In Praise of Extreme Sports

Anyone who follows my feed will know I am keen on outdoor sports. These include, windsurfing, wingfoiling, surfing, wakeboarding and skateboarding, each of which I do to a level of somewhere between barely competent and disappointingly mediocre. These sports are generally all considered extreme sports, the definition of which is a little unclear but generally accepted to involve an element of personal risk.

I have also roped my kids into a few of these sports and we have just returned from a snowboarding trip. The photo below is probably my favourite, from day four of our holiday; following a challenging day three when my daughter had grappled with setbacks and falls, struggling to replicate her previous successes. Refusing to let the difficulties of day three define her experience, we regrouped on day four, starting afresh on the easy slope, revisiting the fundamentals. With restored confidence, we progressed to the blue slope, applying the same techniques. As the sun set, we descended from the mountaintop together, and she didn't fall once. By the end of the holiday, she was tearing down challenging red runs with less fear than me!

I am a big believer that extreme sports are an incredible way to learn a number of key life skills:

• Facing fear: Extreme sports involve inherent risks, which often evoke fear. There's a powerful quote, (I couldn’t find out who said it first) that says, "Behind every fear is a person you want to be. Use it or it uses you." Fear serves as a motivator, signalling areas for personal growth. Rather than an adversary, it's a companion to conquer, one which, when overcome, breeds confidence.
• Failing: Most of these sports are done alongside friends, but they are solo sports. This encourages the participant to take responsibility for their actions, and the associated inevitable failure. I think being comfortable with failure is really helpful – it’s important to know that everyone fails, and that’s fine. The skill then, is to get up and try again because it is resilience that leads to success.
• Risk management: Extreme sports require taking calculated risks and self-confidence. Picture walking 10m along a 15cm wide platform, just 10 cm off the ground. Most of us could manage that effortlessly. However, raise that same platform 100m in the air, and most of us hesitate, shifting focus from capability to a potential misstep. While it's awe-inspiring to watch Red Bull athletes execute remarkable tricks, the true feat lies in what we don’t see; the hours and hours of practice, the control of their innate fear response, and confidence in their abilities.
• Social skills: One of my favourite memories is witnessing my 10-year-old daughter strolling lakeside alongside a 35-year-old, 6ft, 15-stone individual adorned with face tattoos, both clutching wakeboards, engaged in conversation about their respective challenges. Extreme sports serve as a remarkable equaliser, fostering empathy through shared learning curves. They offer opportunities to forge connections and exchange valuable insights, aiding one another in overcoming the next obstacle.

In life, as in snowboarding, we will all face peaks and valleys, and these are often where the greatest lessons lie. In the realm of extreme sports, every crash is a lesson, every fall is a chance to rise up stronger, every setback becomes a stepping stone forward. And while I advocate for extreme sports, you don’t have to be a Red Bull athlete to push your limits; we all have our fears and we can all step out of our respective comfort zones. When we do, we should not let ourselves be defined by the magnitude of the challenge itself, but rather the resilience we exhibit in the face of that fear. For me, there’s no greater reward than perseverance and triumph over adversity.