Shirtless shred in public

HooD · Post by **HooD** » 17 Jul 2006 03:32

So basically it's getting ludicrously hot and humid out now a days and shredding with a shirt on bogs me down when drenched in sweat. Do you think it's ok to shred shirtless in public ?

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 17 Jul 2006 05:02

I`ve been opposed to shirtless shred in public for quite some time now. I think it looks unprofessional, and creates one more unnecessary barrier to women/shy interested parties to come up and ask questions/join in.

I find that playing in NBA jerseys is pretty much the same as playing shirtless, in that no sweat accumulates under your armpits, and the mesh breathes much better than regular shirts.

Skippy! · Post by **Skippy!** » 17 Jul 2006 05:23

Yeah wearing shirts that breathe as opposed to regular t-shirts is really crucial. I'm not into shredding shirtless cause I'm not confident with my shirt off.

Anyway, yeah, shirts that breathe are key.

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 17 Jul 2006 07:04

Usually shirtless for me. I mean, I agree with ken in all aspects, but I never look good in tank top/bball jersey style shirts. If it's not shirtless, it's a small tshirt. Although, the place that I kick isn't as public as the place I used to kick at, and there are soccer games going on so I kinda blend in anyway from the shirt/no shirt standpoint.

Also, I think different parts of the US are more/less uptight about that kinda thing. Out here it may deter some people, but in Cali it's just not a big deal at all. People wear a lot less clothes out there in general.

gangsta · Post by **gangsta** » 17 Jul 2006 07:33

Shirtless is the way to shred. Not only do shirts get in the way (hit the bag, block line-of-sight), but they're totally unecessary, especially if you're interested in an Even tan.

If you HAVE to wear a shirt (because youre self conscious about your body, or whatever), muscle shirts and jerseys are the way to go.
Although they work well for shredding, most women agree that muscle shirts/jerseys look very retro/unattractive. What kind of woman would rather see a sweaty shirt, than a set of ripped abs?!? Not even a lesbian.

A super sweaty guy wearing excessively short shorts, and a pair of dirty modified shoes is going to look unprofessional whether or nor he's wearing shirt. It's the shred that makes a man/woman a professional, not the clothing. Who cares what other people think anyway?

Are women allowed to shred shirtless? You betcha'! Who's going to complain about an athletic woman shredding in a bikini top?! Not I!

Iron Clad Ben · Post by **Iron Clad Ben** » 17 Jul 2006 09:19

Shirtless is definitely my preferred mode. If a t-shirt is even the slighest bit loose it can interfere with my sets. The Texas heat is way too much for a shirt. Women may not want to join in? That's debateable, if you ever read Peng's blog she got into footbag and met Tom Mosher when he was shredding shirtless. Personally I feel I'm in pretty good shape and I'm probably doin' all the babes out there a favor by taking off my shirt. But I really don't care, I shred shirtless for myself because it keeps me cool and is the best for my mobility. For guys who are self-conscious I say, don't worry about it. Play with what works for you. Don't worry about what other people think. Footbag is not a spectator sport, it's for the players.

sen · Post by **sen** » 17 Jul 2006 10:41

Iron Clad Ben wrote: Footbag is not a spectator sport, it's for the players.

I think thats part of the problem.

The question posed was, does shredding in public deter others from being interested in the sport and possibly joining in. The attitude you showed with that remark is exactly what STOPS new people from learning about this sport. When I shred at home I don't wear a shirt, but when I go out in public I keep my self covered. Use your head and <b>make</b> footbag a spectator sport instead of making people not want to join. I mean, ya Footbag is for the players and needs to be that way, but at the same time if we are concious that there ARE people watching and that they may want to learn more about the sport, why not present it in a way that makes it appealing to people?

SlashC · Post by **SlashC** » 17 Jul 2006 11:05

I shred without a shirt because I have a very nice belly button.

Sporatical_Distractions · Post by **Sporatical_Distractions** » 17 Jul 2006 11:11

I'm all about shirtless shred, b/c I hate wearing shirts soaked in sweat

Post by **Zac Miley** » 17 Jul 2006 11:50

I don't wear any pants, either.

pips · Post by **pips** » 17 Jul 2006 12:05

I never thought it was a problem. I would approach a guy doing something interesting whether he's shirtless or not. I would think most of the younger public would think the same. Older people might think differently, but they are too old to play.

The Actual Sized E · Post by **The Actual Sized E** » 17 Jul 2006 12:40

gangsta wrote:What kind of woman would rather see a sweaty shirt, than a set of ripped abs?!? Not even a lesbian.

That made me lol

HooD · Post by **HooD** » 17 Jul 2006 13:03

If you're confused on the topic, it's not what is more comfortable, I'm sure just about everyone will agree shirtless is more comfortable. It's not about whether we're self-conscious about our bodies. What I'm trying to get to is how everyone feels about playing shirtless in public. I'm talking about thinking about the public looking at us and how approachable we'd be if we're shredding shirtless. I want to represent footbag the best I can, and I'm thinkin I'm going to have to get some sort of mesh sleeveless shirts or something. I can always shred shirtless and disregard the publics' eyes, but I always think about anyone that is interested in the sport and being able to approach people. I always think seeing players that have a more sport like look, like the new Andrew Grant video, looks very professional and can represent well.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 17 Jul 2006 13:19

HooD wrote:If you're confused on the topic, it's not what is more comfortable, I'm sure just about everyone will agree shirtless is more comfortable. It's not about whether we're self-conscious about our bodies. What I'm trying to get to is how everyone feels about playing shirtless in public. I'm talking about thinking about the public looking at us and how approachable we'd be if we're shredding shirtless. I want to represent footbag the best I can, and I'm thinkin I'm going to have to get some sort of mesh sleeveless shirts or something. I can always shred shirtless and disregard the publics' eyes, but I always think about anyone that is interested in the sport and being able to approach people. I always think seeing players that have a more sport like look, like the new Andrew Grant video, looks very professional and can represent well.

I agree completely. When I shred in a fairly public place I keep the shirt on. I think it makes shred look better, anyway. Matching colors and the way the fabric sways can really add to a person's style.

On a different note, I prefer to keep my shirt on normally not because I'm (excessively) self-concious but because I've shredded so much with one on that the lack of a shirt feels real weird.

david · Post by **david** » 17 Jul 2006 15:16

I think this is a good topic and I think about it a lot.

I play shirtless at home most of the time. There's really no reason not to. And I try to keep it on as much as I can when I do go out. I try to have one on whenever I get filmed. I think when you put footage online and show some random friend of yours and they see some half naked kid they get freaked out. That's been my experience.

Ive heard that shirtless shred makes it look more like a sport. I'm not sure about that. I don't really think I make that association in my head.

Anyway I'm kind of just rambling. Overall I think shirts are better. Jerseys too. I think its more approachable and more professional. I think I will always try to compete with a shirt on. But if I'm already sweaty as hell, it might have to go.

dc

sen · Post by **sen** » 17 Jul 2006 15:28

david wrote: I think when you put footage online and show some random friend of yours and they see some half naked kid they get freaked out. That's been my experience.

I used to (when I was in school) watch footage on the computers there and show random class mates how good some people are compared to me, but they couldn't get past the fact that the guy was half naked.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 17 Jul 2006 15:34

I'm glad I live where it's not a crime to be naked. Sounds like the rest of the world has some issues with the human body.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 17 Jul 2006 15:41

david wrote:I think when you put footage online and show some random friend of yours and they see some half naked kid they get freaked out. That's been my experience.

Yeah, I used to show online footage to people, and the first comment would ALWAYS be: "why are they half naked?" or some other semi-snide snipe at the pornographic nature of shirtless boys jumping around in short shorts. By wearing a shirt, the uninitiated focus more on what we are doing, and not on how sweaty we look.

From a personal standpoint, one of the first shred videos I saw was Raw Shred, when I was 17. Seeing grainy footage of half naked guys dancing around to 80s porn music nearly turned me off from the sport. I definitely didn`t feel comfortable showing the video to my friends. If Sick 03 had been around back then, I wonder how many more friends I could have gotten into the sport by lending them a more professional looking video?

I also agree with Chris, that it matters a lot where you are. In Japan, I really feel that shredding without a shirt is completely unacceptable. On a dirt road in Alabama, you`re probably wearing more clothes than the people watching you, so that`s OK.

As for "not caring what other people think," you`d be hard-pressed to find a bigger proponent of that philosophy than myself. That said, footbag is a young, growing sport, and if doing something as simple as wearing a t-shirt while shredding in public can help recruit more players, or make the sport look better, that`s a small price I will gladly pay.

Post by **Zac Miley** » 17 Jul 2006 15:41

Now, to contribute something relevant to the topic.

Personally, it's a lot more comofortable for me to not wear a shirt because the damn things always get in the way. If people are scared by me not wearing a shirt... then I need to work on my "bod" some more.

Tight shirts would be fine with me, I guess...

HooD · Post by **HooD** » 17 Jul 2006 15:49

Also, I think on days like today (95 degrees with high humidity) people would understand why I'm shredding without a shirt.