Extreme ironing

Extreme ironing is an extreme sport in the open air with the objective, even under the most demanding climatic, geographical and physical conditions, of using a hot iron and an ironing board to iron clothes.

History
Invention

The sport was born in 1997 in Leicester (UK). The factory worker and mountaineer Phillip Shaw was tired of spending the day at home doing housework and decided to simply take a mountain tour, including taking the ironing and iron, together with Paul Nicks, who also liked this idea.

Origins in Germany

The founder of the German Extrembügler, Kai “Hot Crease” Zosseder, met the inventor Phillip Shaw on a trip to New Zealand in 2000 and was immediately an enthusiastic supporter. Back in Germany, he founded in the same year in Munich, the German Extreme Ironing Section (GEIS), which organized two years later, the first World Cup. In the cultural context, Extreme Ironing presented for the first time to the public, a documentary and a live performance at the Cultural Festival KINO24 in April 2001 in Munich.

Media and Sponsorship

Because of the strong event with strong character performance elements and, not least because of the unusual idea, the sport quickly found extensive media coverage, which accelerated the spread of this new sport. However, Extreme ironing on the same grounds in the media is often portrayed as a purely fun sport, though the players play the game with great earnestness, with intense preparation, athletic endurance and considerable risks, as is evident with the underwater world records.

Equipment

Iron and ironing board.

Iron

Iron hangers are used. In locations where no electrical power is available or because of moisture, they can not be used, so the heating plate is replaced by auxiliary structures (usually heated gas stove). Developed for the World Cup is a procedure in which the iron is heated inside by an exothermic reaction, caused by the mixing of hygroscopic pressed pellets.

Board

The board should be marketable.

Disciplines

This relatively new sport still brings forth new and interesting developments in the disciplines which apply over the Internet and rapid global dissemination of new supporters. Rocky Style means the discipline which is exercised in the (high) mountains, on steep slopes and climbing walls. They usually consist of overcoming differences in height, with a large iron and ironing board in pathless mountains. All water sports activities take place on, in and under water.

Here, in particular the underwater diving equipment hangers has established itself as a sporting contest. Urban Style: Iron in an urban environment, preferably in exposed places and buildings. Forest Style: Iron in the woods or on to trees under strict regard for environmental protection and in accordance with the vegetation.

Synchronous Iron: The team sport among the disciplines. This is the crucial movement coordination with the other members of the group. Synchronous hangers can be combined with all other disciplines. Freestyle: This term is understood all disciplines who can not be classified under the above categories, such as the ESO and Airstyle-hangers. Air Style: in ultralight aircraft and Base Jumping.

Races
World Cup

On 21st September 2002 the first world championship was held in the village of Valley, south of Munich. Accompanied by a worldwide media interest there were nine nations taking part, including participants from Austria, Australia, Croatia, Chile, Germany and Britain. At the World Cup, approximately a three kilometers long course was overcome, where one had to complete the set of points. The following five (main) disciplines of Extreme ironing are:
Forest style in the upstream forest;
Water Style in a mountain stream;
Rocky Style in an artificial climbing wall;
Urban style by taking advantage of a house facade (with tabs and windows), and an unprepared vehicle.

Freestyle free choreographic design. Exclusively in this discipline and with the help of third parties, provided that those had not directly come into contact with the iron. Each station has the complexity and individuality of the performance and the crease resistance of the shirts by designated judges was evaluated.

The winner was determined by adding the individual results for the completion of the course within the required time. Winner of the inaugural World Cup was Inga “Hot Pants” Cossack from Germany. Second place went to Austrian Extrembugler Schnatzl, third was the German, Andreas Ortlieb.

Rowenta Trophy

In 2003, the English organized the Extreme Ironing Bureau Rowenta Trophy won by the South African Troye Wallet, who roped over a 300 meter deep gorge in the Wolfberg Cracks (South Africa) whilst ironing.

World Records

The recent development of the sport has produced some remarkable records. The trend began when Britons John Roberts and Ben Gibbonsam at the base camp of Mount Everest at an altitude of 5,400m ironed clothes then carried them to the summit. This record was, on 14th August 2003 broken by the South Africans through the Yster Erstbebugelung of Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m). Currently, the height record is held by “Iron Man” Carrick ironing on the summit of the highest mountain in America, Aconcagua (6,962m) in the Argentinian Andes.

The Extreme ironing underwater record is held by Louise “Dive Girl” Trewavas, at a depth of 100m, at the Blue Hole dive spot near the fishing village of Dahab (Egypt) in April 2003. On 18th April 2004 Matthew “Crease Lightnin ‘” Hearne of Leeds (UK) ironined a considerable amount of clothes during the London Marathon in a time of 4 hours 8 minutes.