When you think of sports, you probably think of having fun and showcasing your talent. But some sports cost a bit more than others. Sport unites people. That is the beauty of it. Everyone can be a part of it, no matter of religion, gender, or upbringing. But as it is in life, not all sports are born equal. Some of the 10 most expensive sports are reserved for a select few. What is the most expensive sport?
For the most part, you can start practicing a sport for a small price. But these sports cost an arm and a leg to compete in.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 most expensive sports that cost a lot.
Equestrian
Arguably one of the most expensive sports you can partake in. The sport itself is not something special. But the “accessories” you need cost a lot. Equestrian involves running, steeple chasing, and vaulting while riding a horse.
And that horse makes this sport available only for the privileged few. Training and maintaining such a big animal costs a lot of money. Combine that with traveling to events and stabling the animal property, and you can spend more than $200,000 per year just for competing.
That doesn’t even include the price of buying a racehorse. These horses cost on average up to $75,000. But if you like to be among the greatest, you might need to pay a lot more. Fun fact: the most expensive racehorse sold in 2000, Fusaichi Pegasus reached a price of $70 million.
Polo
While we are on the subject of sports involving animals, particularly horses, let’s mention polo. For this most expensive sport, you will also have to buy an elite horse. That animal requires maintenance, training, and travel costs.
But what makes polo such an expensive sport is that you need more than one horse. Most polo players play up to four horses in order to substitute tired horses. You need to exercise your polo ponies regularly, which requires paying grooms.
And then to top it all, polo has a high rate of injury. You can also expect and anticipate high medical expenses as well.
Pentathlon
What makes pentathlon so expensive? Well, it is basically five sports in one. When you want to try yourself in one sport, you need high-quality equipment. And for the pentathlon, you have to buy equipment for five sports.
These sports include fencing, swimming, pistol shooting, running, and show jumping. The last one requires an elite horse as well. And they do not come cheap.
Wingsuiting
The simplest explanation for wing suiting is a sport where you fly through the air with the help of a special jumpsuit. That suit is the wingsuit. This equipment costs $2,500 on average. That is not cheap, right?
While that price is not high, you have to take into consideration the other expenses. The real cost of wingsuiting comes from hiring an airplane to take you up and paying the pilot for the service.
Not to mention, you have to invest in skydiving lessons and pay for insurance before you even start practicing the sport. On average, recreational wingsuiting costs up to $30,000 per year. Professional one costs a lot more.
Sailing
Now, let’s start by saying that once you own a boat, the actual race requires very little investment. But a quality boat for sailing can go between $50 and $100 million. Talk about an expensive sport, right?
Only those who have amassed a lot of wealth to buy a boat can participate in this sport. And it is seasonal in most countries. But your boat has to stay docked for the rest of the year and that is what drives the price up.
Do you know what the price for maintaining a boat on deck is? Astronomical for sure.
Tennis
Go and read the story about how Novak Djokovic started playing. He was an incredible talent, but his family had to invest and sacrifice so much to pay for his lessons and equipment. They were in debt for a lot of his early years.
Tennis is among the most expensive sports in the world. The 2010 study by the US Tennis Association showed that the average season costs more than $143,000 in expenses.
You might think just a sturdy rack and shoes will do the trick. But if you want to compete, you need to pay a lot for coaching lessons and international travel.
Bobsledding
This is one of the most interesting sports in the Winter Olympics. Have you seen the movie Cool Runnings? The Jamaica bobsledding team had to gather money to go to the Olympics.
And that is because the bobsled itself costs $25,000 on average. And making your own bobsled track where you can practice can cost millions of dollars.
Then you have to consider coaching. The number of trainers is very limited. That makes each bobsled trainer very expensive.
To top it all, this is a team sport. So you have to multiply everything by four in the end.
Hot air balloon racing
You might say hot air balloons are not famous for their speed. But there are people who actually race in a hot air balloon. It is an actual sport with a decent fan following in the world.
What drives the price up is the balloon itself. It can cost up to $20,000. And then just inflating it will cost you an additional $9,000. Hire a pilot and get a license, and the sport becomes really expensive.
Ski Jumping
Here is another sport that is quite popular during the Winter Olympics. We all do ski jumping when we jump down a 5-foot ledge while on skis. But professional ski jumping is something entirely different.
The yearly expenses can go up to $100,000. That includes skiing equipment, a coach, a ski jumping slope, and more. The only way to practice is if you find someone to sponsor you. That is the only way non-trust fund humans can do it.
Motor Racing
When we talked about equestrian, we talked about the price of a good racing horse. Well, for motor racing, you need a cart or car. These do not come in cheap. But the real cost is in the maintenance and fixing.
Fuel is not cheap as well. Things do add up once you rise through the ranks. An underrated cost is the high medical bills. Those dreaming to be Formula 1 drivers or motor racing drivers should really know that these professionals pay quite high medical bills. Injuries are prevalent in this sport.
Most importantly, participation requires one to own their own car.
The Whitianga Festival Of Speed
If you are looking for a sport that you have to have a deep wallet for, then it is the Whitianga Festival of Speed.
This event occurs annually in New Zealand. And it involves helicopter racing, car racing, powerboat racing, jet ski racing, parachute swooping, and more. All of them require a lot of money.
We, mortals, can just stick to football, basketball, and similar sports. Just gather up your friends and hit the field for some fun.
