What’s the most dangerous sport you can think of? Skiing between densely packed pine trees on perilously steep slopes? Extreme surfing on 50-foot behemoths of waves? Base jumping off… well, anywhere? Those are all valid answers, but there’s one sport you’ve never heard of that could give any of those a run for its money. It’s extreme ironing.
There’s some debate over whether this is a real athletic event or just an activity for thrill seekers that lightly pokes fun at the idea of a sport. However, it has its own committee (The Extreme Ironing Bureau) and has had a world championship, so it counts. If you disagree, that’s fair, but at least take a moment to learn about some of the wild places people have taken their ironing boards.
How Extreme are we Talking?
There aren’t any specific rules for where or when you must iron; it just can’t be anywhere you’d expect it. In the middle of a Category 5 hurricane? Sure. On top of a twelve-story active construction site? Yep (as long as you don’t get caught). While white water rafting? Why not! The possibilities are limited only by how adventurous and creative participants are.
Despite that, there are actually a couple rules and regulations regarding the ironing itself. The ironing board must be at least a meter long and 30 centimeters wide, and it must have legs. No plastic irons are allowed, and the garments to be ironed must be larger than a tea towel.
Whose Idea was this, Anyways?
It depends on who you ask. One account says that Tony Hiam, and Englishman, founded the sport as a sort of prank. His brother-in-law, John Slater, took his ironing board with him even when he went camping, which Hiam took personally, apparently. To show Slater just how ridiculous he was, Hiam started taking his ironing board to telephone booths, airport terminals and mountain summits. He even kept the board in his trunk in case he happened upon a prime ironing spot. If he was trying to prove a point, he ended up making the opposite one.
The other origin story also comes from England. In 1997, a disgruntled Phil Shaw came home wanting to do anything other than iron his clothes. As a rock-climbing enthusiast, Shaw decided to spice up his chores by doing his ironing outside. When his befuddled roommate asked what he was doing, Shaw reportedly replied, “extreme ironing,” and the sport was birthed.
Shaw took his newfound passion on a global tour, traveling around the world to places like the United States, South Africa and New Zealand, which helped grow extreme ironing. In 2003, the 1st Extreme Ironing World Championships took place in Germany. A documentary crew followed the British team’s efforts to win, which further propelled the sport’s popularity.
What’s the Most Extreme?
Now, the only question to answer is the most extreme places people have ironed. Here’s a few of the highlights:
· Three men ironed a Union Jack above Everest Base Camp in 2003. At an altitude of 5,440 meters, it’s the unofficial record for extreme ironing’s highest peak.
· A New Zealand man hiked to the top of Mount Ruapehu, an active volcano, and ironed a button-down shirt while 80 mph winds bore down on him.
· Seventy-two divers set a world record when they all ironed simultaneously underwater in 2008.
· That underwater record was broken in 2009 when 86 divers accomplished the feat…
· But the record was blown out of the water in 2011 when a Dutch diving club managed 173 ironers at the same time.
· A man in Italy ironed 138 feet underwater in the country’s deepest pool.
· Another man brought ironed on London’s M1 motorway.
How to get Involved
All you need is an ironing board, a portable iron and some wrinkled garment, and you’re good to go. There aren’t any restrictions to where you can go, but you might want to consider documenting your efforts if you want people to believe you’re a true extreme ironer.
