Extreme Sports
From balloon flights to bungee jumping, limbo skating to volcano boarding, here are seven sports only the most extreme athletes would dare try.
1. Cliff Diving
If you’re brave enough to see past the rough rocks, cliff diving offers the thrill of a lifetime. It is usually done in calmer waters and requires an extraordinary amount of courage and self-confidence, not to mention an immense ability to make decisions very quickly.
2. Train Surfing
Train surfing is extremely dangerous and has resulted in many deaths around the world, especially in places like India and South Africa. In 1989 alone 150 Brazilian kids died doing the sport. The Germans repopularized it in the 90s and it quickly became associated with graffiti culture.
3. Sky Diving
Skydiving began in 1797 when Andre-Jacques Garnerin successfully parachuted out of a hot air balloon. It is now done as a recreational activity, where participants jump from as high as 15,000 feet, freefalling for the first minute. It is also done as a competitive sport, and often required of military people as well as firefighters.
4. Hot Air Ballooning
The thrill of watching the ground beneath you disappear as a burning fire pulls you up into the clouds is unparallel. With a mind of their own, the winds will carry you for a scenic ride where you can overlook lakes, rivers, and forests, even deserts if you choose. For a calmer ride go before dawn or after dusk.
5. Limbo Skating
It’s all the rage in India right now. Limbo skating requires an enormous amount of flexibility, balance and strength. Never heard of it? It is the sport of roller-skating beneath parked cars, which means getting very low down, in the splits. In 2008 six-year-old Aniket Chindak skated under 57 cars in 45 seconds!
6. Bungee Jumping
Bungee jumping is a thrilling activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. Structures can be fixed such as a bridge or building or they can be moving, such as a hot air balloon. Often people do this sitting on a chair, blindfolded, or with a bucket over their head. Brave Australians who found this wasn’t thrilling enough, now bungee jump into crocodile infested waters.
7. Volcano Boarding
If you’re feeling fazed by every thrill you’ve tried then maybe it’s time to head down to the foothills of Nicaragua’s Cerro Negro mountain for a ride down an active volcano. With nothing but a jumpsuit, kneepads and a helmet to protect them, these extreme athletes speed down 2,380 feet volcanoes as fast as 50 miles per hour on a plywood board.
Wow! There’s no shortage of adrenaline listed here. For all of you thrill-seekers, you’ve got your work cut out for you!