Top 10 Action Extreme Sports Athletes List | Be Sportier

Here's our Top 10 Action Extreme Sports Athletes list. The people on this Top 10 Action Extreme Sports Athletes list are hero-worshiped by some, but loved by all. For some athletes, they don't have worries about how one slip up could literally end it all for them. They just have to pick up a ball, but on their gear, and hop right into it. While this is true for the more publicly known sports in which athletes take part in(basketball, football, baseball, etc.), there are other athletes in sports that require a little higher danger level that these athletes must accept to properly perform their job. This is where the world of extreme sports comes into play. Extreme sport athletes risk serious danger every time they partake in the sport they love, and make a living off of. Every circuit, event, warm up, or trick could really be the last one at anytime if they are not properly prepared and the event is conditioned properly as well. That is probably why extreme sports have such strong followings, and is defiantly why these athletes deserve the up most respect from non extreme sport athletes. In this article, you will be able to find 10 of the most deaf defying athletes in the extreme sports world.

Danny Way

It can't be a proper list of extreme sport athletes and the skateboarding legend Danny Way not be mentioned. Besides being possibly the greatest vert skateboarder the sport has ever seen, he's done some really cool stuff outside of competitions. Don't be confused, having one five gold medals and one silver at the X Games is a huge achievement. However for Mr. Way, the more important accomplishments of his career come from his world records. These include: fastest land speed on a skateboard(with Rob Dyrdek), first to Drop from the guitar at the Hard Rock Cafe and Casino, set the long distance jump record and later broke it, and set the Biggest Air record and later broke that as well. Despite how monumental all these are, there is one that stands out. This being that Danny Way was the first person to ever jump over the Great Wall of China, and would go on to do it 4 times.

Mike LaRocco

Mike LaRocco, also known as LaRocket, is widely considered to be the iron man of Motocross. This is so because during his 18 year professional career(1988-2006) he was consistently seen at the podium stage year after year. His 19 year professional season career is also a record. In addition to that, he has records for most race starts. He also was a prominent figure in freestyle Motocross gaining popularity, though his limited participation. He also has experienced major injury in his career. In 2002 another rider caused LaRocco to crash at a small town Supercross event, leading to a dislocated wrist and torn ligaments in his leg. That may have been a season ending injury, but he quickly bounced back. Which is really the pure fire needed to be an authentic extreme athlete.

Shaun White

"The Flying Tomato," as he is known by because of his outrageously big head of reddish orange hair, is easily of the most famous extreme athletes. Of course this is because of all of his major accomplishments in his career and his young age, but that has allowed him to become a public sensation. Because of his success as a professional snowboarder and skateboarder, he has had many media opportunities to better promote him and the extreme sport world he lives in. He has made multiple appearances in film and television, and has his own video game. Shaun was also the first person ever to win at the Summer and Winter X games, in two different sports.

Dallas Friday

This young 5'2 blonde wakeboarder is the definition of resilience in the sight of adversity. By this I am referring to her being injured for part of two seasons(2007 and 2008), and still managed to get at least four first place finishes during each season. However this type of success, even during injury, is expected when you turn pro at 13 and at your first Summer X games you win the silver medal and came in first at the American Cup. She has been also the recipient of multiple "Best Rider of the Year" and "Beset Female Wakeboarder of the Year" awards.

Sarah Burke

This Canadian skier is a very familiar face to the world of professional skiing, and is doing a good job of getting skiing more exposure in the public. In skiing, she was the first woman skier to land 720s, 900s, and 1080s in a half pipe. A four time Winter X Games gold medalist, these accomplishments were important for her as a lobbyist for the Winter X games to include female freeski events. She was ESPN's 2001 female skier of the year, 2007's best female action sport athlete at the ESPY and BERT awards. She was the first skier to be honored as such in the latter. In addition, she was listed as #91 on FHM's 2006 Sexiest Women 2006.

Tanner Hall

Tanner is easily one of the biggest names in extreme skiing of his generation. He has the most Winter X-Games gold medals, having won nine, is the only athlete to complete a three-peat at the Winter X-Games, won 6 out of 7 super pipe competitions, and has increased popularity of extreme skiing through friendly competition with rivals. Most notably, his annual battles on the SKI Super Pipe competition with Simon Dumont at the Winter X-Games made it a must watch event for anyone looking for some intense and high flying action.

Matt Hoffman

If you only know a relatively small amount of information about professional BMX, then that is enough for you to recognize the name Matt Hoffman. Considered by many as being a true pioneer and innovator of the sport, he is considered responsible making the current platform for pro BMX riders what it is today. He is also a strong advocate for the entire world of action sports, not just BMX. Well having that type of influence is quite easy when your a 10-time World Vert Champion and six time X Games Medalist, credited for inventing over a 100 tricks, the first to land a 900, and then a no handed 900. Hoffman even has the Guinness Book of World Records highest air achieved on a BMX bike over a 24-foot quarter pipe. In 2002, Hoffman was awarded the ESPN Action Sports Lifetime Achievement Award.

Travis Pastrana

This is easily the name that everyone in and/or outside of action sports should know. Travis Pastrana is the definition of global appeal outside of one's main circle. Travis Pastrana is known for competing in Motocross, Supercross, Freestyle Motocross, and Rally Racing. However, the most pivotal moment of his career came at the X-Games XII. This is where he did his monumental double back flip. At X-Games V in 1999 he received the highest score ever at the MotoX freestyle of 99.0, being the first to ever win the event. At X-Games VI he gets gold in the event again, and performs the first back flip at the X-Games. In 2006, Travis became the third athlete to ever win three gold medals at the X-Games. This is also where he performed his double back flip, getting a 98.0 which is the highest score ever, at the MotoX best trick.

Dave Mirra

Dave Mirra is easily one of the biggest names in the action sports world, and is considered to be the best BMX rider of his time. Mirra's immaculate talents have taken him to medal in every X-Games event since its start in 1995. This feat gives him the record for most X-Games medals, standing at 23, and most gold medals having won 14. Dave Mirra is also considered to be one of the top 10 most recognizable sports names, alongside Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. When you have been this influential to your sport, and have won seemingly every award they can offer you, its no wonder why your given the nickname "Miracle Boy."

Tony Hawk

The man, the legend, the brand. It doesn't matter how you know of him, but you do know of him. Tony Hawk is probably one of, if not the, hardest working and driven skateboarder to ever ride. This has lead to a massive amount of tricks invented, storage facilities of trophies and awards, and becoming the most recognizable name in skateboarding, probably action sports. Hawk is a 10 time gold medalist at the X-Games, 16 total medals. In 1999, he became the first skateboarder to land a 900 in air before touching the ground. With multiple successful charities and franchise endeavors, like the his video game series, Tony Hawk has taken the world of action sports to heights never before imagined.

Also check out our Skate Parks In The World : 8 Coolest, Best and Largest Guide.

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