Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Marli. Marli Wonders, “should we do extreme sports or are they to dangerous?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Marli!
Do you love to play sports? For many kids, there’s nothing quite like the exercise and fun that come from being part of a team. Maybe you play baseball, basketball, football, or soccer. Perhaps you prefer softball or volleyball. No matter what sports you enjoy, there is fun to be had on a field or a court near you.
Some athletes take things to the next level, though. Rather than playing traditional sports, they strike out on their own. No, we’re not talking about bowling or jogging. We’re talking about extreme sports!
What is an extreme sport? There’s no set definition. For the most part, though, extreme sports are athletic activities involving one person that are dangerous in some way. Most extreme sports give athletes a rush of adrenaline. This is what drives many of them to take part.
What types of activities do most people call extreme sports? It’s a long list! It includes skateboarding, surfing, bungee jumping, snowboarding, whitewater kayaking, mountain climbing, and ice climbing. Many would add BASE jumping, heli-skiing, BMX biking, bull riding, and cliff diving to the list. Even mountain biking, cave diving, ski jumping, speed skiing, and street luging are often called extreme sports.
Just thinking about many of those activities is enough to give most people goosebumps. That feeling of fear and danger is what drives many extreme sports athletes. They seek to test themselves in all sorts of death-defying ways. Many people also enjoy watching extreme sports. Their popularity has soared in recent years.
You may have seen extreme sports on TV or social media. Some of the athletes receive large sponsorships. Many companies want to link their brands with these thrill seekers. Some sponsorships allow extreme sports athletes to compete professionally.
The best extreme sports athletes can have long and profitable careers. But even the smallest mistakes in these sports can have major—even lethal—consequences. Between 2000 and 2011, over four million injuries were caused by extreme sports.
Many of these injuries can be prevented. Unfortunately, the young people who are most likely to engage in extreme sports sometimes lack good judgment. The lure of Internet fame leads many to attempt things they’re not ready for.
Extreme sports can be very dangerous. Never engage in an activity you haven’t prepared for. If you think you would like to try an extreme sport, get advice from friends and family members first. You should also learn from experts in the sport. If you proceed, start small. Your safety is always what’s most important.
Standards: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.SL.2, CCRA.W.2, CCRA.W.4, CCRA.W.9, CCRA.L.1, CCRA.L.2
Sports, in general, are dangerous because of their very nature. They require us to push the limits of our bodies and reach new heights of physical existence. But sometimes we can push too high and get burned. We took a look at some of the most dangerous sports in the world and came up with a list that factors in the rate of injury, the prolonged effects on the player, and how many people die each year. Here are the most dangerous sports in the world. You would expect this sport to be at the head of the pack. Surprisingly, street luging is pretty safe … relatively speaking. Only 25 deaths were recorded between 2008 and 2011, according to Answers.com. While the injuries can be pretty severe, they are rare because of serious efforts for safety precautions like full leather outfits and motorcycle helmets. NFL cheerleaders don’t always perform crazy aerobatics, but some of the athletes are getting tossed 30 feet in the air. If their teammates miss the catch on the way down, there’s nothing to protect their heads. It is also considered one of the most dangerous high school sports in America, as Huff Post reports. Cheerleading causes more head injuries than high school football.15. Street Luge
14. Cheerleading
13. Skiing
People can imagine many ways to die at a ski resort. You can encounter an avalanche, hit a tree, fall into a tree well, or just hit the ground wrong while heading down a ski hill. But the majority of deaths occur on groomed, easy-to-moderate runs, according to Unofficial Networks. A seemingly simple run can turn tragic in the blink of an eye — perhaps because the skier has let their guard down.
12. Scuba Diving
Aside from the obvious risk of drowning, scuba diving can kill you in many ways. You can surface way too quickly, there could be a bad mix of gas in your tank, you could bump your head on a rock, and let’s not forget about sharks! Well, let’s not. But know that sharks aren’t really all that dangerous if you leave them alone, according to the Smithsonian.
11. Bull Riding
Bull riding used to be way more dangerous. Now they wear bulletproof vests so they don’t get hurt. The helmet is still optional, so there’s that. We still don’t understand why someone would want to sit on top of a pissed-off bull.
10. Bullfighting
Bullfighting still occurs around the world. For some reason, people think it’s a great idea to stab a 2,000-pound creature with sharp horns. Every year, dozens of injuries occur in professional bullfighting, as the BBC reports. However, that number could be a lot higher because of the number of incidents that go unreported year-round. Add the element of a weapon and it becomes just slightly more dangerous than bull riding.
9. Polo
If you think about it, there’s a person precariously saddled atop a horse swinging a heavy mallet around their head, trying to hit a ball six feet below them. This sport does claim lives and causes injuries for both the rider and horse, according to The Telegraph. Some claim it’s more dangerous than boxing, but we disagree.
8. Rugby
Nothing like large, muscular men slamming into each other with no padding whatsoever. While we’re at it, let’s throw some spikes on the bottom of their feet. Does that sound safe? Rugby is one of the toughest sports known to man, and the danger level is great. Yet, every year, thousands of people play the sport around the world.
7. Jai Alai
If you do know what Jai Alai is, then you know how hard those rubber balls can be. Now imagine that hard rubber ball traveling upward of 200 miles per hour. It’s not uncommon for those balls to strike someone in the face and kill them instantly. With the sport being less popular now than it was just a few years ago, reports Brittanica, the number of people playing has gone down. That doesn’t change the dangers of the sport.
6. Hunting
It really changes the dynamic of a sport when your opponent is capable of killing you. The International Hunters Education Association reports less than 100 fatalities annually, according to data from 2002-07. In fact, there were less than 25 fatalities and 300 total incidents. The number of animal attacks is high but could be higher because of the lack of reporting or people considered missing.
5. Skydiving
Imagine what it’d be like to have your main parachute fail while skydiving. There would be a moment of panic, then you remember you have a reserve chute. But what do you do when that one fails, too? You can’t do anything except hope that you can bounce.
According to the U.S. Parachute Association, 11 fatal skydiving accidents occurred in 2020, making for a rate of 0.39 fatalities per 100,000 jumps.
4. Surfing
Surfers are true adrenaline junkies. Falling into the water from sea level might sound like a harmless thing, but surfers are traveling at a high rate of speed. On top of that, they don’t just hit the water; they often hit the reef below.
3. Racing
Racing is an extremely dangerous sport. Overall, 100 people die in motorsports annually around the world, according to Top Gear Auto Guide. Imagine crashing into a wall at 200 miles per hour in either a vehicle or motorcycle. On top of that, the fuel could ignite, and then you’ll be burned to death. It’s a death we wish upon no one.
2. Boxing
Boxing, and its cousin MMA, are sports where literally every athlete walks away with an injury. Whether it’s small like a black eye or fat lip or more severe, they can really take a toll on people. On average, 13 boxers die in the ring annually, according to CNN. You also have to consider the number of people who die from the long-term effects of CTE.
1. Mountaineering
You wouldn’t expect it, but mountaineering can be one of the most dangerous sports. Each year, thousands of people are injured while mountaineering. Many of those injuries result from slipping on a rock or falling. Mountaineers also encounter unpredictable weather. Death is common, but more so are missing persons.
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