ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the assumptions that participation in extreme sport is about a desire for death, a desire to cheat death or even an experiential narrative on immortality. It provides evidence demonstrating that the perception of extreme sport participation is about an unhealthy connection to death is a long way from the reality of the extreme sport experience. Some may conjecture that extreme sport participation is nothing more than a death wish. Death anxiety is related to an awareness of the fundamental concept of death and non-existence. An approach used to explain extreme sport and potential confrontation with death proposes that participants make a symbolic deal with death, using nature as the playing field and their body as currency. In his writing on what he termed drive theory Freud posited the existence of two complementary forces, Eros and Thanatos, or 'life instinct' and 'death instinct', as fundamental drives.
