Crazy Japanese Sports: Extreme Ironing
Little did you know as you where ironing your clothes for the day, that you were actually participating in a real sport. That’s right, ironing as an actual sport… as long as it is extreme.
Extreme Ironing, where people take to ironing in remote and dangerous locations, doesn’t have a huge following in Japan, but is an established international sport.
38 year-old Japanese participant Hitoshi Matsuzawa, an office worker from Chiba, climbed to the top of the 3,776 meter Kengamine peak of Mount Fuji where he accomplished his extreme ironing feat.
“There was a therapeutic effect and sense of fulfillment of being on Japan’s highest peak,” he said.
Matsuzawa, who first learned of extreme ironing while studying in Australia, hopes to climb to the peak of Mount Everest, without oxygen, to accomplish an even more extreme ironing record.
Extreme Ironing was first started by a man in England who was climbing a mountain on a nice day and decided to get some ironing done. In September 2002, in Munic, Germany, a small ironing competition was held.
Ironing points were scored during the 1,500 meter course; Skill, Extreme Situation, Speed. There are 5 different styles of extreme ironing at this time. Freestyle, Urban, Rocky, Forest, and Water.
EIJ, Extreme Ironing Japan, is now the largest active extreme ironing group and takes great pride in the sport of Extreme Ironing.
(æ¯æ—¥æ–°é—»)
By Kimi Naitou on 20-08-2007
Comment by darkwing duck
August 25th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
wow ironing under water that is a shock.
Comment by tp
August 26th, 2007 at 6:28 am
this is ridiculous! Why does it has to be ironing… why can’t it be extreme pubic hair shaving!
Comment by Trish
August 26th, 2007 at 9:36 am
I’d say they need to get a hobby, but this *is* their hobby! No one can claim that this is due to cultural differences here.
How do they do the ironing underwater? Seriously, technically, the clothing has to be dry to be ironed, so underwater you would not be ironing as much as pretending to iron.
Yads, I cannot believe I am discussing this, that will teach me for reading the news with a headache. Time to take the migrane medication and lay down.
Comment by skanger
August 27th, 2007 at 5:05 am
Here is the website of the original group
http://www.extremeironing.com
a few comments from Wikipedia
http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_ironing
A sport for REAL men, with physique, stamina, style and panache.
Comment by HM.
August 28th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Lol. Imagine doing that on Mt. Everest… Lol.
Comment by ama
April 4th, 2008 at 9:19 am
wow thats sick
Comment by Mr. Oppurtunity
May 7th, 2008 at 9:32 am
AH EXTREME!!! I love performing this sport, i do this all the time. Whenever i have wrinkled clothes I usually keep them separate from my good clothes, that way I can iron all my clothes in a extreme way.
Mt. Ranier, Here I Come!!!
Comment by zin
October 8th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
lame.