Obscure games offer more than they seem

The Summer Olympics are notorious for their unusual sports. Although most spectators are probably familiar with more popular events such as soccer, swimming, and weightlifting, Olympic history is peppered with athletic oddities, including croquet, fencing, the modern pentathlon (meant to simulate the skills needed by a cavalry soldier behind enemy lines) and tug of war (discontinued in 1920, unfortunately).

Every four years, we are reminded of the Summer Olympics' snowy and oft-forgotten winter counterpart by a barrage of televised footage, and this year was no different. Although the Winter Olympics have a less-varied history and a shorter list of events than the summer events, they also boast a collection of unusual competitions.

Some of these events are easily recognizable because of their peculiarity, even if most observers cannot tell the difference between skeleton and luge. Others, such as the biathlon – which entails a combination of cross-country skiing and target shooting – seem to garner even less prominence in the public eye, especially in the United States.

The U.S., coincidentally, has not fared well in these events – since the establishment of luge as an Olympic sport in 1964, American athletes have never taken the gold, while the U.S. has garnered only a single bronze medal in curling. American athletes have not so much as placed in the biathlon since its introduction in 1960.

Some St. Olaf students recognize the general American ambivalence toward some Olympic events. "Curling is kind of obscure," Rae Couch '11 said, "mostly because we're not Canadian." The perceived popularity of a sport seems to be tied in some mysterious way with winning. Canada not only leads the all-time curling standings at the Winter Olympics, but it is posed to add to its success as it currently leads both the men's and women's tournaments.

Opportunities exist, however, for students to interact with obscure Olympic events. St. Olaf, for example, boasts a curling team, led by Sara Galbraith ‘11. "When I came to school here, I was really surprised how few people knew about curling. St. Paul has the largest curling club in the nation, so I expected there to be a lot more familiarity in the sport," she said. Students interested in the curling club can learn more by contacting Galbraith at galbrait@stolaf.edu

A member of her high school's Nordic skiing team, Jessica Olson '11 not only was familiar with the biathlon, but also knew a couple of teammates who developed an interest in the sport. "I wish I could do it," she said.

Despite her connection with biathletes, Olson felt that watching less well-known events has an important cultural component – even an educational one – that more popular sports can lack. "You watch them differently than a sport you don't understand," she said. Watching curling, luge, or the biathlon not only provides an opportunity to learn about these sports, but also to learn why the United States lags behind so many other countries in these events – and why they are so popular outside the U.S.

Still, the United States and even St. Olaf could share our favorite winter pastimes with the world as future Olympic events. The ancient Greek Olympics were largely a celebration of warfare – the ancient pentathlon sought to test a hoplite's combat skills – and events such as the modern pentathlon or the biathlon are no different. It would seem then, that if figure skating can be an Olympic sport, so can a more warlike event such as a snowball fight or even speed snow fortress building. In the spirit of speed-obsessed sports such as luge, the International Olympic Committee should also consider adding St. Olaf-style "traying" to the program.

Although many of the Winter Olympics' more obscure events do not carry the same appeal as croquet, watching them can be a bit of a cross-cultural experience. If you would like to see some of the Olympics' less-known sports, events for the biathlon, bobsled, and curling, among others, will continue through Friday and Saturday.

venzke@stolaf.edu