Decision-making by extreme athletes: the influence of their social circle

We explored the influence of the social circle on decision-making in regard to risk by 13 extreme athletes from different sports (Free solo climbing, Base-jumping, Longboarding, Solo seafaring, Alpinism, Extreme skiing, Extreme kayaking), all considered extreme due to the high risk of injury or death during practice. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with each participant individually in order to determine the influence of members of their social circle (parents, children, partner, friends, etc) on their behaviour. Our results show that their influence is insufficient to substantially modify the practice of extreme sport or the exposure to extreme risk or to lead them to give up their sport. Friends linked to extreme sports are the only ones capable of understanding and promoting these practices. The influence of the rest of the agents will go in the direction of reducing risk taking. The passion for thrill-seeking activities is what imbues the lives of extreme athletes with meaning and this passion is broadly immune to influences from their immediate social circle.