Extreme - the new buzz word in sport

When the word endorsement is used in sport names like Tiger Woods, David Beckham and Michael Schumacher spring to mind - not an extreme sport athlete in ripped jeans, baggy t-shirt and oversized sneekers.

Action sports athletes have always been frowned upon, however, they are slowly but surely proving that there is nothing amateurish about their sport. And gradually big businesses, marketers and sponsors are catching on too.
 
Extreme sports is a term that is used to describe activities such as skateboarding, surfing, FMX biking, kiteboarding, mountain biking, windsurfing etc. These sports have long been labelled as scruffy and unsophisticated.  But extreme sports have of late become very lucrative, reeling in big sponsorship and marketing deals as well as hours of TV coverage.
 
'Extreme' has become a culture of its own, tied to fashion and music and youngsters are now idolising a different kind of star,  like six-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater who's endorsed by renowned surfing brand Quiksilver. Slater has been described by many as the most influential surfer to have ever conquered the waves, something like the Michael Jordan of surfing.
 
The Extreme Sports Channel - a US based network - was launched in 1999 to serve this new market. The channel broadcasts films, profiles and coverage of a variety of sports including skateboarding - the most popular extreme sport with more than 16 million participants worldwide - as well as mountain biking, surfing and the new fad kiteboarding.
 
"The demand for extreme sports programming demonstrated that there was a glaring gap for a channel dedicated to extreme sports - and the events, personalities, music and lifestyles that are a part of our world," commented Extreme sports channel spokeswoman Zoe Curbishley.   
 
So, if you're no good at tennis, rugby, cricket, football or golf, maybe it's time to turn extreme, so, get a skateboard, a bike or a surf board! Epic!