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What are extreme sports

extreme sports, also known as action sports or alternative sports are sporting events or pursuits characterized by high speeds and high risk. The sports most commonly placed in this group are:

skateboarding,

snowboarding,

BMX/mountain biking.

Typically, extreme sports operate outside traditional mainstream sports and are celebrated for their adrenaline-pumping thrills. Racing and acrobatic competitions for motorcycles and snowmobiles are also often classified as “extreme,” and the term can be stretched to include such daring pursuits as rock climbing and skydiving.

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extreme sports, also known as action sports or alternative sports, sporting events or pursuits characterized by high speeds and high risk. The sports most commonly placed in this group are skateboarding, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, in-line roller-skating, street lugeing, and BMX and mountain biking. Typically, extreme sports operate outside traditional mainstream sports and are celebrated for their adrenaline-pumping thrills. Racing and acrobatic competitions for motorcycles and snowmobiles are also often classified as "extreme," and the term can be stretched to include such daring pursuits as rock climbing and skydiving.
(Read Tony Hawk's Britannica entry on skateboarding.)
The primary extreme sports-skateboarding, in-line roller-skating, and BMX, for example-often make use of half-pipes (U-shaped structures) and urban landscapes for performing a wide range of tricks. The sports also share a unique subculture that separates them from traditional team sports. It is a youth-oriented culture that has embraced punk music and fashion and emphasizes individual creativity.

The term extreme sports is generally attributed to the X Games, a made-for-television sports festival created by the cable network ESPN in 1995. The success of the X Games raised the profile and economic viability of these sports. The extreme sports of mountain biking and snowboarding debuted at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 1996 and 1998, respectively.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Adam Augustyn.

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Extreme sports | Definition, Examples, & Facts

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Extreme sports, sporting events or pursuits characterized by high speeds and high risk. The sports most commonly placed in this group are skateboarding, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, in-line roller-skating, street lugeing, and BMX and mountain biking.

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Paraskiing is a combination of skiing (or snowboarding) and parasailing. The skier wears a parasail and when they pick up enough speed to make the parasail rise, they’re lifted off the ground and start soaring .Some parasailers fly for the entire run while others bounce back and forth between sailing and skiing.

It essentially combines two top extreme sports into one ultimate extreme sport. To get to an even more extreme level, some athletes combine heli-skiing and paraskiing – which opens up a whole new world of terrain.

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Right now, wingsuit flying is probably the closest humans can get to controlled, non-machine-assisted flying.

Wingsuit flying is a variation of sky diving in which the “pilot” or jumper wears a special suit that essentially makes them look like a flying squirrel. This specialized suit features “wings” along the side of the body and between the legs. The wings have air pockets that give the pilot more lift, allowing them to fall slower and control where they go with an amazing amount of precision.

Wingsuit flying can take place from a helicopter or off a base and some expert flyers get incredibly close to mountainsides and even cruise in a controlled free fall through ravines(râpe).

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When you’re scuba diving, you’re literally in a situation where you could be physically unable to breathe if something goes wrong. Most divers have oxygen tanks with them, but some athletes disregard this normal equipment and opt to freedive.

Like many of these top extreme sports, freediving is exactly what it sounds like – a diver goes down with no survival equipment other than flippers.

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Adventure-sports company Extreme told Insider that demand has surged during the pandemic.

Some companies credit the adrenaline craze to last year's prolonged indoor confinement.

The industry has 490 million participants worldwide, bringing in over $200 billion per year.

Sydney Dunham, a 20-year-old student at Colorado College, embarked on her first rock-climbing trek this January as she and her friends drove to the limestone cliffs on Shelf Road, CO.

"I fell halfway through, I really didn't think I could go any further," Dunham told Insider. "But I decided to muster all my remaining strength and give it one final go ... finishing that climb was one of the most intensely satisfying experiences of my life."

Dunham, like many others, decided to pick up a new hobby during the pandemic. Searching for a thrill beyond bread baking or crochet, she joined a bouldering gym close to her college.

"Throwing myself into climbing became a way of releasing all the built-up tension from being cooped up during the pandemic," she said. "I felt an extreme sense of excitement at just being able to try something new, especially something that pushed me as a person."

Rock climbing is just one sport fueling the adventure economy, an industry with an estimated 490 million participants. The most popular activities include ziplining, rafting, rock climbing, hot air ballooning, and sky diving.

Alistair Gosling, CEO of the adventure sports company Extreme, told Insider that he has seen a "major increase" in adventure and extreme sports around the world.

Gosling believes that the significant change in consumer demand for more adventurous activities is a result of last year's indoor confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NY Zipline Canopy Adventure Tours told Insider that it has more customers than ever and typically sells out a week or two in advance. Owner Bradd Morse said the main challenge is staffing - he usually requires 70 employees but was only able to hire 28.

"Maybe people are just saying 'you know what, I'm going to check this off, I don't know how long life is here for,'" Dr. Luana Marques, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, told Insider. "I think the reality of that uncertainty may push people to do more risky behaviors."

Research shows that when people arrive at a skydiving facility, they feel high levels of stress and anxiety. However, immediately after landing participants experience "peak happiness," as the brain is flooded with adrenaline and dopamine.

"Although we don't have concrete data that documents that the percent of people seeking extreme sports is higher now compared to before the pandemic, we could hypothesize that people's constant reassessing of their lives over the past year ... might lead people to want to live more in the moment and to take higher risks," Marques said.

Companies supplying the adventure-sports industry, such as GoPro, have also seen huge spikes in revenue. GoPro's May 2021 earnings show a revenue increase of 71% year-over-year, totaling $204 Million. The company's best-selling product was the Hero9 Black, a $400 action camera.

Extreme said 2020 extreme-sports equipment sales were double those of the year before, leading many stores to sell out. According to a Research Dive report, the global adventure-tourism industry is projected to more than double over the next six years.

"I appreciated the bread baking and self-reflection that came with the isolation of the pandemic," Dunham said. "But that also built up to a need to get out there and live life to its extremes."

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People craving adrenaline are fueling a 'major increase' in demand for extreme sports after a year at home

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Adventure-sports company Extreme told Insider that demand has surged during the pandemic. Some companies credit the adrenaline craze to last year's prolonged indoor confinement. The industry has 490 million participants worldwide, bringing in over $200 billion per year.

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Swimming with Sharks

Now, this extreme sport may be more mainstream than others.

But unless you’ve swum with sharks in the waters off Palau, then this is an activity in a location you must experience.

Upon arriving at the remote archipelago in the Pacific, each guest has to sign a pledge to leave nothing but footprints. It’s a pledge that is ingrained in the local way of life.

Eighty percent of the water surrounding each majestic island is a protected marine sanctuary.

In fact, it’s recognized as one of the richest ecosystems on earth.

It helps to protect 700 types of coral and over 1,300 fish species. Several of which are sharks.

While there’s never a bad time to go diving in Palau, when it comes to sharks, travelers should arrive between November and April.

The best sites to see white and blacktip sharks along with grey reef sharks include Blue Corner, the German Channel, and the Deep South.

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Most Influential Extreme Sports Athletes

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Most Influential Extreme Sports Athletes

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1. Alana Blanchard: surfing

2. Ken Block: drifting

3. Xavier De Le Rue: snowboarding

4. Ryan Doyle: free running(parkour)

5. Bethany Hamilton: surfing

6. Henrik Harlaut: freestyle skiing

7. Horacio Llorens: paragliding

8. Chris McDougall: wingsuit jumping

9. Travis Pastrana: rallycross, motocross performed in  NASCAR Cup(The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)

10. Kelly Sildaru: freestyle skiier(from Estonia, only 18y.o)

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Thanks to competitions like the X Games and media platforms such as YouTube, extreme sports are as popular as ever. As sports like snowboarding, parkour, surfing, and paragliding gain more and more fans and influence, so too do their athletes. Indeed, in recent years, names like Bethany Hamilton and Shaun White have solidified themselves as household names. But they aren't the only ones! Below are the 15 most influential athletes in extreme sports.

Alana Blanchard

Is there anything Alana Blanchard can't do? Originally from the island of Kauai in Hawaii, Blanchard first hopped on a surfboard at age four. Soon, she was ripping tides alongside her best friend, fellow surfer Bethany Hamilton. In addition to her role as a top-ranked champion surfer, Blanchard has traveled the world as a fashion model, and even designs swimwear for brands like Rip Curl. Here are some highlights of Alana Blanchard surfing in Bali.
Alana Blanchard Facebook Alana Blanchard Instagram Alana Blanchard Twitter Ken Block
Ken Block drifting in an industrial park.
Ken Block Facebook Ken Block Instagram Ken Block Twitter Xavier De Le Rue
Xavier De Le Rue conquering a mountain.
Xavier De Le Rue Facebook Xavier De Le Rue Instagram Xavier De Le Rue Twitter Ryan Doyle
Ryan Doyle free running Astana.
Ryan Doyle Facebook Ryan Doyle Instagram Ryan Doyle Twitter Bethany Hamilton
Bethany Hamilton explains how she relearned the aspects of surfing.
Bethany Hamilton Facebook Bethany Hamilton Instagram Bethany Hamilton Twitter Henrik Harlaut
Henrik Harlaut nailing his signature trick.
Henrick Harlaut Facebook Henrik Harlaut Instagram Henrik Harlaut Twitter
Horacio Llorens
Horacio Llorens can credit his early start in paragliding to his uncle, who owns a paragliding school in Llorens's native Spain. Since beginning his professional career in 2000, Llorens has proven that he is always up for a challenge. In 2012, he jumped from a helicopter at 19,700 feet above Guatemala, and broke a world record with 568 consecutive loops. A few years later, he jumped from a plane in Tromso, Norway to experience night flying amongst the Aurora Borealis. He has won just about every major competition for both sincro and solo gliding. Indeed, Llorens has taken home gold at the World Air Games, and has won the world championships a whopping five times.

Horacio Llorens flying through the Aurora Borealis.
Horacio Llorens Facebook Horacio Lllorens Instagram Horacio Llorens Twitter Chris McDougall
Chris McDougall flying through the mountains.
Chris McDougall Facebook Chris McDougall Instagram Chris McDougall Twitter Travis Pastrana
Travis Pastrana top 10 amazing stunts.
Travis Pastrana Facebook Travis Pastrana Instagram Travis Pastrana Twitterr Marie-France Roy
Marie-France Roy showing her incredible skills.
Marie-France Roy Facebook Marie-France Roy Instagram Marie-France Roy Twitter Ryan Sheckler
Ryan Scheckler showing off some of his impressive skills.'
Ryan Scheckler Facebook Ryan Scheckler Instagram Ryan Scheckler Twitter Kelly Sildaru
Kelly Sildaru impressive even at such a young age.
Kelly Sildaru Facebook Kelly Sildaru Instagram Kelly Slater
Kelly Slater shows what it takes to be a world champion so many times.
Kelly Slater Facebook Kelly Slater Instagram Kelly Slater Twitter Shaun White
Shaun White dominating the X Games.
Shaun White Facebook Shaun White Instagram Shaun White Twitter Fabio Wibmer
Fabio Wibmer playfully evading the police on the ski slopes.
Fabio Wibmer Facebook Fabio Wibmer Instagram Fabio Wibmer Twitter
Other Articles of Interest:

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15 Most Influential Extreme Sports Athletes - Sports Management Degree Guide

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Thanks to competitions like the X Games and media platforms such as YouTube, extreme sports are as popular as ever. As sports like snowboarding, parkour, surfing, and paragliding gain more and more fans and influence, so too do their athletes. Indeed, in recent years, names like Bethany Hamilton and Shaun White have solidified themselves as household names.