Motocross (Moto-X) is probably the most extreme of the off-road biking sports. For the committed and brave, motocross offers a unique combination of skill and strength. Motocross is run on a track that can range from a taped off field to a custom built super-cross track. Freestyle Motocross (also known as FMX) is a recent variation on the sport of motocross. It concentrates not on speed or racing, but on the acrobatic ability of the rider in the air. Riders compete in a series of two routines of 90 seconds to fourteen minutes in length on a freestyle course. The course consists of multiple jumps of varying lengths and angles. In order to please the judges, riders must have the ability to execute difficult tricks and employ a number of variations over different jumps.
Another interest of my son and many of his friends is skateboarding. Although this has been around for some time, skateboarding nowadays has a whole different meaning. The sport went from being performed only on the street to terrain like huge stairs and handrails. These days it’s frequently referred to as ‘trick skateboarding’ with popular stunts that include the ollie kickflip, where the skateboard twists and flips in the air prior to landing. The act of ‘ollieing’ onto a rail or pole and sliding along it on the trucks of the board is known as grinding. There are various types of grinds that involve touching both the trucks and the deck to the rail, ledge, or lip. The feeble grind is commonly performed by many kids for fun by popping and landing on the back truck and touching the inner edge of the board.
Snowboarding is another board sport that involves descending a snow-covered slope while attached to a board. It is similar to skiing, but inspired by surfing and skateboarding. Wakeboarding is similar but done on water instead. In order for the participants to express themselves, they often come up with their own styles. This form of wakeboarding is referred to as Kitesurfing. The sport uses waterproof inflatable kites that you pump up. Kite surfers are strapped in a harness and use a special board with footstraps, which is designed to help produce stability at speed and keep the edge of the board in the water.
People have been rock climbing for years; however, free climbing has become a popular extreme sport. This type of climbing requires the climber to use only natural features of the rock as hand and footholds. One false move and it’s bye-bye. In order to avoid falling, climbers need skill, technique, strength, and determination. However, even skilled and experienced climbers who climb with a healthy degree of caution are susceptible to accidents. Another extreme sport pushing the envelope of human abilities is called freediving. This sport requires both mental and physical discipline and fitness and should never be attempted. Divers frequently hit 152 meters on a single breath. In my opinion, this is insane!
The latest innovation in roller skating is inline skating. Inline skate is the correct term for any skate where the wheels are arranged in a straight line. Most people see this as a way to keep fit rather than as an actual sport. However, Aggressive Inline Skating is considered an extreme sport for the risks that its athletes take. The person who is skating is usually timed and may perform whatever trick they want with many of these extremely difficult. Outside of the course, you’ll find these daredevils practicing their moves on railings, high jumps, and staircases.
While these extreme sports are only a small portion of the ones being performed, they are all dangerous. It is important that children and young adults be aware of these dangers and never try to perform any stunt without suitable supervision and proper training.