Rare sports: wingsuiting, desert polo, heli-golf – the world of elite disciplines

The world of rare sports is an area where the line between passion, art, and privilege is almost completely blurred. These are not disciplines you sign up for online—they are experiences that require a combination of courage, connections, resources, and extraordinary determination. From desert polo to heli-golf, from caving to regattas in exotic locations, sport becomes a way of life here.

Camel polo – elegance and adrenaline in the desert

Although most people associate polo with grass fields and English-style horses, an unusual variation of the game was born in the Middle East – camel polo. Matches of this type are held in Dubai, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia, among other places. The AlUla Desert Polo event in Saudi Arabia, sponsored by Richard Mille, attracts a select group of participants and guests from around the world every year. It is a combination of sport, spectacle, and culture, where the precision of camel riding is combined with aristocratic aesthetics. It requires not only excellent coordination, but also strength and orientation in extreme desert conditions. Today, camel polo is a symbol of a new dimension of exclusivity – reserved for those who can combine tradition with the courage to explore.

Heli-golf – sport, landscape, and luxury from a bird’s eye view

If golf is a sport of precision and silence, its luxurious variant – helicopter golf – adds a spectacular dimension to it. In Queenstown, New Zealand, Over The Top Helicopters organizes helicopter flights to mountain platforms from which players hit the ball towards the valley. Participants have several hundred meters of space in front of them and a panorama that makes the game a kind of ritual. Each shot is different because it depends on the wind direction, altitude, and slope angle. So this is not a sport for recreational players – it is rather a display of individual precision and courage that combines golf, adventure, and spectacular scenery. These types of experiences are part of the trend of combining activity with an emotional experience, for which you have to pay dearly. We write about the most expensive sports in the article: Premium sports considered the most expensive.

Speleology – the art of exploration and an extreme sport for the persistent

Not all rare sports take place in the sunshine. For some, the greatest thrills are found underground. Speleology, or cave exploration, is an activity that requires not only great physical fitness, but also mental resilience. Participants in extreme expeditions – such as those to the Chevé system in Mexico or the gorges in France – spend days in complete darkness, moving through narrow crevices and underground lakes. It is not only physical effort, but also a philosophy: contact with a space where man becomes a guest of nature. Scientific research confirms that caving is one of the most demanding activities in terms of physiology and mental resilience. In the world of exclusive sports, speleology occupies a unique place – because it offers not publicity, but introspection and extreme experiences.

Ice polo – a tradition transferred to a cold dimension

For over 30 years, St. Moritz has hosted the Snow Polo World Cup, a polo tournament played on a frozen lake, which has become one of the most prestigious winter events in Europe. Players compete in sub-zero temperatures, while the audience watches the spectacle with a glass of champagne in hand. It is a sport that requires not only skill but also logistics – horses are specially trained to play on slippery surfaces, and the field must meet strict safety requirements. Ice polo is the essence of a luxurious tradition, where competition is combined with artistic scenery and the social calendar of the elite.

Classic yacht regattas – the nobility of old designs

In the world of modern carbon fiber and composite yachts, there is still a small group of sailors who choose to race classic vessels – wooden, with tailor-made sails and hand-polished details. The Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez and Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge regattas attract owners of yachts that are works of art in themselves. Here, it is not about speed, but about style, precision, and fidelity to tradition. For participants and observers alike, it is a spectacle of movement, sun, and wind, in which every decision on board is the result of experience passed down through generations. It is worth referring here to the essence of craftsmanship, which we describe in the article The Great Comeback of Craftsmanship.

BASE jumping and wingsuiting – the limits of human flight

BASE jumping and wingsuiting, although better known from films than from competitions, are among the most exclusive extreme activities. They require hundreds of hours of training, appropriate permits, and courage that cannot be bought. Flying in a wingsuit, reminiscent of a bird gliding, takes place at the limits of human capabilities. For a select few, it is not only adrenaline, but a form of meditation – a moment of absolute presence. Although non-commercial, this type of sport inspires the world of fashion and design with its movement, dynamics, and idea of freedom.

Exclusivity as a philosophy of movement

All these examples – from camel polo to heli-golf – have one thing in common: rarity. Not only in terms of access, but also in terms of intention. For their participants, sport is not a competition, but a way of experiencing the world. It is a space where the body and emotions become a tool for contact with nature, technology, and sometimes with oneself. This is what makes exclusive sports a cultural phenomenon – combining movement, aesthetics, and responsibility. For elites seeking authentic experiences, it is not a fad, but a consequence of their lifestyle.

Sports that require passion and courage are never common. That is why worlds such as desert polo, heli-golf, and cave exploration are not for show – they are proof that true experience is freedom of choice, space, and awareness of one’s own limits.