First Issue Review – Xtreme Lifestyle
The front-cover of Xtreme Lifestyle does not bode well for what lies between the covers: the sentence “‘Nuff Diving. Wanna Get The Girl? The Only Way Is Down” suggests that all this mag will be is yet another title milking the success of the “babes and booze” lads market. The editorial as well sounds over-blown and over the top, summing up the title’s ethos with the words “danger, daring, death, dirt, sex, speed, stimulation, sin.”
Yet over the top is exactly what Xtreme is all about, with a bias towards extreme sports such as snowboarding, mountain-biking, BASE Jumping (leaping off of buildings with a parachute), surfing and canyoning (white water rafting without the raft). It also uses this excuse to latch on to things vaguely extreme which would interest men: how to pull “elite” women such as Pamela Anderson and Naomi Campbell, a night out at a casino, smoking cannabis and wrestling.
While billed as “For Men Who Live Life On The Edge”, Xtreme could also be described as for men who would like to live life on the edge. Obviously many of the articles are for arm-chair adrenaline junkies: not many readers would ever get the chance to scale K2 and not many in their right mind would go canyoning. This does not however detract from the quality of the magazine, both in terms of look and feel and also the standard of editorial.
Layout is stylish and upmarket, with a small typeface and minimal use of graphics: most of the colour and brightness of the title comes from the use of photographs which are mostly stunning shots of high quality. Most of the editorial seems to be aimed at genuinely informing readers about the various sports and issues covered. Some of this, for example the item on keeping fit, can be dauntingly technical.
The only thing wrong with the title is that it compromises itself by covering issues which are nothing to do with “living life on the edge” and blatantly aiming to attract the “lads” element. The aforementioned items on women and gambling are examples of this. The reader genuinely interested in extreme sports will feel let down by this.
Advertisers include Nike, Sony, Caffrey’s, Durex and Mitsubishi, with an ad:ed ratio of 25:75. The 124-page glossy is perfect bound, costs £2.50 and is monthly.