airann 1 #1 July 31, 2003 Lookit Ma, proof skydiving isnt all that bad..... Worlds Most Dangerous Sports- Forbes Magazine- (significantly shortened from 11 pages) Defining the world's most dangerous sport remains a tricky subject, mainly due to limited data: Unsurprisingly, organizers and participants are loath to publicize deaths. Existing information produces curious results. In the U.K., for example, angling kills more people each year than any other sport. (Fishing) Most recently Harry Kirke adapted the trebuchet, a medieval device for throwing rocks, to catapult humans from zero to 55 feet in the air in 1.9 seconds. By taking things to extremes, he says, it puts the rest of life into perspective. As Einstein would say, it's all relative. Organizations and sponsors such as Red Bull, the energy drink, have turned formerly counterculture pastimes into moneymaking industries with regular televised events, offering prize money and endorsements. The Billibong Odyssey offers $100,000 for the first surfer to ride a 100-foot wave. But it you are game for one of these sports, remember: Insurance exists for a reason. BASE jumper individuals who hurl themselves with nothing but a parachute from buildings, antenna, span (bridges) or earth (cliffs). Between 5 and 15 people die each year, according to the International PRO BASE Circuit--it is also illegal in many parts of the world, including the U.S., except at organized events. The highest jump was from Malaysia's 1,381-foot Petronas twin towers. Individuals are "encouraged" to get their own insurance. Heli-Skiing Helicoptered to untouched snowy mountains, they leap onto virgin snow and ski down. If an avalanche doesn't kill you, a change of weather might leave you stranded. Even the helicopter ride can be perilous: the former president of Walt Disney died in a helicopter crash during a heli-skiing trip. Scuba diving imitating fish clearly has its drawbacks. The ascent from a dive, if done too fast, can cause decompression illnesses (including the bends), potentially causing failure of the spinal cord, brain and lungs. Not to mention that sharks passing by might be peckish. Cave Diving Hypothermia, getting lost, getting separated from your diving buddy, low visibility, air loss and lighting failure are just some of the hazards in this unusual sport. The NSS defines a successful dive as "one you return from." Unlike open-sea diving, you can't simply come up for air--you'd smash your head. Bull Riding If one of these beasts, weighing up to 1,800 pounds, tramples you, the next ride you take will be in an ambulance--or a hearse. Success is 60% mental and 40% ability. The only question is whether he's talking about the riders or the bulls. Big-wave surfing These waves aren't big, they're ludicrously big. Drowning, by being pulled under by the current, by smashing your head against hidden rocks, or by being whacked by the board on which you were supposed to be elegantly surfing, can be deadly. A surf forecaster points out: "Anyone can try this sport, but the chances are you won't be coming back." Street Luging (1970s) Californian kids practiced an extreme sport virtually before the word had been invented. They hit the road--literally, lying down on their skateboards and "butt-boarding" next to motor vehicles. Short of a collision, the only thing to stop them was their feet. Protective leathers and a helmet are essential--that is, if you don't want to smear yourself all over the road. Mountain Climbing You can twist ankles, sprain muscles, tear ligaments, break bones, injure your back, suffer frostbite or even suffer concussion. And you still have to get back down. BMX While astride a bicycle, BMX--bicycle motocross--in its basic form involves racing, but offshoots include bicycle stunts, vertical ramp and flatland. The ultimate goal? "To do a trick no one has done before," with, of course, attractive war wounds to show for it at the end. White Water Rafting Surrounded by untamed rapids, participants hurtle towards...well, possibilities include smashing into rocks, being tossed out and drowning. If you fall out of the boat, foot entrapment could ensnare you, making it impossible to dislodge yourself for quite some time. http://www.forbes.com/2002/08/07/0807sport.html ~AirAnn~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prepheckt 0 #2 July 31, 2003 QuoteMountain Climbing- And you still have to get back down. Isn't that what BASE is for?"Dancing Argentine Tango is like doing calculus with your feet." -9 toes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Push 0 #3 July 31, 2003 I vote for extreme bagel munching. -- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #4 July 31, 2003 Quoteextreme bagel munching mmm.. I've got about 24 Fairmount bagels in my freezer... sounds like a plan!Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Push 0 #5 July 31, 2003 Ooooh, aren't those the difficult bagels? Those are only for advanced bagel munchers! Your bagel loading is way too high for your experience level! -- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #6 July 31, 2003 Most dangerous? I'm gonna say climbing mountains over 8000 meters in height. For instance, Mount Everest is considered to not even be all that difficult and people complain all the time about how crowded it is, yet, even in a the best year to date the ratio of people that die in the attempt is something like 50ish:1.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #7 July 31, 2003 QuoteOoooh, aren't those the difficult bagels? Those are only for advanced bagel munchers! Your bagel loading is way too high for your experience level! And they're xbraced with sesame seeds too.....Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casie 0 #8 July 31, 2003 Interesting read...thanx for the info!~Porn Kitty WARNING: Goldschlager causes extreme emotional outbursts! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prepheckt 0 #9 July 31, 2003 Not to mention a number of people have done it without supplumentary oxygen, thereby increasing their chances of serious altitude sickness..HAPE anyone?"Dancing Argentine Tango is like doing calculus with your feet." -9 toes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyAnt 0 #10 July 31, 2003 1 in 6 people don't return from everest. And I don't think they went out for Pizza. "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke (1729-1797) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prepheckt 0 #11 July 31, 2003 I've heard that K2 is a more dangerous to attempt to summit, does anyone have stats or figure to support this?"Dancing Argentine Tango is like doing calculus with your feet." -9 toes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #12 July 31, 2003 Yeah, the 6:1 ratio is, I think, the overall ratio. The 50ish:1 ratio is for more recent years.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Laurel 0 #13 July 31, 2003 Remeber to think of all the native folks that climb Everest and survive - no problem. We only hear about the visitors that climb and usually only the ones that have trouble. A friend of mine holds the record to this day for the youngest person to climb Everest at the age of 24 - Joby Ogwyn from my tiny hometown of Shreveport, LA. Whoo hoo...................................................................... PMS#28, Pelogrande Rodriguez#1074 My Pink M Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 226 #14 July 31, 2003 Ooooh, QuoteAnd they're xbraced with sesame seeds too..... That means you can swoop on some serious cream cheese...I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #15 July 31, 2003 They do require minimal experience with bad chain bagel first... http://english.montrealplus.ca/infosite/477826/Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steel 0 #16 July 31, 2003 Most of these I wouldn't refer to as sports. Instead I think of them as different disciplines of sports. Big wave surfing is just the most dangerous thing you can do in surfing. Base jumping before learning to skydive is pretty close to suicide so that is just a dangerous form of skydving. Heli-skiing is the same with respect to skiing, just like cave diving with scuba. Once you put everything into perspective I think Bull Riding is without a doubt the most dangerous sport in the world because there is no real safe way to do it.If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass. Can't think of anything I need No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound. Nothing to eat, no books to read. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #17 July 31, 2003 interesting. I think to define "most dangerous" you'd have to look at the number of deaths per exposure (jump, wave, ride, dive etc..) anyone have those numbers?____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #18 July 31, 2003 From http://www.everestnews.com/everest1.htm Quote 1990: First father and son to summit together: Jean Noel Roche and his son Roche Bertrand aka Zebulon. They flew together on a tandem paraglider from the south Col. They landed at base camp on the 7th of October 1990. Roche Bertrand was 17 at the time and became the youngest person to ever climb Everest at the time.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyhi 24 #19 July 31, 2003 QuoteThe highest jump was from Malaysia's 1,381-foot Petronas twin towers. How high are the cliffs in Norway? Angel Falls? El Capitan?Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #20 July 31, 2003 QuoteI've heard that K2 is a more dangerous to attempt to summit, does anyone have stats or figure to support this? K2 without a doubt is a much more technical climb than the traditional southern route up Everest. Everest has the Kumbu Icefield (most Everest deaths have occurred here) and other than that, the only technical climbing on the south route of Everest is the Hillary Step (only about 30-40 feet in length). Of course both mountains have their death zones (above 26k MSL) where the body starts to die no matter how acclimated the climber is to the altitude. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kansasskydiver 0 #21 July 31, 2003 QuoteThe highest jump was from Malaysia's 1,381-foot Petronas twin towers. and as usual the media get's it wrong. Angel Falls is over 3 grand, the cliffs in Norway are as high and some towers are 1800... typical whuffo readers<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airann 1 #22 July 31, 2003 You are exactly right Quade. Especially in May of 86? was it. Texas' own Beck Weathers, wow how about that one and how they reconstructed his nose. Damn. Amazing that he stumbled back from beyond deaths door. There are 2 or 3 snowboarders on Everest right now that are going to snowboard down. I have been watching their progress. It is the OFF season. Its now the monsoon season. The guys are from Wyoming. I am somewhat concerned about their lives first and their test of acclimation. They are going to skip staying at, I forgot, C3 I think. Id look it up for ya, but I am in a hurry. Check this http://www.mounteverest.net/story/stories/HighspeedandlighttechforEverestSnowboardersJul142003.shtml and then then Stephen has his own website with updates. The last at 7-25-03. Again, the season is over in May!!! His link is on this page. I saw this guy on Conan, and his family has already lost one son from alvalance. He is also afraid of heights. I am an Everest follower. I dont know why. I cant even climb out of the only ditch on the dz. I like to read, and this topic is more interesting than to me than any other sport. The human spirit never ceases to amaze me. They are talking about Paragliding off K2. http://www.mounteverest.net/story/stories/ParaglidingK2Jul112003.shtml Dang... ~AirAnn~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steel 0 #23 July 31, 2003 Angel Falls is over 3 grand, ------------------------------- To be precise Angel Falls, in Venezuela is 3,81 feet tall and is the highest waterfall in the world. I was reading that off my placemat this morning.If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass. Can't think of anything I need No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound. Nothing to eat, no books to read. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narcimund 0 #24 July 31, 2003 Trango is a 6,237 foot wall in Pakistan that's been jumped. See the commercial video "Base Climb". First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airann 1 #25 July 31, 2003 What up with this trebuchet deal? (medieval device for throwing rocks) ...catapult humans from zero to 55 feet in the air in 1.9 seconds. That is this guys sport... umm kay.. So what, he is sitting around one day in his underwear, drinking a beer and says -I am going to make this thing and hurl myself violently thru the air. There you go the birth of another sport- Extreme Trebuchet. About BASE, I think the article points out legal or organized jumps - Venues: Organized U.S. events include West Virginia Bridge Day, the world's longest span bridge; Utah's Tombstone Challenge, a 390-foot cliff; and The Snake River BASE Games, Idaho, the 450-foot Perrine Bridge. The highest jump was from Malaysia's 1,381-foot Petronas twin towers. Individuals are "encouraged" to get their own insurance. Street Luging - Wasnt that on on Jackass but the guy was in a bathtub.? ~AirAnn~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
