The Impact of Extreme Sports on the Individual and Society: A Short Introduction

Abstract

Extreme sports (ES) have developed and won the interest of individuals to practice and watch, all over the world. The need to build personal identity, to live one's own experiences, to look for stimulating emotions were the mechanisms for creating and disseminating motor action "differently". Also, a series of societal changes have contributed to changes in social models, value systems, behaviors of social actors. The media was an important vector. The impact of ES targets a series of socio-cultural, economic and political influences, psycho-physical, with both positive and negative consequences. The borderline lifestyle, appreciating the quality of life, a strong identity is features of the new social actor who practices ES.