Researcher Published by CQ Press, A Division of SAGE CQ www.cqresearcher.com Extreme Sports Are they too dangerous? he wild world of so-called extreme sports ranges from motorcyclists executing double back flips to kayakers navigating deadly Class 5 rapids to mixed martial arts (MMA) — also known as “ultimate Tfighting” — where combatants use kicks, punches and stress holds. But many “extreme” athletes reject the label, arguing that the term marginalizes their sports as the sole province of adrenaline and violence junkies, when they actually require high degrees of skill. Georges St. Pierre pummels BJ Penn during their Now legislatures in New York and other states are considering mixed martial arts title match last Jan. 31 in Las Vegas. St. Pierre won when the fight bans on MMA. Proponents say the matches, legal at the pro level was stopped after four rounds. in 37 states, are safer than boxing and emphasize fighters’ broad- based martial-arts training. But opponents argue that allowing I N such a wide variety of aggressive moves in a single fight is bar- THIS REPORT S baric. However, skateboarders and other extreme athletes cite THE ISSUES ......................299 I statistics showing that traditional sports such as boxing and BACKGROUND ..................306 D football cause injuries and deaths at a higher rate than any of the CHRONOLOGY ..................307 E extreme sports. CURRENT SITUATION ..........312 AT ISSUE ..........................313 CQ Researcher • April 3, 2009 • www.cqresearcher.com OUTLOOK ........................315 Volume 19, Number 13 • Pages 297-320 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................318 RECIPIENT OF SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS AWARD FOR THE NEXT STEP ................319 EXCELLENCE N AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION SILVER GAVEL AWARD EXTREME SPORTS CQ Researcher April 3, 2009 THE ISSUES Traditional Sports Have Volume 19, Number 13 301 Higher Injury Rates MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas J. Colin • Should “ultimate fighting” Snowboarders have third- [email protected] 299 be banned? highest rate; surfing ranks 10th. ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR: Kathy Koch • Are extreme sports [email protected] more dangerous than 303 Women Participate in other sports? Many Extreme Sports ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kenneth Jost In-line skating is most popu- • Have media portrayals lar with women athletes. STAFF WRITERS: Thomas J. Billitteri, boosted action sports? Marcia Clemmitt, Peter Katel Skateboarding Outdraws CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rachel Cox, BACKGROUND 304 Football, Rivals Baseball Sarah Glazer, Alan Greenblatt, The number of U.S. skate- Barbara Mantel, Patrick Marshall, 306 Ancient Extremists boarders nearly tripled Tom Price, Jennifer Weeks Thrill-seekers have always between 1995 and 2005. DESIGN/PRODUCTION EDITOR: Olu B. Davis pushed the limits. 307 Chronology ASSISTANT EDITOR: Darrell Dela Rosa Marketers’ Dream Key events since 1965. FACT-CHECKING: Eugene J. Gabler, 309 Advertisers capitalize on the Michelle Harris “sensation-seeker” image. Young, White Men 308 Dominate Extreme Sports EDITORIAL INTERN: Vyomika Jairam Skateboarding is beginning to CURRENT SITUATION attract non-whites. 310 Action Sports and the 312 Into the Mainstream Environment Clash Action sports’ popularity is Use of public space pits A Division of SAGE growing. athletes against city officials. PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER: Little Skaters’ League? 312 Olympics Woo Youths John A. Jenkins 314 Some public schools offer With Extreme Sports EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, classes in skateboarding In: snowboarding and BMX; REFERENCE INFORMATION GROUP: and rock climbing. out: baseball and softball. Alix B. Vance At Issue Copyright © 2009 CQ Press, A Division of SAGE. Fights Break Out 313 Should states legalize mixed SAGE reserves all copyright and other rights herein, 315 As mixed martial arts (MMA) martial arts bouts? unless previously specified in writing. No part of this grows more popular, oppo- publication may be reproduced electronically or oth- nents want it regulated. erwise, without prior written permission. Unautho- FOR FURTHER RESEARCH rized reproduction or transmission of SAGE copyright- ed material is a violation of federal law carrying civil OUTLOOK 317 For More Information fines of up to $100,000. Organizations to contact. CQ Press is a registered trademark of Congressional Extreme Future? Quarterly Inc. 315 Some analysts predict action 318 Bibliography sports will lose popularity. Selected sources used. CQ Researcher (ISSN 1056-2036) is printed on acid- free paper. Published weekly, except; (Jan. wk. 1) 319 The Next Step (May wk. 4) (July wks. 1, 2) (Aug. wks. 3, 4) (Nov. SIDEBARS AND GRAPHICS Additional articles. wk. 4) and (Dec. wk. 4), by CQ Press, a division of SAGE Publications. Annual full-service subscriptions Citing CQ Researcher start at $803. For pricing, call 1-800-834-9020, ext. 1906. Extreme Fighting Permitted 319 Sample bibliography formats. 300 in Most States To purchase a CQ Researcher report in print or elec- Pro bouts are banned in tronic format (PDF), visit www. cqpress.com or call seven states. 866-427-7737. Single reports start at $15. Bulk pur- chase discounts and electronic-rights licensing are also available. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CQ Researcher, 2300 N St., N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20037. Cover: AP Photo/Eric Jamison 298 CQ Researcher Extreme Sports BY MARCIA CLEMMITT treme,” preferring the term “action sports” for pursuits THE ISSUES that they say are more about anadian teenager skills than thrills. Dean Lewis’ biggest “I . have a problem C mistake may have with it being a ‘sport’ just be- been getting into the ring in cause someone defines it as Winnipeg with a more ex- a sport,” said Terri Mills, a perienced fighter. Just 18, he planning commission mem- had a lot to learn about the ber in West Valley City, Utah, “extreme” sport of mixed mar- where tighter MMA regula- tial arts (MMA), which allows tions are being considered out combatants to use potentially of concern that bouts may deadly moves from kickbox- encourage brawls or other vi- ing, jujitsu, sumo and other olence among spectators. 3 combat techniques. After a MMA’s skyrocketing pop- series of blows to his head ularity means that if states and body, the young man don’t regulate it, illegal — collapsed in the ring with and potentially far more brain swelling and a severe dangerous — bouts will pro- concussion. As his lungs filled liferate, says Bernie Profato, with blood, ringside doctors executive director of the Ohio put a breathing tube down Athletic Commission, which his throat; Lewis suffered regulates MMA in the state. several seizures on the way The public is drawn to many to the hospital. 1 sports, including NASCAR, It was “the bloodiest fight AFP/Getty Images/Thomas Bjoernflaten because of a craving to wit- I have ever seen live,” said A BASE jumper free falls from a 3,000-foot cliff in ness risk and violence, and Keith Grienke, who blogs Lysebotn, Norway, as other jumpers watch and record unregulated fights are the the action. “BASE” stands for the four categories of fixed about MMA at cageplay.com. objects jumpers use: building, antenna, span, dangerous ones, says Profa- An “illegal upkick to the nose” Earth. After jumping, they deploy a to. Before Ohio regulated was the blow that ultimately parachute, “wingsuit,” or both. MMA, unregulated fights oc- felled Lewis, Grienke said. 2 curred all over the state, but After recovering, Lewis said he questionably the bloodiest, it is far since 2005, when MMA became le- wanted to start training again as soon from alone. Controversy also has galized and regulated in Ohio, the as possible, but that isn’t going to dogged other extreme sports such as state hasn’t had a single unregulated happen. According to one of his train- snowboarding, skateboarding, kayak- event, he says. Regulated events re- ers, Winnipeg MMA fighter Rodrigo ing down waterfalls and BASE jump- quire certified ring doctors, ban cer- Monduruca, Lewis “will never be able ing — or parachuting from buildings, tain tactics and take other precautions. to fight again — ever.” bridges and cliffs. Once considered a niche market, ac- MMA is the most controversial of Critics argue that the sports are tion sports are attracting growing in- the many so-called extreme sports that overly risky; that some, like skate- terest from the biggest media names. have vaulted onto the national stage boarding, damage property; and that The CBS television network raised eye- in recent decades.* While it is un- many, like snowboarding, promote brows in 2008 when it announced plans reckless, even thuggish, behavior. More- to periodically broadcast MMA match- over, they say spectators are attracted 4 * Extreme sports are generally defined as in- es in prime time on Saturday nights. dividual rather than team-oriented activities by the potential for severe injury and Also last year, NBC television expand- that athletes essentially invent by coloring out- violence, and they scoff at the claim ed its action-sports broadcasts beyond side the lines of the traditional sport world, that the craving to watch “the blood- competitions to include “lifestyle” cov- often by attempting extreme feats or performing iest fight” is healthy But many athletes erage of top athletes, and ESPN launched in unusual venues. say their events are mislabeled as “ex- a cluster of online sites to offer up-to- www.cqresearcher.com April 3, 2009 299 EXTREME SPORTS others are society’s creators and inno- Extreme Fighting Permitted in Most States vators. “If we didn’t have these people, At least 32 states and the District of Columbia permit both amateur we’d be back in the cave,” Farley says. and professional mixed martial arts (MMA), also known as extreme Snowboarding has furnished many or ultimate fighting. MMA is banned at the pro level in seven states an extreme image to marketers, but that’s far from the full picture, ac- and permitted as a pro-only sport in six other states. cording to Holly Thorpe, a snowboarder Regulation of Mixed Martial Arts and lecturer in sport and leisure stud- ies at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.