Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Since it's illegal to hunt lions with a sharp rock...

...danger seekers these days need to get their adrenaline fixes in ways our Pleistocene ancestors wouldn't have imagined (and would have freaked right the heck out and made up stories about flying demons and stuff if they had imagined it.)



That's some amazing, amazing stuff right there. My palms get damp just watching some of it.

(Seen at Kevin's.)

25 comments:

RWC said...

Awesome. That freeclimbing scares the heck out of me. Makes my knees rubbery just by watching it.

jetfxr69 said...

I was in awe but could accept all the activities, right up until the guy hanging from the parasail sideways, only feet off the ground. Now I'm reduced to making up stories about flying demons...

Robbie said...

I like skydiving, but I have to say that the scenes where the base-jumpers are squeezing their chutes between the canyon wall and the big rock.... made me nervous just watching it.

Tim said...

They're not base jumpers, they are speed riders. They launch from skis with their chutes already open and flying. The dude with the "parasail" is a speed flyer, same thing but no skis, just run. No jumping involved.

Yay human achievement!

Duke said...

What the...... Is some of that even possible???

Wilson said...

The pilot of the helicopter filming the skier at 1:50 has a pair of big brass ones. Aviation enthusiasts may be interested in the book Skydancing by Manley Ferdlund. He tells some good stories about the difficulties of filming extreme skiers. Gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.

Jake (formerly Riposte3) said...

I see some of this stuff, especially that kid jumping between those bars, and the BMX guys making the seemingly impossible hops, and I start to wonder if there's a grain of truth behind the "lightfoot kung-fu" type stuff you see in movies like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". While it's still obviously exaggerated for Hollywood, it does suddenly become much less unbelievable.

Anonymous said...

I have written to my member of Congress to demand - DEMAND, I say! - that this sort of dangerous activity be outlawed, and a federal Department of Not Allowing People To Do Dangerous Things be formed!

/ sarc

Given that I have troubles going up a ladder and that there was talk of a comedy-reality show when I tried a "rock wall" at the gym, I have to admire people with the skill, strength and determination to do things like this.

Fudgie Ghost said...

I love the underwater skateboarding! Now that's harcore. . .Hardcore funny!

Loose Gravel said...

Yeah... I think I might be up for the underwater skateboarding, but I'll call it a day right there.

Makes me wonder about the human species... is the lesson in that some of us choose to do things like that, or in that some of us are actually capable of doing things like that? I'll go with Tim - "Yay human achievement!" As a species, we're pretty capable.

Anonymous said...

You see amazing stuff.

I see future organ donors!

Gerry

BGMiller said...

Gerry....
Those organs aren't going to be worth much after that sudden stop.

Just sayin....

BGM

Borepatch said...

I want the "Country Fried Home Video" version where each of these folks win themselves a Darwin Award.

Harsh, yes. +5 what Gerry said.

Oops, gotta go. It's those kids, back on my lawn ...

fast richard said...

Some of that makes me feel old. I picture myself shaking my cane at these young whippersnappers, saying "When I was a boy, we had to make do with 28 foot round milsurp 'chutes and 24 foot twill reserves...."

We used to make fun of the old timers who were afraid to try freefall relative work. Some of what is done now would have been unimaginable in the early nineteenseventies.

Noah D said...

People are awesome?

Yes. Yes, we are.

Buzz said...

Despite my love for winter weather and the white stuff it brings, some of the snowboarding on sheer faces is a bit scary.
My goal is to hike a 14,000+ mountain and snowboard/ski down.
I have a buddy that does Mt. Fuji in late winter.

Free-range Oyster said...

That was amazing. Thank you for sharing it.

Oakenheart said...

I see all that and raise you one Jeb Corliss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWfph3iNC-k

lucusloc said...

question: lets just say, hypothetically speaking, something goes not so right. What, exactly, is the helmet going to do?

Jeff said...

Working for Cirque du Soleil for about 5 years now I've become immune to a lot of crazy shit but that was totally kick ass. I have a feeling I'll be giving that to our Artistic director for a cast meeting.

Lots of really kick ass shots of my favorite spots in UT as well, the False Kiva timelapse was amazing.

Thanks for sharing Tam!

Gnarly Sheen said...

The wingsuit base jumping thing is the craziest thing I've ever seen. Imagine what our ancestors would have thought if they looked up and saw the human equivalent of flying squirrels.

Cool video of some here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO3Rc8q_PMw&feature=pyv

And some crazy bastard flying through a hole in a mountain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6KmxvEnkuU&feature=relmfu

People astound me.

Anonymous said...

Not as dramatic, but still one of my favorites: Offroad unicycling!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uPznTbus3g

Kevin Baker said...

lucasloc wrote: "lets just say, hypothetically speaking, something goes not so right. What, exactly, is the helmet going to do?"

Hold the camera so it records the impact accurately.

WV: egaming - these people are LIVING life, not sitting on their asses on a couch with a controller in their hands egaming.

Anonymous said...

You just made me want to start skiing again. Last time was thirty years ago.

Terry

Will said...

Kevin:

there is multiple video shots of two wingsuit fliers crossing a bridge. (jumped from a plane, IIRC) One went under it, the other guy decided to go over. Impacted the railing on the far side. It rained body parts.

Only problem I see with these suits is they require a chute to land, as their L/D ratio is so bad. Essentially, they give you directional control over your terminal velocity. But, man, that sure looks like a hell of a ride!