What benefits do extreme sports provide?

Meaning of Extreme Sports

Extreme sports are highly challenging and visually appealing sports that have evolved from various established sports, games, and actions in daily life and work. They primarily attract young people and encompass a range of high-difficulty and highly challenging combination sports. Extreme sports are a form of recreational sports that allow individuals to push their physical and mental limits to the maximum by integrating modern high-tech means into the process of merging with nature. They carry an adventurous and thrilling nature, emphasizing not only the pursuit of athletic achievement to surpass one's physical limits but also the spirit of participation, entertainment, and courage, seeking the pleasure and sense of accomplishment derived from overcoming psychological barriers.

Due to the relatively short time since the emergence of extreme sports in China, it has not been widely accepted by the general public. However, as time goes on, the number of extreme sports enthusiasts in China has been increasing. Many people are trying bungee jumping to experience the excitement and novelty brought by extreme sports. Due to the unique characteristics of extreme sports, they need to be implemented by professional institutions or organizations as fitness activities. This ensures that participants receive professional guidance, guarantees the safety of the sports, and facilitates communication and interaction among enthusiasts of the same sport, enabling a true release of the mind.

II. Common Forms of Extreme Sports

Currently, mainstream extreme sports include longboarding, yachting, wingsuit flying, skydiving, scuba diving, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, parkour, rock climbing, ice climbing, karting, skateboarding, skiing, paragliding, mountaineering, sailing, surfing, bungee jumping, and more. Here is a brief introduction to several common forms of extreme sports both domestically and internationally.

Longboarding

Longboarding originated from combining surfing boards and roller skates, similar to a wheeled surfboard/snowboard. Compared to regular skateboarding, longboards have longer and wider decks, larger and softer wheels, better endurance, improved adaptability to road surfaces, quicker learning curves, and enhanced maneuverability. Longboarding originated from surfing, but due to the influence of weather conditions on surfing, someone combined surfing boards and skateboards. The length of a longboard usually ranges from 33 to 59 inches (84 to 150 centimeters), with a width of 9.0 to 10.0 inches (22.8 to 25.4 centimeters). The main materials used include maple wood, bamboo, fiberglass, carbon fiber, metal, and hybrid materials. Protective gear for longboarding includes helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, shin guards, and leather jackets.

The fun of longboarding lies in downhill riding, sliding/drifting, dancing (performing various skillful movements on the board resembling dancing), freestyle (stylish moves), slalom (overcoming obstacles), and more. As an extreme sport, it comes with inherent dangers, and it is recommended to wear protective gear, especially a helmet, when participating.

Skydiving

Skydivers jump from aircraft, hot air balloons, or other devices and perform maneuvers in the air before deploying a parachute to safely land in a designated area. Skydiving from altitudes of 500 meters or higher is considered high-altitude skydiving, which is relatively less risky compared to low-altitude skydiving from buildings, bridges, cliffs, and similar locations. Nowadays, many middle-aged and elderly people also enjoy this sport, usually jumping with the guidance of an instructor. However, there is still an element of risk involved.

Scuba Diving

Originally, scuba diving referred to activities carried out underwater for purposes such as underwater surveys, salvage, repairs, and underwater engineering, either with or without specialized tools. Later, scuba diving gradually evolved into a recreational sport primarily focused on underwater activities for physical exercise and leisure purposes, gaining popularity among the general public.

Currently, scuba diving enthusiasts mainly engage in two forms: snorkeling and scuba diving. Snorkeling is relatively simple, involving floating on the water's surface using a mask, snorkel, and fins to observe underwater scenery. In China and abroad, snorkeling activities can be enjoyed with minimal training or certification. Scuba diving, on the other hand, involves wearing a compressed air cylinder and using an underwater breathing apparatus to breathe while submerged. It is a true form of diving into the depths. The desired experience in leisure diving is to enter a completely different space similar to weightlessness, allowing for complete relaxation of the body and mind, feeling at ease, and silently enjoying the colorful coral reefs and fish. Communication with companions is achieved through gestures and eye contact. Such sensations cannot be obtained on land and can only be experienced by those who have truly dived into the depths of the sea.

Rafting

Rafting involves using a non-motorized small boat, controlling its direction with paddles, and floating downstream in varying water currents, ranging from rapid to calm. It is a courageous sport that showcases thrilling moments in the struggle with nature. Rafting initially originated from the skin boats of the Inuit people and bamboo rafts in China, but back then, it was primarily for meeting the needs of people's lives and survival. As a genuine outdoor activity, rafting gained popularity after World War II when some outdoor enthusiasts started using decommissioned inflatable rubber boats as drifting tools, gradually evolving into the water-based rafting sport seen today.

Paragliding

Paragliding is a flying sport invented by a group of flying enthusiasts who love skydiving and hang gliding. It is extremely popular in Europe, America, Japan, and has also sparked a frenzy in Taiwan, China. Unlike traditional parachutes, paragliding involves piloting an aircraft. Initially, beginners can fly with an instructor.

Parkour

Parkour is a globally popular and fashionable extreme sport that uses the urban environment as a playground. It relies on the individual's physical abilities to swiftly, effectively, and reliably navigate any known or unknown environment. Parkour has no established rules, and practitioners treat various urban facilities as obstacles or aids, using them to run, jump, and move. In 2006, parkour entered China and quickly developed, gaining popularity among freelancers, white-collar workers, and young students.

Bungee Jumping

Bungee jumping is a thrilling outdoor recreational activity that has gained popularity in recent years. Participants stand at heights of approximately 40 meters or more (equivalent to about 10 stories) on bridges, tower tops, tall buildings, cranes, or even hot air balloons. They are then tied to a long elastic cord fixed to the ankle joint, with arms outstretched and legs together, before jumping headfirst.

III. Considerations for Extreme Sports

Since the ultimate goal of extreme sports is to challenge the athlete's own limits, push oneself beyond those limits, and maximize their physical and mental potential in the process of merging with nature, extreme sports embody the spirit of athletic achievement that transcends one's physical limits of "higher, faster, stronger." At the same time, they reflect the human desire to return to simplicity and reconnect with nature. Therefore, extreme sports have been hailed as the "sports of the future" worldwide and will continue to attract more and more participants.