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Extreme sports and new technology media essay

Table of Contents

Abstract

The research paper deciphers about the link between growth and expansion in technology with progress of extreme sports. The two important sports discussed in detail are skateboarding and surfing. The history as well as role of technology in these two sports are discussed in detail. Few other measures discusses in detail are the role of footage and marketing in the development of extreme sports.

Introduction

Sports that involve activities related to speed, extreme physical exertion and height are othen reffered to extreme sports. It is known by numerous other names as well like action and adventure sports. It is a widely accepted fact that these extreme sports activities involve an extraordinary level of inherent danger(Crossingham & Kalman, 2004). The origins of this term are still unknown. It does not have any roots from history but it gained huge popularity through marketing companies when they started promotional activities for X Games in 1990’s. As the world is still ignorant about the origins of this term, thus it is still a debate that which sports can be described as exterme sports and which sports cannot be described under this doubtful term. Another research about extreme sports brought this fact to light that extreme sports gained popularity across the globe as a result of increasingle safe life. This phenomenon explains that with evolved technology, life became easier and safe than before. The thrill of life started fading away so many people involved their lives in thrilling sports activities to enjoy their time. Many researchers are of the view that this is the purpose that resulted in the origin of extreme sport. Despite all this debate, many common characteristics are evident in sports termed as extreme sports. Extreme sports are hardly authorized and approved by schools and other academic mediums. They are usually played individually except for few which involves team participation. Another unique feature of extreme sports is that the players usually begin with their personal skills rather then relying on a professional coach. Coaches are usually hired at later stages. The major difference between extreme sports and traditional sports is the availability of controlled circumstances. In traditional sports, all the player compete with each other under controlled circumstances. On the contrary, in extreme sports, there are environmental variables that cannot be held constant for all athletes. Another integral difference beween extreme sports and traditional sports is the varying judgement criteria. In traditional sports, there are hard and fast rules for judgement criteria that cannot be amended or evolved by the judges. On the contrary, in extreme sports, performers are usually judged and evaluated on more subjective scale. It has the authority to reject unified judging methods and techniques. New ideas can be adopted and assessment criteria can be changed with changing trends(Armstrong, 2001). Technology plays a vital role in evolving ideas and bringing new concepts and thoughts in to creation. It has evolved the world tremendously. It has made advancements across the globe. This technolgy cannot be kept apart from sports as well. In fact, extreme sports people were the first ones to pioneer in involving sports in technology. They were the ones who realized the potential of modern sciences and used the developments of technology in their sports. Many evidences can be realized by human eye that can relate technology with extreme sports. For instance, traditional wheeled sports like biking clearly relate technology to extreme sports. The electric bike is another example of an evolving technology that is being implemented by the extreme sport. It is due to technology that extreme sports person can use his own capabilities and skills along with new developments of technology. These technological improvements generate many chances for extreme sport athletes to discover and progress new tricks. With an exciting soul and a slight imagination, these revolutions could be the first steps toward a brand new sport. It is this evolved and improved technology that gave boom to extreme sports. It favoured it’s growth. It is this advancement in technology that resulted in the popularity of adventure sports. The technological advances became a major reason in bringing out safety equipments and numerous types of sports devices which suggests so much security and protection as well as they are agreeable to play games with. There is no uncertainty that media played asignificant part in the history of extreme sports and took its appreciation to a higher level with the help of reality shows founded on the theory of extreme sports. Another important truth associated with extreme sports is that it has been created by the combination of two or more than two sports. For instance, sky surfing is the combination of skateboarding and surfing.

Extreme Sports Marketing

Marketing is the need of today’s world. It has made its way in all field’s of life from domestic products to high level advanced technical product. Similarly, even sports are not free from this marketing tools and strategies. It is extensively used across the globe. Marketing of extreme source is done on a large scale, thus it is a relatively tough task. Many people are of the view point that the differnce between extreme sports and traditional sports has a lot to do with the marketing tactics as it needs a huge amount of work to remove the perception about the level of risks involved. It needs effective marketing techniques and strategies to eridicate the fears and dangers in people’s mind so they can take up these sports. Extreme sports need to create a conventional image across the globe to gain popularity. Although many people have started taking interest in extreme sports as compared to past, and fears and misapprehensions are cleared to a certain extent. All these changes took place as a result of effective marketing strategies adopted. The advertisers were somewhat rapid to identify the mass appeal of the event to the public, and as a result there were so many sponsors which showed keen interest in making marketing of extreme sports an actual large scope. It is due to effective marketing techniques and strategied that the definition of extreme sports has changed tremendously. It has shifted to some other level as compared to the time of its advent. It was initially meant for describing chiefly the sport and exciting actions of adult sports like skydiving, scuba diving, rock climbing mountain biking, mountaineering, storm chasing and so on. But with the great scale on which extreme sports marketing is done particularly by the TV channels, the term has raised it’s status. Moreover, the X Games, additionally aided in growing the popularity of extreme sports. Thus marketing is significant in case of extreme sports. It is an integral measure to gain popularity.

Strength of Customers in Today’s World

Only solution to stay in this competitive world is by acquiring a good enough strength of customers and retaining them. Customers are a company’s real assets. They need to be gained and retained in long term. Capitalizing on customers is tremendously important. Following ways can be adopted to do this: Developing a system of communication with the customers across the globe. Give your customers a way to express their thoughts and opinions. This increased communication can not only establish a company’s brand and its reputation but will also help a company to eradicate its’ faults to excel further. Try to reach the customer. Express the ideas and thoughts through online forums. This will help to develop the image of the company. For instance, uploading a video on you tube will give an access to customers across the globe. People will be able to see a company’s ideas. They can gain knowledge about the product. It gives the compnay an opportunity to reach to the brand advocates and ask them to express their feedback from the footage. Hire marketers who can effeciently work on your image. Marketing is all about communicating to the comsumer about the value of a product or a service. Thus effective marketing can help a company to attain and retain customers.

History of Skateboarding

The question of who invented skateboards can never be answered with authenticity. The idea of skateboarding is 100 years old as surfers invented it but it became popular by the 1950’s as some California companies started making skateboards to be sold in the market (Martin & Connelly, 2002). Before that it was only practiced without any recognition in the world of sports. It was majorly practiced by surfers when the weather and the waves were not suitable to support surfing. Many young people were attracted towards this sport as it was different and was based on personal practice and did not involve any coaching at that time. The ones involved in this sport were called as skaters and at that time many kids were also found using skateboards as it was believed to be a fun sport. Later this sport again lost its popularity by the 1960’s because parents were concerned with the safety issues of this sport. Many injuries were reported and some of the North American cities officially banned this sport. It went through a lot of ups and downs but eventually pro skaters like Tony Hawk and Alan” Ollie” Gelfand were able to promote this sport and they became its ‘ leaders’ (Babowice, 2002).

Technology and Skateboarding

Although this sport may seem a regular sport but it involves a lot of tricks and styles like freestyle, miniature ramp, street style, etc. (Ryan, 1998). Extreme sports like skateboarding are mainly focused on experience of doing tricks and technology majorly supports such extreme sports. The skate sonic system and the Tron legacy ramp are the examples of interactive technology installations. The sonic system translates movements of skaters into a sonic landscape and the Torn legacy ramp amplified with projections and show scores demonstrating how long skaters were in the air during jumps (Warshaw, 2005). This provides guidance as well and develops the interest of individuals in this support, hence increasing its popularity. Interactive technology is helping in sharing the experience of skateboarding and such other sports. Technology has majorly helped in the advancement of these boarding sports. Mathletics is a process that combines math, sports and technology. As sports always uses numbers in some way, whether for scoring, percentages, finding averages, or keeping track of other data (Borden, 2001). All these kind of techniques supports all kind of sports including skateboarding. All this involves technology and this promotes such extreme sports in the sports world. Technology is used everywhere and shows its wonders in various fields in unique manner. One of the products of science and technology that helps athletes and boarders is the Multi-Directional Impact Protection System, or MIPS. This is a special helmet that minimizes head injuries as it is designed in a way to protect brain from rotational violence. One of the major issues with sport is related to head injuries and it was a concern of all to minimize these incidents and provide a safer environment for skaters. The latest technological improvements have minimized these instances and people involved in this business are constantly trying to improve.

Surfing History

Surfing is an art of wave riding and is one of the oldest sports starting from 1700’s. This sport was popular in ancient Hawaii culture (Jones, 2006). Rather it is believed that surfing is a gift from Hawaii to the sports industry. After Hawaii surfing extended to Australia as it gained popularity in this region and Australia added its own color to this sport. . Initially it was believed that only the Hawaii people can surf the waves but later this sport was practiced across the world as it gained popularity. Surfing lost its popularity by the 19th century and only few people practiced this sport with some simple tricks. Late by the 1930’s this sport was reinvented by rebuilding some new types of surfboards. The builders experimented in making new form of surfboards and this supported the surfers to try new tricks. Initially the surf boards were of larger size but with improves methods reduced its size increasing the efficiency. This was also named as ‘ surfboard revolution’ (LLC, 2010). With the invention of new chemicals and materials many new types of surfboards were introduced to the market and this modified this form of sport and increased its popularity. With all these kind of risky extreme sports many technological advances are being made to enhance protection and make these sports safer.

Surfing and Technology

Technology has changed our world and has transformed our lives. It also as its impact on the recreational and sports activities. With the web technology and increasing use of internet this sport of surfing gained fame throughout the world. As surfing has gained a position as a popular sport people are investing much in this sport. The companies making surfboards are constantly investing to make better and quality surfboards. A company named Watercooled has been providing surfboards since 1975 and it aims to make stronger and lighter surfboards. They are using the most advanced technology to innovate in this field. Similarly other surfboard makers are also investing in this field as it is a source of their revenue. The wetsuits used for surfing have also been modified over time and the manufacturing companies promote their wetsuits with improvements to increase their sales. One of the ways to promote this sport of surfing is through development of surf pools. This is done by replicating beaches and waves and hence providing more opportunities for surfers. These are manmade bodies of water and waves generators are used to support surfers and to promote this form of sport (Lochtefeld, 2007). The capital cost of making these surf pools has not been regarded as economical by the experts but this helps in the training of individuals interested in this sport. Internet and web pages is also playing its role as people are sharing ideas thorough this mode of communication. The best location to surf and pictures and techniques of surfing are all available on the worldwide web. All these advances are only possible due to the new technology.

Impact of Footage Editing

Advantages of Footage for Marketing

There are numerous advantages of footage for marketing. Few are listed below: It can access customers across the globe as it is free and open. It is royalty-free and license-free. It is a better way to express the uniqueness of a productMost effective way of communicating a message to the consumer

Computer Editing: Making the Most of the Footage

Computer editing of footage will play a significant role in marketing a product effectively and creating a name for the product across the globe. Editing a footage with the purpose of attracting customers across the globe is much more than just cutting down the unwanted scenes. The editing process is an important process if an organization tends to use this method to attract customers. Following steps can be taken to edit and effective marketing video. Organize the footage: Organize the clips and then watch all the footage and take broad notes. Make sure to remove clips that are obviously unfeasible and mark the actual finest clips. Revisit the script: Go back to the original script and check to see if all the footage required delivering the story. Reshoot if required. Gather additional material: add graphics, sound effects and photos to the footage as per requirement. This will be done in editing in order to improve the image of the footage. Making a rough cut: gather the footage to create a first-draft style of the video. To do this, revisethe script, catch the best clips for each scene, and put them on the editing program’s timeline in the correct order. Start refining: Go through the video numerous times and make developments. Polish the editing: use the best technology available to improve the quality of the footage. The more colors one add, the more it attracts the customers. Add best possible visual and sound effects to create an image of the brand. In today’s modern era, obselete style of editing tends to leave a negative impact in consumer’s mind thus using modern systems for editing is necessary. Add sound effects: Add music and sound effects if required. This will create a positive image in the mind’s of the customer and play a significant role in attracting the him. It will also encourage the people to try the product or service as it will look tempting and worth trying through effective footage. Despite the fact that video editing is a time-consuming process but it is the requirement of today’s evolving world. Competing in the market and creating a name is not an easy task in today’s competitive era. It needs hell of an effort and without evolving in context of technology will impact negatively.

Attract Public through Footage

The basic target of internet merketer is to keep the cost of advertising low while attracting the customers across the globe. For this purpose, footage is processed in a way that it can attract a wide variety of customers. Footage uses the following tacts to attract the customers: Demonstrating Products: footage gives an opportunity to businesses to display their products in action. Creating Community: Businesses that have a following can use footage as an instrument to share and involve with customers. Showing the brand properly: it gives a chance to the company to properly reveal the facts about the brand. It is an effective marketing tool to convince consumers. Solving customer’s problem: a footage is a good and effective tool to solve customer’s problem. At times the company is well aware of the customer’s fears and apprehension. Thus footage provides it an opportunity to solve the problem that might arise in customer’s mind through practical demonstration. For instance, people have developed numerous fears and apprehensions about extreme sports, so in this case footage can play an integral role to cut down the fears and wild thoughts of the customers. Practical demonstration might help to eradicate the negativity about extreme sports. Thus, footage is an essential way to market a product or service effectively.

Features of Phantom HD Gold camera

The unique and distinctive features of Phantom HD Gold camera are as follows: enhanced general camera performanceimproved latitude in cine filesextra established black balanceenhanced thermal strengthcompact fixed pattern noisebetter reliability of the CineMag interfacenew video encoder for additional HD-SDI formatsAll these unique and distinctive features of this cameramakesit better capable of widespread and better coverage. With these enhaced features, the benefits of sports that can attained by proper coverage can be greatly improved and progresses. Many new skills in extreme sports can be acquired from the proper coverage of these sports activities. Once these sports activities are played live on television or their footage is uploaded on various forums, many new skills can be learnt. Thus advancement in technology has helped individuals one or the other way to progress in the field of sports.

New DSLR Cameras

Numerous advantages of using DSLR camera can be listed like faster auto focus and shutter, more imaging options and the ability to change lens. Although it is thought as expensive and way too professional. Despite this being true, there are several advantages that can come over the price of the camera. The advantages of using DSLR are as follows: Quick auto focus and shutter release can be time consumingLenses is another advantage with effects like adding depth and adding different and unique effects to the photo like using a widr fisheye lens. A telephoto lens can help to get the picture of little Timmy running down the field to score the game-winning touchdown without it appearing ” a mile away.” Several options in color, brightness can give better results. DSLR allows full control over the picture which is a benefit

How Technology Shapes Extreme Sports

The world of extreme sports is developing with technological advancement. This technology has given many athletes a chance to excel in extreme sports as compared to past. For instance, particularly planned squirrel suits, athletes can now plunge themselves off cliffs, travelling left and right as they go effeciently down to the valley. High-definition video reels aid half pipe skateboarders and snow boarders see their mid-air rotations much more evidently, permitting them to adjust their approaches to learn new moves more professionally(Alan, 2012). World has advanced drastically in context of technology. Every field of life has evolved including sports. Technology is changing every aspect of sports from coaching to judging, from design and structure to spectators experience. Every individual associated with extreme sports is being benefitted to a certain extent and has gained a competitive advantage. As sports focus on human performance, thus technology needs to benefit sports person to get fruitful results. Some technology transforming sports facts are as follows:

Ingestible Computers

The second leading cause that can result in death of a sports person during performance is heat fatigue. During the past, the best possible solution to avoid this risk of life was through observation but signs of heat fatigue can be ignored by athletes as accurate observation is not possible at all times so a technological development known as thermometer pill can serve the purpose of saving lives. The pill is a micro-battery wrapped in silicon and once swallowed, a sensor conveys temperature and heart rate statistics to the coach as it moves through the gastrointestinal tract(Grossman, 2012). In case of extreme sports, tough tasks are included this can easily raise body temperature so this pill can play a valuable role. Thus one of the fears associated with extreme sports can be reduced by this technological advancement and hence extreme sports can gain more popularity.

Wearable Computers

These wearable computers can play an effective role to moniter the heartbeat rate, body temperature, hydration and more. This can reduce the risk of life thus extreme sports are particularly benefitted due to this discovery. As extreme sports involve tough tasks as compared to traditional sports, thus this technological advancement would be beneficial for the success of extreme sports. A major problem with extreme sports is the perception of people about the risks associated with these kinds of sports so once technology can reduce the risks of life, a positive impact is generated(Tamburrini, 2005).

Biomimetic

Science has played a vital role in improving the performance of athletes. It has made tremendous innovations to help in sports related activity and biomimecry is another effective approach developed to aid in sports. Scientists have advanced materials that rise in adhesive strength while in motion. These materials make many tasks relatively easy especially for athletes involved in extreme sports. These products reduce the risk of life thus more and more people dare to try the thrill of extreme sports. It is an evident truth that extreme sports were considered dangerous few decades back because of the risk it can incur but thanks to developing and evolving technology which has made innovations to reduce the risk of life. Thus the extreme sports are boosted.

Carbon Nanotechnology

Atomic structure determines the strength of any material. Numerous advancements have been made with the help of the atomic structure and configuration os carbon. Using nanotechnology, scientists work on carbon’s atomic structure to formulate carbon-based tubes that are very small, extremely light and tougher than steel. These tubes can be very beneficial as they have the potential to operate at extreme temperatures which makes them attractive and useful for extreme sports athletes while performing tasks at extreme heights and in extreme weather conditions(Hile, 2012 ). Thus the risk to life is reduced with the advent of this technology.

Computational Fluid Dynamics

Fluid dynamics has been studied from past many decades but computational fluid dynamics emerged in 1950’s. CFD is essential to the development of anything that moves including cars, bicycles, helmets and swimsuits and even human athletes( Zikanov, 2012). All these advancements have given rise to extreme sports. This form of sports would have been impossible without technological advancements. Thus the point proved is that without growth and expansion in technology, extreme sports would not have been able to progress of gained popularity among common people who are involved in this for the sake of enjoying leisure time.

Digital Imaging and Video

In this century, one cannot even imagine a global sports industry without television to play every moment. There are multiple pruposes of showing this live coverage. Firstly, it entertains spectators across the globe. Secondly, it it can generate ample amount of revenue through advertisments. Lastly, it serves a huge purpose of shaping up sports. Phil Orlins, senior coordinating producer of ESPN’s X Games and Winter X Games, says miniature, wireless and handheld digital cameras that ” give viewers unbelievable proximity, put them in the action and take them just about any place so that they can see just about anything” have altered the sports-viewing experience. Now the question arises that what role this technology plays in extreme sports. The answer is quiet simple. This live broadcast of extreme sports activities develops the confidence of people. It lessens their apprehensions and fears about extreme sports activities thus impelling people to participate in this adventurous sports.

Information Technologies

Information technology has gained popularity across the globe. In this era, world is unimaginable without information technology residing in every field of life. Every profession has made information technology its integral part. The trend towards mobile and instant data has boosted. Similarly, sports also uses this technology to make advancements. Several modern equipments like remote cameras, global positioning system devices, broadband networks are being used in sports activities. Information technology has deeply touched the roots of all sports activities. Several facts and figures can be analyzed with the help of this technology. Thus, all these modern day advancements play a vital role in reaching audience across the globe. As a result of this apprehensions and fears about extreme sports activities are reduced. The perception is improved. People have developed a deep insight of the concept of extreme sports, thus impelling people to participate in these adventurous sports. On the whole, information technology has shaped up the life of every individual positively. People have developed the potential to excel in all fields of life.

Reactive Materials

High-speed sports increase the risk of athletes. Until recently, protective clothing that could absorb influence was a lot huge and limiting. But with advancements in science and various discoveries protective clothing is improving. A material is discovered that moves with the body and is reflex but hardens when the person wearing it is exposed to any accident or hurt anyway. These clothes are composed of embedded materials with nanoparticles that become rapidly rigid as soon as a kinetic energy threshold is touched. This development can be extremely helpful to extreme sports people who could be seriously hurt if they fell and for people who can come into bodily harm unexpectedly. Fresh uses include gear for downhill skiers and dirt bike racers, as well as ballet shoes and shorts for equestrians. Thus the fear of being hurt in extreme sports activity can be lessened.

Robotics

Robots can provide tremendous benefits and advantages to scientists. The advantages they provide are numerous. For instance, they cannot complain or work on their own personal will. They are just programmed according to personal requirements and can be helpful in testing various skills and situations. Robots programmed to pretend sports movements such as tennis or golf swings. Robots can even be automated to sweat. Using robots, researchers can do many useful tests in less time, under extremely controlled and measured surroundings ( Siciliano, et al., 2010). A latest research conducted in Japan used robots to judge the effects of joint motion on ski turns. This can help sky divers to precise their movements according to the results of the research conducted with the help of the robot. Thus, such procedures which are conducted with the help of advanced technology can help in extreme sports as well. As mentioned earlier that extreme sports basically depends on personal skills more and less on coaching. But due this robot practices, many skills can be improved.

Tool-less Manufacturing

Buying a customized product is very costly. But this cost barrier can be reduced with improved technology. In-store diagnostics, including 3-D body scanners that examine body shape and kinematics, along with ” tool-less” or direct digital manufacturing in place of molded dies or templates, are making custom-fit a true likelihood. It images about 300, 000 points on a human body to develop virtual try on systems and clothes that can be custom-made on the spot. Thus this also reduced the cost of customized clothes for extreme sports athletes as they always need special clothes for the kind of sports they are usually involved in.

Skill Development in Past Decade

Along with the growth and progress in technology skills have also developed drastically in the past decade. As mentioned earlier, risks and dangers of extreme sports are greatly reduced and the skills are improved. Better coaching facilities are made available as world has turned into a global village where exchange of information and skills is made much more easier and convinient as compared to the past. Thus this exchange of technology across the globe has developed the skills of extreme sports people. It is due this technological advancement that people are given the opportunities and chances to learn and practise new skills. This is due to improved technology that has led people to learn and nourish new skills but help and aiding instruments are provided as excel in the field of sports. various tacts can beused by sports people to test their individual skills. First of all, the basic step would be to make a comparison between visual feedback from the athlete’s movement with the technical model that is to be attained. Both must be inaccordance to each other. Consider the following points while accessing atletes performance: Focus on the basic that whether they are correct and precise or notIs the direction of the movement inaccordance with technical model’s claculationsIs the rhythym precise and exact as per requirementAll these skill testing practices that are being made in the previous century are made possible with the development of kinesthetic feedback (Lengel & Kuczala, 2010). With the advent of this system in past decade, skill development has accelerated.

Conclusion

On the whole, extreme sports activities and technological pogress are directly related. Although extreme sports came into being few decades back but without the backing of technological development, extreme sports were unable to earn a reput or name for itself. Risks and dangers associated with these sports activities were exploited and misunderstood. But with time and progress, many new equipments were developed that led to nullify the misapprehensions and fears. Now, in this era, extreme sports are prevalent to the extent that people practise them for the sake of adding thrill to their lives. These activities are widely practised across the globe by common men. Thus, technology has open up new ways for extreme sports activities. Technology has been proved as a blessing.

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