INTRODUCTION
WE LIKE TO test ourselves. Can I lift this rock? Can I jump over this stream? Can I balance on one foot on this ledge? How far, how fast, how long can I go? Can I push beyond what I think is possible? As long as humans have been on the planet, we've been testing limits and trying to do new things.
For thousands of years, people lived side by side with danger: wild animals, severe weather, difficult terrain, hostile neighbors. How individuals handled fear in the face of danger often determined whether they lived or died.
In the past few decades, however, we've seen a huge emphasis on safety. All kinds of traditional playground equipment such as monkey bars, teeter-totters, and merry-go-rounds have been removed for being too dangerous. Mats and pads have been installed to provide a soft surface for anybody falling. Popular games like king of the hill and dodgeball have been eliminated for being unsafe.
Teachers, principals, and parents have been trying to make things safer and safer. During the same period we've also seen a huge surge in participation in extreme sports, also known as action sports or adventure sports. And everybody knows that whatever they're called, these sports are dangerous.
Extreme sports are not a fixed group. They change every day because of the dedication, creativity, and originality of the people who participate in them. This book is an introduction to the wide world of extreme sports. It doesn't cover everything, but it provides a glimpse of what's available and what you might like to explore.
Who knows? Maybe like Alan "Ollie" Gelfand you'll invent a skateboard trick that becomes so important that millions of people will use your nickname as they copy what you created. Who knows? Maybe like David Belle and Sébastien Foucan you'll invent your own extreme sport like they did with parkour and free running. Who knows? Maybe like Shaun White you'll become a gold medal winner in the winter and summer X Games and at the Olympics. Who knows? Maybe you'll be happy hanging out with your friends and supporting one another as you perform tricks you've never done before.
Welcome to the exciting world of extreme sports. Dig in and discover what interests you. And always remember the two words of advice that athletes in these sports offer over and over: Have fun.
EXPLOSION
ARE YOU CRAZY about extreme sports? Are you eager to try new ways to go bigger, higher, faster? Are you willing to put in the work to master a new trick and go right on to the next one? Then this book is for you.
Extreme sports have exploded in popularity. Many of them developed as a reaction against traditional sports like baseball, football, basketball, and soccer. Those sports emphasize fitting in and being part of a team with a coach, assistant coaches, uniforms, and structured practices. Instead of following the rules like traditional sports, extreme sports focus on freedom, originality, and creating your own way of doing things.
Parents are much more heavily involved in traditional sports as coaches, spectators, and referees of young athletes. In extreme sports, athletes usually practice away from parents with their concerns and suggestions. Instead of coaches telling them what to do and how to do it, extreme-sport athletes figure out what they can do on their own or by talking to friends. Using trial and error and knowing that taking falls is part of the process, they define, refine, and push the limits of what they can do.
These sports are attractive to a much younger age group than traditional sports. The average age of people watching some baseball games is now over sixty. Many extreme-sport athletes are attracted to their sports because they want to be participants, not spectators. Rather than traditional sports that have been around for over 100 years, they want to participate in something new and exciting. They want to create new tricks to amaze themselves and change what everybody else thought was possible.
"I've always been a guy who wants to play sports, not watch them."
-Shaun White, snowboarder and skateboarder
"No violence, no competition, no groups, no chiefs."
-Sébastien Foucan, free runner
Text copyright © 2015 by John Coy
Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Headcase Design