Fine folks with concerns about the sport and it's future.

SUBJECT: Fine folks with concerns about the sport and it's future.

I receive emails, letters and phone calls from folks met along the trail of the thing called "Living History". Fine folks with concerns about the sport and it's future.

• EXAMPLE: If you’ve ever seen grainy old sports footage like, a boxing match from the late 1800s, a Princeton/Yale game from 1903, or Babe Ruth’s famous home run from 1932—you probably noticed how different the game looks compared to its modern counterpart. The equipment looks clunky, the uniforms impossibly baggy. Even the bodies of the players look weirdly out of shape. Why is that? Like any human endeavor, sports evolve over time. Science and technology fuel these changes, providing ever-better gear made with superior materials, better information about nutrition and training, and improvements in data generation and analysis that help push the limits of athletic capability.
  

Early 1960
That said, look at how the "Rendezvous", "Buckskinners Clan", and the "Living History" groups have changed. The old groups: late 1960's to mid 1980 were folks using whatever they had (copying what was seen in movies from Hollywood).

Mid 1980
As movies got truer to what life was really like (research, research, research) done by those that tried to live their modern and sport life as would have been done for the time of their interest. Hollywood finally got folks with backgrounds - experienced (rendezvous members, buck skinners, and living history folks) involved as advisors - hand picking what was used - being sure those items and folks using them fit the time period. A few friends and I have been involved in several of these productions, along with being used as background actors.

Yes, we still see some poorly done movies (usually low budgets is the problem). But overall Hollywood has improved.

Back to the title: Fine folks with concerns about the sport and it's future. A very good friend wrote this note to me, you all know him for his wonderful handmade products [Longhunter Leather Company with Mr. Bob Browder] https://longhunterleatherco.forumotion.com/

• Buck,
  All we can do is embrace the journey and keep on keeping on ... I think everyone has a "cross to bear" be it mental or physical. It's how we respond to the challenges that matters. I'm glad you are compiling your "history". I for one will be eager to read it. There isn't the growth and excitement in our hobby today as there in the 70's to 90's, but I think it is staying alive and growing slowly. I see young people embracing the culture because of parents or friends who do this thing called "living history".  God Bless them all.  Bob
  

Like Mr. Browder says: "There isn't the growth and excitement in our hobby today as there was ..."  That will depend on the younger folks like Jonthan and his friends and you folks.