Extreme sport

Extreme sports, also known as action or adventure sports, are activities perceived to involve a high degree of risk. These activities often involve significant speed, great height, or intense physical exertion. Participants frequently rely on highly specialized gear to perform their activities safely. While there is no single, precise definition, Dr. Rhonda Cohen (2012) describes them as competitive activities involving natural or unusual physical and mental challenges. These challenges include speed, height, depth, or natural forces. To succeed, a participant must often use fast and accurate cognitive perceptual processing.

Most extreme sports share several common characteristics that set them apart from traditional athletics. They often target a younger-than-average demographic and are rarely included in school physical education curricula. Many of these activities are solitary, though some, like rafting or paintballing, are performed in teams. A major distinction is the presence of uncontrollable environmental variables. In traditional sports, athletes compete under controlled circumstances. In extreme sports, factors like wind, snow, water, and mountain terrain are constantly changing. A surfer must react to changing wave height and shape, while a climber must assess the quality of rock and ice.

Because of these environmental variables, the way these sports are judged is often unique. Traditional sports use objective metrics like distance, time, or specific scores. Extreme sports frequently employ subjective and aesthetic criteria to evaluate performance. This means judges look at the style or beauty of an athlete's movement. Consequently, these sports often reject unified judging methods. Each sport may develop its own unique ideals. This allows the assessment standards to evolve alongside new trends and developments within the sport.

The history of the term suggests a long-standing distinction between "sports" and "games." A phrase from the 1950s, often wrongly attributed to Ernest Hemingway, suggested that true sports involved the risk of death. This phrase implied that activities like bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering were sports, while others were merely games. The Dangerous Sports Club of Oxford University later helped bring extreme activities to public attention. In 1979, they performed the first modern bungee jumps from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England. They also jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, where Jane Wilmot completed the first female bungee jump. The club even experimented with surrealist skiing, where competitors rode sculptures mounted on skis down mountains.

In recent decades, the industry has grown through massive commercialization and media coverage. The term "extreme sport" gained significant popularity in the 1990s through marketing efforts. Companies launched the Extreme Sports Channel and Extreme International to promote these activities. ESPN also developed the X Games, a major multi-sport event. The first X Games, known as the 1995 Extreme Games, took place in several locations across the United States, including Newport and Mount Snow, Vermont. Many extreme sports are also interconnected through technological evolution. Windsurfing was created by adding a sail to a surfboard. Kitesurfing combined the propulsion of kite buggying with wakeboarding boards. Wakeboarding itself is a derivative of snowboarding and waterskiing.

Researchers have studied the motivations behind why people seek these intense experiences. While many believe participants seek an adrenaline rush, medical views suggest a different cause. The high experienced by athletes may actually result from increased levels of dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. These chemicals are released due to high levels of physical exertion rather than fear alone. Some researchers, such as Eric Brymer, suggest these activities can provide extraordinary human experiences similar to meditation. These experiences push participants outside of their comfort zones. This connection often links extreme sports with the broader field of adventure travel.

Extreme sports also have significant social and health implications. While they carry a risk of serious injury or death, they can offer mental and physical health benefits. Some studies suggest that extreme sports can improve the perspective and recognition of life in mental health patients. Furthermore, these sports are becoming more inclusive through adaptive technologies. Non-profit organizations like Adaptive Action Sports work to increase participation for members of the disabled community. This ensures that the ability to engage in high-action sports is more accessible to everyone, regardless of physical ability.