Safety first? Where's the fun in that? CNNGo reader Denise Li picks out a few Singapore activities that'll put your pulse rate through the roof
1. Trail running
Trail running on its own may not seem to qualify as an extreme sport, but how about trail running for 100 kilometers at a stretch? This is exactly what’s going to happen at The North Face 100 race. Now in its third year in Singapore, only 35 elite athletes will be chosen to run in the 100 kilometer solo category, starting from 4 a.m. and which takes them through the central catchment area, covering Bukit Timah and Mandai Nature Reserve.Those who qualify must meet the cut off time of nine hours and be totally self-sufficient throughout the race. One such athlete is Kenneth Koh, who plans to use this race as a training race before he makes his attempt to scale Mt. Everest via the North Ridge (which has more hazardous climbing conditions than the usual South Col. Ridge).
“I see this run as part of endurance base training," says Koh. "I will build on [the race] for a higher fitness level I’ll require for the Everest climb.”
The North Face 100 took place on October 9.
Here are 5 places to get an adrenaline high in Singapore.
2. Muay Thai
Seeing a boom in popularity in recent years thanks to TV programs like "The Contender Asia," muay Thai is regarded as one of the world’s deadliest martial arts, as the use of knees and elbows is permitted during matches.
The sport in Singapore too now sees up to four competitions each year to facilitate qualifiers for international competitions such as the SEA Games, Asian championships and world championships.
Ad-hoc fight events such as The Muay Thai Championship Series, organised by martial arts gym Fightworks Asia, are also set up with novices, amateurs, semi-pro fighters and professional fighters testing their mettle in the ring.
Try your hand at muay Thai at Hilltop The Gym (#01-05 Central Square, 20 Havelock Rd; tel +65 6557 0105). Packages are available at S$250 a month for up to 16 lessons, or S$500 for a package of 20 lessons.
Gather your friends and have a go at Tag of War.
3. Wakeboarding
As a country surrounded by water, it’s not surprising that wakeboarding as a sport has really taken off here. As the name suggests, the sport entails participants being pulled along by a boat in its wake at speeds between 18 to 24 miles an hour.
At a higher level, expect to see lots of thrilling spins, flips and jumps. There are a variety of locations that this sport can be done at, such as Punggol Marina, Kallang Riverside Park, or out at sea closer to Pulau Ubin, with the calm, warm waters of Singapore perfect wakeboarding conditions.
An event that features regularly on the Singapore wakeboard competition schedule is the Rip Curl National Inter Varsity Polytechnic Wakeboard Championships. Singapore also played host to the Wakeboard World Cup in 2008 at the Marina Bay Floating Platform.
Wakeboarding features prominently as one of the sports in the Mettle Games, a showcase of a variety of extreme sports which also feature aggressive inline-skating and drag racing. The Mettle Games takes place from October 29-31 and November 5-7 at various locations.
Interested in taking up wakeboarding? Contact Eddy at Wake Dynamics at +65 9760 5084. Rates are at S$95 per hour on weekdays and S$110 per hour on weekends, for a minimum of two hours.
Try alternative adventures in Singapore for under S$100.
4. Motocross
A motocycle sport held on off-road circuits, the sport is fairly new on the extreme sports scene in Singapore. Previously, motocross enthusiasts from Singapore had to head to Pasir Gudang in Johor Bahru, Malaysia to get their fix.
But at least one company here, The All-Adventure People, is hoping to introduce more people to the sport by holding orientation lessons locally.
“Orientation lessons are mainly for the purpose of getting participants used to the bike, understanding the mechanics and how it works,” reveals Teh Chong Nyen, a consultant with The All-Adventure People. “These are held in the Seletar area, near the air field.”
Training sessions for competitive riding hopefuls are still held in Malaysia. While he admits there is some risk involved in the sport, he says utmost care is taken to assure the safety of participants, such as using smaller bikes that have less power and are semi-automatic. Safety equipment such as helmets, gloves, elbow and knee pads are also provided. Participants are also advised to wear jeans or long pants.
CNNGo features surfing in Singapore.
Want to get your adrenaline fix on two wheels? Get in touch with The All-Adventure People at +65 6560 6959 or email sales@taap.com.sg. Motocross orientation lessons cost between S$80 to S$120 depending on the size of the group, with water and lunch provided.
