Unusual Extreme Sports

Everyone is familiar with skydiving, bungee jumping, and rock climbing as extreme sports. However, what about underwater hockey and extreme ironing? There are loads of thrilling sports activities that no one has ever heard about. It’s for this very reason that we created a list of the most unusual extreme sports that you can try from across the globe.

Extreme Ironing

Extreme ironing will allow you to combine the thrill of outdoor activity with the fulfilment of a well-pressed shirt. This extreme sport was first introduced in 1997 by Paul Shaw in Leicester, England. He came up with the bright idea to transform a mundane chore into a glorious extreme sport by adding rock climbing to the mix. Since the creation of this extreme sport, people across the globe have combined ironing with scuba diving, paddle boarding, and hiking. In 2002, the world witnessed the very first Extreme Ironing World Cup, which was held in Germany.

Volcano Boarding

Volcano boarding was first discovered in Nicaragua on the slopes of Cerro Negro. This extreme sport mainly involves using a metal board or plywood to slide down the side of a volcano. The creator of the competition, Daryn Webb, used various materials, ranging from mattresses to picnic tables before he discovered a handful that works. There are now several tour groups that will take eager adrenaline junkies on a hike up a volcano to attempt this daring activity for the first time.

Cheese Rolling

Cheese rolling has been around since the early 19th century with the inception of the Cheese Roll and Wake event on Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester, England. Participants need to chase an 8 pound of cheese down an extremely steep hill, and the first participant to reach the finish line at the bottom of the mountain will win the cheese. However, if you are interested in chasing some cheese, it’s worth mentioning that falls and slips are unavoidable as you make your way down the hill.

Zorbing

During 1994, Andrew Akers and Dwane van der Sluis decided to create the next best thing in extreme sports by developing Zorbing. This involves a human-sized hamster ball that comes equipped with two layers of flexible plastic. The two layers are then separated by air to provide some cushioning for humans not to hurt themselves. Riders will then climb into the Zorb ball where they can roll around on land or water with a harness or without. The extreme sport originated in New Zealand, but these days you can find it in most places across the globe.

Underwater Hockey

Also referred to as Octopush, this extreme sport was first invented during the 1950s by Alan Blake from Portsmouth, England. It’s mostly considered an underwater game for scuba divers. Much like ice hockey, players will need to use sticks to push around a puck at the bottom of a large pool into goals that are situated on either side of the lake.