What Exactly Defines Extreme Sports and Where Do You Start?
I remember the first time I watched extreme sports highlights on YouTube, completely mesmerized by athletes defying gravity and pushing human limits. That six-foot athlete Manday going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc while tallying 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for best player honors - now that's what I call extreme performance under pressure. But what exactly defines extreme sports and where should beginners even start? This question haunted me for weeks before I finally took the plunge into this thrilling world.
Extreme sports fundamentally involve activities characterized by high speeds, heights, real or perceived danger, and spectacular stunts. They're not just about adrenaline rushes though - they demand incredible precision and control, much like Manday's impressive 80% success rate from the three-point line in that memorable game. The psychological aspect fascinates me most; maintaining focus while freefalling from 15,000 feet or navigating treacherous mountain bike trails requires mental fortitude comparable to elite athletes performing under stadium lights. I've found that the community often debates whether traditional sports like basketball can be considered extreme given the physical demands and injury risks, but personally, I draw the line at activities where consequences of failure could be catastrophic.
When I first considered trying extreme sports, the overwhelming choices nearly paralyzed me. Should I start with skateboarding, rock climbing, or maybe wakeboarding? After consulting with experienced enthusiasts at local spots, I realized the best approach involves matching activities to your existing strengths and comfort zones. For instance, if you have good balance from surfing or snowboarding, transitioning to skateboarding might feel more natural. I always recommend beginners allocate around $500-800 for proper gear and initial lessons - skimping on safety equipment simply isn't worth the risk. My personal journey began with indoor rock climbing before progressing to outdoor bouldering, and I can't emphasize enough how valuable professional instruction proved during those early stages.
The equipment selection process taught me more about technical specifications than I ever expected to learn. From understanding different rope types for climbing to recognizing quality helmet certifications, the details matter tremendously in extreme sports. I made the mistake early on of buying cheaper knee pads that failed during a skateboarding session, resulting in two weeks of painful recovery. That experience convinced me to invest in certified protective gear, even if it costs 30-40% more than budget options. The market for extreme sports equipment has grown approximately 27% in the past three years alone, reflecting increasing participation across various age groups.
What continues to surprise me about extreme sports culture is how welcoming most communities are to newcomers. Despite the rugged individualist image, I've found experienced participants remarkably willing to share techniques and safety tips. The social dimension adds tremendous value beyond the individual thrill - whether it's spotting for a climbing partner or celebrating someone landing their first kickflip. Having attempted both team sports and individual extreme activities, I've come to prefer the unique blend of personal achievement and communal support that defines spaces like skate parks and climbing gyms.
Reflecting on my progression over the past two years, the most valuable lesson has been understanding my own limits while gradually expanding them. Unlike traditional sports with clear scoring systems, success in extreme sports often feels more subjective and personal. That moment when I finally completed a V3 climbing route after weeks of attempts provided a sense of accomplishment different from any team victory I'd experienced. The question of what defines extreme sports ultimately comes down to this intersection of calculated risk, personal growth, and sheer exhilaration. For those wondering where to start, my advice remains simple: choose one activity that genuinely excites you, invest in proper training and equipment, and embrace the journey at your own pace.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
