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The Xtremists is a documentary of about 50 minutes that goes in to the world of extreme sports. It doesn't focus on one of them, but tries to go into a factor of every sport to display the whole idea of extreme sport as a whole. In this documentary, four subjects are presented. Waterfall kayaking, free diving, big wave surfing and Felix Baumgartner.
The subject of waterfall kayaking discusses the balance between safety and the kick of conquering the fear. The extreme kayaker Shaun visits together with a safety kayaker waterfalls overall around the world. During this program, they try the icy waterfalls or Iceland and often the question rises when safety and the risk compromises the pleasure of going where no one has gone before.
The subject on free diving conquers a whole different question. While we are witness of the latest record dive of Tanya Streeter, we are confronted with the danger and the death of Audrey Mestre. In this story the commercialisation of talent to gain income is the primary subject of the story. We see how the husband of Tanya try to make the best of the situation and how he tries to market the most of Tanya's abilities. The husband is not just presented as partner in love, but also partner in business. But how far can you go? These are questions that rise probably more than the typical presentation of the 'dangerous' sport.
The third subject goes about Tristan Boxford who build his income on windsurfing. A sport that has a Olympic status, two disciplines, and is able to provide their best atletes with a income of competitions. Sound bites as windsurfing is not a sport but a lifestyle reminds us how free divers like to portray their sport. This is essentially presented in the project "The Search" where a group of experienced surfers search the unridden and highest waves and where adventure and fraternity are the basis of the story.
Felix Baumgartner is the last presented athlete and here his stunt to cross the channel trough air under his own power. Also here sponsorship and income dominate the story of someone who made the extreme mainstream.
Especially compared with windsurfing does seem free diving a cold, technical sport. The couple is presented as a business construction where the husband tries to sell the talent of his wife. Technically that is what it needs to get an income to live of, but the question is if it is the way to go.
Although the usual questions can be raised on the presentation of the sport freediving, the documentary might be interesting there it gives a realistic view of the romantic thought to create an income of breath-hold diving as extreme sport. On that ground, it is a documentary that should be viewed for athletes who carry the hope to become financially independent through the sport.
The Xtremists have been seen during Januari at the Discovery Channel
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