So you think you are a scared of nothing, a bit of a dare devil perhaps? You’ve tried every sport, challenged your body, taken your fitness to a high level and now you are bored. Perhaps it’s time to try a more extreme challenge? Have you considered diving in to the world of extreme sports? From sky diving, base jumping to bungee jumping and free running there should be something you can do that will feed your need for excitement and adrenaline.
With the Extreme Sports channel offering wide media coverage of sports such as surfing and snowboarding there is now a network of hard-core individuals all over the world. No longer defined by a counter-culture or the niche of the wild and rebellious, extreme sports are now more mainstream and accessible by anyone looking for excitement. It’s safe to say, they are firmly embedded in modern sports.
There are many ways you can participate. From sports in the sky, on snow or water, on wheels or by climbing. For the more competitive, there are extreme races that will not only feed your desire for an adrenaline rush but also fulfil your competitive spirit.
On Snow
If snow is your preferred environment, then anything from snowboarding to ski jumping should be considered by burgeoning thrill seekers. Snocross is similar to motocross but on snow, using snowmobiles instead of motorbikes. It’s a competitive snow sport where you will find yourself navigating obstacles and taking jumps of up to 30 feet and at times being launched 100 feet into the air! Speed flying or speed riding is downhill skiing with a parachute-like wing. Not a cheap sport as you have to fly to remote locations where you can sail down the mountain, skiing if and when your feet hit the ground. Often reaching up to 100 mph, you may find yourself avoiding ravines and trees on the way down!
Up a Mountain
Ice climbing offers a greater challenge to the seasoned climber. There is an added attraction for climbers that need to test their skills against more than the mountain itself in the form of ice formations such as icefalls and waterfalls or rocks and cliffs covered in ice. Risks such as frost bite, hypothermia and avalanches are obvious but also bear in mind that the difficult terrain means that if needed, a rescue team would be unable to reach you swiftly so rapid attention will not be an option.
If your climbing skills are hot and the need of an increased adrenaline rush is there then why not try free climbing. Not for the faint hearted, this is rock climbing with the aid of a rope, tri-cam, nut or any other climbing aid to protect against falls but only using their climbing ability to ascend. Climbers tend to go higher than normal increasing the risk element.
In the Sky
One of the first adrenaline sports people might try will be skydiving. So if you want to see if you’ve got the backbone for extreme sports then this the perfect way to try. The first step is to find a suitable school so search online for one near you by typing ‘North London Skydiving’ or similar into a search engine. You need to feel comfortable with the company that you go with so look at their websites and speak to their teams until you find one you trust. When you’re happy with your choice, just go for it! If you get the bug and want to take it a bit further then you may want to consider a course and qualify to do solo jumps. Once you are more experienced the daredevils may want to go a step further and try BASE jumping!
Base jumping is one of the most dangerous sports in the world and is only for the experienced skydiver who has the desire for an increased adrenaline rush! BASE is an acronym for the four categories of where base jumpers can jump – building, antenna, span (such as a beam or bridge) and Earth (cliff). There is a wide range of legal BASE jumping locations worldwide but despite these approved locations, the danger of this sport can never be overlooked.