Defining Extreme Sports By Example
December 4th, 2008

You have heard them talked about and may even know a few of the sports the genre includes. However, have you ever really thought what extreme sports really are? Have you thought about what makes them extreme, and more importantly, what sports are considered extreme? Probably not, but since they are seemingly the future of sports, check out a few of the examples of what extreme sports are.

To put it loosely, extreme sports include any number of newer sports that involve some level of danger and exhilaration. In most cases, some combination of speed, danger, height, and stunts are included. Those who are addicted to these sports will tell you that there is always an adrenaline rush associated with them. The best way, though, to understand what extreme sports are is to take a look at some specific examples of them.

First of all, probably the best-known extreme sport is skateboarding. It was in the mid 1960's that a short film introduced the mainstream to the sport of skateboard riding. Soon, there were national championship competitions being held and people began to take notice. Competitors jump out of man-made "half pipes," ramps, and even on the rails and stairs of urban settings. The sport soon became associated with rebellion and trouble. Today, though, the sport has, like many extreme sports since, gained mainstream acceptance. Skateboard competitions have even gone international and found their way into the Olympics and other such worldwide athletic competitions.

Closely related to skateboarding is snowboarding. Snowboarding is essentially skateboarding on snow. The tricks are very similar, and like skateboarding, the sport has caught on internationally. Today, on any ski slope in America, you will find snowboarders. Some ski resorts have even begun to erect snowboard trick areas.

Another extreme sport that may be for a more mature crowd is sport climbing. Sport climbing is a type of mountain or rock climbing in which you are supplied with handgrips and a route that you can climb. This sport is less about the adventure and more about the athleticism and climbing strength of the participant.

BMX biking is another extreme sport. This particular bicycle sport can go a couple of ways. There is BMX bike racing where competitors maneuver around a track with dirt jumps, hills, and even obstacles to avoid all while competing with a number of other racers on the track. The other version is freestyle BMX bike competitions. In freestyle, competitors use the bikes in much the same ways snowboarders and skateboarders use their boards. Tricks are performed on obstacles and ramps.

Freestyle skiing is another example of an extreme sport. This is where skiers use obstacles to perform tricks as they come down the slope. It may be jumps, spins, or even flips depending on the specific competition. Another form of freestyle skiing may also take place on moguls where the competitors will go over the moguls and perform tricks on the larger jumps in order to increase points as they navigate the slope.

A less competitive but more popular extreme sport is skydiving. Skydiving, as you may already know, is a sport where the participant jumps out of an airplane and then releases a parachute to slow down and fall softly. The appeal of this particular sport is the danger in the initial jump. Some skydivers will work in teams to create shapes and choreography during a freefall period before chutes are released. This is where competition in skydiving comes in and has become more and more popular around the world.

With new and better competitions popping up worldwide, it is apparent that extreme sports are the new fad. Younger children are beginning to participate and the competition is becoming more popular and accepted than ever before. Whether it is skateboarding, snowboarding, skiing, skydiving, or even rollerblading, these sports seem to be here to stay. With Olympic style competitive festivals with larger winnings available as well as lucrative sponsorships, these sports are becoming less of an anomaly and more the norm. These sports permit individualism while also allowing for team competition, which is appealing to today's youth. As the following of these sports grow among the young, the overall appeal of them will become more mainstream and more of an asset to the sporting world

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