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I scoured the interweb trying to find risk statistics for other dangerous activities, and found for Skydiving in the US during 2000 there was 1 death per 70,130 skydives, total of 32 deaths that year.

I think the umbrage is more at the fact that paulsol claimed it was "the only way to truly be alive."

Well maybe for some of those climbers it is the only way. But that doesn't mean it applies to everyone.



And I realize now I've gotten roped into this argument when all I said was that I don't feel sympathy and their stories make fascinating reads. Which apparently turned into me being called a lazy, reality TV-watching lardass???




Edited, Aug 4th 2008 9:20am by trickybeck

Shouldn't that be X-TREME?

Just don't go and tell us you've surfed Maverick Point, Smash. While a 10 footer isn't exactly life threatening, it is still formidable if you don't know what you're doing. As a person who attempted to body surf the Banzai Pipeline I will unequivocally state that as an excellent swimmer I attempted it once and spent the next 30 minutes trying to extract myself from the ocean without being ground into pulp against the bottom. It sucked. It felt like I was getting a back massage by a sumo wrestler who had glass imbedded into his knuckles and was loosening me up with a sledge hammer. I now know what it feels like to almost die from the water's equivilent of spinal menengitis. And this was when I was in my 20's.

Never. Again.

Totem

Well, while I was initially surprised to hear you say you had surfed HMB, I reconsidered once I remembered a number of acquaintances, who, upon first glance, you'd never expect to see them surf. Or run. Or do anything beyond breaking open a beer. But people can surprise ya.

From the people I've talked to surfing is largely a balance-based sport. While there is athleticism in its higher forms, surfing is mostly timing and being able to stay upright on your board.

My son, who went to UH for a year, would talk about the North Shore after a storm surge and describe 50 foot waves-- measured from the backside. He and his friend would go out and swim in that stuff and laughed when I told him about my experience with considerably smaller wave action. He agreed he was nuts though.

Totem

Well, while I was initially surprised to hear you say you had surfed HMB, I reconsidered once I remembered a number of acquaintances, who, upon first glance, you'd never expect to see them surf. Or run. Or do anything beyond breaking open a beer. But people can surprise ya.

Well, to be fair to myself, I've more than once knowingly put my life at risk relying on my physical fitness. That was before I was 35 and doughy, though. These days, I wrap my knees and carry a bottle of nitro glycerine before I go up a flight of stairs.

Absolutely. Can I do it as well as some (or maybe even most)? Probably not. Can I do it well enough to put my life in peril and "experience life!!!"? Sure thing. After all, we're not discussing breaking records here. Just "pushing to the extreme edge!!" and all that crap.

I mean, c'mon... if I had a serious desire to test my limits, I could sprint across tall building roofs and see how close I can stop to the edge without falling off. I don't because, well, I don't think it'd be particularly enriching despite being "close to death while still being in control".

I do that!

I... am.... X-TREME!

Okay, I need a nap now.

I do, occasionally, watch Ninja Warrior.

Nexa

That reminds me, X Games going on right now. Need to see how that's been.

I used to be all into the adrenaline rush stuff before I got married. Skydiving, cliff diving, midnight surfing, rapelling, parasailing, bungee jumping. Loved doing it all. Had to stop it when I got engaged and Ray said something to the effect that if I walked out the door to go jump out of an airplane, I would not be walking back through the door to him.