Simmeringfrogs.com » Sports

The Joy of Urban Sports

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:44:32 +0000

The youngsters of the city turn to urban sports because you need an outlet for them to express themselves. Very little gear is required, and the sport can take place anywhere, and at any time. As they only take place in urban dwellings, they are labeled as urban sports.

However, urban sports is different from extreme sports. Urban sports are much safer, when compared to extreme sports. You can probably guess my the name, extreme sports involve much greater dangers. In many cases, the execution for extreme sports is hazardous and involves more skill. The human limit is constantly being tested and pushed in extreme sports. The return for taking on such risks is an irreplaceable adrenalin rush.

If you are thinking of taking up a sport, start by assessing the activities in your area. It could be street soccer, skateboarding, stunt biking, or even basketball. As long as the sport takes place in the city, it’s considered an urban sport. Take note of the similarities from these sports activities.

First and foremost, you will need the right gear and equipment to get started. These items are usually readily available in major sports retail shops. Many activities like ball games don’t require you to own much gear. All you need is a good pair of street shoes and some sports clothing and you are ready to go.

Make sure that your clothing suits the activity that you are taking part in. Most urban games require lateral movement, which means that a pair of jogging shoes may not be the best fit. Major brands like Nike and Adidas now have street shoes that can be worn for casual outings or for street sports.

Participating in an urban sport does have its own benefits. You never need to travel far to join the sport, since it takes place in your neighborhood. Gather a few friends who share the same interest in your neighborhood and start practicing. Over time, you will find that your overall fitness improve due to exercising regularly.

Once you have more strength and skill, think about joining an extreme sport. Always play safe and wear protective gear, even when you are practicing. Never attempt any stunts without the proper protective gear such as helmets, gloves, knee guards, etc.

Extreme sports may include mountain biking, stunt biking, stunt blading, etc. There is no fixed definition for extreme sports. New games are being invented by young people every day. They seek to new challenges, and as long as the activity provides an adrenalin rush, they will try it.

A word of caution though – never attempt any extreme activity without proper guidance and training. Many extreme activities require a certain level of strength and skill to execute. If you are just a beginner, don’t be proud. Start from the basics and build up your strength and skill.

Urban Sports Getting More and More Popular

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:44:25 +0000

Many young people living in crowded places seek an outlet. So they turn to urban sports. Very little gear is required, and the sport can take place anywhere, and at any time. Since they are commonly seen in cities, these sports activities are given the name “urban sports”.

Note that urban sports is not the same thing as extreme sports. Urban sports are much safer, when compared to extreme sports. Extreme sports are much more dangerous exercises. Very often, extreme means the execution of highly difficult and usually dangerous stunts. The human limit is constantly being tested and pushed in extreme sports. The return for taking on such risks is an irreplaceable adrenalin rush.

If you are thinking of taking up a sport, start by assessing the activities in your area. It could be street soccer, skateboarding, stunt biking, or even basketball. Any urban activity can be taken as an urban sport. There are no strict definitions. Take note of the similarities from these sports activities.

Before you start, you will need some urban sports clothing and gear. These items are usually readily available in major sports retail shops. Sports like ball games don’t require you to own much equipment. You don’t even need special clothing. A cotton T-shirt in good condition and a pair of street shoes may be all you need.

Be sure to dress comfortably for the activity that you have chosen to participate in. Most urban games require lateral movement, which means that a pair of jogging shoes may not be the best fit. Major brands like Nike and Adidas now have street shoes that can be worn for casual outings or for street sports.

The sport that you are engaged in comes with many benefits. You never need to travel far to join the sport, since it takes place in your neighborhood. Just hang around with some friends in the neighborhood and have a good time. A sport provides a form of regular exercise, which can help improve your overall health and fitness.

When you become more comfortable with urban sports, consider joining some extreme sports. For extreme activities, always think about safety. Equip yourself with protective gear. Never attempt any dangerous stunts without protective gear. You may end up with some broken bones!

Extreme sports may include mountain biking, stunt biking, stunt blading, etc. The lines are grey when it comes to extreme activities. You will see new sports and games springing up every corner. The young and the adventurous always seek new thrills and excitement. So look out for new activities that catch your eye. You may wish to try them out some time.

A word of caution though – never attempt any extreme activity without proper guidance and training. Most sports require a certain amount of training before you are able to master the tricks. If you have never tried the sport before, be patient and start from the basics.

Extreme Sports 101 (revised/updated Verson for Masochists)

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:17:46 +0000

Well, my fellow Queenslanders, I hope you are having a fabulous Labor Day (and for those of my many pregnant friends who are set to drop their bundle, please don’t take that literally).

The sun is shining, birds are singing, and the man of the manor suggested that, given the perfect conditions of the day, (ie: Kylie overindulged last night on Yalumba Merlot. Vintage 2006. Very good year for “Headache-In-A-Box”) what could be more delightful than a gentle spin around the Ormeau Go-Kart track?

He has been harping at me to come and “feel the joy” of go-karting for some time now, so I thought to myself , “I’m a big girl, these things are small, how much damage could I possibly do?”

So, we motored out to the pleasant township of “Ormeau” to the Pacific Go-Kart Arena. (and for those of you who are local on the Coast – have you seen the new sign just off Exit 45 that reads “PACIFIC HIGHWAY VIEWING PLATFORM NEXT RIGHT” ( Sorry, but if you feel that spending a gorgeous day looking at semi-trailers and rusty Monaros speeding along the M1 is quality time, you need to perhaps broaden your horizons a little)

Excitement grew as we drove up into the car park, all good and ready to feel the need for speed. I did have a general idea of how this would play out….little kiddy carts and some parents with Mario Andretti visions of the future for little John Junior. Perhaps even some strains of “Ventura Highway” in the background to complete the picture

In some sort of demented bizarro world of go-karting this may have been the case, because I was immediately overshadowed by fifteen to twenty very large, very mean-looking teens with tattoos reading ” Fuck The Highway” or even more specific, “Going to Crush Your Ass Into the Concrete”.

This was no pleasant trundle in the country – this was imminent death by the The Tonka-Truck Gang!

Swallowing my fear and a couple of mouthfuls of Mylanta, I strode up to counter and squeaked “Two thanks…and how much extra for a Panzer …”?”

I took my helmet and stood beside a gentile young skinhead wearing a Black Sabbath Tee and sporting a scowl that I interpreted as ” I am going to knock you, and your Bay City Rollers Tee-shirt out of this hemisphere, and then, if the mood takes me… I may just bite the head off a chicken”

Determined not to wuss-out of the deal, I strode towards the turnstile and reached for the handle. It was only then, that I had quite a traumatic flash-back….

July 2000

I had won the prize for a the Christmas party sweepstakes in our office. Don’t ask me how, I never win anything. If I added up all the dosh I have poured into Surf Lifesavers Raffles and the like over the years, I could perhaps have acquired a nice little penthouse in Broadbeach by now.

Anyway, I ripped open the envelope eager to see what fantastic prize I had won.
Catching sight of a bright blue piece of paper, I squealed in delight. Was it a shopping voucher? Maybe I had won myself a weekend away at Hayman Island Resort. I could have used a bit of a tan. Perhaps it was tickets to the up and coming Bob Dylan concert?

Wasting no time in yanking the coupon out, I feverishly ran my eyes over the small print.
“This voucher entitles the bearer to a FREE BUNJEE JUMP courtesy of “Jump and Wet Yourself Inc.” You too will be able to experience the lung-twisting thrill of free falling 80 meters from a stand-alone tower over a puddle in Kuranda. Feel the excitement! Feel the exhilaration!!”

Feel the bile…..

Of all the prizes that I could have possibly won in the world, I just happened to snag a “Free Ride to Panic Attack Central.”

It was decided, after much lively debate, that I would just ‘buck up and do it!
My new motto was going to be “Live once! Take a chance! Dive off a bloody tall tower into oblivion!” ‘

I even psyched myself up into believing that this was going to be fun. After all, people pay hundreds of dollars to get their legs tied together and thrown off a short plank. I should feel privileged.
We parked right behind a busload of Japanese tourists who, armed with their cameras, videos and obligatory “Hello Kitty” accessories, were eagerly gathered at the base of the jump ready to capture the looks of by those lobotomy-jobs who were insane enough to actually do this.

I was greeted by “Dave” who cheerily asked me if I was ready to “take the fall dude”?

“Dave” seemed a nice guy, to be sure and, apart from the matted dreadlocks, and the tee-shirt that sported multiple marijuana plants and read “I Support the High Life!”, he fulfilled my every confidence.

Dave the dude, strapped my ankles together with a velcro mat.
I vaguely remember telling him, on the verge of hysteria, about my experiences with velcro and how it occasionally had a habit of coming undone. (If ever you had a case-in-point – just look at jeans in the 1980s)
Dave laughed at me. “Man, you don’t have to worry. I’ve done it heaps of times. Hey? If you get into trouble, they have a little boat underneath you, just in case dude. Chill out.”

Great.

I had no more time to dwell on Dave’s reassurances. It was time to rock and roll. As they poked me forward on the narrow plank, like a pirate poking his victim off the side of the galley, I uttered a quick word to God and to my taxation accountant.

Of course, Dave the dude was there to assist….

“Now when I count to five, you just jump dude. Don’t think, just jump. If you don’t, you won’t man.”

“One..”

I can still turn back. I can, I can still turn back. So what if my husband thinks I am a coward, I have seen how he reacts to Daddy Long-Legs. I have bargaining power here.

“Two..”

Oh my God, I am wobbling. I am going to fall, I am going to fall!

“Three..”

Dave, you didn’t tell me about the fun part here, dude. When does that kick in?

“Four..”

I can’t. I can’t..I can’t..!!

“Five!!”

I was screaming before I even became aware that I was falling. The world became weightless around me as the platform dissolved away.
It was at this point, during my flight that I became acutely aware that, out of all the rules and instructions related to free falling and human aerodynamics, I had neglected the most critical one of all.

The rule that says you must tuck your shirt “in.”

Maybe those who indulge in this sado-masochistic pastime on a regular basis actually do get a chance to take in the scenery on the way down, but all I could see was the white tee shirt that was now billowing around my neck like a mini-parachute.

The next few minutes went by extraordinarily swiftly. I can’t remember if I was hollering in sheer terror or in absolute embarrassment, as I fought to keep my wayward shirt where it should be……over my chest.

I have never professed to having glamorous boobs. In fact, I would go as far as saying that I am rather mammarily-challenged.
Having said that, displaying them in such an undignified fashion as falling spread-eagled from a tower, was not really what I had in mind to prove the point.

As the bunjee boatman rowed me into the shore, I distinctly remember two things occurring simultaneously.

One, my husband running towards me with a large coat …and two, the Japanese tourists cheering and clicking their cameras as if they had just witnessed the second coming of Buddha.

The staff were extremely nice to me afterwards. They told me how brave I had been and that I should be really proud of myself. They might have been just a bit puzzled however, as to why I ran away screaming when the video-man asked me if I wanted to watch the re-run of my fall on the big screen in the public forum.

So, back to back to the present, Labor Day 2007…..

I guess you could say that my sudden decision to ditch the Go-Kart helmet and jump in the car might have been construed as cowardice.

I think it is more of taking on what is reasonable within one’s own comfort zone, which in my case was driving 100 metres to the neighboring complex of the Go Kart track….

The Mt Darlinghurst Winery.

Much more my speed……..

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Women In Texas Eye Extreme Sports As New Option

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:17:49 +0000

The world of extreme sports, traditionally a man’s world, is slowly opening up to women. In Texas, and the cities of Houston, Dallas and Austin, women are becoming increasingly interested in three of the six X-Game categories: speed climbing, wakeboarding and in-line skating. A group of women was also invited to demonstrate their talent in freestyle motocross and both vertical (or “vert”) and street skateboarding. Although the women showed they were capable of creating excitement in the audience with their feats, the money available to female competitors is still an issue in championship events.
At a recent Xbox World Championship of Skateboarding, for example, the top three male street skaters took home a total of $34,000, while the top three females took home $3,600.
While young women have participated in alternative and extreme sports from the very beginning, they have not been given the same recognition as their male colleagues, although many are doing their part to break through.
The category “alternative sports” may have been around for decades but only recently has it been called “extreme.” Publicity around the word “extreme” extends into the world of marketing, with the “extreme flavor” of a brand of chips or a drink being given “extreme taste.” For the industry, an extreme sport is defined as a “non-traditional sport that focuses on extreme and varying conditions, and challenges both the mental and physical abilities of its participants.”
While most extreme athletes average in their early 20s, some involved are much younger, even in their early teens.
It’s not necessarily the money that drives young women to compete. Another motivation is to break the stereotypes about men being the only ones out to get a rush of adrenaline. Despite having a love of extreme sports, young women competing in extreme sports seem to have accepted the fact that the money is not (yet) there for them. Sponsors now may pay entry fees, travel expenses and equipment, but the big money is still reserved for male competitors who often get paid by sponsors.
Part of the problem, observers say, is that extreme sports are driven by big business, the point being that if the industry doesn’t expect a large enough audience – - consumers ready and willing to buy the products — they don’t think its worth supporting the athletes. Others say the world of extreme sports has its share of sexism, with judging seemingly based on how women look rather than on their athletic ability.
Some women say they feel uncomfortable about the way skate magazines and images on the skate decks portray women. Advertising can also be an issue for some; clothing companies are known to hire models to wear the clothes in ads rather than the female athletes – - something observers say would not occur with men’s sporting apparel. That can create a problem when it comes to young girls choosing female athletes as role models: if they pick up a magazine, the only females they see are models skimpily dressed or in fashion photography, not competing.
Other women have taken the initiative, one being the founder of Chickabiddy, a surfing and snowboarding clothing company geared to women. Along with a line of women’s clothing, Chickabiddy sells a rash guard, a top worn during surfing to help prevent chaffing, and made especially for women’s bodies. Chickabiddy sponsors eight girls in both snowboarding and surfing, and also has a website for the “female action sports enthusiast.”
There are other people with the aims of Chickadiddy founders on the web, making the Internet one place where women interested in extreme sports can start changing their world. One place is Mxgirls-dot-com, which focuses on the world of women in motocross, its founder having created the site due to a lack of Internet exposure.
Women are slowly breaking into the world of extreme sports, a world where men have long dominated. The more of an audience they build, the more likely it will be that interest continues to build. If you’re a young woman looking to “push the limits” maybe you should check to make sure you’re ready in every part of your life, including health insurance.

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Travel Insurance and Extreme Sports

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:17:52 +0000

Extreme sports holidays have become popular with those who are looking to experience an adrenaline rush during their holidays. And with a wide variety of different sports to cater for all tastes – from rock climbing and white water rafting to hang gliding and mountain biking – as well as a wide range of terrains on which to explore, there’s something for everyone.

However, such exhilaration could turn out to be expensive unless you are prepared for any emergencies. Because of this, it is important to arrange some insurance before you travel, if not to put your mind at ease before you take the plunge or to the skies.

Indeed, travel insurance can be a very useful element to pack as part of your trip, whether you’re heading abroad to participate in extreme sports or are embarking on a backpacking excursion. Some of the most common factors that are covered by policies are:

Flight cancellations
Delayed departure or baggage
Medical expenses – these can vary depending on your country of visit
Repatriation as a result of an injury
Theft or damage to personal possessions – including any travel documentation
Legal assistance
Rental car excess and personal liability

This can help to cover you in case of emergencies, but cover can differ depending on the circumstances, so it’s important to check all details of your policy before you travel. There are several factors which will affect the cost of your policy, so it’s best to make your insurer aware of these from the start, including:

Participation in high-risk activities or sports
Pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or asthma
Travel to countries that are considered ‘high-risk’

There are many different travel insurance policies available, each offering varying levels of cover against a range of circumstances, and can be tailored to your travel plans. Backpackers and overseas workers often take out annual travel insurance for the duration of their excursions as it usually works out cheaper than purchasing separate policies for each leg of your trip.

Having an insurance policy in place before you travel can come in handy should you run into difficulties during your trip, and combined with other plans – such as the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – can help to put your mind at ease and allow you the chance to enjoy your holidays just that little bit more.

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Generation Y and Extreme Sports

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:17:57 +0000

Since 1998, the largest increases in sports participation and viewing have come from the realm of what are dubbed extreme sports. The changes come as generation Y, also known as “echo boomers,” are beginning to take center stage in our culture. Generation Y, an impressive group of over 70 million, is perhaps most well known for its contempt for authority and willingness to take risks. Many companies continue to scramble to understand the implications of marketing and employing echo boomers as this generation begins to reach maturity and enter the workforce.

The common underlying theme within all extreme sports are their potential for danger. For the most part, these sports are solitary activities that allow for some amount of escape from reality and supervision – although there are a few team exceptions. Extreme sports are known for the adrenaline rush that they produce, not only in participation but often also in the act of observation. Those who study the trends understand that extreme sports aren’t simply a fad – they are here to stay.

Paintball – While paintball can be taken to the extreme of individual participation in mass extermination rounds, it is often considered one of the exceptions to the “no team” aspect of extreme sports. Considered by many to be at the tame end of the spectrum, paintball involves simulated battlefield play using paint-filled pellet ammunition. The realism alone is enough to produce an adrenaline rush when playing. Individuals in a paintball match are faced with being hunted and dodging rounds while stalking their prey.

Kiteboarding – Kiteboarding, sometimes also called Kitesurfing – involves a modified surfboard with a large parachute-style sail attached. In 2008 a French kitesurfer became the first person to break the 50 knot per hour barrier and became the world record holder for fastest sailing speed. Kiteboarding usually features extreme speeds and/or gravity defying tricks and stunts performed around wakes. Because of the speeds involved, kiteboarders need to be aware of and follow the general laws of boating. Many popular beaches have banned kitesurfing due to safety concerns and high traffic.

Base Jumping – Base jumping, similar to bungee jumping, involves jumping from fixed objects with the use of a parachute or a wingsuit/parachute combination. The term base is actually an acronym that stands for the different types of fixed objects that one can jump from – building, antenna, span, or earth. Base jumping is frequently referred to as one of the more dangerous extreme sports as small errors can result in fatalities.

Extreme Skating – Extreme skating is also sometimes referred to as aggressive inline skating. Much like skateboarding, extreme skating involves the performance of tricks and aerial stunts. The inline skates used are specially developed to enhance the performance of stunts and tricks. Although aggressive skating was removed from the X-games in 2005, it continues to be a popular street sport.

While these are just a few extreme sports that echo boomers have continued to make popular, you can see from this small sample the common thread of chasing the adrenaline rush. While many extreme sports produce this rush through gravity defying tricks and stunts, not all depend upon the free fall rush. Many extreme sports involve the risk of pain, injury, or even death and ironically hearken back to the dangers involve in sports during the ancient times of Greece and Rome.

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Extreme Sports – Seeking Thrill in Cities

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:17:28 +0000

Many youngsters and teenagers living in urban cities seek thrill and excitement by engaging in different types of sports. These sports usually require minimum gear, and can take place in almost any venue. The collective term for these games is urban sports, for they only take place in city areas.

But don’t confuse urban sports with extreme sports. City activities are often safe, when caution is exercised. Due to the extremity of the activities, the risks are also much higher for extreme sports. They involve public displays of dangerous stunts. There is no strict definition for extreme sports. To participate is to push limits. Of course, in exchange for all the thrill and excitement, a certain amount of risk is necessary.

If you are interested in taking up a sport, take a look at the urban activities in your area. See anything you like? It can be basketball, soccer, skateboarding,etc. The sport is an urban sport as long as it happens in the city. If you observe closely, you will quickly realize that there are some similarities between these activities.

Before diving in, you need to get yourself some clothing and equipment. Buy clothing that will help you blend in with others. There are many activities that don’t need much equipment. Just make sure you have at least a comfortable pair of urban sport shoes and you are good to go.

Ensure that you wear the right shoes and clothing for the sport that you are joining. If you need to have flexible movements, a pair of casual street shoes will do fine. Today, many major brand names have recognized the demand for urban sports and they have manufactured shoes that fill this need.

There are many benefits that are associated with an urban sport activity. You don’t usually need to travel to far out places just to participate in the sport. Join a few sports enthusiasts in the neighborhood and practice, practice, practice. As time goes by, you find yourself becoming fitter and healthier.

As you feel yourself growing stronger and getting better at a sport, you may wish to consider moving the bar up a little and participate in some extreme sports. Here, protective gear becomes much more important. If you find yourself without the appropriate protective gear, just resist the urge to jump in and join your friends.

The more commonly seen activities include mountain biking, roller blading, stunt biking, and many others. There are no concrete boundaries for extreme sports. More innovative and challenging games are being invented by talented young people daily. The young seek fresh challenges, and extreme sports seem to be the only avenue that can satisfy their appetite.

A quick word of caution – Do not try to be too impatient why trying out extreme sports. Some stunts do require a fair amount of skill. Start from the basics if you are new, and seek advice from those who had done what you are about to do now.

Learn more about urban sports and other extreme sports.

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Extreme Sports – Moving To The Next Level

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 03:17:24 +0000

The youngsters of the city turn to urban sports because you need an outlet for them to express themselves. No much gear is needed, and the activity can take place at any urban spot. Due to being seen only in cities, these sports games have been known as urban sports.

But don’t confuse urban sports with extreme sports. In terms of safety, urban sports are much safer games. Due to the extremity of the activities, the risks are also much higher for extreme sports. In many cases, the execution for extreme sports is hazardous and involves more skill. The whole idea of extreme activities is to push the human limit. The risk return trade off? Getting the body to experience the adrenalin rush that comes from the sport.

Thinking of joining an interesting sport? Just take a look around the neighborhood. Take note of what sport activity that catches your eye. As long as the sport takes place in the city, it’s considered an urban sport. Notice how similar these sports are. Any one will do find as long as you like the sport.

First and foremost, you will need the right gear and equipment to get started. They are readily available in local sports retail shops. There are many activities that don’t need much equipment. Just make sure you have at least a comfortable pair of urban sport shoes and you are good to go.

Ensure that you wear the right shoes and clothing for the sport that you are joining. Sports that require side to side movements means that you need a flat soled shoe. Such shoes are produced by many major brand names.

There are many benefits that are associated with an urban sport activity. You never face the problem of commuting. You can choose to train in an area near your home. Join a few sports enthusiasts in the neighborhood and practice, practice, practice. Over time, you will find that your overall fitness improve due to exercising regularly.

As you feel yourself growing stronger and getting better at a sport, you may wish to consider moving the bar up a little and participate in some extreme sports. Always play safe and wear protective gear, even when you are practicing. If you find yourself without the appropriate protective gear, just resist the urge to jump in and join your friends.

Some examples of extreme activities are stunt biking, skateboarding, speed blading, etc. There is no fixed definition for extreme sports. More innovative and challenging games are being invented by talented young people daily. They seek to new challenges, and as long as the activity provides an adrenalin rush, they will try it.

A word of advice – never try to be too ambitious when participating in extreme sports. Many extreme activities require a certain level of strength and skill to execute. Build up your strength and skill and you will enjoy the sport more, and be able to prevent injury.

Learn more about urban sports and other extreme sports.

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Everything You Wanted To Know About Extreme Sports

admin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:17:21 +0000

Extreme sports (also known as an action sport) is a term for any of several newer sports involving adrenaline-inducing action. They often feature a combination of speed, height, danger and spectacular stunts. Levels of danger vary widely, but there is always an element – an “extreme” factor – that causes an adrenaline rush which keeps participants loyal to their sport. Some participants termed ‘adrenaline junkies’ develop an obsession with their sport and even claim to be “addicted to adrenaline”. (This is the result of a misnomer, since often the high obtained is a product of increased levels of dopamine endorphins and serotonin).

Extreme sports are most often pursued by young adults who wish to push their own limits of fear and physical ability, and in doing so, also help to push the limits of their sport as a whole. Because of this youthful demographic, extreme sports often attract their own kind of youth culture with associated clothing fashions and music. Indeed, the distinction between an extreme sport and a conventional sport is often as much due to marketing as the level of danger involved or the adrenaline generated. For example, snowboarding has a more extreme image than skiing mainly because it is newer, even though skiing is a faster and at least equally dangerous way of getting down the mountain. Also, only individual sports are generally considered to be extreme, so a sport like Rugby Union, though dangerous and adrenaline-inducing, is disqualified both by its traditional image and because it is a team sport.

The term gained popularity with the advent of the X Games, a made-for-television collection of such events. Advertisers were quick to realise the appeal of the event and competitors and organisers are now flooded with sponsorship. The high profile of extreme sports and the culture surrounding them has also led people to invent jokey parodies, such as Extreme ironing, urban housework, extreme croquet, extreme unicycling, house gymnastics, and extreme wheelbarrow.

Purists often reject the stereotypical “adrenaline junkie” image and enjoy their activities for many diverse reasons. Practitioners might enjoy developing their physical and/or mental skills, seek mastery of inhospitable environments, look to escape from the mundane rigours of day-to-day existence, or simply love the wilderness environment in which many of these sports take place. Bob Drury, a paraglider pilot says:

“We do these things not to escape life, but to prevent life escaping us”.

Or, alternatively, from an anonymous source:

“All who live, die. But not all who die have lived.”

Several extreme sports, including snowboarding, were included in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Some extreme sports have been around for many decades and the proponents span many generations, often including well known personalities. For example rock climbing and ice climbing has spawned such immortal names as Edmund Hillary, Chris Bonington and more recently Joe Simpson. Another example is Surfing, which was originally invented centuries ago by the native inhabitants of Hawaii.

The InterAirports.co.uk travel site gives information on airports and airport taxes.

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Shredding Stereotypes: Modern Perceptions of Extreme Sports

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:17:18 +0000

Shredding Stereotypes: Modern Perceptions of Extreme Sports

By Cameron Livermore

As humanity has continued to evolve and adapt to the rise of new technology, so have our pastimes. In the late twentieth century, the combination of sport and technology began to give birth to a new breed of recreation: the extreme sports. Simple stick and ball games have changed over time with the advent of better equipment, but this new breed of sports is different in that the participants rely on specialized technology to achieve feats that the human body is ill-equipped for on its own.

Skateboarders reworked the existing technology of frictionless, high-speed travel that previously resided amongst skiers, who in turn began to notice an invasion of younger people at their resorts mounted on snowboards. The offroad motorcycle improved steadily in the last half of the century until it was capable of tolerating extreme force, giving athletes the ability to launch their two-wheeled machines off of dirt mounds and specialized metal ramps to astounding new heights and distances. Many offshoots and evolutions of old sports were enhanced by new technology, adventurous minds, and the idea that there was plenty of territory left to conquer in the area of recreation.

However, these sports came as somewhat of a shock to an older, more traditional population. Young skateboarders and surfers in the 1980s carried themselves with a radical flair, both on and off their boards, evoking both excitement and outrage from the established authorities. Snowboarders descended in droves on established ski resorts, and the patrons there reacted with disdain and sometimes outrage, regarding the new form of sport as an unwieldy and dangerous adaptation of their own. Motocross riders watched skeptically as a segment of professional racers, disillusioned with sponsorship and professional racing politics, split off from the racing scene and began performing aerial tricks on their bikes.

The general attitude of disdain evinced by a population that grew up playing more traditional sports fueled the new breed’s rebellious spirits, until many of them broke with societal norms in their quest to shock the majority with dangerous maneuvers and equally dangerous lifestyles. Their attitude of rebelliousness was arguably necessary to keep their lifestyle from being affected by the forces compelling them to “get back in line,” as it were. These deviant sports were viewed by the general public as the pastime of deviant citizens, and when one is stereotyped unjustly, they may exemplify that stereotype to validate their labeler’s suspicions, and in turn be somewhat validated by that irony.

Unfortunately, the people who stereotyped extreme sports began to see all participants of these sports as deviants, when in fact the second wave of athletes had already risen. Younger people, inspired and curious about these new sports, had begun to take up the mantle of their older, wilder counterparts. These newer participants dreamed of professionalism, of making a living doing what they loved, as other professional athletes had in the past. On their rise to such a level, however, they encountered roadblock after roadblock: laws making their sports actual crimes, facilities banning their new form of sport, resorts denying entrance to their kind. Extreme sports were once considered a harmful and destructive fad, and only recently has the general public begun to grasp the merits of both the sports and athletes involved. What was once perceived as an offensive pursuit is becoming recognized for the true spectacle it is: one of hard work, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears.

There is no doubt that these new sports can carry painful and even deadly consequences for their athletes. “I always call extreme sports good for business,” says Dr. William Roberts, president of the American College of Sports Medicine. “They produce injuries that generate more income for me than any other sport.” (Tresinowski et al. 1).

Injuries are a fact of life for professionals in extreme sports. Broken bones, bruises, even paralysis or death can result from mistimed trick or faulty equipment. Why, then, do these athletes choose to risk life and limb in order to participate? For most, the answer is simple. These sports provide a feeling that cannot be obtained in any other way. Adrenaline rushes, confidence in one’s ability, even spirituality are all attainable through extreme sports.

Perhaps it was best summed up by big wave surfer Mike Parsons, in this quote from the book Being Extreme by Bill Gutman, Shawn Frederick, and John Butman:

“The ocean for me is a totally spiritual thing. It doesn’t matter if it’s small or big surf, just being in it is the important thing. It’s my place. You can have all kinds of problems and worries, and the second I begin surfing, I’m completely focused on that and the rest of the world goes on hold. It’s almost like someone going to church. Without a doubt, the ocean is my church,” (99).

The rest of the world goes on hold for participants in extreme sports. A skilled athlete must use every ounce of concentration, muscle memory, and attention they have to complete the maneuvers they attempt, and this allows for no distractions. As a motocross rider myself, I can personally vouch for this “clean slate” feeling. All of my worries, troubles and preoccupations evaporate the instant I soar off of the first jump on a motocross track. My attention is focused entirely on the next set of obstacles; my mind makes infinite tiny decisions every second, and as I progress, its capacity to make these decisions increases. A well trained extreme sports participant does not think; they simply react, and it is perhaps this channeling of the primal “fight or flight” instinct that can make the experience so entirely rewarding for us.

Recent studies have helped to corroborate this, as they show that extreme sports athletes have higher sensation-seeking needs than the average person. Sensation-seekers are people who desire to experience new and/or novel sensations, or experiences that are not present in the course of everyday life (Malkin and Rabinowitz 34). Extreme sports provide the means to feel new things and experience unique sensations. Perhaps this is part of the reason that so many young people are drawn to them; in a life consisting mainly of school and work, in an environment where sexual urges are often repressed or discouraged, extreme sports offer young people a way to feel very alive.

These sports are also gaining athletes’ participation due to the dramatic visual effects achieved in their execution. Risking life and limb results in spectacular displays of human beings leaping huge distances in a single bound, showing new degrees of finesse and skill, and generally performing feats that were once thought to be impossible (if they were thought of at all). The consequential increased video coverage results in more viewers wanting to try new things. “People are increasingly challenging themselves with activities which place their lives totally in their own hands and moving away from safer, more regulated activities,” says James Stewart, in his article “Taking the Plunge,” which appears in the Institute of Internal Affairs Public Review.

Perhaps in a society where new laws are constantly made, old laws are rarely repealed, and people follow a somewhat set course of school, college, then work, we are simply beginning to yearn for a little chaos in our lives; or perhaps it is the feeling of controlling one’s fate that results from flying through the air or sliding down a rail that is compelling more people to try these sports. As Stewart says, “These sports have less of a competitive feel about them, in many cases the only benefits come from the warm, fuzzy feeling one gets by beating one’s previous best or just by improving one’s skills”(1). That “warm, fuzzy feeling” is synonymous with control. As an avid motocross rider and snowboarder myself, I know this firsthand; the feeling of being in control, even when traveling at forty miles an hour while twenty feet above solid ground, is intoxicating and has increased my confidence in all areas of life.

This feeling may best be described as one of sheer self reliance and independence. Team sports, on the other hand, involve more of a feeling of unity and cooperation. Often times, a player will have to sit out large parts of the actual contest, such as in football, baseball, and basketball. The notorious bench has no place in any extreme sport, however. There is no one to catch a BMX rider if he fails to clear a twenty foot dirt jump, and no one to step in for a skateboarder after he’s fallen off of a rail onto concrete. Extreme sports athletes rely entirely on their own proficiency, dedication, and natural talent. This can lend the athlete a very powerful sense of satisfaction; when a new goal is met or a new trick performed, the feeling of accomplishment is not divided amongst a group. After successfully reaching a higher level of performance, the confidence and sense of achievement gained provides more than enough motivation to continue pushing the limits.

I can testify on this point personally. Recently I participated in a large desert off-road motorcycle ride. A newcomer joined our camp this year: a twenty year old that had ridden off-road motorcycles only briefly at age twelve. He brought boots and a helmet, but no motorcycle; we had four bikes and only three riders in our group, so we let him try our bikes out. The person in question rode more than anybody else that weekend. He progressed from barely competent in the high-speed, three foot wide trails to a respectable desert rider in only a few days. After each ride, he would reminisce excitedly at the camp fire about overcoming a new obstacle, jumping over bumps at higher speeds, and learning how to take corners quickly. Each achievement boosted his confidence and fueled his desire to learn more. In this way, extreme sports can be an addictively satisfying pastime.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that the rider I met in the desert had his bike taken away at a young age after his dad crashed and injured his knee on an old off-road motorcycle. Many parents still see extreme sports as a serious threat to their children and will not allow them to participate in anything of the kind. In an article titled “Flying High, Falling Hard” from People Magazine, a mother from Wisconsin is quoted, saying: “I don’t shelter my kids, but I’m not comfortable with sports with high injury rates. I want them to be safe,” (Tresinowski et al. 64). This is a perfectly logical argument; however, not very many children are perfectly logical themselves.

Forbidding a child from participating in an extreme sport can increase their desire to do so as a form of rebellion, as I witnessed in the desert recently. That particular person was responsible. He wore safety gear and had fourteen experienced riders to coach him and watch him, but still crashed at high speeds twice over the weekend. Had he been a bit more reckless and a bit more motivated to rebel, he may have been more poorly equipped and could have been badly injured. Unfortunately, this is often the case. Young children imitating professionals they’ve seen on television without parental guidance or proper safety equipment are much more likely to sustain debilitating injuries.

A better approach is given in the same article in People by another mother, Michele Soven of Longwood, Florida. Her son is an avid wakeboarder. Wakeboarders are towed on specially designed boards behind boats, jumping the wake thrown up by the boat’s propeller and performing tricks. “From the beginning, my husband and I were very involved,” says Michele. “Every injury he got, I would find out how and why it happened, to prevent it from occurring again.” (Tresinowski et al. 66)

Her son Phillip has sustained multiple injuries, the worst of which he suffered while trying to jump onto a long, wooden rail floating in the water, an obstacle wakeboarders call a “slider.” Phillip caught his board on the edge of the obstacle, shattered his nose, and split open his face. It took 58 stitches and two reconstructive surgeries to repair the damage, but Michele never once thought of trying to take away Phillip’s wakeboarding privileges. “It’s something he loves to do, so how can I forbid it? If I did, it would be more likely that he’d do it without parental guidance,” said Michele (Tresinowski et al. 65). This is a realistic viewpoint. Extreme sports are definitely dangerous, but risk can be minimized with proper guidance, safety gear, and involvement from experienced athletes and parents alike.

Samah Boulis and Andreas Rehm, Orthopedic surgeons from the United Kingdom, share this viewpoint in their article Our Experience with Motocross Accidents in Children: Patterns of Injuries and Outcomes. The article details the types of injuries common to motocross riders, and offers the opinion that the implementation of helmet and protective gear laws would substantially minimize the injuries that occur in motocross riding and racing (1).

While most if not all public motocross facilities do require riders to wear helmets, few go beyond that basic safety. The additional stipulation that riders be required to wear protective boots, gloves, pants, jerseys, body armor, and neck braces would substantially reduce motocross related injuries. Again, I speak from my own experience; I have never broken a bone while riding motorcycles, and have ridden one thousand hours or more-always with the proper safety gear. After many high speed and high altitude crashes, I have still never suffered anything worse than cuts and scratches. My safety gear has been destroyed and replaced many times, saving my body in the process.

The public has begun to recognize that with such safety gear, extreme sports can be participated in with some degree of safety. Extreme sports were once thought of as something close to a death sentence, even with gear, but that has been shown to be untrue in recent studies of sports related injuries. The percentage of people injured in extreme sports is often the same or even smaller than the percentage of people injured in conventional sports such as football. In a list that compiled the number of injuries based on the time spent playing or participating in a sport, the only extreme sport even close to the top of the list was snowboarding, ranked third behind boxing and football. Skateboarding sits at twenty-second, and BMX biking at twenty-fourth (Tresinowski et al. 64). The myth that extreme sports resulted in more injuries than traditional sports has been effectively broken by professional researchers in a number of studies such as this one, and that data is trickling down to the public awareness with increasing momentum. Parents are now becoming aware that their child is just as likely to break a bone while being tackled by a linebacker in a high school football game as they are to break one while jumping down a set of stairs on a skateboard.

Unfortunately, the average citizen’s change of perception is not always mirrored by official groups. Signs proclaiming “No skateboarding, No bicycling, No rollerblading” are still a common sight in any city. This is perhaps best illustrated by the outright ban on skateboarding that occurred in Philadelphia’s LOVE Park, a kind of Mecca for modern skateboarders. Jeremy Nemeth’s paper Conflict, Exclusion, Relocation: Skateboarding and Public Space details this incident. Policy makers in Philadelphia decided to restructure the park in time for a citywide festival, both physically and legislatively. The legislative portion instituted an around-the-clock police patrol in and around the park to enforce a new zero-tolerance ban on skateboarding. If any citizen was caught skateboarding, they would have to pay a three hundred dollar fine and could even be imprisoned. Skateboarding became a crime (297).

This did not sit well with the resident skateboarders of Philadelphia, who assembled for a march on city call on October fifth, 2003. They accomplished nothing with their mass protests, however, so instead began a campaign. Non-profit groups formed, dedicated to regaining the right to skate in LOVE Park. After a long stalemate with city officials, a bargain was struck; the city would build a street-style skate park for skaters to use. While this satisfied some, many skateboarders continue to fight for their right to skate at LOVE Park. In a newspaper poll taken in 2004, ninety-two percent of two thousand resident Philadelphians polled supported the skateboarder’s fight to return to LOVE Park (Nemeth 304). This instance suggests that the average citizen is starting to accept extreme sports, and again illustrates that institutions are not always doing the same.

Some might argue that such laws are made due to the damage caused to public property by extreme sports. While it is true that skateboarding and BMX riding can damage public architecture, it is not true that the athletes involved are generally careless of this fact. Philadelphia city officials estimated that skateboarding had caused approximately sixty-thousand dollars worth of damage to LOVE Park. Shortly thereafter, the city gave the park an eight-hundred-thousand dollar facelift (Nemeth 301). This should adequately answer the question of whether or not the city had the funds to deal with such intense use by skateboarders. If the city could afford to spend eight-hundred-thousand dollars to update the park, they could afford sixty- thousand dollars to repair it.

However, the skateboarding community went even further to show their dedication to regaining the privilege of skating in LOVE Park. A skateboard shoe manufacturer, DC Shoes, offered to pay one-hundred-thousand dollars each year for ten years to the city for maintenance of LOVE Park if skaters were allowed to return. The city refused (Nemeth 303). How is it that city officials claimed they refused skateboarders the privilege to skate based on the damage the sport caused, yet continued that refusal even after paying roughly thirteen times the estimated cost of the damage to update the park? How can the cost of damage, at sixty-thousand dollars, when compared to one-hundred-thousand dollars a year for ten years from DC shoes, be considered a legitimate reason to continue excluding skaters from LOVE Park? It seems that not all prejudice against extreme sports has faded with time. Skaters continue to lobby for access to LOVE Park, and the city continues to refuse them (Nemeth 304).

Skateboarders have a similar complaint in Bronx, New York. Street skating is nearly a crime in the Bronx, making it very difficult for skaters to progress and practice what they love to do. “…We aren’t harming anyone, and we aren’t doing anything bad-just skateboarding,” says Chris Seise, a Bronx skateboarder (Mcdonald 1). There is a park in the area called Mulally’s, but the park requires that a skater’s parents sign a waver before they are allowed to skate (Mcdonald 1). This makes access difficult for the skaters whose parents do not approve of their child’s chosen sport, and may lead to more illegal street-skating by children under eighteen years old who cannot use the park. If the city would provide a public skate park utilizing street obstacles like benches and handrails, the unnecessary commitment of city resources to the prevention of street skating could be stopped.

Another less harmful discrimination is often perpetrated by participants of “classic” or “ball” sports, such as football, baseball, and basketball. In an issue of Sports Illustrated, a journalist asked many athletes whether they considered skateboarding to be a sport or not. “Hell no. It’s a recreational activity, like fishing,” said Blue Jays outfielder Jose Cruz (Albert and Mravic 28).

Other athletes showed similar scorn. “They’re trying to make everything a sport,” said Marlins infielder Dave Berg. “Why not grocery bagging at Albertson’s? These days they even call putt-putt golf a sport. That’s just trailer-trash activity. Sure it takes skill to do these things, but is it a sport?” (Albert and Mravic 28). It is true that many extreme sports athletes view ball-sport players similarly, and that the rivalry is far from one-sided. It all seems to be a case of conditioning. Whatever activity is done and watched in the household is often an activity the child will later consider a sport. Certainly extreme sports and team sports are both valid athletic pursuits.

As the public demand for facilities in which to practice extreme sports grows, some institutions are finally responding adequately. In the journal Parks and Recreation, Kelly Bastone cited many such instances in her article “Going to Extremes.” Kelly writes that “Directors and managers elsewhere have also received requests to go beyond team sports and provide opportunities to skate, bike, climb, paddle, ski, and even surf…” (Bastone 60). Some institutions have chosen not to take the “LOVE Park” route, and have risen above and beyond to provide safe, well-designed facilities for athletes. Many cities are feeling the demand and responding aptly.

Reno, Nevada built a whitewater rafting park on the Truckee River, the town of Steamboat Springs in Colorado runs a community ski and snowboard slope called Howlsen’s Hill, and city Officials in Chattanooga granted permission to a group of rock-climbers when asked if they could begin climbing a limestone support column on one of the city’s historic bridges (Bastone 63-65). Many cities are welcoming extreme sports athletes with open arms. Word spreads quickly in the athletes’ world, and once a town is known as a good destination for a sport, its economy reaps the benefits as adrenaline-seeking tourists spend their money while visiting (Bastone 64).

In Kelly Bastone’s article, one city stands head-and-shoulders above the rest. Oklahoma City’s director of parks and recreation, Wendel Wisenhunt, is quoted, saying “”We were hearing that our emphasis on stick-and-ball sports just wasn’t serving everyone, particularly the younger population.” Wisenhunt responded to the need for extreme-sports facilities in dramatic fashion; in 2005, at a cost of seven-hundred-thousand dollars, the Mat Hoffman Action Sports Park opened in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City’s director of parks and recreation worked closely with professional BMX rider and native Oklahoman Mat Hoffman to create a facility that would allow beginners to progress safely while simultaneously challenging veteran athletes (Bastone 2).

This is approach to building facilities is by far the best, as simple logic shows. A dangerous, boring skate park is a bad investment, but not many public officials have thought to go as far as to seek out the input of professional athletes to help build the courses. The necessity of doing so is obvious, as extreme-sports facilities are products of creativity and have no set boundaries, obstacles, demarcations, or other mandatory features. A football field is a football field, and can be duplicated rather easily, but skate parks, motocross tracks, and other extreme-sports arenas are unique facilities, each with their own obstacles, safeguards, unique attractions, and creators. If the city official overseeing the project acquires the help of a professional athlete to design a safe, fun, and challenging course, they are likely to see much larger attendance numbers. The local economy again feels a pleasant surge as athletes spend money in the park’s proximity, which can transform the cost of the park’s creation into a profit, in time (Bastone 63).

Another factor that is helping win over officials is the changing perception of extreme sports participants as a type of people. Skaters, particularly, were once associated with illegal activity such as drug use and vandalism; that association is now rapidly dissolving as kids and teens campaign for the addition of skate parks to their city and take pride in keeping the parks safe and legal once they are constructed (Weller 567). Once looked upon as apathetic deviants, skaters are now being respected as socially active people with strong voices in their community (Weller 568). As more and more athletes practice their sports without participating in the unsavory activities that were once associated with those sports, more non-athletes are beginning to see them as respectable public figures.

As extreme sports continue to grow in popularity, people are beginning to accept this new view of the athletes, and are realizing that extreme sports may not truly be as bad as the old stereotypes implied they were. City officials are helping to build new parks, parents are more likely to let their children choose to ride a skateboard or motorcycle, and television networks are scrambling to provide more coverage of high-flying bikers and boarders. While the public’s increased exposure to extreme sports still far from matches the popularity of older, more well-know sports, the stigma once attached to athletes participating in them is quickly eroding. For the athletes in question, this acceptance has come somewhat late, but is nevertheless deeply appreciated. No person enjoys persecution, much less so for performing difficult and skillful feats of athleticism, and extreme sports athletes are no exception. As ESPN’s X Games grows, Mountain Dew’s Dew Tour appears on network television, and other forums for extreme sports are piped into America’s living rooms, the true athletic and mental fortitude displayed in extreme sports is beginning to be so readily observable that outdated stereotypes can no longer be applied. More cities are giving in to the demand for skate parks and other facilities for extreme sports athletes to use, and more children than ever are idolizing motocross riders or snowboarders instead of baseball or basketball players. The former black sheep of the sports world are slowly becoming the main attraction.

Works Cited

Bastone, Kelly. “Going to Extremes.” Parks and Recreation 43.5 (2008). EBSCO.Academic Search Premier. Dana Library, Clackamas Community College. 23 Oct. 2008

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Boulis, Samah, and Andreas Rehm. “Our Experience With Motocross Accidents In Children: Patterns of Injuries and Outcomes.” Internet Journal of Orthopedic Surgery 3.3 (2006). EBSCO. Dana Library Clacakamas Community College. 17 Oct. 2008

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Gutman, Bill, Shawn Frederick, and John Butman. Being Extreme. Citadel Press

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& Recreation 33.7 (98): 34-40. EBSCO. Academic Search Premier. Dana Library, Clackamas Community College. 1 Nov. 2008. .

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Journal of Urban Design 11.3 (2006): 297-318. EBSCO. Academic Search Premier. Dana Library, Clackamas Community College. 22 Oct. 2008 http://0 search.ebscohost.com. library.clackamas.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=24905978&site=ehost-live.

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Cameron Livermore is an aspiring author, journalist, and poet.

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