Extreme sports Essay Example for Free

Extreme sports Essay The X Games is one of the more popular sporting events, where people gather to watch athletes compete in extreme sports. Some of these sports include skateboarding, mountain biking and motorcycle racing. The community around extreme sports can sometimes be seen as exclusive and particular when it comes to defining what an extreme sport is and who is a true extremist. Originally, I believe the extreme sport community created this division of athletics because they thought their sports did not fit in at a standard sporting event. Part of the reason some the extreme athletes participate in their sport is because they see it as  a way of defying the boundaries of what is seen as a typical sport. Most extreme sports are about pushing limits. Extreme sports are not conventional in the sense that practicing isn’t really necessary, a coach isn’t necessary, and the sports are very individualistic. Some of the extreme sport athletes do it for the adrenaline rush. They do it purely for themselves. Their reasoning contrasts to some of the other sports where lots of practice and coaching is essential for success. A lot of the athletes that compete in non extreme sports are focused on getting sponsors or when you’re younger, getting recruited for college. For the extreme sport community this is considered to be feeding into the capitalist society/culture. Part of extreme sports is about taking risks and not having anything to fall back on. The X games have put a strain on the extreme sports community because some seem to think that the event has altered the true goal of the sport, which is to take risks and to go against the mainstream culture. Some people seem to believe that it has become like the other sporting events, in the sense that there are now big sponsors and judges. They argue that the extreme athletes are no longer taking risks because they want to make  sure they can land the trick. The goal is no longer to try new tricks and push the bar, but its more about doing what you know will please the judges. This goes against what extremist originally wanted for the sport. It takes the risk out of it and you no longer do it for yourself but for the judges. The fact that there are sponsors is also a cause for controversy because some people see it as the athletes being sellouts. For example, Tony Hawk is famous skate boarder. He has a lot of sponsors, video games, and ads. Some say he is no longer a true extremist because of it. At the same time, what makes the sports in the X games more extreme than say diving or gymnastics? Both sports are very individualistic and there is a lot of a risk, yet they are not seen as extreme sports. I think the extreme sports community has tried to make their community too exclusive and extreme sports benefit from the X games and the sponsors and judges it brings. The event does bring aspects that were not originally a part of the sport, but the extreme sports community will grow now. Extremist can still continue to push limits and do the sport for themselves despite what others may think.

Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi Essay -- Books Lite

Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi For my final paper, I read a book titled 'Stolen Lives' by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi. This is the true story of Malika's life. This book is divided into two parts; the first part is a description of Malika's fairy-tale life. She lived alongside a princess, in a palace, and was wanting for nothing. The second part of the book tells the story of Malika and her family's time spent in prison and the suffering they went through. Malika Oufkir was born in 1953 in Morocco to a loving mother and father. Her family was very close to King Muhammad V and the royal family of Morocco. Her father was appointed the chief aide to the king after playing an active role in bringing the king back from exile. The king had a young daughter, Lalla Mina, the same age as Malika and wanted them to grow up together so he asked that Malika come and live with him. This was not a request her parents could say no to. She was basically taken from her parents without much explanation to her and brought to live with the royal family. Her mother was allowed to visit her but the visits became less and less frequent. Malika lived inside of the palace where she attended school. She lived a luxurious life, and was treated like a princess herself, but felt like she was a prisoner. The palace was surrounded by walls and her every move was watched so she could not go outside of these walls. The only time she could leave was when the royal family left to vacation at another palace. The king treated Malika very well, as if she were his own daughter. After routine surgery, King Muhammad V died when Malika was seven. King Hassan II, the son of King Muhammad, took over the throne. Malika?s mother thoug... ...e survived all this time in the conditions they had to endure. But I don?t think they could have survived if it weren?t for the support they showed for one another. This is an amazing story of the human spirit and of a bond that held this family together. I would recommend this book to any person that likes human-interest stories. I think we need to be aware that this still does go on in some parts of the world. I enjoy learning about history and this story provided some historical information. I realize how far we have come in this country with women?s rights and how primitive some societies still treat women. Also, it served as a reminder to me that different parts of the world have very diverse beliefs and how lucky we are to live in this country. Works Cited Oufkir, Malika, and Michele Fitoussi. Stolen Lives. New York:Editions Grasset & Fasquelle. 1999

Strange Meeting

La’Monta Smith 11/19/12 AP Lit and Comp Strange Meeting By Wilfred Owen In Strange Meeting wrote by Wilfred Owen we enter this poem Owen seemingly escapes out of a battle with very little knowledge of where he is exactly at. After exploratory investigation among the many piteous men and surroundings he discovers he is in the pits of hell. Afterwards, we are drawn into a conversation between the narrator and a fellow solder.Here, we transfer from the narration and dialogue to the poems’ monologue where we begin to dig into the depths of the solder’s spirit. The solder claims that has reason to mourn because of the years he didn’t get to live and how he was cheated out of his future. He also points out that solders are taken for granted by the ones they aren’t in war, and are just content of the spoils of the solders brought them. Blood Boiling indicates that the men, most likely fellow solders , don’t feel accomplished in their voyages in war. The solder then begins to reminisce on who he was before the war, and what he could’ve and would’ve done Differently, but is brought back to reality that he is still in hell. Owen continues to embrace the solders thoughts as he briefly talks about his youth before he began marching the â€Å"retreating world† . A sense of regret is apparent when he says that he wish he could cleanse his soul by washing away the blood that he as spilled.He continues by claiming that he gave his all in war, but he did not expect the amount of death he is surrounded with . Nearing the end, the bond between the Owen and the solder is It is Important to pay attention to the word diction that this poem also has. With horror, the primary Speaker Realizes that it was he who took the man’s life and future away but then rationalizes with Him by stating they were put in an arena and their deaths were inevitable.

Analysis Of The Poem Yolo - 1041 Words

Greetings Cocalico students, staff, faculty, family, and friends. Like many of you I have been anticipating this day since the beginning of senior year, and WOW what a fun year it has been. We’ve won a league football title, shared a few laughs, tore apart the spirit monkey, shared a few laughs, we had our tennis and lacrosse teams go into districts, shared a few laughs, and most importantly, make some lifelong memories along the way (and did I mention share a few laughs). Today I am going to transform the ever popular saying â€Å"YOLO† (You only live once) into a more realistic, and more fitting phrase, YODO. YODO is not the famous Star Wars character Yoda’s brother, but rather the title of my speech and more importantly the phrase I live by†¦show more content†¦Throughout my high school years I have and continually questioned that popular belief, contributing to over 7 different sports teams, groups, and organizations throughout my high school years a nd it could not have been more rewarding. Questioning things allows us to find the reality, and most times, the reward, of truth in our lives. Continually searching for this truth will allow you to love and give meaning to life. My second piece of advice as you wander out into the â€Å"real world† is to be fearless. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was spot on with these famous words from his Inaugural Address, â€Å"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself†. As redundant as his quote is, it could not be more perfect in describing the key to enjoying life. Being fearless means that your fears should not be in the way of experiencing opportunities that create lifelong memories. The concept of a fear is absolutely pointless for two reasons. The first reason is that you should never be afraid to try something new. When I was younger, I was absolutely terrified of roller coasters. And I mean terrified. For those of you who are familiar with Hershey Park, the Trailblazer was a stretch for me to go on. As I grew older (and sadly not much taller), I came to realize that there was no reason for my fear. It was simply something new. When I finally rode my first big roller coaster