| This past Thanksgiving I watched my gracious host’s children set up a rolling fire pit on their deck, add a few hits of WD-40 and set up ramps so they could jump their mountain bikes over the flames.
I suppose this is a natural progression if you live in the suburbs, are under the age of 15 and watch copious amounts of Spike TV. Their youngest has dug a hole in the backyard, seven-feet deep and five-feet wide, for fun. These kids go to school and hockey five times a week. I’m not sure where the hell they get their energy or time, but it appears endless. I feared for the future.
And then I discovered what the big kids were up to.
You can see the future of extreme sport at wheelbarrowfreestyle.com. Back in 2000, a few British lads decided to cut loose with a wheelbarrow at the urban games in London. The judges were unimpressed with the whirling and balancing act, but the crowds were hooked and a new sport was born. The site provides a vague history in addition to video clips of wheelbarrow tricks and specifications for modifying your dad’s rusty cart in the shed.
This site is highly recommended for impressionable youth and adults alike. There are no helmets involved and I can’t be entirely sure the video participants are sober.
A television special is pending. |
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