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This paper examines the Taiwanese female experiences of participation in extreme sports, contributing to research on gender culture in extreme sports as well as the constraints faced by women. In recent years extreme sports have attracted many people who like to challenge themselves. However, compared with traditional sports categories, there has been little research focusing on female aspects in extreme sports. Through the method of in-depth interview, this article delves into the experiences of 9 top Taiwanese female extreme sports athletes from 4 different domains, including mountaineering, climbing, ultra-marathon, and freediving.
Classified by the structure of Leisure Constraints from Crawford and Godbey, results show that: 1. Intrapersonal constraints: Instead of being confined by gender stereotypes, these female athletes all possess a high degree of self-confidence and a firm belief in engaging in extreme sports with the ability of risk management. 2. Interpersonal constraints: The interviewees have indeed confronted the problems of lacking female partners in the beginning. Yet, the situation has improved. Moreover, they emphasize extreme sport is a self-independent sport more about self-talk. 3. Structural constraints: The structural changes in gender roles have led to an increase in the number of female participants in extreme sports. With the help of technology, gender no longer plays a significant factor as usual. However, the way in which the media portrays different genders is still problematic. These findings suggest that even though female still confronts a certain degree of constraints in extreme sport, the overall trend is positive.
