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AggieDave

What is an "Extreme" sport?

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What do you consider to be an extreme sport? After seeing skateboarders, rollerbladers, BMXers, Moto-Xers and the such on TV being called "extreme" I have to wonder.

Out of that bunch, I'd have to agree with the Moto-X (motorcycle dirt bike jumping w/ tricks) being extreme, those guys are frigg'n nutz (think of them as the freeflying swoopers to the motorcycle world, sort of odd and kinda crazy...:P).

Beyond that...wow, you ride a little piece of wood with wheels around on a little ramp, woopty-doo, you might break a wrist, woopty-doo...I mean, really, how many sports is the word "femur" used as a verb?

"Next on the X-games, computer solitare..."
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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I've always wanted to learn to skateboard, but I'm too scared... figure that one out.

I have plenty of respect for skateboarders, street lugers, etc., but that's just me, I guess.

-Miranda
you shall above all things be glad and young / For if you're young,whatever life you wear
it will become you;and if you are glad / whatever's living will yourself become.

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I have often thought the same thing! I cannot understand why skateboarding would be called an extreme sport. Yes, I have seen some of the stunts that they do, but, extreme? I don't think so. I am not sure what sports (beside skydiving, base jumping) would be considered "extreme".

J


--------------------------------------
Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings.

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It's just a marketing term nowadays. Actually I'm not sure it ever was anything else. I don't really consider skydiving an 'extreme-sport'.

I think BASE is pretty extreme, as is freeclimbing. Maybe cave-diving. Mountaineering at Everest and Antarctica. Looking at my list, it looks like all those sports have one thing in common; one small mistake is likely to cost you your life.

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Freeclimbing - scary shit. The word quadruplegic or dead is used quite often. You have no canopy, no reseve and NO room for mistakes. It's lot of fun though.

Downhill Mountain biking - this one I have not done but collected a couple of victims once. Very nice open fracture of the shin. Great head wounds, despite the comical styrofoam hat they were wearing. Nasty lacerations.

Underwater spelunking - whoooow. I had a small panic attack in a cave once. VERY scary. I figure it was a pretty close call.

Canyoning can be pretty dangerous if you don't know what you are doing, but its fun

My personnal favourite - whitewater body rafting - no protective gear allowed. Did that with my brothers several times. Now this is scary shit!!! Dump yourself wearing only swimming trunks down the rapids, hope it wont brake your limbs or slit your skull open. Then bruised and battered try to escape from the park rangers - it's as legal as BASE jumping;) Every time I did it I looked like a car crash victim. Fun though - I never had time to notice the water was ice coldB|

jraf

Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui.
Muff #3275

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I never had time to notice the water was ice cold



Because you were pissing all over yourself in fear, right?:P

I used to pretty much be a hard core Mt. Biker and yeah, the downhill stuff is nutz, especially on the pro level. Have you ever seen Freeriding? Basically get a Mt. Bike with more travel then some off road motorcycles and ride over, off and down stuff that normally requires ropes and a harness. Freaky, freaky shit, really. Looks like a crazy rush, though.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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I used to skate, but I pretty much sucked. My roommate, however, was hardcore. We used to go out skating at night (we lived in downtown Los Angeles) and would run into professional skaters, sometimes with camera crews. While I was trying to olley down some steps, they would be doing some burly kickflips over huge gaps. We also used to ride down steep hills and pass cars.

I also ride sportbikes. Riding in the canyons is a huge rush, and supremely dangerous. My favorite road to ride, the Angeles Crest, has annual motorcycle fatalities equivalent to all the skydivign deaths in the US.

Still, I laugh at everything that is called "extreme." Our local Six Flags, has had its name changed from Magic Mountain to Extreme Park. That's pretty amusing to me. I don't think skydiving even qualifies as particularly extreme. BASE does, though...

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I don't think skydiving even qualifies as particularly extreme. BASE does, though...



I always think it's funny when I tell a whuffo that I want to get into BASE, and they don't see how it's any different from skydiving. I don't even bother trying to explain...:S

-Miranda
you shall above all things be glad and young / For if you're young,whatever life you wear
it will become you;and if you are glad / whatever's living will yourself become.

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I always think it's funny when I tell a whuffo that I want to get into BASE, and they don't see how it's any different from skydiving. I don't even bother trying to explain...:S



Whenever I talk to BASE jumpers about their sport, I realize just how pedestrian we really are. We have two chutes, and tons of altitude to sort things out. They have one shot, and have to pack it right every time.

I salute you guys. I don't know how you manage to walk with such big balls...

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Can't find who had it as their sig line (may have been Skymedic) but it was sommat like.....

"It's not a real sport unless you can die of massive internal trauma"

Can't think of anything more fitting for an extreme sport than that. B|


-- Hope you don't die. --

I'm fucking winning

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Not that I think of myself as 'extreme', but I do like to keep life excitingby doing stuff like skydiving, motorcycling, snowboarding, climbing and a few other things. Although they are all pretty cool things, I don't 'show off' with it by wearing obvious T-Shirts/clothing with skydiving stuff on it (although keeping my mouth shut about it is something else:)

But Shat always kinda makes me laugh is the typical couch-potato in the mall in his 'adventure' clothing, with a cool 'no fear' T-Shirt to top it off...while the most exciting thing he ever did probably was watching paint dry..

Dunno, just makes me laugh..

p.s.
yesterday I watched downhill speed skating on Eurosport (TV Channel)...damn those guys go hard!
JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

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Do you know about an activity that is more "extreme" than the one you are doing?
Do you consider those performers to be suicidal manics?

If your answer is YES/YES you are probably not.

If you are thinking about yourself as "extreme", you are probably not.
---
PCSS #10

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I always associate 'sport' with an activity that has an element of competition involved.
Therefore, I don't class base jumping as a sport, more of a pastime, along with non competitive climbing, skiing, and bungee jumping etc.....I was pleased to see the Olympic committee refuse to accept that bridge was a sport though.B|
As for extreme, anything that features on a mountain dew commercial qualifies..;)

As for classifying a sport as extreme by virtue of 'massive internal injuries', I can only speak from personal experience here. When I was laid up in hospital with a bust femur, approx 2/3 of the ward's occupants were in there due to soccer injuries, the remainder were motor vehicle accidents, and the odd statistical anomally suffering the effects of a low turn. :S

I've never heard of soccer being described as extreme, but the sport seems to take up a lot of ward space. :S

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

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>I always associate 'sport' with an activity that has
>an element of competition involved.

I have to disagree with this definition. I go jogging every now and then, I rollerblade in the summer, and I've even been to the gym a few times. I consider these all 'sports'. My definition requires only that the activity be physically challenging in ine way or another.

Does competing against oneself count?

>Therefore, I don't class base jumping as a sport, more of a pastime

BASE - The extreme pastime!:P

Quote


(from Cambridge International Dictionary of English)

sport (GAME)
noun
a game, competition or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job

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I've never heard of soccer being described as extreme, but the sport seems to take up a lot of ward space



Thats kinda funny. I would never think of soccer as very dangerous to play.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

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I don´t think im doing something extreme every time I skydive. My first jump shure feelt extreme though!

I don´t think we will ever find a common measure to whats extreme or not. Cause what is extreme to me is not neccesarily extreme to you... It comes down to your own abillities.

For me ordinary downhill skiing would be very extreme, I´m no good att skiing. For a person competing in downhill skiing it´s probably not...


My 2 cents...

Fly free

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Erno,
"My definition requires only that the activity be physically challenging in ine way or another"

Hiking, for example, or your rollerblade-ing, are both physically demanding, no doubt about it, but without an element of competition, they could be defined as merely an activity, or pastime. Jogging and and visits to the gymn, unless you are competing in a marathon, or doing powerlifting etc. are not, by my definition sports. THey do however contribute to your ability to skydive, so are support activities.
"Does competing against oneself count?" Always.

"BASE - The extreme pastime!"

Laughing so much my sides hurt, but it is why I singled this activity out.

"My definition requires only that the activity be physically challenging in one way or another."

I agree, but am trying to think of a recognised 'sport' that has minimal physical effort, whilst being competitive. Clay pigeon shooting for example.....?
--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

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