Extreme Ironing: Unveiling the Sport You Never Knew You Craved Meet Phil, your quintessential dad with a knack for old-school video games and a flair for social media. Yet behind this seemingly ordinary façade lies a tale of intrigue from over two decades ago, when he donned the moniker "Steam". Back in those days, Phil found camaraderie with a friend dubbed "Spray", and together, they birthed an unconventional pastime - extreme ironing. The genesis of this peculiar sport traces back to the late 1990s, but its resurgence has recently set TikTok ablaze. Now, if you're conjuring images of folks pressing their garments in bizarre locales, you're not far off from the essence of extreme ironing. In archival footage of the inaugural Extreme Ironing World Championships in 2002, one witnesses individuals ironing atop surfboards, or even seated on the rear of motorcycles. Venturing beyond the mundane, enthusiasts have lugged their ironing boards to mountaintops, skies, treetops, snowy landscapes, and yes, beneath the waves. It all began with Phil Szomszor, affectionately known as Steam, who ventured outdoors with his ironing board in 1997. It was during this momentous occasion that he coined the term "extreme ironing" to his confidant, Paul, later christened Spray. However, the journey was just commencing, and in the years that followed, the sport garnered attention in newspapers and television alike. Now, you may wonder, "What constitutes victory in such an unconventional pursuit?" Indeed, that's a question that perplexes even the most seasoned enthusiasts, perhaps explaining why there has only been one official world championship to date! During this remarkable event, hosted in Germany, contenders from ten nations engaged in five ironing sessions across an 800-meter obstacle-laden course. Their performance was adjudged based on style, velocity, and the finesse of their ironing technique. What is your favourite extreme sport?