Staying active throughout the day is pretty important. Not only is it good for your health but for your mind too. It helps you release stress and there’s always something exciting to look forward to.

However, there is an advanced version of sports that many people tend to prefer over traditional sports–extreme sports. From rock climbing to skateboarding, these extreme sports are thrilling and engaging but, they pose a greater physical risk than your regular sports.

So, if you are into extreme sports, buckle up and get ready for some fun facts about extreme sports that you probably didn’t know!

1. The First-Ever Extreme Sports

The first-ever extreme sport was skateboarding, an activity that was invented in the U.S. Several decades later, skateboarding has become a norm now and is even popular among children as young as five years old. But, it wasn’t always this way… back in the day, skateboarding was considered as an extreme sport best left to the experts.

2. Extreme Sports Weren’t Considered Extreme

During the 1960s and the 1980s, extreme sports weren’t quite the appreciation they deserved, to say the least. They were seen as a sport that is not only dangerous but also rebellious and disruptive. All of that changed during the ‘90s when sports of this nature began gaining popularity which resulted in ESPN hosting a show called the “X-Games” which subsequently became the no. 1 platform for athletes to participate in extreme sports.

Josh Hild/Pexels | Now they are seen as just another category of sports

3. The Dark Side Of Extreme Sports

Dave Mirra, a BMX Legend, committed suicide presumably because of the fact that he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. He had also faced multiple concussions during his extreme sports career which is said to have made matters worse for him and led to his untimely demise.

4. Bungee Jumping’s Extreme Version

If you think bungee jumping was extreme then get a load of this–in Australia, there is another extreme version of bungee jumping which consists of participants bungee jumping over waters that are infested with crocodiles.

Bianca/Pexels | This might be the most Australian thing ever

5. The High Risk Of BASE Jumping

It is estimated that around 72% of the people who engage in BASE jumping have either witnessed a death or at least a serious injury. BASE Jumping is said to be an extreme sport where participants jump off a cliff or any fixed object before deploying a parachute to descend to safety.

Arun Mathew/Pexels | BASE is an acronym that stands for Buildings, Antenna, Spans, and Earth

So, did you find these facts extremely interesting?