Have you ever heard of extreme ironing? If you haven’t, you wouldn’t be the only one. Ironing is a physical chore describing the act of using steam and metal to remove any wrinkles on our clothes. It involves an ironing board, which is a flat narrow board with foldable legs attached, and the steam iron, which is the machine used to collect steam and heat to remove wrinkles. The word extreme refers to something over the top, great, or at its highest level. So what is the highest level of ironing?
Extreme ironing is a British-born sport that works to combine three things: physical strength, mental strength, and humor. It’s not surprising if you don’t know anyone that does ironing for sport. You can even check images on the net to see how crazy ironing can be. Some people capture themselves ironing clothes while scuba diving, spelunking, and even midway up a cliff!
Despite how ridiculous the sport sounds, many take extreme ironing seriously. People even created organizations to handle various challenges and establish rules when participating in them. An example of this is the Extreme Ironing Bureau, also known as EIB, which promotes and regulates the sport. Thanks to the EIB, the rise of the sport’s popularity even caused world championships to take place as well.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Learning about extreme ironing is a good way to use a few minutes of your time. This is because the few who do participate in the activity find themselves challenged in ways beyond how most people know and do. Having to dive out of a plane is difficult on its own, but carrying an entire set of ironing equipment? It’s a whole new world.
What is Extreme Ironing?
The truth is you can explain extreme ironing easily on its surface level. It is when someone does extreme sports such as abseiling, bungee jumping, mountain climbing, or skydiving while ironing their clothes. However, the sport itself is so much more complex than that. The idea is that it combines the thrill of danger and satisfaction from well-pressed laundry. Think of it as adrenaline junkies being productive in their activities and chores.
You can look at extreme ironing from two different perspectives. The first is that it is a dangerous stunt to be pulled while doing an already life-threatening act. The second one is it is something fun and ridiculous that people will smile and enjoy doing or watching it.
Most people need full concentration when performing the sport. They would even do this outdoors in locations that are difficult to reach. It can be done while being tied to the back of a car or in the middle of a dark and narrow cave. Either way, the concentration needed to iron clothes and remain safe from harm adds the much-needed thrill.
Where Can You Do Extreme Ironing?
As we’ve discussed, extreme ironing is done outdoors. The whole point of extreme ironing is to do it in locations that are already difficult to traverse on their own. The more dangerous and irrational, the better.
However, there must be rules and regulations to where you can do them. After all, if you randomly find someone ironing on top of a cliff, the first thing you might do is call for help. This is where the Extreme Ironing Bureau comes in to give guidelines and promote the sport itself.
Most people suggest practicing in an open space such as a backyard before attempting to iron in more difficult locations. This is because the sport itself may look lighthearted, but it can cause harm, not only to the performer but also to the spectators and bystanders.