
In an effort to ways to grow and innovate and to meet the needs of those who are committed to active aging, the Huntsman World Senior Games is adding two new sports in 2024.
“With more than 30 sports to choose from already,” says Kyle M Case, Games CEO, “we’re pretty careful when it comes to adding new sports. But that being said, we are always on the lookout for opportunities to grow, evolve and lead the world in active ageing. Adding new sports are one of the ways we can do that.”
The two new-comers are climbing and disc golf.
Disc Golf
Many may have heard the sport referred to as Frisby golf. Frisby is a trademarked name, and so the official name of the sport is disc golf.
The history of the game, like so many games and sports, might be lost in the fuzziness of the past. The first known instance of anyone playing golf with a flying disc occurred in Bladworth, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1926 where a group of school age kids played a game with tin lids. They called the game at the time Tin Lid Golf. They played on a fairly regular basis on a disc golf course they laid out on their school grounds.
Tin Lid Golf kind of eventually faded, but over the next several decades, unbeknownst to each other, several people kept the concept alive, mostly playing in small groups around the United States. Over the years, the popularity grew.
Today, three countries account for 85% of all disc golf courses worldwide: the United States (75%), Finland (7%) and Canada (3%). But the sport is growing. Other notable countries include Estonia, which has the highest density of disc golf courses per square kilometer of dry land of any country and the second-highest number of courses per capita. (Wikipedia)
At the Games, disc golf will be a 36-hole event, taking place on two courses, with a social event taking place on Thursday, October 10 and the actual competition on Friday and Saturday, October 11 & 12. Like most of our sports, we plan to hold competitions in 5-year age groups.
The event will follow the official rules of the Professional Disc Golf Association and it will be a sanctioned event.
All this information at more is available on the disc golf sport page.
Climbing
Cave paintings dating from 200 BC show Chinese figures rock climbing. In early America, the cliff-dwelling Anasazi in the 12th century are thought to have been excellent climbers. Early European climbers used rock climbing techniques to reach the summits in their mountaineering exploits. In the 1880s, European rock climbing became an independent pursuit outside of mountain climbing. So, there is a pretty deep history of rock climbing that goes back a long way.
Climbing at the Games I 2024, will take place at one of the west’s premier indoor climbing facilities, Contact Climbing. The event will be a two-day event with lead climbing and top rope climbing divisions taking place on Wednesday, October 16, and then speed climbing on Thursday, October 17.
Practice will be available at Contact climbing on Monday and Tuesday, October 14 and 15 at a discounted rate.
Like most sports contested at the Games, climbing offer divisions for both men and women in 5-year age groups. More information on climbing can be found on the climbing sport page.
Making an exit from the list of availed sports this year is badminton, bocce and lawn bowls.
Registration for climbing, disc golf and all other sports will open on March 1, 2024, at the stroke of midnight mountain standard time. All the information needed to register can be found at seniorgames.net.
#####
The Huntsman World Senior Games is the largest annual multi-sport competition in the world for athletes age 50 and better. Every year more than 11,000 athletes compete in their choice of over 30 sports in St. George, Utah, USA.