Faster and smarter in the app... Download now

Extreme sports classification

While you might be interested in taking an adventure holiday brimming with extreme sports, it can be hard to distinguish what is classed as an extreme sport. The term tends to be increasingly broad and depends on what company you're travelling with and your age group.

What exactly is an extreme sport?

Extreme sports are any sports which are considered to have a certain amount of risk or ones in which the rate of injury is high. They'll often be less common sports and will include thrill-seeking elements such as extreme heights, speed and altitude. You must usually be physically fit to participate in these as a lot of physical exertion is required and you'll normally have to invest in specialist gear for protection.

What are the most popular extreme sports?

In the UK, there are many spots that are perfect for windsurfing, making it one of the most popular extreme sports. Windsurfing is a cross between sailing and surfing, where the sail is attached to a thin board on which you can travel on the surface of the sea.

Rock climbing is another popular extreme sport; you're attached to a safety rope and from here, you must attempt to climb up the rock provided. Although many people do this on natural features such as cliffs, there are many climbing walls around the UK where beginners can practice

Are extreme sports dangerous?

By their nature and title, extreme sports do carry a large amount of risk if the proper precautions are not taken. However, you can be covered for participation in extreme sports if you take out the right extra sports travel insurance, which can cover you in the event of helicopter assistance or other medical care. You should always wear the correct equipment to protect your body if you fall or something goes wrong. That being said, you should always listen to instructors or guides of whatever sport you're doing. You could end up invalidating your policy if you incur an injury by not using the prescribed safety equipment advised by your instructor. Also, if you're not sure on an activity, don't give into peer pressure, only ever participate in the activity if you feel totally comfortable with it.


Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is sold and administered by Holiday Extras Cover Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 828848.

Holiday Extras™ is a Trading Name of Holiday Extras Cover Limited

Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is provided by Taurus Insurance Services, an insurance intermediary licenced and authorised in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission under Permission Number 5566 and authorised to passport general insurance intermediary services into the UK and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK under registration number 444830.

The insurance is underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance SE. Great Lakes Insurance SE is a German insurance company with its headquarters at Königinstrasse 107, 80802 Munich. UK Branch office: 10 Fenchurch Avenue, London, EC3M 5BN, company number SE000083. Great Lakes Insurance SE, UK Branch, is authorised and regulated by Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht. Deemed authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Firm Reference Number: 769884. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.