Many modern body surfers use a pair of swim fins as their only piece of equipment, while others use none at all. Body surfing enthusiasts often cite a feeling of greater connectedness with the waves as the main reason for eschewing surfboards.

15. Free Soloing

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Free soloing is about as hardcore as rock climbing gets, and it’s definitely not a sport to be taken up lightly. It’s an extremely technical and demanding form of climbing that uses no ropes, harnesses, or other protective equipment. And you must climb alone. 

Alex Honnold made headlines and entered the record books in 2017 when he ascended to the top of Yosemite’s El Capitan in just such a manner. Few humans are built to achieve such a feat, but there is a devoted group of daring climbers who try. 

16. Big Game Hunting

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Hunting big game may seem like a one-sided sport, but that’s not always the case. Many big game hunters face significant dangers getting close enough to their quarry for a clean shot, and in many cases that danger comes from the animals themselves.

There’s a lively debate to be had about the ethics of killing large game animals, and which side you fall on may determine whether this is a sport for you. At the end of the day, revenue from hunting licenses goes a long way toward preserving wildlife habitat, and hunting is arguably the most sustainable way to harvest meat for the table.

17. Extreme Ironing

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Extreme ironing. It’s a sport that begs the question: “do people actually do this?” As it turns out, yes they do. The Extreme Ironing Bureau even has its own Facebook page.

Just what is extreme ironing? It’s an adventure sport in which participants iron clothes in extreme and hard-to-reach locations, such as the top of a mountain, in a river raft, or at the bottom of the ocean. In that way, it actually combines a lot of different extreme hobbies. I swear I’m not making it up.