Evoking the ineffable: The phenomenology of extreme sports.

Abstract

We are witnessing an unprecedented interest in and engagement with extreme sport activities. Extreme sports are unique in that they involve physical prowess as well as a particular attitude towards the world and self. We have little understanding of the experience of participants who engage in extreme activities such as BASE jumping, big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfall kayaking, extreme mountaineering, and solo rope free climbing. The current study explicates the experience of people who engage in extreme sports utilising a phenomenological approach. The study draws upon interviews with 15 extreme sports participants across three continents. Three aspects of the extreme sports experience are explicated: inadequacy of words, extreme sports as vigorous experience, and participants’ experience of transcendence. The findings provide a valuable insight the experience of the participants. Furthermore, the findings contribute to our understanding of the range of human volition and experience.