Hobby Horsing in a Hot Climate: Hobby Cameling

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REPORT | BY OUR CORRESPONDENT FOR CLIMATE-ADAPTIVE SPORTS

While the hobby horsing scene has been collapsing in the blazing sun over the past few weeks: a new trend has been born: Hobby Cameling.

The End of Sweat-Acrobatics

"Hobby horsing is a sport of pure heat accumulation," explains Hajo W., who launched the movement. "You're running around with a stick horse between your legs; your heart is racing, your temples are throbbing. In 38-degree heat, that’s just an invitation for heatstroke."

In hobby cameling, however, the supreme commandment is: Thermal Efficiency.

Athletes no longer wear tight sportswear, but breezy, desert-ready attire. There are no more hobby horses, but "stick camels." These stick camels are covered in a special, moisture-wicking wool that - much like the fur of a real desert animal - cools the surface under direct sunlight instead of heating up.

The Course of "Throttled Energy"

Instead of jumping wildly over obstacles as in hobby horsing, the new premier discipline of hobby cameling is "Thermal Shuffling."

The Arena: It’s a large, high-reflectivity sandbox. So its quite similar to an outdoor riding arena in 40 degrees heat.

The Requirement: Participants must complete a 50-meter course, but must never exceed a heart rate of 80 beats per minute. Anyone who breaks a sweat receives a penalty for "thermal inefficiency."

"It’s the only sport where you look fresher at the finish line than you did at the start," says W. "While the equestrians next door are hosing down their horses with water, we sit back, sip some lukewarm tea, and discuss the beauty of the midday sun."

"Camel Resilience" as a New Status Symbol

What makes hobby cameling so valuable for the future is its pedagogical value. Children and teenagers learn that "Faster, Higher, Stronger" is a dead end in the age of climate change.