Nothing beats the feeling of crisp linen, but the tedious task of ironing a shirt does not bring the same allure, therefore brave pioneers have taken it a step further and reinvented the chore as Extreme Ironing.
There are some misconceptions regarding Extreme Ironing and what it’s all about, imagination tends to get the best of people because of how obscure the activity is.
“I feel like Extreme Ironing is a show where people compete to see who is the most extreme ironer,” said senior Kristen Larson.
Founded in 1997 in Leicester, England by a man named Phil Shaw, extreme ironing was only known as a fun way to get the boring chore done. Shaw, who now goes by Steam, took the activity a step further by combining it with his other passion of rock climbing and took his idea on the road to get people to participate with him. There was no real reason for creating Extreme Ironing, it just spontaneously came into existence and has taken a life of its own ever since.
“It is just a really interesting a way to physically challenge yourself while also doing it in an extremely humorous way,” said senior Chris Holland.
As time went on, more and more people joined the Extreme Ironing movement, merging ironing with other activities such as running, kayaking, wake boarding, and even scuba diving to some extent. Steam, along with a friend of his who uses the moniker of Spray, founded the Extreme Ironing Bureau to bring structure to the activity and eventually began holding competitions such as the world championship in Munich back in 2002. Bringing the activity to the global scale was pivotal for the development of the activity and has helped shape it into what it is today.
“[Extreme Ironing] seems like the perfect sport to partake in if you like danger…and ironing,” said Holland.
The sport most certainly has come a long way since its conception, from a funny way to take the creases out of clothing to raising money for charity. Competitors utilize the sport and its ability to grab the attention of others to fund a good cause. Teams like Team Steam, along with the Extreme Ironing Bureau, will take part in the Hastings Half Marathon in England on March 25th hoping to raise money for St. Michael’s Hospice.
“I think that it is a great idea because [Extreme Ironing] is attracting a large audience of people that typically wouldn’t be interested,” said junior Jacob Levine. “It’s nice because people are giving back in a way you wouldn’t expect.”
Thanks to Extreme Ironing, the everyday household chores will never be viewed the same way. It is no longer a decision between going on a run and making sure that the creases in a pair of pants are ironed out; both can be done at the same time. There is no limit to what chore/activity combinations people can create, the possibilities are endless.
“I think that taking out the trash and playing capture the flag would be a nice combination because it would appease to people’s competitive spirit,” said senior George Morcos.
There is no end in sight for the sport of Extreme Ironing; there will always be another shirt to iron, another mountain to climb, and another marathon to run. One thing is for certain though; the feeling of a well pressed shirt is priceless.
“It’s not about doing a boring house chore,” said sophomore Jonathan Andres. “You can make it entertaining and do it with friends, that way it’s not just ironing a shirt that you are going to wear the next day anymore.”