Extreme Sports

     There's basketball, soccer, and tennis. But, those are just the normal sports. There are some extraordinary sports. Most of these extreme sports are really crazy! These sports might make you think, are these even real sports? Yes, they might be so odd, but these are real sports that people actually do!

     Imagine you're in a giant plastic ball, on the top of a hill. All of a sudden, somebody pushes you down. You don't even think about screaming, with all the turns that your body makes as the ball whooshes down the hill. You are zorbing!!! I'm what? Zorbing is a sport where you stand inside a giant, plastic ball and roll down the hill. Another type of zorbing is in the water. In this type of zorbing, you don't get rolled from the top of the hill but, you try to walk in water. When I first read that zorbing is and actual extreme sport, I was very surprised. Why? Well, I have actually done zorbing in the water before! When I did zorbing in Florida, I tried to walk on water but it was very difficult. I felt like I was a hamster trying to walk on a hamster wheel. Every time I tried to get up, I fell inside the ball. But, the overall experience was fun. A typical zorb ride lasts about 40 seconds. It was invented in 1994. The zorb(ball that is used in zorbing) is 2.7m(106 inches), while a basketball is only 29.5 inches. The zorb is pretty heavy and big, but it moves at a high speed.

      Another crazy sport is volcano surfing. Am I kidding? Not at all. During volcano surfing, brave riders hike up to the volcano and hurtle down, on a board, similar to a snowboard. Instead of doing it on snow, riders take it to the extremes by doing it on an active volcano!!! The sport started in 2005, very recently. Many people do volcano surfing on the slopes of Nicaragua's Cerro Negro, which erupted last in 1999. Is volcano surfing safe? The main danger of volcano surfing is falling down and getting hurt. That's why surfers must wear protective gear while they are surfing.

     The only way to fly with wings is wingsuit flying. In this wacky sport, skydivers jump from a plane and glide through the air. The wingsuit that they wear prevents them from...the worst that could happen. The wingsuit catches air and helps you sail through the air instead of going, "splat"! The wingsuit is commonly compared to a flying squirrel, as you can see in this picture. If you would like to see a video of wingsuit flying, here's a good video: Wingsuit Flying Video


BOSSABALL

      Next up, there's a sport called Bossaball. What's this, you wonder? Basically, Bossaball is a volleyball like sport that's played on an inflatable court. This interesting sport is a combination of soccer, volleyball, and gymnastics. It was created in 2004, and is currently a bit hit on the beaches of Spain and Brazil. This sport is played in two teams of three, four, or five. I think Bossaball will actually be pretty fun to try!!!
      For all those Harry Potter fans out there... including me! There is a real sport called Quidditch. In this amazing sport, players run around with brooms. They try to throw the balls into the three- hooped goal. Quidditch started in 2005 at a college in Vermont. Now, many high schools and colleges enjoy this sport.
     Would you ever like to run a marathon? How about a marathon in the snow? The North Pole Marathon is literally the coolest race around the so-called "Santa's home". This marathon is a run for 26.2 miles in the North Pole. The runners have to bundle up because the temperature there is around -22 degrees Fahrenheit or less!!! Even though there are warm tents for the runners, set up around the course, the North Pole Marathon is still extreme. The entry fee for the North Pole Marathon is $16,000! That's crazy! Personally, I don't think it is worth it because I don't enjoy the thought of running in the snow with big snow boots on! :)
     What's the first thing that comes into your mind when I say hockey? Maybe a hockey stick or a hockey player, or even the San Jose Sharks. I bet you don't think about bathing suits! Well, underwater hockey is a sport where you basically play hockey, underwater! Shooting and swimming is pretty much what you do. The rules of the game is like hockey but, this is played underwater.
     From Quidditch to zorbing, underwater hockey to the North Pole Marathon, these certainly aren't our everyday sports. These extreme sports can be fun and exceptional at the same time. Thanks for reading about the world of extreme sports! I would appreciate it if you can comment on my post! Thanks!!!