It's astonishing how something that started life as a whimsical
parody of 'extreme sports' has grown into a mighty global empire,
ahem...
And now it's 'watch out JK Rowling' as the sport's founder 'Steam'
(aka Phil Shaw) has a doubtless incredibly lucrative book deal in the
pipeline - almost certainly enough to buy a new iron and a few cans
of spray starch we reckon...
Scheduled for publication on 1 November, 'Extreme Ironing' tells
the story of how EI rose from its humble origins in Leicester in 1997
to become a global phenomenon with practitioners in over 20 countries
'around the world'.
We're expecting a thorough examination of the ethical purity of
the sport, tackling issues such as whether sponsorship from
multinational corporations like Rowenta has undermined the essence of
EI and of course, a look at its future.
Actually, as we have some pre-publication proofs in front of us,
we can tell you that Steam expects 'the sport to turn professional
and, who knows, one day appear in the Olympics'. Hmmmm... Spray me
with starch and press me gently is what we say.
Anyway, it's in colour, classified as 'humour' rather than 'sport'
- phew - and will cost £7.99. For more information on Extreme
Ironing, visit the EI
web site.
