Asians and Sports

[Bandy]

Hi,

We recently opened a Korean restaurant in Vancouver, BC.

With a staff of over 30 people, we've started various sports activities. (Golf & Soccer). Having coached and played ice hockey for several years, I'm curious...

Before I suggest to the staff members a new sport, I thought I'd ask the questions to you folks...

1. Do you like watching/playing hockey?

2. Have you heard of a sport called Bandy?

Bandy is a new sport some of us in Vancouver, BC are hoping will debut in the Winter 2010 Olympics. I've started a Blog site for our new restaurant and would be happy to post any replies / feedback on the site.

Really the idea is to help promote an exciting new sport with the hope that the Olympic Committee approves it for 2010.

The blog site for our restaurant is:

http://spaces.msn.com/members/bestkoreanrestaurant/

Our restaurant is:

http://www.insadong.ca

(Insadong, nice name, eh? I thought of it...!)

Thanks for taking the time to read my first posting at yellowworld & nice meeting you folks!

Bandy. :smile:

[Atealtha]

Nice restaurant, I like the pics. The Magnolia room looks very nice.

Is bandy like football on ice with hockey rules? I'm speaking of first downs, turnovers, off sides, etc. I'm not a big fan of hockey and any derivative doesn't appeal to me.

Good luck with the restaurant. I would love to eat at a place like the Magnolia room.

[Bandy]

Thanks Atealha,

We've had some very good feedback from customers regarding the Magnolia room. Aproximately 14-16 people can be seated in this room.

The rules for playing bandy are similar to soccer rules. Sometimes it is even referred to as "the winter soccer". I know someone playing for the USA team and they have explained that this sport focuses on speed and teamwork, as play progresses down the ice.

A website with some interesting historical information regarding bandy:

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/2049/English/Bandyhistory.html

Thanks for the email and your best wishes for us at Insadong.

Bandy.

[Grasshopper]

Nice aquarium you've got there at the restaurant! :tongue:

[Bandy]

Thanks Grasshopper, we had two small sharks for awhile in the aquariums but had to return them when they scared one of the cod fish. (Tidal wave story on the blog site...) :wink:

[kitty]

uhm....

.... moving to sports?

[robotic]

1. Do you like watching/playing hockey?
as a national sport, we're hooked!

2. Have you heard of a sport called Bandy?
this is my first time ;-; *clicks on link*

[grimfan]

Most Asians I know absolutely love hockey (except for recently immigrated Asians, who are into soccer). I think if Asians really tried, we could be awesome at hockey, since speed and endurance are more important than brute size and strength. Not that there aren't big Asians (Yao Ming and Hee Seop Choi come to mind), Asians generally excel in areas involving skill and finesse. It really doesn't matter how big you are in hockey, as long as you're not tiny.

[Bandy]

Thanks Grimfan & Robotic for the feedback!

Since Bandy is played on an ice surface the size of a soccer field with very similar rules, I'm hoping I can convince the restaurant employees to try it out!

A few years ago I convinced some Canadians to try playing ice hockey for the first time. It was great watching people progress from "never having skated in their life" to being competent hockey players.

It'd be interesting if a restaurant of Korean folks formed one of the first Bandy teams in Vancouver, BC!

[Bandy]

Hey,

Just received an email from the coach of the Canadian Women's Bandy Team. (http://www.canadabandy.ca). They're going to send some pictures from their last tournament and allow me to post it on my blog site. Very cool!

I'm hoping to hear back from them regarding a contact here in Vancouver. I'd like to organize a team and help get the sport going in Vancouver.

I also got an email from a friend of mine on the USA Women's team. She offered to mail me a DVD of one of their games. I'm real curious to see this "Soccer on ice". I can't imagine seeing folks play hockey on an ice surface the size of a football field.

I'll keep you folks posted as I get pictures and learn more...! :smile:

[BeTheReds]

Hockey is a good sport to watch in person, but not to play because it takes too much skill and requires lots of cash to get all the equipment and even learn to skate properly. I salute all the hockey players, even the ones who suck compared to their collegues, because just being able to skate like that is amazing. If you're actually good at it, then yea, go for it.

It's not so fun to watch on TV in my opinion. I had a lot more fun watching a Japanese drama series about hockey then actually watching the NHL.

The last NHL game I went to was over 4 years ago. Since then I've been to zillions of baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and even volleyball games. I've not missed it. For those who like it, great, sorry the NHL had to lose a season last year.

Hockey in my opinion will always be a Canadian sport, and I forsee the day that MLS gains a stronger following than the NHL in the us.