You’ve heard of extreme sports before, but these tend to cover the types of sports that are somewhat extreme on their own, like base jumping, skateboarding and bungee jumping. These particular extreme sports are different in that they feature every day activities in some sort of extreme setting that suddenly makes something very normal very dangerous.
1. Pogo Sticking
Remember when using a pogo stick just meant trying to stay on for as many jumps as you could and if you were really good, trying to use the stick to bounce from place to place? Well, extreme pogo sticking takes the basic bounce mechanism to an all new high - literally. In fact, the special sticks made for the sport can actually go ten feet up in the air. Of course, height isn’t the only thing extreme pogo stickers must master, they also perform crazy tricks, making the sport much more entertaining to watch. The sport is actually becoming pretty popular and now has its own world championship. It was also featured in a Nike commercial aired during the 2012 Olympics.
As someone who could never even stay on a regular pogo stick, this is one sport that I will respectfully watch from the sidelines and never consider trying myself.
2. Unicycling
Just as there are a variety of different disciplines involving extreme bicycling, extreme unicycling comes in a variety of forms. Street unicycling involves tricks like those skateboarders perform, incorporating ledges, handrails and stairs. Trial unicycling involves the unicycle’s unique ability to bounce on one wheel and requires the cyclist to jump over and onto obstacles and structures. Lastly, there is mountain unicycling, which is just like mountain biking, only on a unicycle. The Extreme Unicycling Championship provides these athletes with the opportunity to compete amongst their peers for the title of best extreme unicycler, which sounds like it would be pretty fun to watch. Heck, maybe this will be the next sport to be added to the X games.
3. Croqueting
Image: Jim Grupe/Wikimedia Commons
Do you find your backyard to be simply too stifling of a play arena for your typical croquet games? Then perhaps you should step up to the realm of extreme croquet. Unlike typical croquet games, this more extreme version has no out-of-bounds rules and it can be played just about anywhere - including forests, deserts and other areas filled with wilderness. Tree branches, streams, sand traps and other obstacles make the game farm more interesting than its more civilized counterpart. In fact, pets and small children are considered legal obstacles and if they move your ball, you are obligated to play it where it lands.
4. Ironing
Image: Theredrocket/Wikipedia
According to the Extreme Ironing Bureau, this activity is the "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt." Well now, that certainly sounds appealing to all those rock climbers and kayakers who just can’t stand wandering through the wilderness in wrinkled slacks.
Really all you need to do to succeed in the competitive world of extreme ironing is to find a dangerous location and then set up an ironing board and start pressing your clothing. Some of the most notable locations for extreme ironing occur on steep mountains, canoes, snowboards, water skis, moving cars, busy streets, under the surface of an ice-covered lake and in the middle of the sky during a parachute drop.
5. Celloing
Image: Jfdarmo/Wikimedia Commons
While many of these extreme activities are just as much a performance art as they are a sport, extreme celloing is pretty much just a performance art and its practice is largely limited to the cello trio who call themselves Extreme Cellists. These gentlemen were inspired by extreme ironers and decided to start performing in a variety of extreme settings including rooftops, mountain tops and more.
Of course, even if you think the idea is idiotic, you can still respect the Extreme Cellists because the proceeds from their performances are donated to charity.
6. Jacuzzing
Image: jaccuzzi.ch
The fact that anyone would climb 130 feet down into a Jacuzzi above the bottom of a massive gorge certainly means those 25 brave men and women deserve a spot on this list. While their descent into a cable-suspended Jacuzzi hanging from a Swiss bridge over 500 feet in the air is their best documented escapade, a small group of extreme Jacuzzi fanatics have tried other extreme hot tub experiences, including hot tubs set up in the Andes and the world’s highest Jacuzzi, which is located at the summit of Europe’s tallest mountain, Mount Blanc.
Provided you don’t have the most remote fear of heights, the experience might actually be relaxing, as you sit in the tub, sipping champagne and enjoying the unrivalled views of Switzerland’s natural scenery.
7. Dining
As long as you’re living the high life in the sky, you might as well visit dininginthesky.com and schedule your extreme dining experience, which will allow you the chance to enjoy a delicious, gourmet dining experience at a table suspended 180 feet off the ground with the help of a crane. For US$290, your dinner will include your choice of filet mignon medallions with Bordelaise sauce sautéed in mushrooms, a baked chicken breast stuffed with Prosciutto, or a vegetarian option. You can also enjoy a VIP cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres and champagne, but that takes place before you are lifted into the air for dinner.
If you’ve ever wanted to enjoy a meal that you’ll never forget, this is probably your best option.
What do you guys think? Would you ever do any of these extreme activities, or would you rather keep your feet on the ground and enjoy your current unextreme lifestyle? Personally, I think I might try extreme croquet and that’s about it.
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