"why armwrestle".....really ?

[Rob Vigeant Jr.]

Alright, this is a piece I am surprised hasn't come up in my years on the board...
Just a forenote... I type like I talk in person, which anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting me knows how epic my rants can get...here goes..

"why armwrestle ?"..... This question gets asked so much next to " do you make money?"..... I come to set the record straight.

I was first approached with this ironic question by my father.... It was ironic because he asked both above questions, loved to armwrestle, never made a buck at it and is the main reason I ever started competing.
With that being said.... I told it like this...
" well dad, your friends venture to the woods every year to kill Bambi..... For what ? .. ( sorry russel crew) ...They don't make money.
Sh:t..... They even spend a but load on fancy guns ,cammo, deer piss and even a tree stand...... WTF!
I'm not a hunter hater, but hear my point...
We got people everywhere questioning the legitimacy of this "sport"... Even people within the sport.
Yet there are millions that go out and use every underhanded tactic to kill with all technology has to offer.... And still come up skimmed after a season... Yet, nobody asks them why and they are considered out door sportsman.

This is an analogy... Not a hunting debate.

Besides the BIG money obviousness , how many passions do people have that Boone makes money at but don't seem to get scrutinized ?
People buy a fancy boat and fishing gear.... Spend more time and money than a decades worth of AW trips .... For leisure and passion.... Nobody asks why ?
How much to climb everest or k2..... Hundred thousand plus.... Not to mention weeks on site and the high death %.
personally I think scaling a sub zero windy a$$ rock.... That I can't breathe and have a 50/50 chance of becoming a perm frost death statue on that mountain side.... Then paying a doctors salary for it..... I'll never understand it, but I DO understand the drive and passion.
Golf,billiards,semi pro sports, skiing.... Whatever it is..
Have a low LOW chance of ever paying out and are relatively expensive and come with a plethora of risks all by themselves.
Everything costs time and money and has probable risks... With no guarantee of bearing fruit.
Restauranteurs know this, they sell their house to follow their passion... Like 4/5 businesses fold..

I guess I hate to explain why, if you are gonna ask me why you better know why everyone else does what I'm not into.... There's no difference.

And what makes a sport ?
I had this discussion a few times.
if this is not a sport with all the factors that come into play then I have never played another "sport"
I believe our WAF champs are as proficient at AW as any gold medalist is at their craft.
Aside from endorsements does track payout ?
Does that make usain bolt less of an athlete ?.... Or the guy who took third Boone remembers who was 2/10 of a second off.

I simply like to armwrestle.... Simple, and I believe it's as pure a sport as there is... Regardless of monetary gains I hate that I see it downplayed like some silly caveman pastime that is a huge waste of time.

[Michael Ignatz]

Nice! Could not agree more Rob! Im still a rookie but have this discussion with people all the time. They just do not get it. It's a hobby of mine that I really enjoy. Even keeps me physically fit. Totally under rated and unappreciated. I've used the fishing analogy time and time again and most of the time people will smile and just shake their head. "You paid how much for that table?!?!?!" I didn't just buy a boat but they sure do act like it. "Well how much money are you going to spend on more stuff? Weights? What kind of handle is that you made now?" I paid less money for that than you did for your new iPhone you just bought! On and on and on.....non stop. They can understand hunting, fishing, playing golf, shooting pool, etc. but when it comes to armwrestling....nooooooo. Anyone ever heard the I think you love armwrestling more than you do me kind of line? Lol. All in good fun and humor. A sport is a sport. People participate for various reasons. I have a great time, always have fun, get to travel, LEARN, meet people that seem to become more like family, always stays challenging, and even fellowship in the Lord. How great of a sport is that to be able to do so much in?

[David Owens]

Dec 28, 2011 22:25:57 GMT -5 Rob Vigeant Jr. said:

Alright, this is a piece I am surprised hasn't come up in my years on the board...
Just a forenote... I type like I talk in person, which anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting me knows how epic my rants can get...here goes..

"why armwrestle ?"..... This question gets asked so much next to " do you make money?"..... I come to set the record straight.

I was first approached with this ironic question by my father.... It was ironic because he asked both above questions, loved to armwrestle, never made a buck at it and is the main reason I ever started competing.
With that being said.... I told it like this...
" well dad, your friends venture to the woods every year to kill Bambi..... For what ? .. ( sorry russel crew) ...They don't make money.
Sh:t..... They even spend a but load on fancy guns ,cammo, deer piss and even a tree stand...... WTF!
I'm not a hunter hater, but hear my point...
We got people everywhere questioning the legitimacy of this "sport"... Even people within the sport.
Yet there are millions that go out and use every underhanded tactic to kill with all technology has to offer.... And still come up skimmed after a season... Yet, nobody asks them why and they are considered out door sportsman.

This is an analogy... Not a hunting debate.

Besides the BIG money obviousness , how many passions do people have that Boone makes money at but don't seem to get scrutinized ?
People buy a fancy boat and fishing gear.... Spend more time and money than a decades worth of AW trips .... For leisure and passion.... Nobody asks why ?
How much to climb everest or k2..... Hundred thousand plus.... Not to mention weeks on site and the high death %.
personally I think scaling a sub zero windy a$$ rock.... That I can't breathe and have a 50/50 chance of becoming a perm frost death statue on that mountain side.... Then paying a doctors salary for it..... I'll never understand it, but I DO understand the drive and passion.
Golf,billiards,semi pro sports, skiing.... Whatever it is..
Have a low LOW chance of ever paying out and are relatively expensive and come with a plethora of risks all by themselves.
Everything costs time and money and has probable risks... With no guarantee of bearing fruit.
Restauranteurs know this, they sell their house to follow their passion... Like 4/5 businesses fold..

I guess I hate to explain why, if you are gonna ask me why you better know why everyone else does what I'm not into.... There's no difference.

And what makes a sport ?
I had this discussion a few times.
if this is not a sport with all the factors that come into play then I have never played another "sport"
I believe our WAF champs are as proficient at AW as any gold medalist is at their craft.
Aside from endorsements does track payout ?
Does that make usain bolt less of an athlete ?.... Or the guy who took third Boone remembers who was 2/10 of a second off.

I simply like to armwrestle.... Simple, and I believe it's as pure a sport as there is... Regardless of monetary gains I hate that I see it downplayed like some silly caveman pastime that is a huge waste of time.

Awsome post man, I could not agree more

on a side note I also find it funny that some of the same people that down play it are checking this board and posting as much as I do ...almost, all the while telling me its just a hobbie.....I don't know about anyone else but I would not train year round for any other hobbie, I have never found my self so involved in something or spent more of my time on anything beside my family

I rub people the wrong way some times simply being honest and trying to go after what I think is best for the sport but thats passion, IMO you will not find a group of atheletes with more passion than armwrestlers

[Tim Lewis]

I'm going to share my thoughts in two parts of this:

First, why do we armwrestle? I think the answer to that is primarily that all of us are very competitive individuals and for the most part all organized sports (other than rec leagues which aren't very serious) stop after hs and for those of us that were lucky college. Some of miss that competition and want it to last for the rest of our lives. Most of us all people to some capacity that we are pretty strong and want to test our strength against others in an intense but friendly way. Armwrestling offers that unlike other things like street fighting for example where people can get hurt, legal trouble, etc. And lifting weight in the gym is self-gratifying but the beating someone else aspect just isn't there. Not to mention the fact that for some of us the sport helps us with weight management and overall fitness.


Secondly and I think the more underlying issue is why does armwrestling seem to have such a low following compared to the other hobbies (hunting, golf, etc.) even though the other ones can be just as or even more expensive.
I think this is mainly due to marketing. Hunting companies have gear to sell. Golf Clubs, private clubs, private lessons there is a big market for this stuff. This leads to ads and mainstream attention.
Unfortunatey other than armwrestling tables and straps, we don't have anything to market, sell, for any company to really profit. Therefore its hard to get mainstream attention. Besides armwrestling hurts and training hurts and a lot of people don't want to hurt they just want to compete is something more relaxing like golf.

[Joseph Cordova]

Great Post Rob. Damn you for making us all think this much. Remind me to rough you up when I see you. Lol. JK. Please don't hurt me!!!

Seriously though... Why do I armwrestle??? I'm a competitor plain and simple. I can't just be someone on the sidelines watching. That's just not me. I like to "test myself in battle" occasionally. I think it's healthy and natural for us to do this. If I wasn't armwrestling, I'd be fighting or wrestling or doing something else competitive so that I could push myself to be the best that I could be.

Your question, "what is a sport?" This answer will get a lot of debate, so I say now, THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION... I'm not trying to make anyone else believe the way I do.
Answer: TO ME... A sport is defined as a physical activity with a HUMAN DEFENSE factor. (Armwrestling, UFC, Basketball, football, soccer, etc.) I don't consider running, swimming, weight lifting, to be sports because there is no human defense factor. I do consider them Athletic Activities which are competive though.

[Robin the manhandler Chandler]

Well said superboy joseph that is how i feel aswell i always have the need to test myself to prove im not old yet

[Jim Wagner]

I like this thread!

[Neil Pickup]

Excellent Post Rob,

I hope all is good for ya mate

Cheers

Neil

[Willie Reagan]

This is one of the best posts that I have ever seen on this board. Awesome Rob. The fact is that we all love to compete. It is obvious that we dont armwrestle for the money, we armwrestle for the rush. To me, there is nothing like the feeling I get when I hear my name called. At that point, nothing else matters, and it is time to go to work! I love this sport so much, and love the people. I have made lifelong friends and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

[TK]

Dec 28, 2011 22:25:57 GMT -5 Rob Vigeant Jr. said:

Alright, this is a piece I am surprised hasn't come up in my years on the board...
Just a forenote... I type like I talk in person, which anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting me knows how epic my rants can get...here goes..

"why armwrestle ?"..... This question gets asked so much next to " do you make money?"..... I come to set the record straight.

I was first approached with this ironic question by my father.... It was ironic because he asked both above questions, loved to armwrestle, never made a buck at it and is the main reason I ever started competing.
With that being said.... I told it like this...
" well dad, your friends venture to the woods every year to kill Bambi..... For what ? .. ( sorry russel crew) ...They don't make money.
Sh:t..... They even spend a but load on fancy guns ,cammo, deer piss and even a tree stand...... WTF!
I'm not a hunter hater, but hear my point...
We got people everywhere questioning the legitimacy of this "sport"... Even people within the sport.
Yet there are millions that go out and use every underhanded tactic to kill with all technology has to offer.... And still come up skimmed after a season... Yet, nobody asks them why and they are considered out door sportsman.

This is an analogy... Not a hunting debate.

Besides the BIG money obviousness , how many passions do people have that Boone makes money at but don't seem to get scrutinized ?
People buy a fancy boat and fishing gear.... Spend more time and money than a decades worth of AW trips .... For leisure and passion.... Nobody asks why ?
How much to climb everest or k2..... Hundred thousand plus.... Not to mention weeks on site and the high death %.
personally I think scaling a sub zero windy a$$ rock.... That I can't breathe and have a 50/50 chance of becoming a perm frost death statue on that mountain side.... Then paying a doctors salary for it..... I'll never understand it, but I DO understand the drive and passion.
Golf,billiards,semi pro sports, skiing.... Whatever it is..
Have a low LOW chance of ever paying out and are relatively expensive and come with a plethora of risks all by themselves.
Everything costs time and money and has probable risks... With no guarantee of bearing fruit.
Restauranteurs know this, they sell their house to follow their passion... Like 4/5 businesses fold..

I guess I hate to explain why, if you are gonna ask me why you better know why everyone else does what I'm not into.... There's no difference.

And what makes a sport ?
I had this discussion a few times.
if this is not a sport with all the factors that come into play then I have never played another "sport"
I believe our WAF champs are as proficient at AW as any gold medalist is at their craft.
Aside from endorsements does track payout ?
Does that make usain bolt less of an athlete ?.... Or the guy who took third Boone remembers who was 2/10 of a second off.

I simply like to armwrestle.... Simple, and I believe it's as pure a sport as there is... Regardless of monetary gains I hate that I see it downplayed like some silly caveman pastime that is a huge waste of time.

spoken like a TRUE leader of our sport.

[Tommy Russell]

I see your point but I wouldn't compare armwrestling to hunting. Maybe a softball league or go-kart racing. Hunting in most cases is a family tradition passed down through generations. I armwrestle because it gives me a chance to compete and stay in shape. Being a fkn up all through school I never played sports so armwrestling gives me a chance in my adult life to fulfill my desire to be competitive at something. Hunting on the other hand is a passion that I share with about 85% of my family.
On the other hand I get what your saying and it was a great post. People look at me like I'm stupid when I tell them I travel around and compete at armwrestling for a trophy.

[Shawn Lattimer]

I like strength sports, I like competing, and I need some kind of a goal to keep me in the gym. When I got bored with powerlifting after 12 years of competing I moved into armwrestling. Its a fun hobby and gives me something to work towards.

[Rob Vigeant Jr.]

^^^^ I totally get it .... A good portion of my family hunt too.... What I was saying is for every activity, sport, tradition.., there are groups that don't see the draw... And ask "why"
Depending who you are you could ask this question about anything...

Me, I don't like to watch football at all... I'm like the .01 male percentage in the US, but it never interested me... I think it's kinda boring. I'd rather watch top chef...
Just because I don't get why people love it seems kinda silly to even raise the question... Same as NASCAR and every single thing you could waste your time doing.

A few years ago when inifieds was in salt lake city I couldn't get a room in the whole city.... I asked the receptionist" what's the deal ?".... She said there was some big scrapbooking convention that weekend and 150,000 craft and stamp ladies saw it fit to get their crafty a$$es into town.
How much do you think their rooms, flights and expenses cost.... Not to mention all they bought.... Sounds crazy right ?
Well their event was like 500 times bigger than ours and like 100s of millions of dollars.... But I still think it's a waste .... But these are the same people that think I'm a Neanderthal arm buster..... To each their own.

[Brent Norris]

I agree with "superboy"! Watch your back in FL Rob! You may get jumped by me and Joseph! . For me its all about the $$! I will offer a "how to make a living arm wrestling seminar" in Cape Coral end of Feb. $50/seat. Get your ticket before the seats are gone. They're going fast!!

[Duke Sarkisian]

no matter what hobby you choose everyone has the inner desire to be good at something or at the very least accepted to be a part of something...whether your good,fair or so so at armwrestling it gives everyone a chance to be cheered for..no matter the level..acceptance is a big ego booster and confidence booster..and all that helps out in the game of life...dont ever give up or give in...