Simple things are simply not worth doing. If you believe in this phrase then extreme sports were invented just for you! These sports will leave you with racing heartbeats, faster breaths, speeding mind and a smile. A smile due to the fact that you conquered a sport which required courage and very few people dared to do it. So if you are brave enough to experience these gut-wrenching sports, go ahead else exit the page immediately. This list is not made for the people with a weak heart. Here is the list of top 12 most dangerous sports-
12. Heli-Skiing
As if skiing in itself wasn’t daredevil enough, people have started heli-skiing! The sport is practiced majorly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. As the name suggests, it involves a helicopter. If your mind is thinking “Do they jump from helicopters?”, put a break to your train of thoughts. Helicopters fly atop the peak and skiers get down from a helicopter. Then the fun starts! People start skiing, accessed with a helicopter. The risk factors are many- avalanche, snowstorms, mechanical failure and usual risks while flying a helicopter at such heights. Experienced guides and pilots along with safety methods can provide an adventurous experience to you.
11. Bull Riding
The name itself boasts of the danger- Bull. One look at the beast can make you go weak in the knees (literally). The sport is mainly for heavy built men who have the courage to face this animal. He has to stay on top of it while the bull tries its best to throw him off his back. Lots of money is gambled on this sport. Many things can go wrong in this game. The bull might get aggressive, the fall can result in injuries, and the rider can get trampled on by the bull besides others. It is an extreme sport and not as fun as shown in movies!
10. BASE jumping
BASE is an acronym for Building, Antennae, Span and Earth. People jump from any of the four categories wearing a flying suit or a parachute for safe landing. The extreme factor is time. The time a jumper has to open the parachute is very less. If the parachute is not deployed quickly the jumper can die on hitting the ground. Till 2006, the overall deaths were 1 out of every 6 participant. It is illegal in many countries.
9. Creeking
Creeking is the extreme level of canoeing or kayaking
. It is canoeing in low volume water. Special canoes and kayaks are designed for this sport as in low waters the presence of rocks rises. The built is strong so that it can withstand the smashing with the rocks. The dangers are plenty- capsizing of canoes, breaking of canoes, getting trapped between rocks and even creekers can get stuck under waters. The exciting part of the sport is reaching the unexplored stretch of whitewater. Paddling in a place where no other kayaker has gone before. To explore new places people mostly creek in those waters where tourism is not that high.
8. BMX
Bicycle motocross in short BMX is a motorbike sport which involves racing with stunts. Stunts are performed in air too. The bikes are costly and specially made. The riders perform highly dangerous stunts and the safety harness is quite less. Besides cuts and bruises- head injuries are the most fatal. In order to keep inventing new and better stunts, the riders can sometimes risk their lives.
7. Highlining
Highlining is walking on a thin nylon rope about an inch thick at a large height (dozens or even hundreds of feet above the air). The factor that gives this sport extremity is the absence of a pole for balance. Highliners usually balance with their arms. Their rope stretches and bounces more which makes it all the more difficult. A fall results in ultimate death unless you can hang on to it while falling! If you have vertigo problem you should give this sport a pass. For successful highliners who have perfected the art of balancing, it all seems like walking in air.
6. Skysurfing
Just being in the sky adds an extremity factor to the sport. In this sport, the surfer free falls from a plane with a surfer board attached to him. He performs acrobatic stunts or simply surfs during the fall. The sport was made famous in 1987 in the movie “Hibernator”. French skydiver Joël Cruciani made the first free fall. Since then the sport has seen much popularity with better equipments. In competitions participants are judged on the surfing style plus the video quality. Every surfer needs to video the fall to prove his credibility. Due to less instructors and large number of deaths the sport has lost the sheen now.
5. Crocodile bungee
Well, when things start to get boring you need to re-invent. Bungee jumping is for old souls. Doing it over a water body full of crocodiles is the new amazing add on to the sport! Besides the crocodile being a scary factor there are other things which add danger to it. Many things can go wrong- the cord can break, crocodile can catch you just as you near the water, and you can break your bones in case you fall! Make sure the harness is proper before you take the leap of faith. If you falter you might serve as a lunch for a hungry crocodile.
4. Cave diving
Cave diving is one of the most deadly sports. In case of a failure you are doomed to die. No time to repair or heal the injury. It is diving beneath the caves which are at least partially filled with water. The extreme factor is that once inside the cave, you have no option to swim up since it is covered with a roof. So, either you swim ahead and find your way out or go all the way back. Low visibility and oxygen, strong water currents, unpredictable caves also pose a problem.
3. Big wave surfing
Big would be an understatement for the size of waves. They are huge. Being stuck in a wave is like being stuck in an avalanche- you can’t figure out which way is up! Moreover, the sport poses many risks like- being smashed by underwater rocks or the board itself! You can drown if the wave pushes you harder into the water. Despite the risks, the surfer enthusiasts are not scared. Each year, many surfer turn up in the contest to claim prizes as large as $70,000.
2. Mountain Climbing
The feeling of putting your country’s flag atop a mountain cannot be put in words. It’s pride mixed with joy. Mountain climbing is an extreme sport due to the unpredictability of weather conditions high above. Avalanche, wild animals, frost bite, scarcity of supplies, getting lost, ligament tear, bone break- the list of dangers can go on.
1. Wingsuit Flying
Among the first few attempts at wingsuit flying, one tragic attempt was undertaken by, Franz Reichelt. He was a tailor and designed his own suit with a parachute. After falsely telling everyone that the jump would be tested with a dummy, he himself jumped to death from Eiffel Tower. The video of his jump still exists. From then to now, many developments have been made in the sport to reduce the risks. Basically, the jumper wears a suit which resembles the shape of a bat and jumps from a height. He carries a parachute too for safe deployment just a few feet above the ground. The sport can be considered the closest a man can come to flying. There are still many dangers involved. The jumper can hit obstacles in the way, miscalculation in deployment of parachute can result in a fall besides others.
Note: There is a difference between extremity and recklessness. Just because you want to experience an extreme sport doesn’t mean you can ignore the safety guidelines or the training. Try the above only if you come prepared.