Not Sports

Not Sports is an occasional series from Inverse celebrating the weird and wild organized competitions that fall just short of being a sport.

All Stories

Not Sports

How giant bullet chess accidentally made chess sporty

Checkmate.

Not Sports

How the Star Wars fandom turned an iconic weapon into competitive sport

These athletes use lightsabers — only you can't call them that.

Not Sports

How geeky charm turned a WWII maneuver into a competitive sport

Where am I? Which direction is the transmitter? Hopefully I don’t get lost.

Not Sports

A circus act turned extraordinary sport is making its case for the Olympics

“Things are about to get real.”

Mind and Body

Why a 120-year-old game is the future of sports

“If you're able to combine the strength of women and men in your team, then you really have the best opportunity.”

Who let the dogs out

Skijoring: Where human and dog athletes work as one

A niche winter sport is a dream come true for skiing dog lovers.

Not Sports

Inside the gutsy counterculture of the American skibiking scene

Ski-biking is an established sport in Europe, but it hasn't made the jump to the US. The American Ski-biking Association is trying to change that.

Not Sports

The quirky sport of cup stacking is surprisingly intense

How the best make it look like "juggling air."

Not Sports

Dodgeball's transformative journey from gym class to world class

The future of dodgeball might look nothing like its past.

Not Sports

Why Slamball's founder thinks the topsy-turvy sport may finally succeed

Is the world ready for Slamball?

Not Sports

Meet the dog surfers who have reached "a new plateau"

"I think the spirit of surfing opened her up to new experiences."

The Abstract Podcast

From Space Invaders to Floor Is Lava: The evolution of gaming

In this episode, we discuss the many ways gaming continues to reinvent itself.

Not Sports

How parkour's creative culture withstood a decade of controversy

As parkour deals with infighting within the community and a "hostile takeover" by gymnastics, the sport has focused on preserving it's core mission.

Not Sports

Bodyboarding's chaotic quest to be more than a 'sleeping giant'

"We were actually making surfing look like it was the poor cousin of bodyboarding."

Not Sports

Underwater hockey players explain why it’s so easy to forget to breathe

Underwater hockey was developed in 1954 over "innumerable cups of tea." Now the sport forges families and intense relationships beneath the surface of the pool.

Definitely Sports

10 sports you didn't know were sports