Extreme goes mainstream

Olympic approval

Snowboarding's inexorable rise has also been boosted by the build-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics, but the International Olympic Committee's decision to increase the number of extreme sports events in the program of the Summer Games has caused an even bigger ripple in China.

The General Administration of Sport of China, the country's top sports governing body, has been running a talent-selection program with Beijing Sport University to draft and develop talents from around the world in surfing, climbing, skateboarding and BMX freestyle, four sports added by the IOC in August 2016 to the program of 2020 Tokyo Games.

In a bid to fill a talent shortage in these sports, the program has targeted foreign athletes of Chinese ancestry and Chinese citizens living abroad to build teams representing China in Tokyo. The initiative is being facilitated by stipends and policies to encourage changing nationality if necessary.

Plucked from auditions held from August to October, about 1,500 hopefuls have made it to the qualification tests this month, with an expert panel consisting of coaches, fitness trainers and psychologists to further assess the candidates.

Afficionados say the move is evidence of the national sports authority's changing attitude toward extreme sports.

"It shows the governing body's appreciation of these niche sports which used to be considered 'underground' activities enjoyed by some extreme enthusiasts in a less-than-organized fashion," said Wang Wei, president of the Beijing Extreme Sports Association, a non-governmental organization founded in June 2016.

In a country where Olympic success still carries major clout, extreme sports' recognition by official bodies should result in increased resources and funding for the sector, said Wang.

The quadrennial Chinese National Games has added sport climbing to its 2017 edition program to help the discipline gain more exposure and stimulate grassroots participation.

In front of a cheering crowd at Huayan Climbing Park in the Jiulongpo district of Chongqing, 126 amateurs and pros from 26 provincial teams put on a show of strength, endurance and precision on rock cliffs during a competition at a newly built permanent venue for the sport.

Zhong Qixin, a world champion in speed climbing from Jiangxi province, believes the official backing will make a big difference.

"Building upon the existing passion for the sport, the Olympic recognition will only make it more attractive," said Zhong, a four-time world champion between 2007 and 2012.

"More and more climbing parks and indoor clubs are now opening downtown in cities around the country. It's becoming more accessible and more children have picked it up as a way to toughen up," said Zhong, who can scurry up a 15-meter-high wall in less than six seconds.