A little bit of fear is good for you, right? After all, adrenaline is the ultimate poison for any red-blooded man – a bit of light cardio in the gym just isn’t going to cut it: once you’ve looked death in the eye and lived to tell the tale, you won’t be able to go back. So here’s our round-up of the extreme sports that will try to kill you, but which your inner cave man simply won’t be able to resist…
River Bugging
Braving raging rapids in a sturdy, safe kayak with oars to manoeuvre yourself away from danger is child’s play. River Bugging combines the thrill of white water rafting with another of the male species most beloved past times – lounging in your favourite armchair. Yes, this newest extreme export from the adventure capital of the world (New Zealand) sees its voyagers hurtling down stretches of rough white waters in small pontooned crafts reminiscent of inflatable armchairs. Ditch the traditional paddle and don your paddle mitts instead before flinging yourself to your fate. Our slightly more level-headed side does wonder if insurance can be taken out against punctures…
Volcano Boarding
Ricocheting down a slope at 50mph with only a board for protection is all well and good, but add the fact that this takes place down an active volcano and you’ve got yourself a thrill-seekers dream. Boarders dress in protective orange jump suits, kneepads and helmets before strapping themselves to their plywood boards – looking like a convict engaging in the most extreme getaway scene in history only adds to the adrenaline hit.
Slacklining
While Slacklining shares a few similarities with tight rope walking – in both activities you have to walk from one end of a ‘rope’ to the other suspended above the ground – there’s certainly no room for clowning around in this extreme sport. Once you take the suspended rope out the equation these similarities with its circus counterpart ends; there’s no balancing pole, the wire is neither stabilized or taut and if you slip, there’s a strong chance you’ll plummet to your death, as there’s no net to break your fall. Instead of the wire being held rigid and tight, in Slacklining, the wire is dynamic, stretching and bouncing (much like a giant rubber band) making it infinitely harder to keep your balance. We suddenly have a new found respect for Coco the Clown.