Extreme Sports

Extreme sports are characterized by high speed or high risk and are more dangerous and thrilling than regular sports.http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561535913/extreme_sport.htmlhttp://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/extreme+sports Skydiving, hang gliding, base jumping, street luge, snowboarding and bungee jumping are all classified as extreme sports.http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/extreme+sportshttp://www.outdoor-sport-leisure.net/extreme-sports.htm Those such as snowboarding, skateboarding and freestyle biking (involving tricks like backflips on a bicycle) require ramps and inclines that allow the athletes to "get air" (be airborne).http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/extreme+sports Many extreme sports are new, modified versions of older sports. BMX racing and mountain biking are both based on cycling, in-line skating is a form of rollerskating and barefoot water skiing comes from traditional water skiing.http://www.hickoksports.com/history/extremesports.shtml

The "extreme sports" phrase was coined by cable television network ESPN when it was planning the first summer Extreme Games (now the X Games) in 1995.http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/extreme+sportshttp://www.hickoksports.com/history/extremesports.shtml The X Games and the Winter Olympics gave these sports exposure, resulting in their heightened popularity.http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/extreme+sports The Winter Olympic Games features one extreme sport - snowboarding. In 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 extreme snowboarding events were held in a halfpipe, in which athletes perform jumps, rotations and mid-air maneuvers.http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/extreme+sports Extreme sports are also occasionally called "alternative sports", due to the lifestyle many practicing athletes adopt and because the sports themselves are seen as alternatives to older, more established sports.http://www.hickoksports.com/history/extremesports.shtml Some extreme sports, such as street luge, are considered so dangerous they are also known as "outlaw sports" because they have been banned in certain places.http://www.hickoksports.com/history/extremesports.shtml

Extreme sports have grown rapidly in the past 10 years, but snowboarding remains the only extreme sport to be an Olympic event.http://www.extremesportscompanies.com/growth-extreme-sports That happened after it was taken under the umbrella of the skiing international governing body.http://www.hickoksports.com/history/extremesports.shtml The international and national roller skating governing bodies are responsible for in-line skating, while BMX racing and mountain biking have been adopted as cycling disciplines.http://www.hickoksports.com/history/extremesports.shtml

In August 2009 Singapore celebrated the opening of a new extreme sports facility - to allow athletes to "showcase and sharpen their skills" for international competitions.http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/PressRoom/Extremesportsgetsshotinthearm.aspx East Coast Park’s Xtreme Skate Park is one example of the growing attention extreme sports attracts.http://www.extremesportscompanies.com/growth-extreme-sports