Extreme sports are activities perceived to involve a high degree of risk. These are sports that often involve heights, speed, and a lot of physical exertion.
You must also use specialized gear in most cases. Extreme sports gained popularity in the 90s when the term was picked up by marketing companies who were promoting the X Games on the Extreme Sports Channel.
Most people use this term freely, trying to describe a multitude of different sports they deem extreme. However, they do not really understand the real meaning behind this name. In this review, we will give you a list of the five most extreme sports you have probably never heard of.
Skysurfing
You have heard of surfing, but you probably don’t know much about skysurfing. Skysurfing is a sort of skydiving extreme sport, where the diver wears a custom skysurf board that is attached to their feet, and then they perform surfing like aerobics while freefalling. Yes, that sounds scary enough; that is why we included this sport on our extreme sports list.
The boards used in this game are generally smaller than the normal surfboards, and they look similar to snowboards or very large skateboards. They also have custom bindings that are attached to the board and on your feet. This is a truly extreme sport, for daredevils and adventurous people.
Cyclocross
This is a form of bike riding, where people race around short circuits filled with sand, pavement, barriers, mud and many other obstacles. You must have excellent bike handling skills, running skills, as well as dismounting skills. These will help keep you in the race and the game.
This sport is parallel to cross-country cycling, criterium and mountain bike racing. Most of the riders usually cross-train with other cycling sports, in order to gain the right amount of experience. Cyclocross, however, has become so popular that there are some racers who are specialists in this area.
In order to differentiate cyclocross and other bike sports, you need to look at the lower gear of their bikes, the narrow tires, and their drip handlebars that are totally different. Their riders also have a more upright riding position.
Street Luge
This is a gravity-powered sport that involves people riding on the streets using luge boards, which are sometimes referred to as sleds. The players ride the boards down a paved road or on a course called a street lunge. It is similar to skateboarding, but people lie on the boards in this case.
They can go at very high speeds of almost 102mph, which is extremely dangerous. For this reason, the game can be classified as an extreme sport.
Murderball
Now, if you are thinking of the movie, you are not too far off. Just like the theme of the movie under the same name, this game is a sport for athletes with disabilities. It is practiced in many countries around the world and is included in the Paralympic sports. The game is played on wheelchairs, where the rugby players need to have some sort of loss, such as non-functioning limbs.
Players usually are assigned a functional level in the form of points and each team is limited to a field. The game is played indoors on a hardwood court and the contact between the wheelchairs is usually an important part of the game. If you have ever watched it, it does seem a little intense and dangerous. Sometimes the players even jump on top of each other on wheelchairs, and that is why we think it is an extreme sport.
Jai Alai
This is also known as the “fastest game in the world.” It is played in Spain and the players use a cradle that flings a ball very fast all-round the court, as it bounces off the walls. It can go as fast as 188 mph.
It is really dangerous if you get hit by the ball, and this is definitely a game that deserves a spot on the list of the five extreme sports.
Also Read: Historic Strange Sports Moments: The Most Unbelievable Events
Conclusion
Adventurous people are probably the only ones who can enjoy extreme sports because the rest of us almost have a heart attack just watching the players play. The thing about extreme sports is that they are extremely dangerous, and in most cases, the players must ensure they follow the rules so they do not get hurt.
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