What is an Extreme Sport?

What is an extreme sport – me returning from a solo exploration

Some might ask, “What is an extreme sport?” and in answer I would probably suggest that they are usually outdoor activities that entail some measure of risk. The greater the risk, the more extreme the sport. Some of the better known examples of extreme sports would be half pipe skiing, street luge, and bungi jumping.

The most widely acknowledged of the most extreme sports are those that are the most visually impressive, or those that have the apparently most spectacular of consequences. You might also suggest that popularity is sometimes accelerated where there is an element of competition. It is competition that is most successfully marketed on television.

It’s not hard to classify base jumping into the list of most extreme sports, firstly, a base jump gone wrong is stunning in a ghoulish kind of way; it’s often a mistake that is captured on video in a very public place – an unexpected thump, shrieks of horror from admiring fans and limbs and body parts scattered over the impact zone. It’s all part of the culture, oddball activities with lots of risk – preferably in places where everyone can see.

Extreme sports enthusiasts say they don’t care about the established culture, life is too sanitized, “They want to feel alive”. It is this feeling of risk in extreme sports, that is appealing to both participants and spectators alike. The extent to which the counter cultural element defines extreme sports is debatable. And in this age of sponsorship and marketing it would appear that an extreme sport defines a lifestyle, or visa versa. In line with that mentality, there are huge marketing campaigns that follow certain of the better publicized events, and products that follow from the lifestyle, or supposedly define the lifestyle. Many a snowboarder might feel that they were unable to perform without the appropriate Gortex gear and withoput a Ripcurl wet suit how could a surfer possibly even get upright on their surf board? Red Bull, an energy drink, is a huge sponsor of extreme sporting events and ginseng and guarana often find their way into essential extreme sporting rehydration and energy potions, and don’t forget electrolytes.

Check out Fan Scootering here, it would appear that the people who posted this on you tube are also asking the question of,  What is an extreme sport? In answer, it certainly goes against the grain, but speed bumps might more clearly move fan scootering into the realm of an extreme sport and bell bottoms would add to the danger but look pretty neat blowing out behind a scooterist. (just kidding, but I think they have to re-consider their possible inclusion X Games) – No red Bull powers these guys, possibly diet coke or lemonade (nothing wrong with that).

Though extreme sports athletes once existed in their isolated spheres of endeavor, with only small followings of like-minded enthusiasts to applaud their daring, in the mid 90′s the extreme games concept was pitched by ESPN and now, what started as a risky proposition (appropriate I know) now appears as the X Games with a television audience of over 44 million.

In the extreme sports world, “the reward is in proportion to the risk”. In 2002, there was supposedly 1 fatality for every 60 base jumpers. Wing suiting seems to receive growing exposure amongst extreme sports groupies and the horrific death of one of the sport’s greatest athletes was captured on video when he hit a bridge while trying to fly under it and now the video can be seen on youtube. Far from dissuading potential participants, spectacular demise only encourages the subculture of people who flock to the most extreme sports of all.

Caving is an extreme sport. It has its own odd subculture and stars who are known locally by other serious participants. But caving is unlikely to develop the mass following of adrenaline junkies and arm-chair sporters. Visually, caving takes place in utter darkness, an absence of light that is so absolute that the caver’s headlamp is possibly the first light that has ever been cast upon the tunnel – such remoteness and darkness is not necessarily conducive to television. It’s unlikely that you could ever film some places that the most extreme cavers have crawled into. Cavers are exposed to a variety of risks, but to live long and accident free a caver has only to manage the risk. Cave diving is an example of the management process. Some say that cave diving is the most dangerous sport in the world. Others argue that it is generally those who do not follow the accepted procedures that die. In Canada, there is no cave dive that is within the rules and limitations of basic cave dive training. Cave diving in Canada tops the list of the most extreme sports in the world, but as a marketable sporting event it still sits back in the shadow.

In my recently published book, ‘Caving in Ontario; Exploring Buried Karst’ I write of this most extreme of activities,  a sport that might top the list of most extreme sports. Few will see a caver in the pursuit of virgin passage exploration and yet in Ontario, it is an activity that happens several times a year. Like half-pipe skiing, caving can also be a winter sport, a wetsuit and lack of bodily feeling makes caving in the winter a distinct reality.  Some of Ontario’s wild caves have been explored in temperatures that are well below freezing – in fact I’m considering a trip into extreme winter sports next weekend (not a cave with bats – there are certain ethics that must be followed). Any takers for a sponsor? Maybe Cadbury’s hot chocolate?

Anyway, if you are into caving or exploring you might find that my book ‘Caving in Ontario’ tells you something of an adventure that takes place beneath your feet where you had never thought to look for thrills. Who says that an extreme sport has to be screaming adrenaline and energy drinks? Caving is measured, paced, logical and tenacious where you might wriggle for hours through freezing mud to reach a place where no other human has ever gone. And to add to the perversity of the situation, you can do this within a short few hour’s drive of Toronto (or less). Caving is an extreme sport without the public spectacle and cheers of admiring fans.

Success in the Filth Pit – Update on my Book on Caves

Success in the Filth Pit, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Digging for caves mid-winter through a matt of frozen leaves. Need I mention how cold it is. My hands are frozen numb. In walking back through the fields to our car my muddy clothing was frozen into a shell of ice.

I suppose success is relative to your frame of reference. To me, success is finding human sized cave tunnel irrespective of the conditions or work required to get there. The dig at Shelburne took place over several years and despite the massive effort and quantity of bones that met the sunlight like crumbling logs, going cave tunnel – though just beneath the water was never entered. Here JC and I dug on only 2 consecutive weekends and beneath us there is a crevice in the rock that when enlargened opens into a crawl tunnel that possibly connects to another nearby system.

See the video here – video to the Filth Pit

Important note: (Jan 21st) – Expect just a brief delay in the availability of my newly published book, “Caving in Ontario”, I am making some brief adjustments to the global distribution rights. This being said, I need to re-check the finished manuscript and then it will go back into general access and you will again be able to purchase from Lulu. or if you are a bookstore or library or person who would prefer not to use Lulu, then you can buy from Amazon at wholesale price etc. For the private individual your best deal will be from Lulu as I have marked it for a 15% discount. ‘Caving in Ontario; Exploring Buried Karst’ should be accessible on-line again by mid next week (25th of Jan 2012)

Cave news – Caving in Ontario

Check out the article in Cave News here, book on caves,  Also my book on caves, ‘Caving in Ontario; Exploring Buried Karst’. Buy my caving book here

Caving in Ontario – Digging for more Tunnels in the Wasteland Waterway System

Caving in Ontario – Digging for more Tunnels in the Wasteland Waterway System, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Jeff and I spent the day digging for connecting tunnels around the Wasteland Waterway System.

At the end of a blind valley, where a stream disappears we began our excavation. Digging was mainly by following toward the sound of running water. Several times we bent down and listened for the noise and then that is the direction in which we dug. Being early January, despite the harsh sunlight, the water was very cold. Soon we were covered in a stinking goo of rotting leaves and slimy clay which when dried was very painful to pick free, it had matted like scabs on my arm hair and the only way to free yourself was with a garden hose and a frigid stream of water.

We hacked through clay and leaves and sticks. Finally with a puff of warmer cave air we found ourselves peering through a crevice into a passage underneath, and within there was the sound of running water. Next weekend we’ll break through the cap rock and then we’ll be into virgin tunnel. It looks like the passage is pretty clogged, but I’ll bet it is similar to the main entry, where it starts off tight and grows into something bigger. We can excavate some of the debris and crawling will be easier. This tunnel possibly links with the main Wasteland System, but there’s no guarantee.

See the mess that was our surface dig on youtube here – Digging for Caves in Ontario, and if you want to learn how to find your own caves, or just read about some really extreme explorations beneath Ontario, by divers, cave divers and explorers like myself buy my book,  Caving in Ontario; Exploring Buried Karst, here.

New Book on Caves – Caving in Ontario (Canada)

New Book on Caves – Caving in Ontario (Canada), originally uploaded by Mic2006.

This picture of me  (Michael Gordon) was taken the first time we (JC and I) went deep into Wasteland Waterway. The cave is initially a watercrawl along elliptical; pheratic tubes that wriggle around on a relatively level plain, but after our escape hole (Blue Barrel sink), and the huge spiders there, the passage quickly drops down deeper and becomes narrower and more jagged.

Some time this winter we will push beyond where we have explored thus far, into passage that remains unseen by any other human,  and hopefully find the chasm that we believe exists somewhere up ahead.

Read more on the exploration of Wasteland Waterway in my new book on caves in Ontario and see the momentous occasion of the arrival of my first copy from the printers today – new book on caves in Ontario here.

If you are interested in purchasing “Caving in Ontario; Exploring Buried Karst” click here. It looks like you can save 25% on any purchase from Lulu today if you enter the code onemorething at checkout – but deals like that change from day to day so just check the screen for codewords any day you order.

Interview with the author, “Caving in Ontario” a Book on Caves

The author of “Caving in Ontario”.

Pay no attention to that picture, they took my Scotch away and I got a little grumpy.

I thought that it might be advantageous to the prospective book buyer to understand a little about my motivations in writing the book “Caving in Ontario; Exploring Buried Karst” and so you can click on the link and it will take you to a discussion in my study.

See the interview here – Interview with author of Caving in Ontario. as you will hear I speak a little about some of my previous books and why I choose to write this one.

Check out a 12 page preview of “Caving in Ontario” here. Read more about a book on caves in Ontario here on the Edgehill Press site.

Caving in Ontario; Exploration of Buried Karst – An adventure in extreme sport in Canada

Caving in Ontario – Exploration of Buried Karst – JC following up a cave tunnel

“The newly published book, “Caving in Ontario; Exploration of Buried Karst”, is now available for purchase from Lulu at this link – “Caving in Ontario” – buy the book. On the Lulu web page you will be able to preview several pages and in paying on their site you can choose shipping options that range from single day to 1 week delivery time.

“Caving in Ontario” has been a joy to write, it records the underground caving explorations that I and those that I know have taken over the last 2 decades in Ontario. There have been some extremely hazardous, world class adventures beneath the rock of this province and I felt the need to document those as well as saying something of the culture of those who are involved in extreme sports such as this.

If you are in any way interested in what lies beneath your feet, the rock and tunnels of Ontario – this book is for you. I am personally attracted by the beauty of the underground and the mystery of what lies beyond. In “Caving in Ontario” I write of many of the known caves and some that are known only to me and my closest caving friends.  I summarize two decades of exploration and tell prospective cavers how to find their own caves. Finding caves involves understanding local geology and the clues of surface geographical features.

Buy the book “Caving in Ontario”. I look forward to hearing of your own discoveries, there’s plenty more to find.

Caving in Ontario – (the difference between caving and spelunking), Geology of Ontario, Geography of Ontario

Caving in Ontario – (the difference between caving and spelunking), originally uploaded by Mic2006.

This is an extract from my book (a screen shot of part of a page), that is finished as of now – with about a half hour before the new year. It should be available for purchase from Lulu or the Edgehill Press site within about 2 or 3 days (depending upon the size of their backlog). You would not believe the complications at the final stage of preparation. I have spent my every spare minute since the last post uploading, downloading, readjusting, making PDFs, more uploading, using photoshop, learning how to do things I never wanted to do; any way it’s done and the book looks amazing.

This section of page from my new book, “Caving in Ontario; Exploring Buried Karst”, speaks a little about how cavers see spelunkers. To be called a spelunker by a caver is a derogatory remark.

So the point is, and I need to make it quick, as there is no more than about a half hour before midnight(new Years Eve) and I have a big glass of scotch and my hot tub waiting – if you are a caver, or underground explorer of any type, somewhere near Ontario, this book is a must have (excuse the massive sentence). Caving in Ontario tells you about the caves, how to find the caves, the geography of Ontario, the geology of Ontario and the culture of the sport of caving (in Ontario). Caving in Ontario is in full color, and it contains information and pictures of places that have never been publicly seen or written of before.

You think you know Ontario?  I bet most have not seen it from this angle – a caver’s angle (looking from below).

Caving in Ontario – book

Caving in Ontario – book, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Release of the book, Caving in Ontario; Exploring Buried Karst is now imminent. I am expecting that it should be available for purchase through Lulu, or the Edgehill Press site within about 10 days – End of Dec. 2011.

Caving in Ontario; Exploring Buried Karst is as much about Ontario’s caves as it is the experience of exploring them, the culture of cavers and the people that involve themselves in this activity. Caving in Ontario is large, colorful and full of fascinating sidebars – experiences of first time explorations in places where no human has ever gone, unusual anecdotes and snippets of geological, geographical and caving information. There are the better known caves such as Dewdneys Cave, Spanky’s Paradise, Moira Cave and others, then there are also the newly discovered caves- some of which still remain only partially explored. If you are into exploring caves, this book will tell you how to find them.

If you are in any way interested in Ontario’s geography, geology or cutting edge exploration, or you’re just simply interested in caves and would like to see some interesting pictures, Caving in Ontario definitely is for you. I have been caving for over 25 years now, primarily in Ontario, where many believe that caves do not exist. Caving in Ontario will show you otherwise.

Caving in Ontario, Crawling in ooze, P – Lake

crawling in ooze, P – Lake, originally uploaded by Mic2006.

Consider that you  haven’t done any caving in Ontario until you’ve explored some of it’s beautiful marble passages that are scattered through the rock of the Canadian shield.

Long awaited, much anticipated, promised too many times and backed out of it too often. I am not proud of what i’d done to you (fellow cavers and eager blog followers). Well JC and I finally made it to P – Lake Cave. We found an easier, smarter route than over the miles and miles of beaver dams, and was it ever worth it.

This is me crawling from a room thus far unnamed, but from the pictures Maggie says we should call it “The theater”. JC took the picture.

P – Lake Cave cuts through solid marble – surrounded on either side by granite. Within there is a central passage that was dryer than we expected, but plenty of evidence of rushing water during a wetter season. My upcoming book on caving in Ontario will have full details of the experience.