Rock Climbing vs Sledding

Lemonada. Brains on Universe. Have you heard the news? Smash Boom Best is now independent. We're so excited to be back with an epic new season, and it's all thanks to our SmartyPass members. They're the big-hearted helpers who power us by joining at SmartyPass.org. You can be one of them. Your support helps pay our debaters and sound designers so we can keep making the fun and fact-filled shows your family loves. Plus, you get ad-free versions of all of our shows, bonus stuff, and access to virtual hangs with me, Molly. Again, that's smartypass.org. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now, on with the show. From the brains behind Brains On, 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, 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. Here to rally for rock climbing is writer, comedian, and podcaster Tim Barnes. Rock on! And sounding off for sledding is the host of NPR's It's Been a Minute, Brittany Luce. Yes! I'm ready to go off about sledding the best winter activity. We are 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 logic puzzles. She's writing her own book, and she lives in a house with 17 bunnies. Welcome, Magda. Hey, nice to be here, Molly. So, Magda, 17 bunnies. Where do they live in your house? Um, anywhere my mom can fit them, really. And actually, it may be more because, well, actually, currently there's 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 every bunny in your house is named Fluffy? Well, no. Every bunny 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? Getting to watch my family be all cuddly with them and when they're all cute, fluffy. The fluffiness is really fun. Fluffiness 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 up the stairs and it was like bunny protocol. And I would get a horse, like those little hobby horsey things, the sticks with the horse heads and just like get back downstairs. Incredible. So I'm wondering, Magda, 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, incredible. I'm ready. Let's go. Humor, facts, no fallacies, and that is how you'll get to be the champ. Oh, my goodness. Oh, and also music. I am a total music nerd. Music will probably end up swaying me somehow. Oh, okay. Good to know. Very good advice, and it came in song form. Incredible. Well, Magda, we're going to see who Magda picks. Is it team sledding or team rock climbing? But first, here are the rules of the game. Every debate consists of four rounds. The Declaration 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 whichever team you think won. 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 along, too, just to compare at the end. Perfect. Then it's time for the Declaration of Greatness. In this round, our debaters 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. We flipped a coin, and Brittany, you're up first. Fill our noggins with cool facts about toboggans. All right, okay, okay, okay, okay. Let me just start by saying that winter can get a bad rap. There's less sunlight, temperatures drop. But do you know what makes winter so much fun? sledding. You get all bundled up. Tread your way up a hill with your sled. Get to the top and take a deep breath. And then you go for it. There's nothing quite like the rush of zipping down a hill, carving your own path through freshly fallen snow. You can go solo, double up with a buddy, or create a train of sleds with a bunch of friends. And there are so many different types of sleds. You can go totally tubular on a toboggan or spin around on a saucer. You can even sled on a piece of cardboard. It's fast. It's fun. It's physics. 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. Gravity's weighing me down. Losing my grip. But with sledding, gravity is your friend. It pulls you forward, giving you speedy momentum. Rake your magic, gravity. Wow, I feel like I'm at an amusement park. Hold it right there, Dutoreno. Did you know the whole reason we have roller coasters is because of sleds? No way! Yes way. 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 would climb up flights of stairs to the tippy top and then slide down the steep slopes using sleds, also made out of ice. Woo-hoo! Over time, people made new rides with tracks and carts, and that's how we eventually got roller coasters. Slick, dude! But sledding 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, sledding isn't even limited to snow. Did you know that the ancient Egyptians used sleds? According to historians, people in 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 pulling carriages or reindeers pulling Santa's sleigh, which is basically a magical sled, by the way. Ho, ho, ho! Some sled dogs can pull up to 100 pounds and can cover an average of 20 miles per day. Sled 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 sledding isn't just a cheery winter sport. It 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. Woo-hoo! Incredible and exhilarating, fact-filled argument there for sledding. Magda, what stood out to you about Brittany's argument? Well, I am a huge roller coaster fan. They are so fun. And I had no clue that sledding led to that. And also, my sister is obsessed with sled dogs, like the Adderod Trail. She obsessed over that for a while. And the doggies are cute. So sledding, more than just a fun little thing to do on a Sunday afternoon. Okay, Tim, it is time for your rebuttal. 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 I felt 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. 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. In fact, gravity is something that you should persevere against. And time. First of all, I described it as sliding, rolling, with joy, downhill. Hell, also, people scream on roller coasters because they're fun. You've never screamed with laughter, screamed with delight, screamed with joy. No, I can tell you. In fact, when someone at a concert says somebody scream, I don't. I make sure I'm a contrarian in that way. I'm not going to just scream because someone tells me to. At this point, I'm worrying that you're lacking in joy and your desire toward the drudgery of rock climbing to me. It makes me feel like what you need, the antidote to this attitude problem, is actually a nice downhill sled. Hmm. Very good. Well, the stakes and the hills are high. We're going to hear what rock climbing has to offer right after this. Best. Boom. Smash. Smash. Boom. Best. Okay, we're back. It's Slutting vs. 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 McButtercups? You know, the world's premier cat fluencer. Trust me, this is relevant. So Pansy reviews cat foods. I'm talking cat beds, the cat's pajamas. And obviously she has enemies because a bad review from her can tank a business. So there I was, her official cat guard, as we did a rooftop photo shoot, when... Smile, Pansy. That's it. Great pose. Now, prepare to lose all nine lives. The cameraman was in disguise. It was really Ollie from Ollie's Stinky Cat Foods, and he won a revenge on Pansy for her video calling his food ick 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 cliffhanging? Rock climbing. It has all of those things. Fun, drama, suspense, not to mention physical and mental challenges galore. Rock climbing is a sport where people see a big rock or a cliff and think, yeah, I could climb that. For beginners, you can try bouldering. You know, that's where you just climb a large rock or you put out a 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 in 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, 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 in sight, but I have so many friends here who go rock climbing indoors at the gym. Remember 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, sure, 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, Pansy, what do you say we hand this guy over to the authorities and hit the rock climbing gym? Oh, no. You said it. Climbing rules. Okay, a star-studded declaration of greatness there. Spider-Man and Pansy the Cat Influencer. Incredible work. I can't believe that all happened just now, by the way. Wow. So, Magda, what stood out to you about Tim's argument? Well, I loved the Pansy the Cat, the spy and stuff. I mean, how... Wait. Spider-Man was there. Yeah. And you were falling off a cliff. Uh-huh. How did he not? You know what? Never mind. Don't question Spider-Man. Exactly. Exactly. And I am a huge fan of puzzles and mazes. So that really clicked for me. Excellent. Excellent. Well, Brittany, you get 30 seconds to belittle 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. At 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 it to me. I mean, listen, I like a good hike. And 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. I just want to brag that 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 defying gravity, if I'm not mistaken. And I think that's a very powerful message in this time, defying gravity. Okay, but she had a broomstick. She was a witch. She wasn 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 won 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? Award your points, but don't tell us who they're going to. Have you made your decision? I think I have. Ooh, 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 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 rage and rhetoric and awe-inspiring argumentation. A chorus of hellos to all you debate heads. I'm Taylor Lincoln, and I'm joined by my debate comrade Todd Douglas. Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Hey, Taylor, everything okay? Yeah, I'm just trying to get these crows 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. Caw! Caw! Oh, let me see if they can understand me. Caw! Caw! I'm sure we can still listen for the logical fallacy. Caw! Thanks, bud. With or without crows, logical fallacies make arguments easy to defeat. Caw! Caw! Caw! Sup, Eris? Hey, Chet. 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 cars and walk everywhere? Uh, no. Actually, I... How would we take road trips? And what would happen to drive-thrus? They'd become walk-thrus. Sorry, Chet, but that kind of argument is going to get you sent to the principal's office. Yep. Sounds like Chet found his argument in the middle of a farmer's crop. Because that is a straw man 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 scared off the crows. I may have also told them that there's a swimming pool filled with birdseed two blocks over. Caw! Caw! I can't believe what a genius you are. We'll see you next time on State of Debate. Smash Boom Best. You're listening to Smash Boom Best. I'm your host, Molly Bloom. And I'm your judge, Magda. And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners, like this sea creature clash. Hi, my name is Lucas, and my debate idea is manoirs 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 serious rock climbs happened way back in 1492 with a guy named Antoine de Vil, who was ordered by his king to climb Mount Egwie, a mountain that was nicknamed Mount Inaccessible, which is a fantastic nickname. And Antoine used ladders, he used ropes and skills 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, why don't we 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 bobsledding. And also, speaking of bobsledding, there's a really good movie from when I was a kid called Cool Runnings 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 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 inducted 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 sledding down a hill, you fall into fluffy snow. 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. Bruise City, a trip to the ER. You are 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, a.k.a. magnesium carbonate, onto their hands, and it helps them absorb sweat and helps them cling on to 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, it helps you stay regular and stay on that boulder. Excuse me? Okay? Okay. Listen. Chalk, chalk, chalk, chalk, 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 sledding can be done on sand and was used in ancient Egypt to move huge stones and bricks all around? Well, sledding 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 talking pyramids You talking chalk Okay I talking pyramids We having two different conversations I don want to be fringe here but I think it well documented and known from what I seen on the History Channel that aliens and UFOs are what built the pyramids So I think you need to get your facts straight there. I think, you know, if you believe that, I think you need to renew your faith in the human race. That's what I want to say. Oh, my gosh. Magda, that was an incredible micro round. The facts were flying fast and furious. What stood out to you about that round? Well, I have always wondered how the pyramids were built. And technically, who said the aliens didn't use sleds? Interesting. That's a point for me, in my book, at least. 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 fun. 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 SmartyPass 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 debaters have to respond to a challenge on the spot. Today's attack is called Initial Thoughts. Your mission is to write an acrostic 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, you're up first this time. Let's hear your acrostic for sledding. Okay. Sledding, which for the record is spelled S-L-E-D-D-I-N-G. Here is my acrostic. Sledding lets everyone do diversions in noteworthy greatness. Ooh, that was delightful. Thank you. Well done. Like the vocab. Very, very good. Thank you. Okay, Tim, it is your turn. Let's hear your acrostic for climbing. For climbing, which is spelled C-L-I-M-B-I-N-G. Cool listeners intuit masterfully the beauty in not going downhill. There we go. Climbing is the acrostic. All right, Magda. Those were great. I loved them both. But only one of them can get a point. I'm so sorry. So, Magda, please think about what you liked about those acrostics. Did one flow better? Did one make more sense? Did one make you laugh? Did one make you think? Totally subjective. Totally up to you. Have you awarded your point? I have. Ooh, it 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. Very, very nice. Okay, Brittany, slide into victory with your final words for sledding. Sledding is the most fun thing. Hmm, very good. Okay, Magda, soak it 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, drumroll, please. and the winner is sledding. Again. Oh my gosh. What an honor. I'm never going to win this game. Magda, I thought we talked about how our points are aligned. So Magda, what was the moment that decided things for you? Well, I think it was probably in the micro round. I'm a bit of a classics person and also the pyramids. True. I mean, 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, I never want to be in an actual debate with you on any stage. You're so great at the comebacks, and you had some excellent points there. Maybe I do need to find more joy in my life and you enlighten me on that subject. So I value that. 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 niece. I love you. Oh, and how about you, Tim? Any special shout outs? I'd like to give a shout out to my dog, Spock. Not Spock, Spock, like from Star Trek. Excellent. 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 Jo Ryu, the author of my favorite graphic novel series, because 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 sea creatures debate. I think Manowar should win, because I think the poisonous sting of the Manowar 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 knockdown, dragout debate, head to smashboom.org slash 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 the new Smash Boom Best episode, Stitch vs. Yoda. See ya! Kick rocks. TTYL. See you later, alligator. Oh, it's Smashbook West Oh, better than the rest It's Smashbook West It's Smashbook West Humour, facts, no fallacies And that is how you'll get to be the champ Ba-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na