When you think of sports, you will naturally think of those that have been mainstream for decades, the footballs, basketballs, rugbies, tennis, and crickets of the world. Sports like these are widely present, immensely popular, and everyone knows them. They are the staples of the biggest sporting competitions of the world that hundreds of millions of people watch.
However, there is a whole other world of sporting events, those that are lesser-known but still quite entertaining and exciting to watch. Some of them are even better and more engaging because they are capable of making your adrenaline pumping like never before. They are known as daredevil sports, and some of them are damn right crazy.
If you think that extreme sports are extreme, you have never heard of true craziness that is still considered a sporting discipline. In this article, we explore the world of daredevil sports, the craziest and most peculiar events that capture and hold the attention of anyone who happens to be in attendance or tune in on the television.
1. Zorbing
We will kick our list off with a daredevil sport that a lot of people are familiar with, not all of which know it is even a sport. You could say zorbing, which involves rolling down a hill of some sort while inside a giant plastic ball, is the starting point for those who have the daredevil gene.
You can check more about this on smashcasinos.com. Zorbing, which is popular in many countries around the world, originated in New Zealand but is now loved in places such as the United Kingdom. Many hill and mountain resorts have it for rent for the ordinary people to try out. This is the most innocent version of zorbing, while the most extreme includes steep drops and obstacles all the way down.
2. Downhill Mountain Biking
We take things up a notch with downhill mountain biking. BMX biking comes in a variety of disciplines, but none of them are as dangerous and seemingly unnecessary as going downhill, at full speed, avoiding rocks and depressions along the way.
the crazy sport involves racing down a hill just like zorbing, only this time the competitors are riding full-suspension bikes at extremely high speed for something like this, navigating their way through and over obstacles such as tree roots, cliffs, streams, and boulders.
Each downhill biking track poses a different task, with Death Road in Bolivia being one of the most famous. The track, nor the sporting event, is definitely not recommended for the faint-hearted.
3. Cheese Rolling
We are sticking with the hill theme, but this time the sporting event is weird as well as crazy. If you expect some kind of a twist because the name of the sport seems weird and like nonsense, strap in. What if we told you that there is a sport in Gloucester in the UK, where people race after a massive round of cheese?
Well, this is precisely what Cheese Rolling is, rolling around cheese down a steep hill. Those taking part run after the cheese as it rolls and bounces down a grassy hill, attempting to stay on their feet and not incur injury, of which there have been plenty over the years.
The videos of this sport are funny as well as a bit worrying because the falls seem like they hurt, and hurt a lot. People stumble and keep rolling and spinning all the way down, hitting each other and the ground pretty hard until they stop. It is surely a unique experience.
4. Ice Swimming
Swimming in ice is difficult to start with because of how cold it is. However, taking part in ice swimming is even more complicated, with participants usually going head to head in a one-mile swim, with temperatures well below a comfortable level that most swimmers are generally used to.
And, to add to how uncomfortable this sounds, they will compete in standard swimming gear, so they always feel the full effects of the cold on their bodies and minds. Most people dread going into ice-cold water, even touching it with their bare feet or hands, but not these extreme swimmers. They train to be good at it and their bodies are used to performing in such low temperatures.
5. Volcano Boarding/Surfing
You could say that volcano boarding sees elements of other daredevil sports merge together. Again, you may think it is some kind of a joke where the name does not really describe exactly what goes on.
Luckily for everyone, particularly the spectators, it is as real as it can be. In this daredevil sport, competitors race down an active volcano’s face, which is obviously very dangerous and not recommended in other scenarios.
However, they do not do it on foot or by rolling. Instead of this, their mode of transport is a sled made of reinforced plywood. Speeds of up to 5 miles per hour have been recorded, and there is a twist.
The starting point is actually at the bottom of the volcano. Each contestant has to climb the volcano to get to the starting point, which is a sporting event in itself. Only then can they actually participate and go down the black rock and gravel.
Conclusion and Takeaways
If you are sporty, but you are also tired of the mainstream sports you see and hear about everywhere you turn, why not try something more unorthodox like these crazy disciplines? If you want to enjoy something that will really get your heart pumping, daredevil events like those mentioned above are the true way to go.
And while many of them are downright crazy and highly dangerous, particularly for the beginners who have never done anything similar, many are accessible to everyone. Zorbing and cheese rolling are prime examples of this as you can try them without any prior preparation. All it takes is a little bit of free spirit and enough will to try something new and challenging. Fun and excitement are insured, as well as unforgettable memories!