Will the appeal of extreme sports diminish after high profile accidents?
Although improvements in technology have made them safer and easier to practice, extreme sports are still subject to their fair share of criticism.
The issue now on the national radar after a several high profile accidents.
Perhaps the most visible example of this is the video which circulated around the internet and various news outlets, and shows an Australian tourist, Erin Langworthy, 22, bungee jumping over the crocodile-infested Zambezi River in Africa on New Year’s Eve.
Instead of bouncing back towards the bridge, Langworthy’s cord snapped, and she plunged 365 feet from the Victoria Falls Bridge into the churning water below.
Miraculously, Langworthy made it to the shore with her ankles still bound together by the trailing cord, sustaining severe cuts and bruises over her body.
On this side of the Atlantic, Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke has been in an induced coma since she underwent surgery following a skiing mishap Tuesday, January 10. Burke suffered a brain injury while practicing on a halfpipe, the same halfpipe where snowboarder Kevin Pearce endured a similar injury in 2009.
Bungee jumping and freestyle skiing are two examples of extreme sports, which are defined as physical activities that are exciting and potentially hazardous. Extreme sports include a wide range of activities, including skydiving, mountain climbing, surfing, skateboarding, paintballing, wakeboarding — even hot air ballooning.
These sports are becoming increasingly popular in the United States The demographic for extreme sports has become more diverse over the years, but college-aged individuals, particularly males, continue to participate most frequently in extreme sports.
Recently, the Indian Army took notice of young adults’ interest in danger and action sports and has begun staging daredevil demonstrations such as motorbiking and parasailing in the hope of enticing potential recruits to enlist.
Despite their popularity, there are still growing questions about the safety of these action sports, particularly in light of these recent injuries.
In Scotland, many citizens object to a recent proposal by the government of the United Kingdom to abolish the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) and replace it with a voluntary practice code. The AALA was established in 1995 to regulate and enforce safety standards for commercial adventure companies following a 1993 incident in which four youths died while canoeing.
While there is a general lack of reliable statistical research into extreme sports injuries, researchers are working on developing more effective safety measures aimed at preventing many of the injuries associated with extreme sports. The prevalence of sports-related head trauma is on the rise in all sports, and it is in this area that many researchers are placing their focus.
Despite the obvious safety risks involved, extreme sports continue to grow in popularity with young adults.
Although extreme athletes are often saddled with the image of being reckless risk-takers, research points to a completely different explanation for their zeal for dangerous activities. Studies show that rather than being irresponsible, extreme athletes are very disciplined in their health maintenance. In general, many participate in extreme sports because personally minimizing the potential risks imparts a sense of personal control and confidence in their own abilities.
As a college student, what do you think? Do the potential benefits of extreme sports outweigh the risks?
Haley Potter is a Spring 2012 Paste BN Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.
This story originally appeared on the Paste BN College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.