Wingsuiting is an extreme sport similar to skydiving that uses a special wingsuit that features webbing connecting one’s limbs to increase glide speed and distance as the diver falls. Divers will jump from high altitudes as they glide through dangerous landscapes at high speeds, deploying parachutes once they are ready to land. Participants and fans, while aware of the dangers and death the sport can lead to, love wingsuiting for experiencing or watching rushes of life or death risks. Divers see the danger as a challenge to overcome and live for speed only experienceable through sport. This chance to do what is believed to be impossible – to push limits of human action – fits into people’s desire to be wild.
Wingsuiting rules generally concern safety instead of strict point-scoring systems since flights are scored on an individual’s speed and/or distance traveled. That being said, diving rules are still extensive as careless flight can threaten the safety of an entire group of divers. Because of this, and the sport not involving defensive/offensive action, wingsuiting is open for simultaneous participation by both genders. However, with wingsuiting, and many other extreme sports, there is a lack of female participation. As seen with the wingsuiting group in the video, the sport is predominantly male, and while there are a fair amount of women who take flight, most other videos follow this trend of male representation. This phenomenon seems to be due to the marketing of extreme sports to men due to their “wild” nature that some believe may not appeal to “womens’ feminine interest” as well as the lack of spotlight that female participants seem to get. The truth of the matter is that while the sport is defined by thrilling and risky action, gender does not make a difference while wingsuiting, but current gender norms about extreme sports make it so. Wingsuiting is defined by its wildness through the opportunity to break the restraints of humanity and take to the skies, regardless of gender.
Kenny Ly
Prior to reading your blog post, I had never heard of wingsuiting. Wingsuiting certainly does sound wild though, from the way you initially described it as a pushing the limitations of the human body and being like a dance with danger. I thought it was interesting how you mentioned that there is a lack of female participation, as with other extreme sports, which might point towards gender expectations put in place by societal standards.
I have always wondered how wingsuiting actually takes you to your ultimate location. But after reading this blog, I see why it is considered so wild and dangerous the way it is described. I like how you mention that there is barely any women participating in this sport, as well as other sports such as football. This has to change how there are limitations put on gender and what sports they can participate in.