Extreme Sports: The lowdown
While most people have a rough idea of what is meant by “extreme sports”, the truth is that this idea is a cliché-ridden one of US street culture-obsessed, lank-haired, monosyllabic teenagers in ridiculously baggy jeans skateboarding around the local car-park while listening to noisy nu-metal bands.
Are we talking Jackass, here?
However, extreme sports have become, at the very least, a lot more organised than this – at the most, they’re pretty much “where it’s at” (dudes) when it comes to fast-growing sports that are capturing the hearts and minds of our kids.
What are extreme sports?
While it’s not actually that easy to specifically define what comes under the rather lazy banner of extreme sports, and indeed what doesn’t, all of those that do tend to be newer sports, some of which have seem to have come from an urban lifestyle, and contain a high form of adrenaline-inducing action. It’s also to be noted that most extreme sports aren’t team sports either, although the camaraderie and communities between individuals in extreme sports are legendary for being very genuine, extremely tight-knit and long-lasting – perhaps because the high element of skill and danger usually involved.
Which sports are extreme sports?
Surfing, BMXing, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding and wakeboarding (and sometimes mountain biking) are all usually seen as extreme sports although newer and more obscure pursuits, such as kitesurfing, are growing all the time.
Wakeboarding is a relatively new sport but participation has increased rapidly. Riders wear a single board while towed behind a boat and the sport is like a combination of water-skiing, snowboarding and surfing.
Most of these sports (with the exception of skiing and some snowboarding events) are not recognised by such bodies as the Olympic Movement although they certainly don’t lack for regular, high-profile competition, often on an international scale. The Winter X Games (for extreme skiing and snowboarding), the Gravity Games (the whole gamut of extreme sports) and even our own Urban Games in London every July (for skaters and BMXers - http://www.spriteurbangames.com/) are all now massive events, attracting hundreds of fans and some very impressive sponsorship deals. Yep, ironically, despite often being the scourge of “the man), such extreme sports as skateboarding are indeed big business these days.
Extreme Sports often tend to attract adrenalin-junkie mavericks with a sense of humour who like create their own, slightly bonkers sports…such as Extreme Ironing. As the Extreme Ironing Bureau website explains, this is “…the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt.” Enough said. See also bog-snorkelling.
However, extreme sports have become, at the very least, a lot more organised than this – at the most, they’re pretty much “where it’s at” (dudes) when it comes to fast-growing sports that are capturing the hearts and minds of our kids.
What are extreme sports?
While it’s not actually that easy to specifically define what comes under the rather lazy banner of extreme sports, and indeed what doesn’t, all of those that do tend to be newer sports, some of which have seem to have come from an urban lifestyle, and contain a high form of adrenaline-inducing action. It’s also to be noted that most extreme sports aren’t team sports either, although the camaraderie and communities between individuals in extreme sports are legendary for being very genuine, extremely tight-knit and long-lasting – perhaps because the high element of skill and danger usually involved.
Which sports are extreme sports?
Surfing, BMXing, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding and wakeboarding (and sometimes mountain biking) are all usually seen as extreme sports although newer and more obscure pursuits, such as kitesurfing, are growing all the time.
Wakeboarding is a relatively new sport but participation has increased rapidly. Riders wear a single board while towed behind a boat and the sport is like a combination of water-skiing, snowboarding and surfing.
Most of these sports (with the exception of skiing and some snowboarding events) are not recognised by such bodies as the Olympic Movement although they certainly don’t lack for regular, high-profile competition, often on an international scale. The Winter X Games (for extreme skiing and snowboarding), the Gravity Games (the whole gamut of extreme sports) and even our own Urban Games in London every July (for skaters and BMXers - http://www.spriteurbangames.com/) are all now massive events, attracting hundreds of fans and some very impressive sponsorship deals. Yep, ironically, despite often being the scourge of “the man), such extreme sports as skateboarding are indeed big business these days.
Extreme Sports often tend to attract adrenalin-junkie mavericks with a sense of humour who like create their own, slightly bonkers sports…such as Extreme Ironing. As the Extreme Ironing Bureau website explains, this is “…the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt.” Enough said. See also bog-snorkelling.
Select your bookmark
What is social bookmarking?