When you come across urban street sports, all you can think of are the words ‘dangerous’ and ‘adrenaline rush’. Yes, these types of sports can be fun and exciting, but there are way more potential risks that come along with them as well. Compared to other common sports such as basketball and badminton, though they come with their own risks, it is not as dangerous as street sports. The risks are much higher which could result in body aches or permanent damage to your back or bones. One might think that these injuries to the body could be cured by simply performing certain exercises like the ones shown in the Back in Action Program or with the help of physiotherapists. Despite the risks, there is no stopping for adrenaline junkies.
Here are the best urban street sports are commonly known around the world:
1. Skateboarding
You can’t take skateboarding out of the streets! This particular street sport was originally born in the late 1940s or early 1950s by surfers living in California. They were looking for something to do when the waves were non-existent, thus, decided on a different kind of surfing – on land instead of water. Initially called ‘sidewalk surfing’, skateboarding became insanely popular and grew to have its own skate competitions with famous skateboarders that have won them including Tony Hawk. In other words, skateboarding is here to stay as a professional sport that brings people together through the joy of flips and tricks.
2. Parkour
This particular thrilling sport isn’t for the light-hearted. Also known as ‘free running’, Parkour is an urban sport that is about jumping from one area to another despite any obstacles. It could be dangerously hanging off walls, jumping off a tall building to the ground, and leaping from roof to roof. Technically, parkour is not illegal in most countries, but if it is performed on private property, you could get fined for trespassing. To be really good at parkour, you have to love the idea of heights. With this sport, you will increase your adrenaline and get your heart pumping, just like a good workout session!
3. Street Racing
Just as the name implies, street racing is all about cars or motorcycles racing down the streets and highways, whisking by other cars and pedestrians. In most countries, street racing is considered illegal due to how dangerous it is by potentially harming not only yourself but others along the way as well. Although racing on the streets is illegal, they saw the potential of this to become an actual sport, thus, drag racing was born. Street racing is still no doubt common in every country, but the police don’t have the capacity to slap a fine on all of them. For those who love speeding across the streets, they will turn to drag racing events and competitions to continue enjoying their hobby legally.
4. BASE Jumping
BASE Jumping is considered illegal in most countries, but in countries such as Norway, BASE jumpers are able to enjoy their love for the sport legally. Similar to skydiving, BASE stands for buildings or bridges (stationary objects), while Jumping refers to parachuting off that particular base. The main difference is that skydiving is where you are leaping off from a plane that is moving and into the air, while BASE jumping is from a tall stationary building or object and leaping to the ground. One might wonder why there are a certain group of people who enjoy jumping from a building with just a parachute, and most of them would answer that it is fun, thrilling, while also giving them a sense of life that you don’t get anywhere else.
5. Bike Racing
What started off as a competition to test how fast they could go, bike racing grew to become a popular sport for cyclists all around the world. As long as you’re not going off in between lanes, bike racing is actually legal when done right. Bike racing also eventually became a national sport in the United States with racers that have won the competition such as Arthur Zimmerman. Another fun fact about bike racing is that it became an event in the first modern Olympic games held back in 1896 in Athens, Greece. In France, the Tour de France was one of the most iconic racing events for being a long-distance race travelling from one city to the other.
6. Train Surfing
In Germany around the year of 1990s, the act of riding on the exterior parts of a train emerged, known as train surfing. Train surfers will step onto a train and surround the interior and exterior of it while it moves. People actually love this so-called “sport” only because they get a free ride on the train and the insane adrenaline rush that comes along with it. Train surfing is not encouraged by train companies and police, who will try to prevent this activity from happening by getting them arrested or impose a fine. This is because many teenagers and adults from many countries have lost their lives or have been permanently injured due to being electrocuted or they fell off the train.