Rock Climbing vs Sledding

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Thank you. Thank you. Now on with the show. From the brains behind brainson, it's Smash Boom Best. The show for people with big opinions.

Hi, I'm Molly Bloom and this is Smash Boom Best. The show where we take two things, smash them together, and ask you to decide which one is best. Today's episode has its ups and downs. Literally, one side is all about scaling up up.

The other is about zooming down, down, down. It's rock climbing versus sledding. Both are fun. Both get your blood pumping. Both can be done on a mountain, but only one can be the Smash Boom Best.

We are to rally for rock climbing, is writer, comedian, and podcaster, Tim Barnes. Rock on. And, sounding off for sledding is the host of NPRs. It's been a minute. Brittany loose.

Yes. I'm ready to go off about sledding the best. Went to activity. Hmm, we're so excited to have you here. And here to decide which one is the ultimate activity is Magda from Longmont, Colorado.

She loves singing in her choir and solving illogic puzzles. She's writing her own book, and she lives on a house with seven teen bunnies. Welcome Magda. Hey, nice to be here, Molly. So Magda.

Seventeen bunnies, where do they live in your house? Anywhere my mom can fit them, really? And actually, it may be more, because well, actually, currently they're seven, but one of our bunnies started building a nest today, so we might be getting some baby bunnies. Oh, my gosh.

And I will call them all fluffy because that is my job. Okay, so everybody in your house is named fluffy. Well, no, everybody in my house has a name. Okay. I call them all fluffy.

Okay. Is it hard to keep them straight? Yeah, for me it is.

“Okay, so what is the best thing about having a house full of bunnies?”

Wanting to watch my family be all cuddly with them, and when they're all cute, fluffy, the fluffiness is really fun. Fluffyness is good. And what is the most challenging thing about living with all those bunnies? They are everywhere.

Have they showed up somewhere where you're like, how did you even get there? Yeah, before we got a gate, they used to run out the stairs, and it was like, bunny protocol, and I would get horse, like those little hobby horsey things, the sticks with the horse heads, and just like, get back downstairs. Incredible.

So I'm wondering, Maggie, you've listened to the show a lot. Do you have any advice for our debaters today? I actually made a little song about that. What? Yes.

Oh, and greater. I'm ready. Let's go. humor, fax no foul season, that's how you'll get be the chip on an an an an a pound. Oh my goodness.

Oh, and also music, I made total music nerd, music will probably end up swaying me somehow. Oh, okay. Good to know.

Very good advice, and it came in the song form incredible.

but first, here are the rules of the game.

Every debate consists of four rounds, the decoration of greatness, the micro round, the sneak attack, and the final six. After each round, our judge Magda will award points to the team that impresses her the most, but she'll keep her decisions top secret until the end of the debate. Listeners, we want you to judge too.

Mark down your points as you listen, at the end of the show, head to our website, smashboom.org and vote for which every team you think what. Okay, Magda, Tim and Brittany, are you ready? Yes. Let's see what this goes.

Yes, and I'll be writing my own points down as the game goes long too, just from her at the end. Perfect. Then it's time for the declaration of greatness. In this round, our debateers will present a well-crafted immersive argument in favor of their side, then they'll each have 30 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements.

Lift up to coin and Brittany, you're up first.

Fill our noggins with cool facts about tobogans. All right, okay, okay, okay, let me just start by saying that winter can't get a bad wrap.

“There's less sunlight, temperatures drop, but do you know what makes winter so much fun?”

Slighting. You get all bundled up. Try your way up and feel with your sled, get to the top, and take a deep breath, and then you go forward. There's nothing quite like the rush of zipping down a hill, carving your own path

to freshly fallen snow. You can go solo, double up with the buddy, or create a train of sled with a bunch of friends. And there are so many different types of sleds. You can go totally tubular on a tobogan, or spin around on a saucer.

You can even sled on a piece of cardboard. It's fast. It's fun. You see, with rock climbing, you're working against gravity. You're trying to scale up a boulder, and gravity is pulling you back down to earth.

Yeah, gravity's weighing me down, losing my grip. But with sliding, gravity is your friend. It pulls you forward, giving you speedy momentum. Reck your magic gravity. Wow, it's still like I'm having a amusement park.

Hold it right there, Dorino. Did you know the whole reason we have roller coasters is because of sleds? No way. Yes, wait. It started back around the 1600s.

People in Russia wanted some winter fun, so they built giant wooden sleds called Flying Mountains. The slides were up to 80 feet tall about the same height as an eight story building, and were covered in ice blocks. Riders were climbing flights of stairs to the tippy top, and then slide down the steep slopes

using sleds, also made up of ice. Woohoo!

“Over time, people made new rides with tracks in carts, and that's how we eventually got roller”

coasters. Slick, dude! But sliding is so much more than just a fun winter activity, or the precursor to roller coasters. For thousands of years, people have used sleds to move around in snow, and even sand.

That's right, sliding isn't even limited to snow. Did you know that the ancient Egyptians used sleds? According to historians, people at ancient Egypt used sleds to help move heavy things across the sand, like stone blocks or even statues. Meanwhile, indigenous people across the Arctic have been using dog sleds to get around

icy lands and carry supplies for about 10,000 years. Teams of dogs, like huskies, are especially trained to wear harnesses and pull sleds through ice and snow. Kind of like horses, point carriages, or rainbears pulling sand to slay. Which is basically a magical sled, by the way.

Some sled dogs can pull up to 100 pounds, and can cover an average of 20 miles per day. Slide dogs have helped people move stuff around throughout history. From the days of the fur trade to the gold rush, they've even helped deliver mail across Alaska and Canada.

So sliding isn't just a cheery winter sport, it's rich in history, purpose, and celebration. It brightens up the gloomiest of seasons, and helps us embrace the magic of winter. So zip up your parka, grab a sled, and a thermos full of hot chocolate, you're in for one heck of a ride.

Incredible and exhilarating, fact-filled argument there for sledding.

“Magda, what stood out to you about Britney's argument?”

Well, I am a huge roller coaster fan, they are so fun, and I had no clue that sledding

And also, my sister is obsessed with sled dogs, like the outdeder out trail sheet

obsessed over that for a while, and the dogies are cute! Sliding more than just a fun little thing to do on a Sunday afternoon, okay, Tim, it is time for your ruputtle, you have 30 seconds to tell us why sledding is more frostbite than fun, and your time starts now! Okay, okay, there's some interesting slander against rock climbing itself in there.

You described, first of all, okay, you described sledding as falling down to earth, as if that's a positive, that sounds like crashing to me, and it's okay to love roller coasters, so I'm not the biggest fan of them, but what's the number one thing that people do on roller coasters? They're screaming, they're screaming because they're afraid, gravity is not something

“you should be excited about joining, and, in fact, gravity is something that you should”

persevere against. At that time, first of all, I just described as sliding, rolling, with joy, downhill.

Also, people scream on roller coasters because they're fun, you've never screamed with

laughter, screamed with delight, screamed with joy, okay, I mean, perfect, in fact, when someone at a concert says somebody scream, I don't, I make sure, I'm a contrary and in that way, I'm not going to just scream because you know what, I'm worried that you're lacking in joy, and your desire toward the drudgery of rock climbing to me makes me feel like what you need, the antidote to this attitude problem, is actually a nice downhill sled.

There we go. Well, the stakes and the hills are high. We're going to hear what rock climbing has to offer right after this. [Music]

“Mass, smash, smash, smash, okay, we're back, it's sledding versus rock climbing, and Tim is here”

to tell us, why climbing rocks, rocks.

Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I was hired to protect pantsy, make better cups, you know, the world's premier cat fluency, trust me, this is relevant. So, Pansy reviews cat foods, I'm talking cat beds, the cats pajamas, and obviously she has enemies because a battered view from her can tank a business. So, there it was, her official cat guard as we did a rooftop photo shoot, win.

Well, Pansy, that's it, great pose. Now, prepare to lose all nine lives. The cameraman was in disguise, it was really all from Ali's sticky cat foods, and he won a revenge on Pansy for her video calling his food "Ik in a Can." So, he dove to push her off the building. Take that!

But I stepped in the way and got knocked off instead. I managed to grab the ledge as I fell and then, what a cliffhanger, right? So, fun, everyone loves a cliffhanger, such drama and suspense, and you know what is literally cliffhanger, rock climbing. And as all of those things, fun, dramas, suspense, not to mention physical and mental challenges galore. Rock climbing is a sport where people see a big rock or cliff and think, yeah, I could

climb that. But you can try bouldering, you know, that's where you just climb a large rock or you put out of padded mat, called a crash pad in case you slip. Oh yeah, and then there's top rope climbing. That's where you use a rope to help keep you from falling. And in both versions, you have a helper who can keep you safe along the way. Then there are even more advanced ways

of rock climbing too, you know, for pros. Much respect to rock climbers. Spider-Man? Like New York's favorite web-slinging hero? I'm such a fan, oh my goodness. In the spandex, and I am an awe of rock climbers. They do what I do, but without the superpowers. In fact, I watch rock climbers for tips on toe positioning. Wow.

But it makes sense, rock climbing requires you to use your body and your brain. Climbing

“is like solving a puzzle in 3D, or doing a maze vertically. You have to think carefully”

about each move to get to the top. And one wrong pinky placement, and everything could fall apart. Yeah. That's why scientists studying the sport say it's a total body workout. Speaking of workouts, looks like Rhino is up to no good. Time to get my cardio, by stopping him. See ya! Bye Spider-Man. Oh, where was I? Yeah. Climbing is also a great way to spend time in nature,

hiking to find rocks by rivers or out in the desert. I guess sledding is nature too. I mean, in the winter, where your toes will freeze, but you can go rock climbing literally any season at a climbing gym. I live in New York City. There's not a rock insight, but I have so many

Never how fun it is to climb at a playground? Imagine that, but way better because the

floor is padded, and the walls are covered with colorful rocks to grab onto. I mean, short, it's challenging, and you will sweat. But when you make it to the top, you have a sense of accomplishment as big as a boulder. So if you like problem solving, stellar workouts,

“cool gyms, and being like Spider-Man, choose rock climbing. After all, that's how I got”

the strength to pull myself up off that ledge. You again, didn't you fall? Nope. I held on thanks to rock climbing. Now, Pancy, what do you say we hand this guy over to the authorities and hit the rock climbing gym? You said it. Climbing rules. Okay, a star set a declaration of greatness there, Spider-Man, and Pancy. I know, I know. It flew in, sir. Yeah. Incredible work. Wow. I'm glad you all happened just now, by the way. Wow. So Magda, what's

said out to you about Tim's argument? Well, I loved the Pancy, the cat, the spy, and stuff. I mean, how? Wait, Spider-Man was there. Yeah. And you were falling off a cliff. How did he not,

you know, it never mind. Don't question Spider-Man exactly. Exactly. And I am a huge fan of puzzles

and maces, so that really clicked for me. Excellent, excellent. Well, Brittany, you get 30 seconds to be little bouldering your time. Begins? Now, I mean, Tim, your argument was entertaining, sure. And I'll say, I mean Magda, I love a good puzzle myself. However, when I want to have fun, I want to have fun. The end of the day, the possibility of falling, having to go to an indoor climbing gym and put chalk on my hands, only to solve mental problems and use upper body strength.

At the same time, it just doesn't feel worth the Timmy. I mean, listen, I like the bike time. But bouldering. I just like to say that, Magda, I believe you're from boulder, Colorado,

“so you should be rooting for one team here. And Magda, that's cheating.”

Also, technically, I'm from Longmont, which is a little ways away. I also want to say that there is a popular movie, a sequel to a movie right now that has a famous high note. And I think it has something to do with, with the, with the fine gravity. If I'm not

mistaken, I think that's a very powerful message in this time to find. Okay, but she had a broomstick.

She was a witch. She wasn't climbing. She flew. Oh, my goodness, Magda. This is going to be a very, very difficult decision, but it is time to award some points. Please give one point to the declaration of greatness you liked best. And one point to the rebuttal, that one, you over. You get to decide what makes a winning argument. Did one team's jokes make you laugh harder? Did another team's sense of adventure really hit home? A larger point, but don't tell us who

“they're going to. Have you made your decision? I think I have. Excellent. Brittany and Tim,”

how are you two feeling so far? Confident. Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good. Like I said, I'm taking notes with my own points right now. And I think that they will align with, uh, with Magda. Excellent. All right. It's time for a quick break. Wax your sled or add some chalk to your hands, and we'll be right back with more smash boom best. You're listening to state of debate home to raging rhetoric and awe inspiring argumentation.

Of course, if it allows to all you debate heads, I'm Taylor Lincoln, and I'm joined by my debate comrade Todd Douglas. Hey Taylor, everything okay? Yeah, I'm just trying to get these croes to leave, so we can focus on today's debate. I thought I'd try talking to them in their native tongue to see if that would help. Oh, let me see if they can understand me. I'm sure we can still listen for the logical fallacy.

Cool. Thanks, bud. With it without crows, logical fallacy's make arguments easy to defeat. Cool. Cool. Cool. So Paris. Hey, chat. I started walking to school a couple times a week. It's only like half a mile and I get some fresh air. Plus, it's good exercise. Hold up. So you're saying you want to get rid of

happen to drive throughs? They become walkthroughs. Sorry, chat, but that kind of argument is going to

get you sent to the principal's office. Yep. Sounds like chat found his argument in the middle of a farmer's crop because that is a strawman fallacy. That's when you exaggerate what your opponent is saying to make it easier for you to make an argument. Definitely a debate, no, no.

“But you know what? I think it's scared off the crows. I may have also told them that there's”

a swimming pool filled with bird seed tube blocks over. I can't believe what a genius you are. We'll see you next time on. Stay up to pay. You're listening to Snash Boom Best. I'm your host Molly Bloom. And I'm your judge, Magda. And we love getting debate suggestion from our listeners like this sea creature clash. Hi, my name is Lucas and my debate idea is Manor Wars versus Jellyfish. They're both squishy. They're both stingy.

They're both hopefully far away when I go to the beach. We'll check back in at the end of this episode to see which side Lucas thinks should win. And now, back to sledding versus rock climbing. Get ready for round two. It's the. Micro round. Tim and Brittany. You will each get three chances

“to make a micro argument backed by a cool fact. Brittany started things off last round. So Tim,”

you get to go first this time. Let's hear your first fact. So sledding isn't the only one with

ancient roots. And one of the very first known series rock climbs happened way back in 1492 with a guy named Antoine Deville who was ordered by his king to climb Mount Egwe, a mountain that was nicknamed Mount inaccessible, which is a fantastic nickname. And Antoine used ladders. He used ropes and skills and that were normally used to climb into castles. And not only did he reach the top, he also set the stage for the sport of mountaineering and later rock climbing. And that's awesome.

Right? It's an awesome view. And what's not to love about that? You're using castle climbing skills here. Okay. Well, what I'm going to talk about the fact that, you know, I feel like rock climbing gets a lot of shine for being, you know, perhaps tricky, arduous, difficult, a little too much. But I want to note that sledding has been an Olympic sport for over a century. There are actually now three different types of sledding, including Luge, Skeleton, and Bob sledding. And also,

speaking of Bob sledding. There's a really good movie for when I was a kid called Cool Running by from Disney. Okay. Listen. And just like sledding is a wild ride full of heart and laughter. Meanwhile, rock climbing movies are dire and are about cutting off your own arm after getting stuck under a rock. Okay. Hard pass. That's just not for me. Oh, okay. So you're saying, you know,

“the best way to get kids to side with you is to say there's a cool movie from when I was a kid, right?”

Rock climbing is also an Olympic sport. By the way, it was induct into the summer games in 2020. That's recent. That's new. That's fresh. And sure sledding is also a sport, I guess. But we all know the cooler younger sports are where it's at. Am I right? I mean surfing, skateboarding, dancing on TikTok. I'm sure that'll be Olympic sport at some point. This is cool. All right. This is current. Oh, okay. Sure. Cool current. Or you could go with something that's classic

and has everlasting appeal. I mean, I just want to mention there's not one type of sledding that's part of the Olympic sports. There are three different kinds, which means it's growing. It's expanding. It's ever fresh. But I want to talk about the consequences of sledding. If you lose your grip while sliding down the hill, you fall into full of feasts. No, you might tumble downhill, cackling all the way. It adds to the fun. Now, if you lose your grip, while you're rock climbing,

that gravity kicks in. Okay. Bruce City, a trip to the ER, you were going to be taking a tumble and you're not going to be laughing all the way. Wow. Fear. Fear. Yeah. Fear is a great way to get people to root for you. I know this. But okay. It seems like you have a question there. How do climbers get that grip? It's something called chalk. You can chalk it all up to chalk. Okay. Climbers will put this white chalk powder, aka magnesium carbonate onto their hands

and it helps them absorb sweat and helps them cling onto stones better. And legend has it

that the first person to popularize this was a guy named John Gill, who was not a fish. I promise

you. And in the 1950s, he bought medical grade chalk used to fight constipation. Okay, chalk

All this chalk talk. This is small potatoes. I want to bring in something big. I want to end this round on a high note. Like how about the tip top of the pyramids of Giza high. Okay.

“Let me tell you something right now. Remember how I said earlier that sliding can be done on sand”

and was used in ancient Egypt to move huge stones and bricks all around? Well, sliding helped build the pyramids. Okay. One of the seven wonders of the world. It's helped transport people across countries and led to the invention of one of the most incredibly fun and popular machines of all time, the roller coaster. All right. I'm talking big. I'm talking ancient. I'm talking wonders of the world. That's the level that sledding is at. And still, it's something that is

beautiful and simple enough that any child can enjoy it as long as, well, they've got something that they can slide around on. Okay. Fair enough. But I just want to say, we're talking pyramids. You're talking chalk. Okay. Talking pyramids. Well, we're having a different coverage here. But I think it's well documented and known from what I've seen on the history channel that aliens and UFOs

“are what built the pyramids. So I think you need to get your facts straight. I think you know, if you believe that,”

I think you need your faith in human race. That's what I was. Oh my gosh. Magda. That was an incredible micro round. The facts were flying fast and furious. What? So don't you about that round? Well,

I have always wondered how the pyramids were built. And technically, who said the aliens didn't

use sleds? That's a point for me. And my book, Kelly. And I like how you both mentioned the Olympics. They're pretty cool. And how rock climbing is like a newer sport in that area. So it's fine. Interesting. There are a lot of great facts there from both sides, but Magda. Only one team can get a point. The criteria are totally subjective and totally up to you. Have you made your decision? Indeed, I have fantastic. Hold tight. We'll be right back with more debate

after this. Want smash boom best without the ad breaks? Join Smarty Pass and get an ad free feed of this and all the other brains on universe shows. Plus, you'll get to do virtual hangs with me and the crew and discounts on merch. Sign up at brainson.org. Thanks.

We're back and it's time for our third round. The super stealthy sneak attack.

This is our improvised round where debateers have to respond to a challenge on the spot. Today's attack is called Initial Thoughts. Your mission is to write an acrosstic for your side. That's where the initial letter of each line spells out a word or phrase. So let's say my side was smile. For example, I would do S somehow. M makes I it L less E embarrassing. Somehow makes it less embarrassing. So Brittany, your word is sledding and Tim, your word is climbing. They're the same number of letters.

“Oh boy, okay. So you can take a second if you want to write it down. It can be a word or a phrase”

or a sentence. It's entirely up to you. Brittany, your up first this time. Let's hear your

acrosstic for sledding. Okay. Sledding, which for the record is spelled S-L-E-D-D-I-N-G. Here is my acrosstic. Sledding, let's everyone do diversions in noteworthy greatness. That was delightful. They will. Done. Like the vocab. Very vague. Okay, Tim. It is your turn. Let's hear your acrosstic for climbing. For climbing, which is spelled C-L-I-M-B-I-N-G. Cool listeners into it. Masterfully, the beauty in not going downhill. There we go.

But only one of them can get a point. I'm so sorry. So Magda, please think about what you liked about

“those acrosstics. Did one flow better? Did one make more sense? Did one make you left?”

Did one make you think? Totally subjective. Totally up to you. Have you awarded your point? I have. Ooh, sounds like it was a tough one. Okay. Now it's time for our final round. The final six. In this round, each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side. Tim, take us to the top for rock climbing. Rock climbing helps you

defy gravity. Mmm, very, very nice. Okay, Brittany. Slide into victory with your final words

for sledding. Sliding is the most fun thing. Mmm, very good. Okay, Magda. So get up. Think it over and get ready to cast your final point. Have you made your decision? I have.

“All right, tally up those points. Are you ready to declare one side the smash boom best?”

Yep. All right, drum roll, please. And the winner is sledding. Oh, my gosh. What an honor. I'm never going to win this game. Magda, I thought we talked about points are aligned. So Magda loves the moment that the side of things for you. Well, I think it was probably in the micro round. Mmm. I'm a bit of a classic person and also the pyramids. True. I've been the pyramids. Yeah. It's hard to argue with the pyramids. Tim, I have to say,

I loved your declaration of greatness. I was actually laughing a lot on my end of things. And I was really impressed by your storytelling skills. Oh, thank you. Thank you very much. Brittany,

incredible. And first of all, you're, I never want to be in an actual debate with you on any stage.

You're so great at the at the comebacks. And you had some excellent excellent points there. Maybe I do need to find more joy in my life and you like me on that subject. So I value that.

“Well, that is it for today's debate battle. Magda, crown, slutty, and the sash boom best. But what about you?”

Head to smackboom.org and tell us who you think won. This episode was produced by me, Molly Bloom, Santa Totten and Rick Sanchez. We had sound designed by Mark Sanchez. We had engineering help from Christopher Wright and Travis Hagen. Our announcer is Marley Feuerworker Auto and we want to give us special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Kaufman. Brittany, is there anyone you'd like to give a shout out to today? I want to shout out my knees. I love you.

And how about you, Tim? Any special shout outs? I want to give a shout out to my dog, Spock, not Spock, like I'm Star Trek. I can feel it. And how about you, Magda, any special thanks or shout outs? I'm going to give a shout out to Silver Creek High School in Longmont. Love you guys. And also to my parents and my family for driving me here and dealing with me. And to Joe Ryu, the author of my favorite graphic novel series, because their her books are just awesome.

Yes, I fit it in. Excellent. Before we go, let's check in and see who Lucas thinks should win the squishy secretures debate. I think Manor Wars should win, because I think the poison sting of the Manor Wars can overpower the jellyfish. If you're between the ages of 13 and 18 and you'd like to be a judge or if you're any age and you have an idea for a knock-down drag-out debate, head to smashboom.org/contact and drop us a line. And if you're a fan of the show and want to

keep it going head to smartypass.org to subscribe. We'll be back next week with a new Smash Boom Best episode, Stitch Versus Yoda. See ya! Kick rocks, TTYL! See you later, Algana! ♪ It's a magical mess ♪ ♪ A magical mess ♪ ♪ It's a magical mess ♪

♪ It's a magical mess ♪ (upbeat music) [BLANK_AUDIO]