Here, again, the challenge wasn't to make it to the bottom without getting killed but to avoid the security personnel waiting to intercept us. Then there were more exotic sports, such as jumping fences and running across yards guarded by attack dogs without getting bitten. So, from my perspective, the recent hubbub about these seemingly dangerous sports elicits only a yawn. Rather, the spirit at the core of extreme sports is one of escape from America's homogenizing corporate culture. Spend a few minutes among any group of snowboarders or skateboarders and you will perceive their disdain for large companies' attempts to jump on the extreme sports bandwagon.
Extreme sports are an affirmation of individual freedom and power.
I took up rock climbing at 40 and climbed my first mountain the next year. I started riding horses at 45 and was galloping cross country, jumping fence and wall with abandon in pursuit of the fox within four months. My first sky dive was at 46 and my first BASE jump came two years later. However, I doubt any teenage dude could find the same joy and exhilaration in stupidly threatening life and limb. There's a whole lot more to it than adrenalin.