Extreme sports is the name given to certain activities perceived as having a high level of danger. These activities often involve speed, height or high level of physical exertion. Although many of these sports involve a high level of risk, they often require a very high level of training as well.
Parachuting
Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is where a person jumps from enough height so that he can deploy a fabric parachute and land safely.
The history of parachuting appears to start with Andre-Jacques Garnerin who made successful parachute jumps from a hot-air balloon in 1797. The military developed parachuting technology first as a way to save aircrews from emergencies aboard balloons and aircraft in flight, later as a way of delivering soldiers to the battlefield. Early competitions date back to the 1930s, and it became an international sport in 1951.
Parachuting has complex skills that can take thousands of jumps to master, but the basics are often fully understood and useful during the first few jumps. There are four basic areas of skill: basic safety, free fall maneuvers, parachute operation, and landing.
In freefall most skydivers start by learning to maintain a stable belly to earth “arch” position. In this position the average fall rate is around 190 km/h. Learning a stable arch position is a basic skill essential for a reliable parachute deployment. Next, jumpers learn to move or turn in any direction while remaining belly to earth.
Parachuting in poor weather, especially with thunderstorms, high winds, and dust devils can be a dangerous activity.
On the other hand, as it is referred to training, there are ways to practice different aspects of skydiving, without actually jumping. By this way, vertical wind tunnels can be used to practice skills for free fall, while virtual reality parachute simulators can be used to practice parachute control.
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport based on riding bicycles, often over rough terrain, riding specially equipped mountain bikes. Mountain biking is broken down into four categories: cross country, downhill, freeride
and street riding. Each has differing levels of safety-consciousness with different types of mountain bikes and riding gear.
This individual sport requires endurance, bike handling skills and self-reliance, and can be performed almost anywhere. Mountain bikers have faced land access issues from the beginnings of the sport. Areas where the first mountain bikers have ridden have faced serious restrictions or elimination of riding.
There are aspects of mountain biking that are more similar to trail running than regular bicycling. Because riders are often far from civilization, there is a strong ethic of self-reliance in the sport. Riders learn to repair their broken bikes to avoid being stranded miles from help. This reliance on survival skills accounts for the group dynamics of the sport. Club rides and other forms of group rides are common, especially on longer treks.
Opposition to the sport has led to the development of local, regional, and international mountain bike groups. The different groups that formed generally work to create new trails, maintain existing trails, and help existing trails that may have issues. Groups work with private and public entities from the individual landowner to city parks departments, and into the federal level. Different groups will work individually or together to achieve results.
The International Mountain Bicycling Association, or IMBA, is agroup whose mission is to create and preserve trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide. IMBA represents more than 700 affiliated mountain biking groups. In 1988, five California mountain bike clubs linked to form IMBA. The founding clubs were: Concerned Off Road Bicyclists Association, Bicycle Trails Council East Bay, Bicycle Trails Council Marin, Sacramento Rough Riders, and Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers.
IMBA developed “Rules of the Trail” to promote responsible and courteous conduct on shared-use trails:
1. Ride On Open Trails Only
2. Leave No Trace
3. Control Your Bicycle
4. Yield to Others
5. Never Scare Animals
6. Plan Ahead
Studies that find mountain biking has little environmental impact have been criticized as underestimating the real impact of mountain biking on the environment. The environmental impacts of mountain biking can be greatly reduced by not riding on muddy or sensitive trails, not skidding, and by staying on the trail.
