Shirtless shred in public

[Wasabi]

I'm very fond of reading this discussion and how it debates how approachable it is for people to see shirtless shredders. I'm very comfortable in shredding with a tight shirt on, as I feel that I'm representing the sport just a bit when I wear a footbag shirt (it's pretty much my whole wardrobe ). However, there are times when it gets quite humid or really sunny where I sweat a lot. I don't like the idea of taking off my sweaty shirt not because I'm timid in my looks whoa!, but because the minute I finish my shred and want to put my shirt back on, it's all grimy, cold and sometimes sticky. In fact, it doesn't help to have a sweaty shirt at all, but I try to bear it.

Ken has given me a lot of inspiration in clothing attire whenever I see him shred. NBA Jerseys, or jerseys/mesh shirts in all respects, are very breathable. I plan on having something close to it so that I can play a bit more comfortably in my shreds, and it will also make me look more presentable to other interested players. Like, a footbag jersey that i can fully customize for myself. I'm not sure if it's possible to do it and I'm sure it'll be expensive, but if I can shell out some money to make playing footbag a bit more comfortable and make it presentable to the public eye, I would do it.

[Tsiangkun]

I have an idea !

Everyone knows that baseball is more popular than footbag, right ?

And since everyone except Nate and a few others are ready to change who they are to make themselves more acceptable to other people . . .

Lets just start playing with a basebal instead of a hack. People are familiar with baseball,
and no doubt just the sight of a baseball will solidify that this is a real sport in their minds.

Also, just to make ourselves a little more familiar we could wear big leather gloves like baseball players. Oh yeah, I can feel the populace feeling more comfortable all ready.

Oh, and one last idea, Instead of kicking the bag, we can just throw it back and forth.
I think people have seen this before, and will be less reluctant to approach us.
Yeah, it's not the same as what we do now, but I think it will play better with the general
public.

Sell outs. If you don't like playing with a shirt, leave it off. Playing in a basketball jersey
says NBA fan with too much time on their hands. You can imagine it says professional,
approachable, footbag player. It doesn't.

The shirt is not the barrier. It really is the irish jig dance that keeps most people away.

[pips]

Man...I'd hate to accidentally hit myself in the forehead with a baseball...I think I'll stick to a footbag.

[shredzilla]

Sell outs. If you don't like playing with a shirt, leave it off. Playing in a basketball jersey
says NBA fan with too much time on their hands. You can imagine it says professional,
approachable, footbag player. It doesn't.

The shirt is not the barrier. It really is the irish jig dance that keeps most people away.

I think the term 'sell out' is a broad term with many shades of gray in it. People like Ken, or anyone else that thinks it's bad shred shirtless in public aren't doing so to conform to society. They're doing so because they crave legitimacy for the sport that they play and love. And with that desire, they're willing to do anything and make any sacrifice to achieve that goal. Including dressing slightly differently to give the sport a more professional appearance. To knock them for those intentions isn't noble at all.

Selling out is a funny thing. Do you have a job? Then you're selling out. You're selling yourself, and your services for the ammount of money that your employer feels like giving you, which probably isn't as much as you're worth, doing a job that you may or may not even like.

If you could play footbag, and not change your shred habits at all, but get PAID for it, would that be selling out? Most would say yes. But who wouldn't want to get paid for doing something that they love? Call it what you will, but you're essentially a pot calling the kettle black.

[gangsta]

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/39254

Professional attire is not conducive to shredding:

[james]

If someone is too stupid enough to approach me because I'm shirtless then that solves the problem right there. And most of the time I don't even want to talk to them because they're so moronic. They don't give a shit about the sport, and why would they? If someone wants to play footbag they're not going to be scared that I'm shirtless, come on! That's friggin' ridiculous. I've shredded shirtless in almost every conceivable place, indoor/outdoor whatever and I could care less. People STILL approach me with their dumbass comments or asking to join in. I think I SHOULD wear something completely retarded just so I don't have to put up with that shit. Do I want to kick with someone who has no real desire to play the sport while I'm training to be a champ? Hell no, get the hell out of here and go play soccer or frisbee. Can't you see I'm not interested in seeing your pathetic leg flailing excuse for a toe kick?
I wouldn't go up to Kobe and ask to shoot hoops with him.
People are impressed with the sport regardless, just yesterday Nick and I were shredding at Place-des-arts and people were clapping and cheering and all that shit. I happened to be wearing a beater but it wouldn't of made a difference.
And how are ya supposed to attract all the chickeeboos with some clunky shirt on? If you've got the bod show it off and you'll get MORE looks from the female persuasion. If you don't, hit the gym or stop whining.
Having people approach you while you play is not going to make the sport bigger or more respectable. What it takes is simply enough people that do it seriously and we're getting there.
Oh yeah and when I shred with a shirt, the second I take it off I feel like I just got better, like everything before was just warmup.
It is important to get the sport out there and there's enough of us to attest to that, but I won't waste my time unless I'm sure that person is serious about playing.

[zach4th]

I was thinking about this post today at work while sanding white oak hardwood floors, and it occurred to me that some people my get turned off by a shredder doing his or her thing topless, this is not a problem for me but what use to be was playing in shorter shorts. Does this sound like you? I can think of a lot of my close friends who find it icky and a little hard to look at sometimes.

[Spontaneous Spaz]

i think the women wouldn't and shouldn't have a problem with the short shorts, let alone wearing sports bras, which are consealing and relatively appropriate to wear in public. i say "GO TOPLESS! THAT'S THE WAY!"

but yes... men and short shorts = no... so i don't wear terribly short shorts, sometimes i just wear boxers (in my house(even sometimes i don't wear nething but lavers)), when i do wear shorts they are reasonable to be considered short but like i grew out of them, just enough knee room for mirages and dexes.

there's my 2 cents

[C-Fan]

Sell outs. If you don't like playing with a shirt, leave it off. Playing in a basketball jersey
says NBA fan with too much time on their hands. You can imagine it says professional,
approachable, footbag player. It doesn't.

.

Wow, what a nasty, bitter tone.

I can`t recall having ever done anything to personally insult you, and I`m sorry if I have.

For the record, I am an NBA fan with too much time on my hands. I am also a professional, approachable footbag player. My multiple sponsorships, tournament results, and the existence of the Japanese shred scene attest to this. I don`t see these two things as mutually exclusive.

As I stated earlier in this thread, I wear NBA jerseys when I shred because they breathe really well, don`t get in the way at all, and I think they look cool. In Japan at least, I know for a fact that they make me more approachable. None of this is debatable.


I really see no reason for you to be so unpleasant.

[Jman9089]

I've been shredding shirtless for the past few months (since it was warm enough to go outside) and after reading this topic I decided to play with a shirt on because I saw some good points.
Any way, today (the second day I played with a shirt on outside), one of my neighbors who has walked her dog by me at least 50 times finally talked to me about footbag and said I made it look easy. I just thought it was funny because all the other times she's passed me and my shirt was off she didn't say one thing, she didn't even give me a friendly wave. I think I'm going to stick to shirt on for the most part now. (and no, I don't look horrible with my shirt off either! )

[Tsiangkun]

damnit ken,

That was supposed to be a humorous posting, and now you've gone and got insulted.


I figured this thread had already reached as much consensus as possible.

[RawSko]

but yes... men and short shorts = no... so i don't wear terribly short shorts, sometimes i just wear boxers (in my house(even sometimes i don't wear nething but lavers)), when i do wear shorts they are reasonable to be considered short but like i grew out of them, just enough knee room for mirages and dexes.

Uptime sets REQUIRE shorts that STAY out of the way. Fashion goes before Footbag only in the Dictionary (...if the word Footbag were in the Dictionary).

I think the short shorts issue does belittle the shirt-or-no-shirt issue. With how foreign our sport seems already, a shirt has got to be a fairly mute point.

Great discussion though!!

[dyalander]

dyalander wrote:
Last Christmas she bought me a fishnet singlet to shred in


LMAO!!!! Post your pic!

Unsurprisingly I don't have a picture of me in that shirt - though Jeremy might (I wore it at Aust. Nats one night - but i didn't shred in it, I'm sure thers a pic floating around somewhere just waiting to emerge and the most embarassing time possible)
<edit> It occurs to me that the very fact that there is some debate - the very fact that there are some poeple here who express a preference for shirt wearing in public to various degrees - shows that you can't simply say that anyone who counts/anyone who's actually into footbag or would be a potential player wouldn't care if you were shirtless.
I think there is a fine line between being a non-conformist and being a inconsiderate jerk. When someone says "I don't care what other people think" as if its some sort of credo by which they live their life, they're either lying/overstating or an arsehole - because you should care what other people think to a degree - we live in a society.

[Eric Chang]

Well the whole thing about shirtless and trying to get footbag out there, basically we should just accept footbag isn't a wildly acceptted sport right now. So because of this we should just keep footbagging until enough of us are good, and then soon or later there will be more media.

Its going to take time, but right now footbag is where it is now, and we shouldn't worry about it. I'm probably sure that there has been a spike in recent footbaggyness and such. So shirtless shreds are pretty good, and trust me. If someone is pull double dexes shirtless people are going to be interested regardless.

In the other case, if you see people watching or a kid watching. You should kind of stop and pull yourself away from the circle and teach them something or basics. Heck even carry around a bunch of Jim Penske tips and such and give them the address to footbag.org.

So really nothing is wrong with shirtless shred, because if we want to represent footbag. It should be under our terms, not the media's term, or else it'll just be molded in the eyes of the media rather than just us (I so just repharsed that sentence like 20 times).

Oh yes, the whole comment about little kids jumping around in short shorts and shirtless. Well that was never the first thought in my mind, and if that's the first thought in their mind, I think they should be checked rather than us.

Peace,

Chang

[yacob]

I may be beating a dead horse by offering input so late in this forum, so I apologize if these points have been made...But this is a topic that we deal with in our crew alot since we play often in public spaces.

I think the most important thing to keep in mind is your location. If you're in your basement or some back-ass parking lot somewhere, it's not going to affect anyone if you take off your shirt.
But, if you're on a street corner in the middle of a city with lots of people walking by, I think it's inappropriate to shred shirtless.

Regarding the basketball comparison, it's important to remember that sports like basketball 99% of the time use their own space, whereas footbag often takes place in the public setting. i.e. a public square, a sidewalk, or whatever. This puts us in close proximity to people who just want to walk by and don't want to have to deal with sweaty dudes jumping around.

I think taking your shirt off projects a macho, testosterone-filled image that others may find threatening. You may not give a damn, but it's important to keep in mind nevertheless. Having a shirt on makes you much more approachable/less threatening. And if you are wearing a footbag t-shirt, all the better for promoting the sport.

Lastly, I'd like to point out the sweat factor. We've all been in circles with people who sweat so much that they resemble sprinklers whenever they spin. I don't intend to diss anyone who sweats alot, props for shredding hard. But, wearing a shirt will at least give these folks something to absorb sweat with so it doesn't have to spray onto innocent bystanders.

[Ian Brill]

Seeing as though I am the hairy, beer-gutted sweat fountain which Yacob speaks of, I feel it's necessary to mention that I am the hairy, beer-gutted sweat fountain that Yacob speaks of.

I should mention I am extremely pale and have LOTS of acne scars and moles.

I love kicking shirtless. It makes my nipples shoot-out.

So who's coming to Funtastik?

- (ducks the atomic bomb on it's way from Squirrel Hill...)

But seriously guys, there are days when my shirt gets so saturated with sweat that it SHOULD come off, and then all there is is a farmers tan...

The only thing Gayer than watching young boys in shorts jumping up and down to porn music (to paraphrase a recent statement written by one of my favorite New Yorkers)
is demanding that only attractive men take their shirts off. Come on guys, let's face it: the six-packed-footbag-chic is way too CK1 (see the Hipster handbook definition for most clarity). Pockmarked sweaty beer guts grabbing air and sunlight on a torque is the only thing that keeps some of the finest footbag clubs in the closet (still ducking that atomic bomb from Squirrel Hill). I consider it a service. BTW, I have NOTHING against Gays. Every 28 days or so I envy them.

This is a very real concern though. Unfortunatley, there is no logical way of adressing it:

Captain Klouda qualifies/legitimates the sport. If he ain't rocking no shirt I ain't about to tell him to. Most of the finest don't either.

How about farting? Or perhaps praying before your turn? Some of these things come very natural to people, and given the maturity level of the people around seem to have a very different effect. Still, a fart is ok, especially if it helps you wind up for a clean surging set. And, praying is totally Kosher in my book. It's up to everyone else to deal with acceptable behavior for themselves.

Tolerance and maturity are the most important matters here. It is wrong to judge someone because they have festering boils on their face OR their chest. Judging any one part of another's body is simply superficial and neanderthal. However, I mostly kick with a shirt on when I know it makes people around me more comfortable, because it is the gentlemanly thing to do, but other times I do not give a F;[k and that, imo, is alright.

[Zac Miley]

That was an insanely, relevant, humorous post.

Thanks.

[zach4th]

I have a lot of acne on my upper thighs, but I still wear shot shorts in public places. If it helps you shred better do it. Sweaty spins are kind of iki.

[Shredfish]

I can't only do clippers and mirages but I still don't wear a shirt cause I'm so ripped I want everyone to see me.

Ok none of that is true...but I like the breathable shirt thing. How could I not think of that before. I will try it!

[Mathochist]

So who's coming to Funtastik?

- (ducks the atomic bomb on it's way from Squirrel Hill...)

Dude, ducking, I mean, alpine atom bomb would be sick.