'projectiles'. I still enjoy my old high school track and field sport of Javelin Catching.

Next year, I plan on getting a mitt!

[Paulster2]

Running is my bag man. I guess that falls under crossing distances. I guess a lot of things could fall under that category.

.oO(Thinking of something funny to say...not coming...still not coming...still not there...hmmm...I give up.).

[weierophinney]

Aikido is about "Crossing distances" -- entering into somebody's space, or turning around it.

I would have liked to have seen a martial arts category; I've known quite a number of programmer's besides myself that engage in one or more martial arts.

[spartan]

Does that include perl-fu by any chance?

[Trag]

Wouldn't that qualify as sparring?

[simon.proctor]

Not unless you do sparring.

[weierophinney]

Aikido has several main schools, but the two most prominent are aikikai and yoshinkai. Aikikai is the style most typically practiced, and is non-competitive; Yoshinkai has a competitive element, but even this is not the main focus of training. As such, sparring isn't a typical aspect of aikido training; self-actualization is. Since the two main tenets of aikido are 'entering' and 'turning', 'Crossing distances' made more sense as an option. I still argue a martial arts or meditative arts category would have been nice.

Aikido's aim is to bring harmony and resolve conflict ('ai' means love or harmony; 'ki' means energy; 'do' means way; 'aikido' thus means 'way of harmonizing energy'). Our techniques, while martially effective, stop short of injury; injury means you are breaking the energy flow.

(My reading and observation of other martial arts is that self-actualization is typically the final goal, even though martial effectiveness is often what is outwardly taught.)

[fraktalisman]

What about skating??? Inline, aggressive inline, skateboarding, snakeboarding. Seriously nobody thought of that stuff? (I do)

[theorbtwo]

I think that's what "crossing distances" is for, though when doing most of the above as a sport, it's not about how far you travel, but how much style you do it in.

[spikey_wan]

Hmmm... What a load of Balls! :-)

[PodMaster]

No balls, Unmotorized land vehicles

[csuhockey3]

skating is only for HOCKEY! Although I did start out as aggressive inline way back when.

--CSUhockey3

[jepri]

Does it count as crossing a distance if I end up where I started?

[tye]

If you never end up back where you started, then it is called "fleeing".

[thor]

I voted "performance" because it's the closest thing I could find. I'm a competitive bodybuilder. Seriously.

[qedrakmar]

Ah, I wasn't the only one disappointed to not see "lifting" as an option.

[Trag]

In Soviet Russia, Dog walks you!

I don't exercise you insensitive clod! (Oh wait, that was on the poll)

I for one welcome our new healthy overlords!

1. Exercise
2. ????????
3. Profit!

[bunnyman]

Moderation: -1, Slashdot.

[Trag]

No, no. That was definately a Mod parent up +5 post!

[BigLug]

LOL .. hardly anyone here has admitted to 'nothing' ... guess they were all too exhausted after clicking that 'vote' button.

[marto]

Until recently, I ve never done any sports in my life :) I started rock climbing recently, lost weight and developed muscles :) Not that I was over weight before. But I think that an activity (sport, hill walking, climbing whatever..), works wonders for the mind as well as the body. just my 2c marto.

[Limbic~Region]

what - no 12/16 oz curls?

[FoxtrotUniform]

what - no 12/16 oz curls?

I find 60oz curls more efficient -- more forearm involvement.

[Mago]

Diving... I´m Dive Instructor !

Mago
[e-mail]

[ChuckularOne]

I voted "Performance", because there was no option for "Arguing with ex-wife" Nothing gets my pulse moving like asking her a question!!!!

[thaigrrl]

I didn't see mountain biking on here so I voted for sparring because I spar with rocks when I fall... actually I do kickboxing too. :) so technically yes I spar.

[rinceWind]

I'm surprised Golf did not appear as a selection, with all the connotations ;).

[tye]

You consider "golf" as a broad category? If you mean traditional golf, do you maybe use a club? Though my view of that sport is that it is a whole lot of crossing distance with a relative dirth of club use. But if you use a cart, then it degrades to 'motorized land vehicles'. Though I've also known golfers who participate mostly for the wildlife.

[Paulster2]

Hey tye, when you say wildlife do you mean the wildlife that you create, the wildlife that already exists, or the wildlife that you bring with you? Golf can be a facinating sport!

[ChuckularOne]

Does the "Beer Cart Chick" qualify as wildlife?

[tye]

I don't know whether to reply to Paulster2 or to ChuckularOne, so I'll punt and do neither.

Though I've also known golfers who participate mostly for the wildlife.

I was mostling thinking of an old friend who played golf because it was a way "to get Zoe into a bikini".

[gri6507]

Bicycling all the way ... just think, off road, mountain bike, road bike, race bike, bmx bike, tricycle, unicycle ...

[Ao]

Hmm, where would you put jumping out of perfectly good airplanes? Is it Flight or Projectiles? Oh these decisions I must make!

[tye]

You can call it projectiles if you get shot out of the airplane.

[arden]

Then put me down for Projectiles, as I did my first jump a couple weeks ago and plan to do many, many more as soon as possible! See my homenode picture for a shot of my at about 14,000 feet over Boulder City, NV. I could see the Hoover Dam and the Las Vegas Strip from there! ! !

[water]

water likes swimming. no surprise there.

[arthas]

I hike in the mountains and this, of course, is related to Perl.

Me and other Italian mongers are organizing a two-days Perl Hike in the Dolomites for Semptember. That should be a nice occasion to talk about Perl... if somebody still has forces to talk after one day of uphill walk. ;-)

Michele.

[snadra]

I would like to see martial arts as well. I took sparring now, but that is not correct. I do freefight based on thai boxing and kick boxing. Of course you do sparring there, but actually it is martial arts.
Multiple choice would have been nice, because I do other sports as well, but freefight is the sportiest.

snadra

[benrwebb]

I agree on seeing a entry specific to martial arts, but from what you describe, aren't you doing something closer to sport fighting? I'm not saying that there is any thing wrong with sport fighting, but I generally don't consider wrestling, boxing, Tae Kwon Do (most forms, anyway), or kickboxing to be martial arts. They are designed for competition and exercise more than anything, whereas a martial art is specifically for killing/maiming an enemy during a battle (indiviual or otherwise).

Let me state again, just in case I'm misunderstood, I'm not making any judgements about the relative merits of sport fighting and martial arts, I am merely poining out a difference.

[Nkuvu]

Does a rowing machine count as water craft?

[sweetblood]

"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

Leonardo DaVinci

I don't know how he knew, but he couldn't have been more right!

[jeffa]

That would be drumming ... a combination of "Bats, clubs ..." and "Sparring" (sticks bounce back and hit you sometimes).

[bassplayer]

I chose "Crossing distances", since commuting is the sportiest activity I have been doing regularly. If you've commuted on Los Angeles freeways, you know what I mean.

[tye]

No, that's "motorized land vehicles", just like "programming" isn't ball playing despite the mouse or trackball. q-:

[bassplayer]

Fair enough, but some might consider commuting in LA to be "Wildlife", "Domestic animals", "Projectiles", "Sparring" or even "Bats, clubs...". It also takes "Balls" (or stupidity). :-)

[elwarren]

I guess walking to the train fits into crossing distances when you put it that way...

[thraxil]

yoga is missing.

[flyingmoose]

Mountain biking on nice technical singletrack is the antidote for cubefarm-dom. Mud, dirt, blood, pain. Ah, I love it.

Swimming laps is good too.

As is rock, paper, scissors.... Err, just kiddin' around on that one, I'm not talented enough for RPS.

[nimdokk]

Two words: ice hockey

[Happy-the-monk]

I dance - almost every night...

...some of it might be seen as a performance, but that's the excption to the rule (dancing for my partner and myself)
...so what should I check in this poll?

Cheerio, Sören

[TVSET]

There are basically two sporting activities that I do.
1. Bowling.
2. Scratching my balls.
So I went for "Balls".

[Sandy]

Lifting weights (not 'cause I enjoy it but 'cause it keeps my bones strong)

[kral]

I am surprised that you have not contemplated chess as a free-standing sport :).
Like every other nerds, I play regularly to chess!

[ChuckularOne]

I play chess, but I never considered it a sport. An avocation , activity or game yes. Sport? No.

[hsmyers]

Tournament Chess qualifies as a sport most places---wood pushing on the otherhand...

[mhi]

Chess would probably fit programming - one step at a time :-)

[jbware]

Chess is a fine endeavor, although I'm more of a Go geek myself. For those of you not familar: http://www.usgo.org or http://www.britgo.org/

- jbWare

[jonadab]

Perl golf, of course. I voted for programming (Though it seems a stretch to call Perl golf programming, it was closer than any of the other options, clearly.) The only other sport I play is chess, but I don't play that often enough to say I do it "regularly".

[perlinux]

Have you tried to think of your programming's problems while running in a green park?? It's great... Inspiration & free mind :-) Good question

[SageMusings]

To hasten my downward spiral and eventual demise, I've developed quite a taste for sportbike riding. I have a Honda Superhawk 1000 (VTR1000F) that's too powerful for my sorry skills, but it's such a freaking blast.

Anyone else riding to Palomar Mt this Sunday? There's gotta be at least one other 1000cc lemming in this crowd.

[JSchmitz]

ah mountain biking there are fun trails close to my house and there is no end to the cool gear you can buy! The mojotoad got me started on this sport although he has rode many more exotic places than I.

[karisma]

Aerobics is missing too...and cardio machines. Well I guess maybe aerobics could be performance if it looks really good?...or domestic animals, cause that's what it can feel like you are if the gym is full...a bunch of animals in a pen.

[rockwiz]

Didn't know if baseball entered the bats, clubs category or the balls category.. but seeing that I'm married and that people included sex in the balls category and I'm not getting any of that (oops glad wife doesn't see this).. I entered my vote in the bats club category

[jbware]

I'm surprised "Watching XP" didn't show up on the list, talk about strenuous...

- jbWare