Extreme sports have become quite popular within the youth these days. Any sport that has some higher level of danger linked to it usually is put in the extreme sports segment. These sports mostly involve an incredible amount of speed, dramatic stunts, specialized gear as well as a considerable degree of physical exercise. Though these activities are not limited to the youth, it is often noted that the people engaged in these activities do belong to the younger demographics. ESPN also provides all of the news and happenings around these events through their programs.
Almost all of the variables in extreme sports action are beyond control. This could be a good reason why the majority of the extreme sports athletes begin training without a coach or considerable guidance and are also mostly solitary in nature. Challenges not only extend between competitors but also to nature and environmental variables such as wind, snow, terrains and water. A few of the uncontrollable phenomenas attached with extreme sports can be seen during events including surfing, rock and ice climbing and snowboarding. The quality of ice and rocks, the heights on the waves during snowboarding or the snow conditions during snowboarding events are beyond physical control.
One of the largest extreme sports sporting events is called the X Games. This commercial sporting event is organized and aired live by ESPN.. There are two such sports activities organized during the year, one during winter and the other in summer. The Winter X Games are held in the month of January and February and the Summer X Games take place mostly in the month of August. Both these events are conducted in the United States.
The participants compete for the gold, silver and bronze medals in the games along with the cash prize that is associated with it. However, judging an extreme sport event is rather different from the traditional games. While distance, score and time form an important portion of the judging considerations for traditional sports, extreme sports participants are judged mostly on the aesthetics that they can bring making judgment a lot more subjective. Due to this each sport employs its respective dynamic ideals that evolve assessment with new techniques and trends set by the participants.
There’s been some debate surrounding the tag of extreme sports. As a number of people contend that extreme sports is not more than a marketing strategy giving viewers the perception of the higher level of danger associated with it. These folks say that a game like rugby or Demolition derby is not considered an extreme sport even though there is a higher level of danger and adrenalin rush that is related to it. It is viewed more like the youth looking to reject authority and order and establishing a place of their very own making the participating demographics of a much younger age bracket. Although at first adult sports like sky diving, bungee jumping, mountaineering scuba diving etc were associated with extreme sports, now this term is more relevant to youth driven sports including skateboarding, aggressive skating, BMX etc.