DEVELOPMENT
Inspirations
Whenever several people gather in a Swimming Pool, it's almost inevitable that they will participate in simple (but tough-to-referee) activities, such as - "chicken" fighting, human "tower" building, acrobatics (e.g. "flips"), modifications of some land-based sports (e.g. Volleyball), and so on. At the other end of the spectrum, there are serious Olympic sports (e.g. Water Polo, Synchronized Swimming, etc.) that take place in the Pool, too. However, there's no mainstream Pool-based game that combines mild-to-moderate physical skill with uncomplicated joie de vivre (i.e. a game that can be moved either to the "athletic" end of the spectrum or to the "fun" end, depending on the situation). So, that was a major reason behind the creation of Ovasinax.
There's really no mainstream sport (away from the ice) where a man and a woman can compete, together as a team in a contest that has standardized/enforceable rules. Ovasinax is on course to change that fact.
Two modern athletic contests - Tandem-Surfing and Wife-Carrying - do involve men carrying women. However, immense physical prowess is required during both of those contests (especially with regards to the men), and that fact probably discourages many from participating in those contests. Besides, those contests don't take place in the relative comfort and simplicity of a Pool, but rather on punishing terrains (i.e. oceans and obstacle courses, respectively). Therefore, Ovasinax can attract a broader field of participants while also being a "feeder" game for tandem games/sports that demand greater physical abilities.
A man carrying a woman is something that's been both common and smiled upon (across all generations and cultures); it's an act that usually combines - chivalry, grace, and romance. However, prior to this, no game has combined all of those pleasant qualities with true tests of (male and female) athleticism. Therefore, we have yet another reason to promote a game like Ovasinax.
While Tandem-Surfing and Wife-Carrying competitions may not be very widespread, many of those competitions do attract large numbers of spectators, plus some TV coverage and sponsorship. TV Game Shows in several countries (e.g. Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and India) have included competitions where men must carry women, either in water or on land (and those Shows have obviously been popular, based on the ratings). "Wipeout" was another popular TV Game Show in North America, which proves that a sizeable number of people enjoy seeing competitors fall into water! Therefore, it's easy to believe that Ovasinax will grow big.
Lots of athletes and fitness buffs exercise by running/jogging/walking in Swimming Pools because the water resistance provides a great extra dimension. So, a game like Ovasinax (which enhances existing fitness regimens) is praiseworthy, once again.
Ideas
The game's name ("ovasinax") was attractive for several reasons - the fact that the phrase leading to the abbreviation kind of sums up the whole game in three words, the fact that many supporters of the game's concepts are from the Nordic countries, the fact that the name is unique, and the fact that the name is reasonably easy to pronounce ("Oh-Vay-Sin-Axe").
The game had to be relatively easy to participate in, and also easy to watch; therefore, the decision was made to use a "short course" Swimming Pool (or something similar), so that competitors wouldn't have to cover very long distances while spectators would see a greater number of close/exciting finishes.
Either a Short Course Meters (SCM) Pool or a Short Course Yards (SCY) Pool is preferable... but this is no hard-and-fast rule!
The one "lap" where the female partner stands on her male partner's shoulders is necessary, in order to ensure that athletic skills are displayed by both of the teammates during competition. Otherwise, in each team, the male partner would be doing the heavy lifting (so to speak), plus pretty much everything else, as well!
Having to complete three "laps" (i.e. three lengths of the Pool) in total is the best option because a Race should not be overly time-consuming, and also because any team that suffers a fall during the first "lap" (when falls are more likely) should be able to remain competitive, even if no other team suffers a fall. The latter is possible due to two easier "laps" coming after the tougher first "lap".
Safety of competitors is enormously important. Therefore, padding is placed on the Pool's hard rim, in order to cushion any falls; the floating partitions that divide the Pool into three Lanes also serve as cushions.
Although some may argue that the padding on the Pool's rim is only necessary because of the "stand-on-shoulders" component in each Race, that argument is not valid; any energetic activity within a Pool can lead to falls onto the Pool's hard rim, which means that padding is necessary with or without the "stand-on-shoulders" component (note - one serious injury is one serious injury too many!).
The running Lanes are narrow, so that any competitor who falls is a bit more likely to fall onto the padding/partitions (rather than into the water), but each Lane also has enough space for someone to comfortably stride through.
There are only three running Lanes in total, so that one team's strides (and falls, if they occur) cannot really impact another team by way of ripples across the water.
Pools that are used have to be relatively shallow (without compromising anyone's safety), so that running/jogging/walking through the water is never too difficult, even for a competitor who isn't tall.
The buzzer/bell contraptions (which require moderate efforts to operate, and which are located at both ends of each running Lane) are only reachable by a team's female member when her male partner is at the true end of that particular "lap"; therefore, a level of co-ordination between teammates is necessitated while the female partner is provided with an additional task.
Spectators shouldn't be confused by anything that they watch. Therefore, only the styles of "carrying" that are most commonly seen in Swimming Pools (i.e. the "on shoulders" standing/sitting styles) are permitted. On a related note - a time-trial system that requires each team in turn to set a time (in the Pool) is not appropriate because it's too complicated and confusing for the majority of casual viewers.
In order to maintain a reasonably level "playing field", the male partner in a team is not allowed to be heavier than his female partner beyond a certain limit. In addition - the heavier a team's female member is (in relation to her male partner), the more the incentives (e.g. preferential seeding, a "wild-card" berth, etc.) that that team potentially receives while finishing-times and such are not given similar importance.
As long as they each meet the eligibility requirements, any man and woman who wish to compete, together as a team can pair up. Members of a team don't have to be related, or be in a relationship (or any such thing!).
Challenges
This game must be publicized more because it's not widely known, at present; it has to trigger much more public interest, considering that lots of new game/sport ideas are always vying for attention.
The need for a Swimming Pool with a flat floor that can contain water at an equal depth throughout prevents several Pools from being used (a flat floor is necessary, though because balancing will be too difficult for the female partner if her teammate is moving on a sloping/uneven surface).
A small amount of money must be invested by any event organizer due to the padding and the buzzer/bell contraptions, which must all be part of the game's set-up.
Referees are required to monitor various things, such as - starts, finishes, falls, and fouls.
News
The first major international Ovasinax event is set to be an event that'll be organized (in the near future) by the World Alternative Games committee, and this event will happen in Powys, Wales, UK.
An Ovasinax event is likely to be conducted by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) of Florida during a future NKF Surf festival (in Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA).
Whenever several people gather in a Swimming Pool, it's almost inevitable that they will participate in simple (but tough-to-referee) activities, such as - "chicken" fighting, human "tower" building, acrobatics (e.g. "flips"), modifications of some land-based sports (e.g. Volleyball), and so on. At the other end of the spectrum, there are serious Olympic sports (e.g. Water Polo, Synchronized Swimming, etc.) that take place in the Pool, too. However, there's no mainstream Pool-based game that combines mild-to-moderate physical skill with uncomplicated joie de vivre (i.e. a game that can be moved either to the "athletic" end of the spectrum or to the "fun" end, depending on the situation). So, that was a major reason behind the creation of Ovasinax.
There's really no mainstream sport (away from the ice) where a man and a woman can compete, together as a team in a contest that has standardized/enforceable rules. Ovasinax is on course to change that fact.
Two modern athletic contests - Tandem-Surfing and Wife-Carrying - do involve men carrying women. However, immense physical prowess is required during both of those contests (especially with regards to the men), and that fact probably discourages many from participating in those contests. Besides, those contests don't take place in the relative comfort and simplicity of a Pool, but rather on punishing terrains (i.e. oceans and obstacle courses, respectively). Therefore, Ovasinax can attract a broader field of participants while also being a "feeder" game for tandem games/sports that demand greater physical abilities.
A man carrying a woman is something that's been both common and smiled upon (across all generations and cultures); it's an act that usually combines - chivalry, grace, and romance. However, prior to this, no game has combined all of those pleasant qualities with true tests of (male and female) athleticism. Therefore, we have yet another reason to promote a game like Ovasinax.
While Tandem-Surfing and Wife-Carrying competitions may not be very widespread, many of those competitions do attract large numbers of spectators, plus some TV coverage and sponsorship. TV Game Shows in several countries (e.g. Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and India) have included competitions where men must carry women, either in water or on land (and those Shows have obviously been popular, based on the ratings). "Wipeout" was another popular TV Game Show in North America, which proves that a sizeable number of people enjoy seeing competitors fall into water! Therefore, it's easy to believe that Ovasinax will grow big.
Lots of athletes and fitness buffs exercise by running/jogging/walking in Swimming Pools because the water resistance provides a great extra dimension. So, a game like Ovasinax (which enhances existing fitness regimens) is praiseworthy, once again.
Ideas
The game's name ("ovasinax") was attractive for several reasons - the fact that the phrase leading to the abbreviation kind of sums up the whole game in three words, the fact that many supporters of the game's concepts are from the Nordic countries, the fact that the name is unique, and the fact that the name is reasonably easy to pronounce ("Oh-Vay-Sin-Axe").
The game had to be relatively easy to participate in, and also easy to watch; therefore, the decision was made to use a "short course" Swimming Pool (or something similar), so that competitors wouldn't have to cover very long distances while spectators would see a greater number of close/exciting finishes.
Either a Short Course Meters (SCM) Pool or a Short Course Yards (SCY) Pool is preferable... but this is no hard-and-fast rule!
The one "lap" where the female partner stands on her male partner's shoulders is necessary, in order to ensure that athletic skills are displayed by both of the teammates during competition. Otherwise, in each team, the male partner would be doing the heavy lifting (so to speak), plus pretty much everything else, as well!
Having to complete three "laps" (i.e. three lengths of the Pool) in total is the best option because a Race should not be overly time-consuming, and also because any team that suffers a fall during the first "lap" (when falls are more likely) should be able to remain competitive, even if no other team suffers a fall. The latter is possible due to two easier "laps" coming after the tougher first "lap".
Safety of competitors is enormously important. Therefore, padding is placed on the Pool's hard rim, in order to cushion any falls; the floating partitions that divide the Pool into three Lanes also serve as cushions.
Although some may argue that the padding on the Pool's rim is only necessary because of the "stand-on-shoulders" component in each Race, that argument is not valid; any energetic activity within a Pool can lead to falls onto the Pool's hard rim, which means that padding is necessary with or without the "stand-on-shoulders" component (note - one serious injury is one serious injury too many!).
The running Lanes are narrow, so that any competitor who falls is a bit more likely to fall onto the padding/partitions (rather than into the water), but each Lane also has enough space for someone to comfortably stride through.
There are only three running Lanes in total, so that one team's strides (and falls, if they occur) cannot really impact another team by way of ripples across the water.
Pools that are used have to be relatively shallow (without compromising anyone's safety), so that running/jogging/walking through the water is never too difficult, even for a competitor who isn't tall.
The buzzer/bell contraptions (which require moderate efforts to operate, and which are located at both ends of each running Lane) are only reachable by a team's female member when her male partner is at the true end of that particular "lap"; therefore, a level of co-ordination between teammates is necessitated while the female partner is provided with an additional task.
Spectators shouldn't be confused by anything that they watch. Therefore, only the styles of "carrying" that are most commonly seen in Swimming Pools (i.e. the "on shoulders" standing/sitting styles) are permitted. On a related note - a time-trial system that requires each team in turn to set a time (in the Pool) is not appropriate because it's too complicated and confusing for the majority of casual viewers.
In order to maintain a reasonably level "playing field", the male partner in a team is not allowed to be heavier than his female partner beyond a certain limit. In addition - the heavier a team's female member is (in relation to her male partner), the more the incentives (e.g. preferential seeding, a "wild-card" berth, etc.) that that team potentially receives while finishing-times and such are not given similar importance.
As long as they each meet the eligibility requirements, any man and woman who wish to compete, together as a team can pair up. Members of a team don't have to be related, or be in a relationship (or any such thing!).
Challenges
This game must be publicized more because it's not widely known, at present; it has to trigger much more public interest, considering that lots of new game/sport ideas are always vying for attention.
The need for a Swimming Pool with a flat floor that can contain water at an equal depth throughout prevents several Pools from being used (a flat floor is necessary, though because balancing will be too difficult for the female partner if her teammate is moving on a sloping/uneven surface).
A small amount of money must be invested by any event organizer due to the padding and the buzzer/bell contraptions, which must all be part of the game's set-up.
Referees are required to monitor various things, such as - starts, finishes, falls, and fouls.
News
The first major international Ovasinax event is set to be an event that'll be organized (in the near future) by the World Alternative Games committee, and this event will happen in Powys, Wales, UK.
An Ovasinax event is likely to be conducted by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) of Florida during a future NKF Surf festival (in Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA).