Not a long time ago I was driving fast to pick up my son from the kindergarten. The younger one was sitting in his seat in the back of the car pointing out of the window and excitedly shouting „-now, -now!“ Yes, there was some snow and the temperature fell down to minus twelve. I was quite nervous because the „hungry eye“ of my car had been blinking at me since the beginning of the journey. To be absolutely honest it was already blicking at the end of the journey the day before. I had to make the way to a thirteen kilometres distant village where the gas station and the kindergarten were.
People often discuss extreme sports and the adrenaline rush connected to them. This question devides people into two quite similar parts: Those who like extreme sports and those who think they don´t. We must admit that it is not only the adrenaline which makes such sports popular. The substances responsible for the great feeling coming at the end are dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. But what are the extreme sports?
I went through the village of Malé Březno and I knew that a lot of cars turn different way from mine and that there are at least five kilometres of barren land in front of me. Will there be anyone to give us a lift to the gas station in case the car has stopped going? I wondered. After leaving the village behind us I could feel my heart bumping in my head.
Extreme sports are provoking and shocking activities connected with a high level of risk or danger. And the reason to do them (except the great feeling at the end) is just to show that they can be done. Athletes in these activities compete against environmental obstacles and challenges, such as weather and terrain (wind, snow, water, mountains).
I managed to come to Těchlovice village and I tried to count our fuel consumption. Starting the car in such freezing conditions swallowed much more fuel than it normally did. The heating was working on the full level. After a short consideration I switched off the heating.
We can classify extreme sports into those taking place in air (base jumping, bungee jumping, gliding, sky diving and sky flying), land (indoor and outdoor climbing, adventure racing, caving, mountain biking, skateboarding and snowboarding) and water (barefoot water skiing, cliff diving, round the world yacht racing, surfing, whitewater kayaking and windsurfing).
There´s the village of Jakuby. Oh, my car, wait three another kilometres and I will feed you! I could not count how many times I had glanced at the idiot light.
Other sports (such as street cycling) may be even more dangerous but as they are accepted by the society they are not percieved as extreme. Oh no, so driving a car without fuel in a freezing weather is not an extreme sport? You must be kidding! I have never experienced so much of adrenaline before, not even when trying indoor climbing!
I reached the village of Nebočady and the fuel station was just behind it. I felt like moving the car by the strenght of my mind. I nearly hypnotized the idiot light as if it could have given me the answer: Were we going to make it?
Well, yes. With an unbelievable feeling of fun, happiness and relieve mixed all tohether I took the fuel to my car and headed to the kindergarten as if nothing had happened. My life of a mum of two is full of adrenaline. I don´t need any extreme sports. And what about you?
Andrea Leskotová
Sources:
http://www.extremesportscompanies.com/why-people-extreme-sports
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_sport
