What are extreme sports?
Extreme sports are adventure sports that often make use of acrobatic movements and emphasize speed and thrills. Extreme sports have enjoyed incredible popularity worldwide and they have spread in large part due to the American sports cable TV channel “ESPN” and its X-games competitions. There are currently 1,300 extreme sports clubs in Korea with 80 thousand members.
Types of extreme sports
If you want thrills in the water
◦Blob Jump is an extreme sport that has been showcased in a TV commercial for Cass and the popular show “Running man.” Two or three people jump from a high place onto a big tube. The person sitting on the tube bounces high into the air and into the water from the rebound. This sport can be enjoyed at Gapyeong or Chungpyung. It can also be done at the Andong river water sports club at Daegu-Kyeongbuk. The cost is 5,000 won.
◦Flyboard is a water sport whereby people can fly on the water using the momentum of a jet ski. It is the so-called iron man of the water. This sport can be enjoyed on the Han river, the experience costs 100,000 won.
◦ Flyfish is a water sport. It is done by hanging onto a stingray shaped boat. The boat is linked to a motorboat. Fly fish can be enjoyed at Gapyeong, Chungpyung, Andong and other locations. The cost is 20,000 won and it can be enjoyed at Daegu Water Land in Daegu-Kyeongbuk.
If you want to stay on land
◦SCAD Diving is an adventure sport where participants free fall into a mesh net which is shaped like a pyramid. You can jump from a height of 50.2m. It is often referred to as, Bungee jumping without a rope. This thrilling activity opened at Gangwon-do Inje military theme park for the first time in July, 2013. It costs 28,000 won.
◦ Sky Line is available on Nami Island. It is a zip line that allows an adventurous soul to move as fast as gravity will allow. Top speeds reach almost 80km per hour. It has been promoted as an environment-friendly leisure sport because it does not generate noise or toxic substances. The cost is 38,000 won.
If you want to feel like a bird
◦ Parasailing allows you to fly by making use of a special parachute. The participant is attached to a moving boat on one end and to a parachute on the other. The movement of the boat lifts you into the air. It can be enjoyed on Jeju-do and Southern sea beaches. The cost is from 50,000 won to 60,000 won.
◦ Sky Surfing is a type of sky diving. People attach a board similar to a snow board on their feet and surf in the air. At the present time this extreme sport is not available in Korea, so if you want to experience it you will have to look for it abroad.
My personal experience with extreme sports
I departed for Andong Lake to experience Flyfish and Blob Jump. I asked the safety man if anybody had ever been hurt doing these sports. He said that it is safer than riding a bicycle and that less than five people had actually been injured over its 15 year history. Thoughts about why I was doing these sports pressed on me when I held the safety belt and waited for departure on the Flyfish. There was a big engine sound of a motor boat, the Flyfish crossed Andong Lake. It jumped up into the air at a right angle as if levitated and the lake was under my feet when the motor boat sped up. A feeling of exhilaration engulfed my entire body. I shouted through the wind to get all the stress out of my mind. I eventually came down, but I still felt like l was flying. Then I went on to experience Blob Jump. I sat down in front of the blob jump circle and I waited for the jumper to jump on the tube and launched me in the air, so I was very nervous. Suddenly, I was up in the air, I was in the water in just an instant, and all I had time to say was “Ah!” Although it only took 5 seconds, I was in a daze. I was bruised all over because of the water friction, but overall it was a pleasurable experience. If you are ready to enjoy a thrill, I recommend this experience.
Extreme sports are diverse and go far beyond just bungee jumping and mountain biking. In addition, extreme sports have a wide variety of charms that you might not understand unless you actually try them. People get stressed because of work and a fast paced life, but it is not easy to get rid of that stress. I recommend getting involved in some kind of extreme sport to relieve your stress because you can test your limits and feel an uncommon thrill.
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