When people say they are involved in a sport, it may be assumed that they are talking about typical recreation such as soccer, football, volleyball etc. Rarely do people think of horseback riding, skateboarding, or downhill biking. Not all students consider any of the latter a sport, but rather a hobby.

Senior Casey McCarthy would say otherwise. In terms of activity, McCarthy believes skateboarding is a sport.

“I skate everyday after school, so it is definitely a workout… It is year-round.” After 5 years of participating in what he considers a sport, McCarthy is still constantly skateboarding throughout the year. Even though McCarthy views skateboarding as a sport, he believes it to be unlike typical high school athletics, such as football and tennis.

“Skateboarding is kind of like art: you can express yourself, unlike football, where it is just one game… There are different types of skating.”

To McCarthy, skateboarding is not about competition, but it is about expressing himself.

Chris Gable, another senior, frequently participates in downhill biking. He began biking with his older brother about three and a half years ago. Gable agrees that downhill biking requires as much activity as average sports.

“I bike four times a week… If you are competitive enough, you can make it active.” Gable frequently bikes at Northstar and is able to get up to twenty-five and sometimes even thirty miles per hour. He shared that, if possible, he would be interested in downhill biking with more people competitively.

“I consider [downhill biking] a sport.” Gable believes that biking is worth being recognized as more than a hobby.

To senior Breann Hall, horseback riding is more than a hobby or sport, it’s a relationship.

“It’s a partnership between you and your horse. The horse is just as much of an athlete as you are.” To Hall, the bond between her and her horse is what helps her excel in riding.

 “I ride six days a week, two and a half hours a day. I train constantly as it requires a great amount of leg muscle.” Hall believes that horseback riding is comparable to more common sports because it requires an abundance of conditioning and hard work. She rides competitively by participating in three day events which are used in the Olympics.

“Next year, I will be on the Jr. Olympic team, Young Riders.” After twelve years of riding, Hall looks forward to advancing into the more intense competitions and she is excited about her new team and where her and her horse will be headed in the future.

Whether these athletes are on a sports team or not, it’s easy to see that their so-called hobbies are much more than that.