The Olympics: A Stage for Surprising Origins

[Bulsky]

Some popular Olympic sports have rather unusual beginnings. For example, badminton originated in India as a game played with shuttlecocks and battledore-like paddles.
What other sports do you know of with interesting or unexpected origins?

 

[itsmeyanna]

Some popular Olympic sports have rather unusual beginnings. For example, badminton originated in India as a game played with shuttlecocks and battledore-like paddles.
What other sports do you know of with interesting or unexpected origins?

Did you know that modern skateboarding actually started as a way for surfers to practice when the waves were flat? And beach volleyball was just a casual game among friends before it became an Olympic sport! Crazy, right?

 

[Xeth_]

Curling began as a medieval Scottish game played on frozen ponds, and it’s fascinating how it evolved into the precision sport we see today!