Pop Culture Explained: What are 'Extreme Sports' and the X-Games?

For some people, regular sports like skiing, running, and soccer are not exciting enough. These people need adventure. They need more excitement. They need a bigger thrill. They need extreme sports.

What are extreme sports?

Kite-surfing

(Photo by MrClean1982)

Extreme sports are sports that are exciting, different, and a little dangerous! They are sports where people push themselves to go higher, faster, and to do things that other people can't do. They are mostly individual sports and people who enjoy doing these sports tend to be young and fearless! These sports often involve overpowering the environment, (like ice-climbing, sky diving, or kite-surfing).

Freestyle Skiing

(Photo by Cedric)

Sports classified as extreme are always changing. People who enjoy these sports consider themselves part of a subculture: they are not part of the main culture or society. Once a sport becomes part of the main culture, like when it is recognized as an Olympic sport, it's not as extreme anymore.

People who enjoy these sports call them simply action sports.

Urban Snowboarding

(Photo by Jordan Whyte)

These are sports that are dangerous. Athletes can seriously injure themselves if they're not careful. In fact, just a few days ago freestyle skier Sarah Burke died after she fell trying a trick on the superpipe.

A halfpipe

*A superpipe has higher vertical walls.

(Photo by Lee LeFever)

What are the X-Games?

The X-Games are the Olympics of extreme sports! They are held twice a year in the summer and winter, and are put on by the American sports channel ESPN. This year's Winter X-Games take place in Aspen, Colorado. Over 4 days, there are different events in three sports: skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling.

The best athletes from around the world are invited to compete. They try to outdo each other with the biggest, highest, fastest, most difficult tricks. A trick is a stunt, an action like a jump, a flip, or a spin. Competitors are give a score for their tricks by a panel of judges. They compete to win medals (gold, silver, and bronze), AND a lot of money! They also try to impress the fans with never-before-seen tricks.

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Have you tried any extreme sports? Tell me about your experience in the comments below!