The origins and global spread of extreme sports like parkour

The Dangerous Sports Club at Oxford University pioneered modern bungee jumping with jumps from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in 1979, influencing the rise of extreme sports.

Britain became the first country to recognize parkour as a sport in 2016, with Sport England acknowledging its growing popularity and organized training programs.

BMX (bicycle motocross) emerged in the 1970s in California, with kids using bikes to race on dirt tracks, later evolving into a competitive sport with freestyle events.

The internet, particularly platforms like YouTube, enabled parkour practitioners to share videos of stunts, rapidly spreading the sport’s visibility and inspiring global communities.

Skateboarding debuted at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, alongside BMX freestyle, bringing street sports to a global stage and legitimizing their mainstream appeal.

David Belle, along with friends like Sébastien Foucan, founded the Yamakasi group in 1997, popularizing parkour in France through performances and the 2001 film *Yamakasi*.

Skateboarding began in the 1950s in California when surfers attached wheels to wooden planks, evolving into a global sport by the 1970s with skate parks and competitions.

*Casino Royale* (2006) included a parkour chase with Sébastien Foucan, showcasing dynamic stunts that increased global interest in parkour through mainstream media.

The term “extreme sports” became popular in the 1990s, driven by ESPN’s X Games (launched in 1995) and the Extreme Sports Channel, promoting sports like skateboarding and BMX.

Georges Hébert’s “Méthode Naturelle,” emphasizing natural movement like running and climbing, influenced French military training and later parkour, developed by David Belle in the 1980s.