What is Extreme? a guy on another topic asked for people to stop using the word extreme, i agree, i think the people that call extreme sports extreme are the ones who don't do them, aparently windsurfing, and kitesurfing are extreme sports, i don't get it, what is so extreme about the average sailboarder? or kitesurfer?

We all don't hit the water when it's 45 knots, out on the water having a laugh when the big gusts hit or head for the surf when it's mast high and trying to get closer to the lip on every top turn with a big smile on our faces, if we are doing this we worked our way up to this level, we are cumfy in these conditions, like the freestyle MXers or BMXers ect.

I'm a bit over saying "i'm into extreme sports because i do (insert sport here)"

What are you opinions on the extreme sports tag we are given?

"extreme" sports are a great marketing tool to get some tool to buy some toys. Real extreme activities ie high altitude mountaineering, cave diving are done by people who don't fit the "extreme" bill.

There was an interesting article in a scientific journal (can't remember which one) which stated that "extreme" sport participants engage in the sport to boost there chances of spreading their genes ie "I've got a big plumage, nest with me look at me i'm bold!"

As for me I don't do them cause I scare easily..

Extreme is a very relative term..

Ask one of the full time professional MX guys on the international circuit if a back flip is extreme - not any more.. even a back flip heel clicker is old news now. I even saw a superman backflip in the last RedBull MX champs.

Ask a 'normal' person if they want to go windsurfing when it's blowing 25, overcast, and the surf is roaring. There's a fair chance that they'll say something like "Nah - that's a bit extreme for me."

For me though, 25 knots and overcast with grunty surf is a recipe for fun. Does that make me extreme? I really don't care! Call me whatever you like, I'm going sailing!

red said...

"extreme" sports are a great marketing tool to get some tool to buy some toys. Real extreme activities ie high altitude mountaineering, cave diving are done by people who don't fit the "extreme" bill.

I would have thought extreme sports was a term thought up by an advertising guru trying to land the big fizzy sugar water account.

Extreme X sports champs drink Coke or Pepsi or whatever it is. So all the chumps will start drinking it too, especially if it comes out of a funny can smaller than the regular one.

An extremist is not a normal person, though everyone can be extreme in pretty tame activities thereby creating jokes like extreme ironing which is now pretty big and very extreme!

Being married is an Extreme sport..........you can get yourself into alot of danger without knowing it.

Extreme? Weren't they a really gay band in the early 90's?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_sport

ooops....had someone better notify the kiteforum that they are not mentioned?

It doesnt matter if u cant do them monster, ur already extreme being one.. although how hard it is to do tricks is maybe what makes it extreme!?

Apparently "extreme" in this sort of context came from the French Extreme Skiing guys. I think most of them were killed, 'cause as one early US Extreme Skier said "extreme means, if you make a mistake you die" (or something very much like that). I'm no expert on this, it's just stuff from the net and vids so I could be very wrong (yet again).

Windsurfing isn't extreme in the same way. Very few people die.

Compare windsurfing to yacht racing. We've lost up to 24 people in a single year in Australia and NZ, yet no one calls ocean racing "extreme". Windsurfing, even wavesailing, is safe by comparison so surely isn't "extreme".

peto said...

A bit slow in the shop today PC, bit bored ay?

yer we cant all be cruzin around in our patrol cars checkin out the chicks at bar Peto..