One of the more extreme sports available would be skateboarding- one of the riskiest sports available. The high risk of injury drives most people away, but adrenaline junkies and curious sports enthusiasts have made the world of skateboarding both large and extremely popular. In fact, many diehard skateboarders, or skaters, see the sport as an art form.

Skateboarding was originally started in the 1950Õs as an alternative to surfing. In fact, the earlier days of skateboarding brought the phrase Òsidewalk surfingÓ, since that was the sport it was actually imitating. Through the coming years, skateboarding earned its own name and became popular among the contest and competitive circuit. The big names in skateboarding went on to create large companies that sold many types of skateboarding equipment- from Tony Alva to Rodney Mullen.

The bulk of attraction that skateboarding holds to extreme sports enthusiasts is the ability to do tricks while in the air, or performing a combination of tricks. The term Ollie was created, named after the skateboarder who created the action, to describe a trick that lets the skateboarder to gain leverage off the ground. This leverage enables skateboarders to do a wide array of tricks and stunts, all without the use of a ramp or half-pipe.

General assumptions are made by those who donÕt skateboard, directed towards those who do. While skateboarding is largely a male sport, around ¼ of skateboarders are actually female. The common conception about skateboarders is that they are mostly rebellious teens. While the statistics do show that the majority of skateboarders are under the age of 18, many of them come from all walks of life. This negative image was given to skateboarders almost exactly when the sport started, but recent propaganda in films and ads are seeking to put a positive outlook on skateboarders.

Other than a hobby, skateboarding has become a profession for a great amount of skateboarders. The most popular skateboarder in recent pop culture and possibly the most rich- is Tony Hawk. Tony started skateboarding at a young age, and has grown into a pop icon. This gives the world of skateboarding a very positive vibe, as it can be used as a profession, and not just a hobby. While the odds of landing a successful career as a skateboarder are slim for most, the sport remains to be a therapeutic and adrenaline-grabbing adventure for most.

Skateboarding is likely to cause a few injuries, despite wearing protective gear. Going so fast on hard pavement, and skating on unorthodox things, usually means a setup for disaster. Just about every type of injury imaginable has been experienced- broken bones, torn ligaments, scrapes, bruises, and much more. However, this is part of the appeal that extreme sport enthusiasts obtain from the sport. On average, skateboarding can be a very safe sport if protective gear is used. The tradeoff of a lot of practice can mean as much as a career, or at the very least a great way to release some stress. If an outgoing and risky sport is desired, look no further than skateboarding.