Sport

Friday, 25 November, 2016 - 11:35

Cheese rolling: an extreme sport?

by MatthewBlogger

Need more excitement in your life? Maybe it's time to take up an extreme sport!

Extreme sports are activities that involve a high amount of danger and excitement. Each year they are becoming more and more popular, but why? The main reason is for an adrenaline rush and to feel invincible. Some examples of extreme sports include base jumping, ice climbing, cave diving, and ... cheese rolling?!

No one knows exactly how it started, but Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling Race is an annual event that has taken place for over 100 years. The name comes from Cooper's Hill where the 'sport' takes place, just outside the village of Brockworth, England.

It's as silly as it sounds – a wheel of cheese is thrown down a hill while a group of people chase after it, trying to be the first to catch it or reach the bottom of the hill. The cheese weighs around 7 lbs (just over 3kg) and picks up a lot of speed travelling down the very steep slope. If you win, you get to keep the cheese, and if you come second or third you'll receive £10. Incredibly, the event has become so popular that people travel from all over the world to take part – even from as far away as Canada and Australia.

But what makes the sport so extreme, and why has the local council tried to ban the tradition? Injuries – and lots of them. The hill is so steep that it's not actually possible to run down it. Instead, you fall, bounce and roll your way to the bottom. Ambulances arrive at the event before the race even starts in preparation for all those who will need a trip to the hospital. Head on over to YouTube and search for 'Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling' to see the event in action. Be prepared to both laugh and cover your eyes in shock. 

Discussion

What do you think of cheese rolling? Would you try it? Which extreme sport would you most like to try, and why?

Profile picture for user Andrii

Submitted by Andrii on Fri, 05/08/2020 - 15:23

Yes, I like extreme sports, but I wouldn't like to try cheese rolling because I don't want to have any injured legs, arms or even head. But I'd like to try cave diving and other extreme sports.
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