Extreme Sports in California and elsewhere aren't necessarily inherently extreme. Like chili peppers, you can taste them hot and wild or mild. Some sports such as FMX or cliff diving would create a thrill, and require a level of expertise to get you there. But sports such as kayaking or even surfing become all the more challenging and X -treme when you add 50 foot waves or choppy ocean currents to the mix, then try to stay afloat, or on board. 

From traditional car racing such as Grand Prix car racing in Long Beach to hang gliding, skateboarding and even paintball, there's usually an edge not always defined or measured by the thrills or skills served up, but when an audience watches, energized and charged, then you know there's something exciting going on.