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Extreme Sports Facts & Worksheets

Extreme sports, also known as adventure, action or alternative sports, are activities characterized by high speeds and high risks.

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Extreme sports, also known as adventure, action or alternative sports, are activities characterized by high speeds and high risks that usually require highly specialized gear.

See the fact file below for more information on the extreme sports or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Extreme Sports worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORY AND CULTURE

  • The term extreme sport is generally attributed to the X Games – when the Extreme Sports Channel and the Extreme Sports Company launched in partnership with the cable network ESPN in 1995.
  • Although loosely based on earlier pioneers of more modern adrenaline-rush activities introduced by the Dangerous Sports Club of Oxford University in England and earlier television series “That’s Incredible”, these activities were not officially categorized into one.
  • In the earlier periods, only men have dominated the extreme sports, which promote traditional masculinity. However, in the new century, women’s participation was increasing.
  • The common trait to all of these sports is risk-taking, pushing physical and mental limits and having fun at the same time. Meeting personal challenges with the natural environment promotes strong core values to whoever overcomes the extreme challenges.
  • Most extreme sports are individual. Team activities usually happen in collaboration rather than united success.
  • Competing athletes earn the respect that comes with being able to overcome the hurdles of each event of their choosing.
  • According to Sport England, 2015, thrill seeker sports participants are typically 24–34 year old males, single and 80% are without children.
  • Outdoor Participation Report, 2013 also stated that: Most extreme sport participants are on average aged around 30–31 years: e.g., in Triathlon (off road) the average age is 31 years, Windsurfing 30 years and Sport Climbing 30 years.

OLDEST EXTREME SPORTS

  • Although not categorized as extreme sport, there are ancient sports considered to be extreme even to normal athletes:
    • Bull Leaping – Known to be of Minoan origins, it was believed to be an ancient ritual involving an acrobat leaping over the back of a charging bull.
    • Mob Football – In 14th Century England, football was played by village. An inflated pig bladder was used as the ball with the aim of returning it to one’s team’s village.
    • Pankration – In ancient Greece, two men face each other to have the opponent surrender in any way possible but not including bite, gouge, or attack each other’s genitals.
    • Water Jousting – Originating from 17th Century Southern France, two boats row at each other, propelled by ten oarsmen, while the champions, with a shield and armor, stood on boards attempting to knock each other opponents off.
    • Chariot racing – Popularized by the Romans, the race involved chariots being pulled by two or four horses to race seven laps of the circus.
    • Calcio Fiorentino – Also of Roman origins but popularized in Florence in 6th Century, it is the raw version of rugby where teams of 27 compete by any means possible, to get their ball over a fence at either end of the pitch.
    • Land Diving – In one of the islands of Vanuatu, men perform a ritual by climbing a 75-foot (25 meters) tall platform made from roughly hewn logs. At the top the vines are lashed tightly around their ankles then leap off the tower.
    • Ancient Polo – Developed in the ancient Persian Empire, it is one of the world’s oldest team sports. Although reminiscent of the modern Polo, there were no safety equipment used on the past.

MODERN EXTREME SPORTS

  • There are more than 100 considered extreme sports today. They have no concrete categories but each event may be best identified by natural platforms.
  • Watersports – Some extreme sports involving water include: Scuba Diving, wakeboarding, kitesurfing, parasailing, Barefoot Skiing, kayaking, Windsurfing, Freediving, surfing, White Water Rafting, Waterfall Kayaking, Shark Cage Diving, Flowriding, Skimboarding, Blobbing.
  • Land and climbing Sports – XPOGO, Skateboarding, Sandboarding, Volcano Boarding, Zorbing, Street Luge, Caving, Parkour, Running of the Bulls, Abseiling, Ice Climbing, Rock Climbing, Downhill Mountain Biking, BMX racing, Hardcourt Bike Polo.
  • Air sports – Hang Gliding, Paragliding, Skydiving, Canyon Swinging, Bungee Jumping, Base Jumping, Wingsuit flying, Zip-lining, Freeflying.
  • Motor Sports – Motocross, Motorcycle Racing, Auto Racing, Truck Racing.
  • Winter Sports – Bobsledding, Skeleton, Freestyle Skiing, Snowkiting, Ski Jumping, Ice Cross Downhill, Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding.

RISKS AND REWARDS

  • Any sport poses different kinds of risks. But with extreme sports, rates of injury are higher because of their dangerous nature, the environmental element, and the lack of access to immediate medical care.
  • Common injuries experienced by extreme sport athletes include: concussions, abrasions and lacerations, sprains and strains, fractures or broken bones. The greatest risk is loss of limb or life.
  • But for these athletes, the risks can be minimized by proper equipment, lots of practice, maintaining a healthy body and understanding the nature of the sport. In the end, the most rewarding experience is achieving the goal in each extreme sport.

Extreme Sports Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the extreme sports across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Extreme Sports worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the extreme sports, also known as adventure, action or alternative sports, which are activities characterized by high speeds and high risks that usually require highly specialized gear.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Extreme Sports Facts
  • One-Level Up!
  • Key Equipment
  • Extreme Nature
  • Extreme Water Sports
  • Extreme Land Sports
  • The Sky’s the Limit
  • Moto-sport Acrostics
  • The Perfect Shots
  • Physical Traits
  • Portrait of an Athlete

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Link will appear as Extreme Sports Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 6, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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