Extreme Sports: Tempting Fate?

Posted in Sports

Like most News in Review stories, this analysis of the phenomenon of proliferating and increasingly dangerous “sports” is much more than what first meets the eye. This is a story about human behaviour, human needs, and contemporary social values. The story asks many fundamental questions: What is the nature of sport? When is the line crossed in terms of risk in a sport? Why do people engage in any recreational activity that puts their lives at risk, be it mountain climbing, drug use, heli-skiing, day trading, or reckless driving? Do extreme sports fulfill extreme needs? What social conditions or psychological needs generate these activities?

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