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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think beach volleyball is just an excuse for folk to perv at athletes in skimpy gear

211 replies

voluptuagoodshag · 09/08/2016 11:13

I don't understand why it is even a distinct sport from normal volleyball. Surely it came about just because some folk were playing it on a beach? Why not then have beach gymnastics, or beach football or beach archery?

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veryproudvolleyballmum · 09/08/2016 13:55

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voluptuagoodshag · 09/08/2016 14:01

OK VPM your DD wears more than a skimpy bikini, perhaps because of her age but people on here don't have the inside knowledge of the sport as you do so they can only go by what they see in the media. And in the case of beach volleyball it appears that females wear less than the males and the general perception is that this is to suit male observers. I agree that it is indeed a shame if it is not more recognised as a sport but if the reason for such skimpy outfits is to increase viewing figures then that does more to detract from the sport than anything said by women anywhere.

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veryproudvolleyballmum · 09/08/2016 14:02

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veryproudvolleyballmum · 09/08/2016 14:03

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RunnyRattata · 09/08/2016 14:04

It might be ridiculous but it's also what a lot of people think.

RunnyRattata · 09/08/2016 14:05

I commented to DH last night about the divers'trunks and he commented back. He is not a woman.

veryproudvolleyballmum · 09/08/2016 14:06

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RunnyRattata · 09/08/2016 14:06

We both commented negatively if that helps.

RunnyRattata · 09/08/2016 14:08

It would be fab if all anyone thought about was the grace and skill of the athletes of either gender who are wearing very little when competing. I think that's not a realistic expectation though.

veryproudvolleyballmum · 09/08/2016 14:09

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voluptuagoodshag · 09/08/2016 14:10

My DH and I did similar Runny. Would have thought an old fashioned thing with straps would be more comfortable and without the constant need for readjusting. But there is no doubt some technical reason that the men wear the tiniest of trunks.

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HoneyDragon · 09/08/2016 14:13

The attitudes on this thread are what used to make me feel self conscious in the gym. I swear and get hot and the less of my skin that's covered the more comfortable I feel.

But I know that for every ten women there to exercise and get fit there will be the one or two judging me for wearing stuff that's short and tight. Even more so as I haven't got the "body" for it.

Thankfully I give less of a shit now.

I realise that those judge folk are tossers.

HoneyDragon · 09/08/2016 14:15

I thought minimal clothing on the pool increased speed? Every little thing causes drag?

voluptuagoodshag · 09/08/2016 14:16

FromWiki. Would draw your attention to the conclusion from the study of camera angles.

In 1999, the FIVB standardized beach volleyball uniforms, with the swimsuit becoming the required uniform both for men and women. This drew the ire of some athletes.

According to FIVB rules, female beach volleyball players have the option of playing in shorts or a one-piece swimsuit. Most players, however, prefer the two-piece bikini.

Competitors such as Natalie Cook and Holly McPeak have confirmed the FIVB's claims that the uniforms are practical for a sport played on sand during the heat of summer, but British Olympian Denise Johns claimed that the regulation uniform is intended to be "sexy" and to draw attention.

During the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, a study was conducted on the camera angles during the beach volleyball games. Twenty percent of the camera angles were focused on the chest area and seventeen percent of the angles were focused on the buttock area. The study concludes that this implies the look of the players is having a greater impact on fans than their actual athleticism.

Some conservative cultures have expressed moral objections to the swimsuit as a uniform. At the 2007 South Pacific Games, rules were adjusted to require less revealing shorts and cropped sports tops. At the 2006 Asian Games, only one Muslim country fielded a team in the woman's competition, amid concerns the uniform was inappropriate.

In early 2012, the International Volleyball Federation announced it would allow shorts (maximum length 3 cm (1.2 in) above the knee) and sleeved tops at the London 2012 Olympics. Richard Baker, the federation spokesperson, said that "many of these countries have religious and cultural requirements so the uniform needed to be more flexible". And in fact the weather was so cold for the evening games at London 2012 that the players sometimes had to wear shirts and leggings.

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ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 09/08/2016 14:16

Tiny trunks minimise the splash when diving.

Don't know about beach volleyball.

veryproudvolleyballmum · 09/08/2016 14:17

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voluptuagoodshag · 09/08/2016 14:17

But what has speed got to do with diving? It's about hitting the water cleanly, and in unison if two of you.

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voluptuagoodshag · 09/08/2016 14:18

x posts Chardonnay - thanks for insight

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voluptuagoodshag · 09/08/2016 14:21

VPM WE GET THAT!!!!!!!!!! No-one is disputing that. And yes in an ideal world everyone could wear what they want and it wouldn't matter but my post from Wiki shows that we don't live in an ideal world so if beach volleyballers think they are not being taken seriously then wonder why the camera focuses on the athlete's body rather than the sport then wear more clothes for a while and see if attitudes change.

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veryproudvolleyballmum · 09/08/2016 14:22

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itsmine · 09/08/2016 14:25

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voluptuagoodshag · 09/08/2016 14:25

And another athlete said they were too sexy. So it's all differing opinions.

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veryproudvolleyballmum · 09/08/2016 14:26

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ThisPanCan · 09/08/2016 14:27

That wiki 'research' is totes unconvincing. How on earth do they come up with that evidence? A camera will show a lot of detail - most will show all of a body. Are they seriously suggesting they looked at every second of every game and came up with a conclusion? It looks and sounds like nonsense.

veryproudvolleyballmum · 09/08/2016 14:28

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