Winter Athletics are a quintessential aspect of Belmont Hill culture. This year, my colleagues and I decided to determine which is superior. To reach a logical conclusion, we sent out a Google Form to gather community feedback. Our survey consisted of 7 options: Ice Hockey, Alpine Skiing, Nordic Skiing, Snowboarding, Figure Skating, Curling, and Snowshoeing, plus an “other” option. Of the 112 responses, 82 said one of our options was the best. The other 30 responses were write-ins, with 20 different sports being written in.
According to the survey, Ice Hockey is the most popular athletic activity, receiving 33 votes (29.5% of the total). Ice Hockey was the only team sport on this list, and the most popular option that we also offer at Belmont Hill. The most appreciated aspect of Ice Hockey seems to be the contact and hitting. Other reasons include: “It has the perfect mix of skill and physicality”, “The Loop”, and “It’s just so nails.” Frankly, it’s no surprise that Ice Hockey is the most popular option amongst the student body. Lots of people play it, and those who don’t participate in the Loop help build a strong culture at the Varsity and sub-Varsity levels.
Alpine (downhill) skiing is the second most popular winter sport amongst the student body. Thirty people (28.6% of the total) voted for alpine skiing. The reasons behind this were pretty uniform. Seven responses said they enjoyed alpine skiing most for the speed, which is no joke. Some downhill ski racers have reached speeds of up to 90 miles an hour in competition. Nearly twice as many students cited fun as their favorite thing about skiing. Compared to Ice Hockey, skiing can be much more relaxing and recreational rather than intense and competitive. It seems that many students really have fun skiing with friends and just getting outside. Some more reasons included “going down.” Alpine Skiing offers a more relaxing, less intense experience.
Snowboarding and Curling tied for the third spot with eight votes (7.1% of total votes) each. Snowboarding seemed popular for the same reasons as skiing, but responses also included hostility toward skiing. One voter remarked, “better than skiing, also more athletic.” Curling was much more popular than expected. It seems Belmont Hill students are very fascinated by the dedication, accuracy, and viewing experience this rather niche sport offers. Some go as far as stating, “Its [sic] a unique sport that requires lots of technique and knowledge [sic] of the sport.” Our takeaway from these responses was an underwhelming turnout among snowboarders compared to skiers, alongside an amazing, shocking abundance of curling enthusiasts.
Right behind snowboarding and curling in fifth place was Nordic (cross-country) skiing, which received seven votes (6.3% of the total). Despite the sport being difficult and physically demanding, many still seemed to have true passion. The reasoning behind this varied greatly. The most common being adoration of the coaches, Dr. Calloway, Mr. Decaprio, Mr. Kendall, Coach Weiter, and Coach Kirby. Some student responses included, “Jakey-poo, the big doctah,” and “Because I love Graeme Calloway and Decap.” Some appreciated the difficulty and “Grittiness.” A student even mentioned that he enjoyed “gliding on skis.”
Figure Skating and Snow Shoeing came tied in sixth place with two votes each (1.8% of total). Both students who voted for Figure Skating appreciated the grace required. Those who enjoyed snowshoeing enjoyed the laid-back experience, saying, “I like walking” and “It’s awesome, dude.”
Regarding the write-ins from the “Other” option, we received twenty different responses (many of these were the same sport with different misspellings). Sports that were written more than three times were Basketball, Wrestling, and Bobsledding. We do apologize to the apparently quite passionate bobsledding community for not including it as an option. Bobsledding fans seemed deeply invested in the sport and in someone named Kuznetsov Smith III. Other notable write-ins include Mr. Bracken, Cheese rolling, Karl Marx, and the Winter Play.
Based on our research, the statistics showed an undeniable conclusion: the two best winter athletic activities are downhill skiing and ice hockey. With a sample size of only 112 responses, the difference between 29.5% of votes and 28.6% is not definitive enough to make a clear-cut decision on which of the two is better.
