Posts Tagged ‘xtreme’

Well, we’ve done kite surfing and snowboarding so why not some commonly used words in the rock climbing world…

However, with rock climbing it is a little more serious. Not just a whole new dictionary like the above sports but, a bit like scuba diving with its hand signals, rock climbing has a few critical expressions that one needs to know. It sounds a bit dramatic that it could be ‘the difference between life and death’, but at times a leader and the second might lose sight of one another and, without verbal communication, one climber might begin climbing before the other is ready to belay which is a scary thought.

So, a set of calls should be known beforehand and even practiced and agreed upon beforehand. Some common calls are:

• “Off belay!” The leader has reached a secure place. The second may discontinue the belaying process.
• “Taking in!” The leader will now pull the slack of the rope that remains between the two climbers. The second should watch for snags and tangles in the rope.
• “That’s me!” The second informs the leader that no slack remains.
• “On belay!” The leader is ready for the second to begin climbing.
• “Climbing!” The second answers that he is ready.
• “Climb!” The leader gives the final cue to begin the climb.
  
  
• “Slack!” The climber asks the belayer for extra rope.
• “Up rope!” The belayer may remove any slack that has accumulated.
• “Tension!” The belayer should take in enough rope to support some of the climber’s weight; a somewhat urgent call.
• “Watch the rope!” “Watch me!” or “Take me!” A fall or difficult move is anticipated. The belay may be tested, so get ready!

Some people might say “Why, why do it? What do you get out of rock climbing for god’s sake?” You go up – you have to come down again, is that fun or just a waste of time?

But I think this video explains the ultimate satisfaction of this sport to those who do it. The feeling of achievement, of getting up there – although I would be tempted to suggest that the desire ‘to conquer’ is also behind the urge to get to the top.

Skydiving is actually one of the safest so-called “extreme” sports. Let’s be honest: it’s not bowling. You are, after all, jumping out of an airplane and hurtling 12,000 feet towards the ground at 120 miles per hour, so there is risk involved. But it’s not Russian roulette either. Each year, about 35 people die skydiving, and that’s out of about 2 million parachute jumps.

It should also be said that mistakes in judgment and procedure are the cause of 92% of skydiving fatalities. What does that mean? It means that if you do everything you’re supposed to do during that exhilarating 60 second drop to the ground, you’ll be fine.

There are some health concerns that can limit one’s ability to skydive. You need to weigh less than 250 pounds and not have a heart condition. Someone who has had fainting spells, blackouts or respiratory problems should probably not be jumping and should definitely discuss this with the drop zone staff.

But where do you start?

You can’t just take a parachute up to the top of the the tallest building and take a big leap. That is called “base-jumping,” which stands for jumping off fixed objects, including Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), or Earth (cliffs). But don’t even think about doing it – it’s illegal almost everywhere.

So where can you go? There are about 400 skydiving centers across the U.S. To find the drop zone nearest you, you can call 1-800-SKY-DIVE, which will automatically connect you with a parachute center in your area or call the United States Parachute Association at 703-836-3495 to get the name of an affiliated drop zone in your area. Alternatively check out the yellow pages or ask your friends. If you’re in college, most universities have skydiving clubs. This offers a cheaper and easier way to get into the sport. Plus, nothing brings people together better than absolute terror. You may even make some friends!

Other countries will most certainly have similar organisations.

Most skydiving courses work the same way. First, you will get trained by a certified instructor. This instructor will try to scare you into not jumping (the last thing an instructor wants to deal with is a panicker in mid-drop). Then you will fill out all kinds of legal documents saying that if you get hurt, the skydiving company is not responsible. Again, these documents are very scary, and you will see words like “injuries” and “die.” But if you want to jump, you have to sign these documents.

Most extreme sports have similar documentation. I know that when I did my 5-day BSAC course for scuba diving, they spent the first 3 days terrifying us – telling us how easy it would be to kill yourself in such an unnatural environment for the human body, and only after that did they allow us to experience the pure thrill of diving to 30 metres.

Depending on 1) how much time you have, 2) how much cash you’ve got to spend, and 3) how brave you are, you have three options for what method of skydiving you’ll use for your first jump: tandem, static line, and accelerated freefall (AFF). These offer varying levels of airborne freedom and varying levels of training time. You want to fly freely? Go AFF. Just along for the ride? Try tandem. Want to make it quick? Do static line. You decide.

It takes about 10 to 15 jumps, each of increased level, until the student is competent enough to jump without instructor supervision. However, if you learn with the AFF method, you can start jumping on your own after seven jumps. Each successive jump costs a little less, and once you’re licensed, what was once $350 Saturday afternoon becomes only a $20 one. As long as they bring their own parachutes (and most prefer to), certified skydivers only pay for the space on the airplane.

There are four skydiving licenses: basic, intermediate, advanced and master. To get a basic license, you need to:

1. Complete 20 freefall jumps.
2. At least 3 of these freefall jumps must be controlled freefalls of 40 seconds or longer.
3. Have had a total of at least 5 minutes of freefall time.
4. Prove that you know how to 1) pack your own main parachute, 2) know what to do in an emergency, and 3) know other general skydiving information.

Many skydivers get licensed so they can work toward being skydiving instructors, which is really just a way to quench their own skydiving desires without having to pay for every jump.

So have fun, and let us know if you make it.

The 16th March was a bad day for scuba divers. In Tobermory, Scotland, search and rescue teams are looking for a scuba diver who went missing whilst exploring a 1935 year old shipwreck in the sound of Mull at a depth of about 50m. The circumstances are mystifying as the authorities said that the weather conditions were good with clear skies and calm seas.

Whilst in Kauai, Hawaii, on the same day, a 69 year old woman from Minnesota nearly drowned during a PADI course at Kaloa Landing in Kauai. She lost consciousness but her dive instructor managed to pull her to shore and call for help. She was lucky to have him. She is now in hospital in a critical condition.

As with all extreme sports, scuba diving is potentially dangerous. In fact, it is probably one of the most dangerous of all in that it is so beautiful, so beguiling, and so relatively ‘easy’ that you tend to be lulled into a false feeling of security. However, being underwater is a place humans were not intended to be, and the deeper you go, the more dangerous it becomes.

It is incredibly important to do a proper course and preferably not just a day’s holiday course. It is important to either scuba dive regularly or do a refresher course before you do it again. Never ever ever take anything for granted.

Some important lessons for this sport, once you know how to do it, are that you must never forget the following:

Maintain your equipment. Annual servicing should eliminate the need for major field repairs, and you should always check the security of even seemingly minor parts.

Decompression dives, or potential decompression dives, also require specialized training and equipment. Get both before you attempt these dives.

Leave your ego in your dive bag. The only thing it will contribute to your dive is a threat to your safety.

Dives CAN go wrong. They do, they have done, they will again in the future. Poor planning and careless gear maintenance can lead to terrifying consequences.

Whenever I scuba dive I always think I will be perfectly content to go no deeper than 6 metres – at about a level where nothing too serious can happen. But it’s so beautiful down there, a stingray drifts by, or a turtle, or just a shoal of fish, and down you go…. until before you realize it you’re below 20m and still going down.

Having prosed on about all that alarmist stuff – it is a wonderful sport. Just take care, take precautions, never dive without a buddy, love it, enjoy it, be grown-up about your attitude to it!

Yes its happened, this extreme business is now getting into the church in the form of a sky diving nun! Only kidding folks but this is the scene shown in ‘Mister Lonely’ which premieres at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival between April 23 and May 5. The festival which is now enjoying its seventh anniversary was co founded by Robert de Niro and aims to promote cultural and economic revitalization in the Tribeca neighbourhood after the September 11 attacks. Its not the only film showing an xtreme stunt, also check out Spotlight’s ‘Man of Wire’ which is a documentary about a Frenchman’s extreme walk across a high wire strung between New York’s twin towers back in 1974 – and without a safety net.

This question of the definition of extreme intrigues me – here are a couple of suggestions kindly provided by the free online dictionary:

Most remote in any direction; outermost or farthest (as an adjective);

The greatest or utmost degree or point (as a noun).

So in the context of ‘extreme sport’ the definition of extreme being used as the adjective is very appropriate……but i believe it is much more than just the ‘outermost’ or ‘farthest’. What is it that makes folks jump off cliffs, ride down vertical mountains with nothing more than a piece of wood strapped to their feet, dive into oceans where the great white lurks. Every time i find a new story, or even experience one of these extreme sports i ask myself ……’for what is it that i search?’ It is more than just the adrenaline trip or the adulation and attention you receive from on-lookers.

Well yes……………..all these elements and emotions are triggered by involvement in the various sports, to a varying degree, depending on which of the extreme sports you are involved with, but it is more than this – that something which is totally intangible, beyond where the conscious normally rests. It is a state of mind that takes you away from the conscious, that leaves you with a state of mind of being invincible, a lightness and euphoria never before experienced, you are free and intoxicated, not by any artificial stimulant or halucinogenic – no you are simply high on life. If this sounds too corny it probably is, but hey ….i wouldn’t swap that state of mind for anything or anybody.

come on guys, join the gang, get a life…..live! and if you would like to share your experiences, both actual and mental, i would love to hear from you – have a great day