Extreme sport
Extreme sports (also called action sports, agro sports, and adventure sports) are a popular term
for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent
danger. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical
exertion, and highly specialized gear.[1]
The definition of an extreme sport is not
exact and the origin of the term is unclear, but it gained popularity in the
1990s when it was picked up by marketing companies to promote the X Games and when the Extreme Sports
Channel and Extreme.com launched.
While use of the term "extreme sport"
has spread far and wide to describe a multitude of different activities,
exactly which sports are considered 'extreme' is debatable. There are however
several characteristics common to most extreme sports. While not the exclusive domain of
youth, extreme sports tend to have a younger-than-average target demographic.
Extreme sports are rarely sanctioned by schools. Extreme sports tend to be more
solitary than traditional sports (rafting
and paintballing are notable exceptions, as they are done in teams). In
addition, beginning extreme athletes tend to work on their craft without the
guidance of a coach (though some may hire a coach later).
Activities categorized by media as extreme
sports differ from traditional sports due to the higher number of inherently
uncontrollable variables. These environmental variables are frequently weather
and terrain related, including wind, snow, water and mountains. Because these
natural phenomena cannot be controlled, they inevitably affect the outcome of
the given activity or event.
In a traditional sporting event, athletes
compete against each other under controlled circumstances. While it is possible
to create a controlled sporting event such as X Games, there are environmental
variables that cannot be held constant for all athletes. Examples include
changing snow conditions for snowboarders, rock and ice quality for climbers, and wave height and shape for surfers.
Whilst traditional sporting judgment criteria
may be adopted when assessing performance (distance, time, score, etc.),
extreme sports performers are often evaluated on more subjective and aesthetic
criteria. This results in a
tendency to reject unified judging methods, with different sports employing
their own ideals and indeed
having the ability to evolve their assessment standards with new trends or
developments in the sports.
Classification
While the exact definition and what is
included as extreme sport is debatable, some attempted to make classification
for extreme sports.
One argument
is that to qualify as an "extreme sport" both expression
terms need to be fulfilled;
·
"sport": The participant has to dispose of
considerable skill and/or physical ability to avoid poor execution of the activity;
·
"extreme": poor
execution of the activity has
to result in considerable risk of serious physical harm to the participant;
Along this definition, an activity such as bunjee jumping may not qualify as no skill or
physical ability is required to execute a good jump (i.e. avoid poor
execution). A passenger in a canyonjet boat ride will qualify neither, as the skill
required pertains to the pilot, not the passengers. "Thrill seeking" might in these cases be a more
suitable qualification than "extreme sport".
Extreme sports may be subdivided into;
Extreme Vehicle Sports[edit]
These sports require the use of some kind of
"vehicle" (a ski, parachute, wingsuit, surfboard, a motocross bike
etc.). They can be further subdivided into gliding (over air, snow, ice or water) sports
("sports de glisse" in French) and rolling sports. Another subdivision can be
made along motorized and non
motorized vehicle sports, resulting
in the following matrix;
|
Gliding
|
Rolling
|
|
|
Motorized
|
||
|
Non
Motorized
|
surfing,
windsurfing, kiteboarding, skiing, snowboarding, parachuting, wingsuit,
sailing
|
skateboarding,
mountainbiking, free-style biking
|
Mortality
Extreme sports by their
nature can be extremely dangerous, conducive to fatalities, near-fatalities and
other serious injuries, and sometimes consist in treading along the brink of
death. This imminent and inherent danger in these sports has been considered a
somewhat unnecessary part of its appeal,[19] which is partially a result
of pressure for athletes to make more money and provide maximum entertainment.
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