Extreme Inspiration

極限靈感

By Simon Foster

Welcome to the fifth edition of Hello Taitung! I’d like to start by thanking the editorial team for their hard work and all of the contributing authors for sharing their stories and photos. Another few months has passed and with the borders now fully open, Taiwan’s most beautiful county has once again opened its arms to fresh faces from around the globe. Bamboo Bakery sees new customers and finally we get to share the magic of the island with international cyclists after three years of abstinence. The trees are green, heavy with fruit, the winds have changed, there’s moisture in the air and there has never been a better time to get out and experience extreme Taitung in all its majesty!

Extreme sports is a broad term that is commonly applied to a host of different sports and activities, not necessarily always accurately. Essentially extreme sports are taken to be those which involve significant risk, and require a level of skill and judgement for a successful outcome (ie. no injury) which often produces an adrenaline rush! Such pursuits are often carried out solo or in small groups, and might be considered an art form as well as a sport, appreciated for aesthetics as much as physical capacity.

Some “extreme” sports like bunjee jumping require little more than the courage to jump (or fall) off the edge, but others demand precision and focus. Endurance events (such as triathlons or Ironman) are also sometimes described as extreme sports. However, like most things, the level of extremity is subjective, and one person’s epic hike is another’s morning stroll – the term extreme sport might be used to describe any activity which takes someone out of their comfort zone. Each discipline requires unique and specific skills and strengths, and whilst many have that shout-out-loud wahoo moment, equally the intense focus required for some extreme sports like freeclimbing or freediving can also lead to a meditative state, which is also true for endurance sports.

My own life has been peppered with forays into the world of extreme sports, BMX riding and skateboarding as a kid, kayaking, snowboarding, bunjee jumping, climbing and tomb-stoning in my teens and 20s, then shifting to endurance cycling on gearless bikes through the desert in my 30s and 40s, although the only wahoo moment with the latter was stepping off the bike! These days the most extreme I get is barrelling steep downhills on my bike, paddle-boarding with the kids or jumping off the odd cliff. In reading the inspiring articles written by this edition’s contributors and thinking about extreme sports I realized I should get out there and experience Taitung’s extreme beauty in some new ways. Hopefully you feel the sameclimb, hike, paddle, ride, sail, SUP, surf, swim, find your passion and do your thing here in paradise!