What are the determining factors in naming a sport extreme? There are many sports considered to be extreme sports today but how did they become to be known as such? Some came from seemingly benign beginnings and have evolved to more dangerous sports. The addiction to these sports it seems comes from the associated adrenaline rush that comes from the participation in them. Let's look at some examples of extreme sports.



Skateboarding is considered the best known of extreme sports and was actually started in the sixties by bored surfers looking for a way to get exercise and cross train when the surf wasn't up. The sport took on a life of its own and soon national competitions were being held bringing the cult sport into mainstream America. From its humble beginnings the sport has now garnered worldwide attention.

The cold weather sister to skateboarding is snow boarding which takes the same movements and more onto the snow. This extreme sport has really caught fire today and in the last winter Olympics the snowboarding events were among the most popular. As its popularity has grown many resorts have added specialized snowboard trails and trick spots.

The sport that takes biking to the extreme is BMX biking. There are a couple of different versions of this sport with one being like traditional racing with dirt jumps and obstacles. Freestyle BMX is more closely related to skateboarding as they use the same courses as the skateboarders use and perform tricks on their bikes.

Have you seen the skiers that do all the crazy tricks and flips coming off of ramps on the slopes? This is freestyle skiing and is one of the most popular of the winter extreme sports. Like snowboarding, this sport has its own tricks and its own language.

An extreme sport mainly for the more mature of participants has recently evolved to be called sport climbing. With sport climbing there are preset handgrips and a designated course to climb with the goal to prove one's strength and athletic ability.

Ever felt the urge to jump out of an airplane? Most people don't, but still this has become a very popular sport that gives an enormous adrenaline rush from the initial jump. Parachuting teams work together to form shapes and perform choreographed aerial maneuvers while freefalling.

There is no doubt that as our culture seeks new ways to create excitement there will be new extreme sports introduced that may prove to be just as popular as the ones we see now.