How many of you have made a New Year’s resolution to push yourself to try something new? How about taking up an extreme sport? We’ve put together a list of the top 15 extreme sports to try in 2015. These are not for the fainthearted, but look like a lot of fun! Think we’ve missed anything? Let us know in the comments.
Not quite ready to jump into an extreme sport? Why not try photographing them instead.
1. Parkour
Parkour is also known as free-running and involves running, jumping and climbing your way around anything in your path. This impressive discipline was developed from military obstacle course training.
2. Downhill mountain biking
This is one of the most extreme types of mountain biking and is practiced on steep, rough terrain that often features jumps, drops, rock gardens and other obstacles. Gulp….
3. Sandboarding
Perhaps unsurprising given the name, sandboarding is very similar to snowboarding except it’s done on sand. Its popularity is growing and sandboarding competitions and events are held around the world.
4. Slacklining
This involves walking along a piece of rope that is fixed high above the ground. It’s different from tightrope walking as the rope must be slack rather than tight.
5. Trike drifting
Trike drifiting involves riding specially designed trikes down a steep hill with sharp corners. The trikes are designed to drift and can reach speeds of up to 50mph! Sounds extreme to us.
6. Bodyboarding
Bodyboarding is very similar to surfing but the rider lies on their stomach or kneels on a smaller soft board, rather than standing.
7. Skateboarding
Although many of us first came across skateboarding at school, there’s a more extreme element to the sport involving jumping, spinning and other cool tricks.
8. Skiing
Skiing is a popular hobby in many countries and is often seen as a great way to relax…but then there’s extreme skiing which is done on long, steep slopes in the mountains and adds an element of danger!
9. Zorbing
You might not have heard of this one, but it involves rolling down a hill inside an ‘orb’ made of plastic. Yes, it really is as crazy as it sounds.
10. BASE jumping
A BASE jumper parachutes from a fixed structure or cliff. BASE is an acronym for all the things you can jump off – building, antenna, span (e.g. bridge), and Earth (e.g. cliff). Not sure we’re brave enough for this…
11. Snowboarding
For anyone who isn’t sure what snowboarding involves, it’s riding down a snowy slope with a snowboard strapped to your feet. How extreme snowboarding is will depend on the course and the tricks you choose!
12. Cliff diving
This is one of the simplest and least expensive extreme sports on our list. No equipment needed, just find a cliff and dive off. Want to get competitive? Check out the .
13. Rafting
White water rafting is all about navigating your boat through water. There are 6 grades of white water rafting so if you’re new to it we suggest you start with grade 1 (described by the experts as very basic!)
14. Canyoning
This involves travelling through canyons using a variety of methods including walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling and swimming.
15. Freestyle motocross
This is a variation on motocross and sees motorcycle riders attempting to impress judges with jumps and stunts…we’re definitely impressed!
Take a look at some of our image categories for more 2015 inspiration.