10 World’s Strangest Extreme Sports You Didn’t Know Existed

If your idea of an “extreme sport” is quickly rolling over your sleeping cat to plug in a dying phone at 1%, it might be time to level up. Sure, skydiving and bungee jumping are classic adrenaline adventures, but, as you would expect from bored humans, the world is full of bizarre ways to make your heart rate go into the stratosphere. We’re discussing extreme sports such as toe-to-toe combat, bouncy volleyball, and the thrill of chasing cheese down a hill.

These sports are wild, risky, and surprisingly community-building, which is perfect if you want stories that make your coworkers go, “Wait… you did WHAT on the weekend?”

Before you get too hyped, let’s gear up, learn the rules, and don’t confuse “viral” with “invincible.” Adventure is wonderful. Recovering from a major injury—not so much.

Bo-Taoshi (Japan)

Imagine capture-the-flag if the “flag” were a giant wooden pole and each team had 150 players. One side defends their pole; the other tries to topple it. What follows is a tactical, chaotic swarm, like a living rugby scrum. It’s basically two human pyramids, lots of grappling, and classic Japanese-style shouts of victory.