Extreme Sports

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

These eight books are full of engaging text and colour photographs of
amazing athletes performing gravity-defying tricks. Extreme Sports
offers an overview of both popular and lesser-known extreme sports. Each
of the others focuses on a particular extreme sport. Those volumes all
follow a similar format: an introduction to the sport is given, which is
then followed by a warning that the stunts shown are done by seasoned
professionals and should not be attempted by amateurs; next are sections
on the history and culture of the sport, and the equipment needed. The
different variations of each sport and a selection of the most common
moves and tricks are explained.

Extreme Sports offers an overview of both popular and lesser-known
extreme sports. Extreme BMX introduces the reader to the rules and moves
of BMX racing, freestyle BMX, dirt freestyle, street BMX, Flatland
riding, and vert BMX. In Extreme Climbing, the different surfaces for
climbing (natural, indoor walls, and ice) are discussed, as is the
difference between bouldering, lead climbing, and top-roping. Extreme
In-line Skating covers the most common tricks in both vert and street
skating (such as grinds and aerials) and looks at the sport of speed
in-line skating. Extreme Motocross deals with dirt-bike racing,
supercross indoor track racing, and freestyle motocross, as well as
endurance motocross and trail riding. Extreme Skateboarding focuses on
the fundamentals and tricks involved in the vert and street variations
of the sport. Extreme Snow-boarding describes the racing competitions
(slalom, boardercross), the freestyle competitions (half-pipe, big air),
riding in snowboard parks, and freeriding. Extreme Surfing explains the
two main surfing styles of shortboarding and longboarding and the tricks
(such as aerials and hanging 10) that can be done with each.

Within each of the books, there are also short biographies of the most
famous athletes (male and female), and each book concludes by
encouraging youngsters to get the proper safety equipment and coaching
before trying these dangerous sports. A glossary at the back defines
bolded words in the text, and a list of websites is included.

These books will strongly appeal to youngsters interested in learning
about the basics of the sports; parents will be pleased with the
emphasis on safety. Each book is recommended.