Record breaking ski jump

[Luke Pemberton]

What makes people want to take up this sport in the first place?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-sports/31473251

[Zakalwe]

Same as any other sport, or hobby I guess.
 The thrill of pushing yourself harder, the feeling of being the best in the world, the sense of achievement when it all clicks together and you get right into the zone.

[Luke Pemberton]

Same as any other sport, or hobby I guess.
 The thrill of pushing yourself harder, the feeling of being the best in the world, the sense of achievement when it all clicks together and you get right into the zone.

I utterly agree, my comment was quite rhetorical. What would possess someone to jump off the end of a slope in big skis. I love ski jumping, it has always fascinated me. The people that partake are amazingly brave and skilled. I guess one can apply the same measures to most other sports though.

The other winter sport that I enjoy is curling. Amazing.

[ka9q]

The sport that really made my jaw drop recently is wingsuit flying. I can't believe these people are still alive.

[Luke Pemberton]

The sport that really made my jaw drop recently is wingsuit flying. I can't believe these people are still alive.

Some aren't (link to news report, not a horrible bad taste video):

...but yes, a sport that does make my jaw drop. Along with the Red Bull aeroplane stunt flying.

[Zakalwe]

People will always find a way to get their buzz on.

I used to dabble in a bit of sky-diving when I was in my twenties..you can become acclimatized to pretty much any situation.

In later years I took up riding powerful motorcycles. Again, within a short period of time, 160+Bhp can become routine and the ability to accelerate from a standing start to 100mph and back to zero in about 12 seconds becomes normal. What does tend to happen though, is that the time in which a situation becomes unmanageable becomes shorter and shorter.