Abstract

The aim of the research was to check two issues: (1) what elements, according to the students, are decisive with regarding one aspect of physical activity as extreme? (2) which sports in the surroundings are regarded as extreme? A number of 193 students (120 men students, 73 women students) of the physical education and the tourism and recreation were provided with the questionnaire surveys from the Rzeszów University (Poland). The students have associated the extreme physical activity with the one which is conceived as a danger for health and life most commonly (73%). To identify this issue they were describing it as: “danger” (21%), “threat of health” (20%), “risk” (20%), “threat of life” (10%). Males more often (15%) than females (5%) have associated the extreme forms of physical activity with “risk” (15%) and with “threat of health” (6%). A rock climbing is an extreme sport connected with “land” most frequently listed (28%), “diving” connected with “water” is listed by 30%, and parachuting connected with “air” - 60%. Only 5% of respondents assume that “the cooperation difficulty” of the problems, connected with the physical activity, decides about its extremity. However, burdening the organism with the physical effort is a factor to recognise a given physical activity as extreme (e.g. ski expedition to the North Pole). The findings show that there is a necessity of including the knowledge about the extreme forms of human activity in the educational system of the physical education and the tourism and recreation specialists. The results that have been presented are a part of research grant and the students choice and preferences about extreme sports. This research concerns the system of selection of candidates and training in military, police formations etc. and at rescue services among others. Verf.-Referat