YOMAG - Sports - Extreme sports

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Extreme sports

Příbor 8. 01. 2010

\"If you fall, you die.\" - the definition of one of the most dangerous and adrenaline sports in the world - extreme skiing. Without a doubt the saying also applies to most extreme sports.

Extreme sports like extreme skiing, bungee jumping, paragliding, water skiing and many others are both physically and mentally very demanding and require a lot of courage; very often they are even a matter of life and death. The number of people who decide to take part in such kind of sport is relatively low because the risks are really big. Nevertheless some people adhere to the statement by Erica Jong: "If you don't risk anything, you risk even more". I have always been interested in adrenaline sports more than the more common kinds of sports. The main reason why I decided to write this article is to introduce you three of the many extreme sports which fascinate me most. I will probably try some of them myself. I know about one person who tried the paragliding. "It was absolutely unbelievable and unspeakable," he only said. "If you haven't tried it, you can't understand".

     Firstly, I'd like to introduce the winter sport of extreme skiing. You hurtle down a rocky summit and push for only one thing - to survive. Especially when an avalanche rolls down behind you. Evidently, extreme skiing isn't for beginners in any way. The best and most experienced skiers go in for that kind of sports. It's their hobby. The equipment is very expensive. On the top of that, the risk is too big. If you fall, you die.

     Secondly, there is a sport which originated long ago. One of a few legends points out that once a woman decided to run away from her cruel husband in the rainforest. She shinned up a high tree and fastened a liana around her leg. Then the woman jumped down. Her husband climbed the tree too and jumped down. However, he hadn't fastened the liana around his leg before jumping down and killed himself. As you can obviously guess, I'm thinking about bungee jumping where you leap from a bridge or building, sometimes out of a balloon or off a crane. Unlike extreme skiing, you can do this activity even if you are a beginner. You only need a lot of courage and about 55 euros for one jump.

     Nowadays, you can see more and more parachutes in the sky in summer. Paragliding is getting to be a very popular activity. In order to take up paragliding you have to pass a special course, but if you only want to try it, you can pay for a "tandem flight" which means to do it alongside a professional. The equipement (mainly the parachute) isn't too cheap. It costs about 2000 euros and the general course costs about 300 euros. The price for the "tandem flight" varies, but is around 40 euros.

     So, to sum up, why not try one of my suggestions for your freetime activities. You can also go walking, cycling or swimming, of course, but these activities lack the excitement and exhilaration of extreme sports. Finally, it's up to you what kind of sports you will choose. But remember: "First weigh the considerations, then take the risks." (Helmuth von Moltke)