Extreme ironing is an outdoor sport that combines the danger and excitement of an "extreme " sport with the satisfaction of a well-ironed shirt.

This involves taking an iron and board to remote places to iron clothes. This may for example involve returning to the mountains, preferably on a difficult climb. Read on to learn more about this sport definitely like no other.

Description and objectives of extreme ironing

Extreme ironing is an adventurous yet scary sport in which participants carry their ironing boards to remote locations and then iron clothes. In short, it is an outdoor activity, full of thrills that end with the pure satisfaction of a shirt without the slightest wrinkling.

Today the media has also shown a lot of willingness to cover the events of extreme ironing and question its existence whether it is a sport or not.

Locations and times for extreme ironing often include:

  • A forest,

  • A canoe,

  • While skiing in extremely cold conditions,

  • At the bottom of an ice cap,

  • And much more.

Extreme ironing can be done individually or in groups. The participant must iron the fabric perfectly in extreme and inhospitable conditions. The less favorable the condition, the higher the score obtained by the participants.

The participant with the highest score ultimately wins the match. Entrants are judged on their creative ironing skills as well as the folds of the clothes.

Participants should also seriously consider the condition of their iron and ironing board. Indeed, there are prizes for the best-ironed dresses and ironing boards during certain competitions.

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The history of extreme ironing

The sport of extreme ironing was introduced by Tony Hiam in 1980 in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, near Settle, England.

In June 1999, Shaw began promoting the business with the nickname "Steam". He did this on purpose on international tours so most people could connect with him.

In 2002, the first Extreme Ironing World Championship was held in which 12 teams from different countries participated to become the Extreme Ironing Champion. During this time, a documentary was shot which gained a lot of popularity.

In 2003, with increasing popularity, Phil Shaw published a book called extreme ironing . In 2003, many records were set by participants who returned to difficult climates. Around this time, John Roberts and Ben Gibbons with Christopher Allan Jowsey ironed the Union Jack (the national flag of the United Kingdom) over the Everest base camp.

It was the first record at the highest altitude of 5,440 meters above sea level. In 2003, the first Rowenta Trophy was organized by Groupe SEB of France.

A new world record was set in March 2008, where a team of 72 divers simultaneously ironed clothes underwater. Later in 2009, the record was broken by a team of 86 divers.

On March 28, 2011, a new world record for extreme underwater ironing was officially set by the Dutch diving club Waterman. The team of 173 divers carried out the task in an indoor swimming pool.

Today, extreme ironing is popular around the world and has been enjoyed by millions of sportsmen.

The extreme ironing world championships

In 2002, the German extreme ironing section organized the very successful world championships in the village of Valley near Munich. German Hot Pants won the individual event and a British team won the team event.

The World Championships catalyzed the global expansion of extreme ironing, with a number of other nations including Austria, Croatia, Chile, and Australia demonstrating a flair for the sport.

How to participate in extreme ironing?

If you are wondering "What do I need to do to get started?" So, look no further ...

It's really very simple, all you need is an iron, board and some clothes. Then, it is suggested to start in your back yard before going any further, such as mountains, woods, or public places.

Remember, the more extreme you get, the more money you will have to spend on equipment. So get out into your yard and iron from your swings or the roof of your cabin.

Good to know: the iron must also be very hot. So it's a bit of a challenge for underwater ironing, as plugging it underwater can be fatal.

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