Pressed for Adventure.

Whether it’s ironing your dress shirt or pressing your favorite tee, ironing is usually anything but thrilling. Yet, somewhere between boredom and the bizarre, extreme ironing burst into life—a sport that mixes domesticity with adrenaline in the most unexpected ways. Let’s dive into how this absurd yet fascinating activity took off, where it’s gone, and why people still press clothes in the wilderness.

A Bizarre Beginning in Leicester

The story begins in 1997, in Leicester, England. Phil Shaw—a rock climber nicknamed “Steam”—found himself facing a pile of wrinkled clothes after a long day at the knitwear factory. Refusing to choose between chores and adventure, he did both. He hauled an ironing board and iron to his backyard, combined them with climbing, and thus a new activity was born: extreme ironing.

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The Echo

Shaw even took his quirky idea on a world tour starting in 1999, visiting countries like the U.S., Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, promoting the odd sport and recruiting more extreme ironists along the way.

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From Backyard to World Stage

By 2002, the movement had grown enough to host its inaugural Extreme Ironing World Championships in Valley, Bavaria, near Munich. Twelve teams representing multiple countries—including Germany, Australia, Chile, Croatia, Austria, and three British teams (GB1, GB2, and GB3)—took part.

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The competition featured five daring categories:

Urban: ironing around or even on a broken-down car.

Water: ironing in a fast-flowing river, sometimes using canoes or tubes.

Forest: pressing clothes at the top of a tree.

Lauda: ironing on a climbing wall.

Freestyle: anything goes—total creative chaos.

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Scoring was more than just high-stakes drama—judges awarded based on creativity, difficulty, style, and especially actual pressing quality, which accounted for half of the points.

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Extreme Locations & Legendary Feats

People have truly pushed the limit—ironing atop mountains, on statues, on canoes, on snowboards, and even underwater. One iconic moment was ironing a Union Jack flag at Everest Base Camp, over 5,400 metres above sea level.

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Underwater ironing became especially popular. In 2008, 72 divers ironed simultaneously underwater. The record was later raised—in 2011, 173 divers set a new official record for underwater ironing in a swimming pool in Oss, Netherlands.

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Explore!

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Why Do People Iron in the Wilderness?

So what motivates someone to carry an iron to remote or dangerous places? Let’s break it down:

Adrenaline + Absurdity: It’s a mixture of playful daring and tongue-in-cheek irreverence.

Creativity and Humour: The sheer ridiculousness—the sight of someone pressing a shirt while skydiving or scuba diving—is hilarious and sparks a sense of joy.

Community Connection: Forums, social media, and clubs (like the German GEIS or college groups such as De Montfort University’s club) keep the momentum alive.

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As one Redditor aptly put it:

“This is power humanity was never meant to know…”

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Another quipped:

“A guy strapped an ironing board to a car and ironed in traffic. That’s extreme...”

A Bold Reminder to Not Take Life Too Seriously

Extreme ironing is absurd—but therein lies its charm. It’s a reminder that even the most mundane tasks can become joyful, creative, and unforgettable when you just shake things up (literally and figuratively).

Whether it’s mastering the “Urban challenge”, teaching a shirt to be wrinkle-free mid-waterfall, or pushing buttons with boldness, extreme ironing invites us all to see the ordinary in a wildly new light.

Final Reflection:

Extreme ironing isn’t about achieving perfection—it’s about embracing silliness, adventure, and a shared laugh with people who dare to set the mundane in motion.

Now, should you feel inspired, you might consider organising your own mini “iron-athlon” or simply grab a board, pick a hilltop, and press play on your next unusual adventure.