The global temperatures are going up, there’s no question about it, and we can bear witness to this change almost on a daily basis, when the world news constantly reports on wildfires, droughts and flooding in all corners of the globe.
This year, a weather phenomenon called El Niño is responsible for an increased number and severity of storms, born in the tropical regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Most of us agree that participating regularly in a sport benefits our health and keeps us fit. Some take the idea a step further by competing at a professional level, but there are others with even more ambitions than Olympic athletes when it comes to stretching the limits. We’re talking about those who participate in Extreme Sports.
While there is no clear definition of what an “extreme sport” is, it generally involves intense physical and mental challenges and a lot of danger for the practitioners. Following are some examples that might give you the idea:
Base Jumping is one of the most dangerous sports you can try: It is where you throw yourself off a building, a cliff or any other high place, often reaching speeds of 100k/h while free- falling towards the around. You survive by opening a parachute just before landing.
Close relatives of Base Jumping are Sky Diving and Wing Suit Flying. In Sky Diving, you usually jump out of an aeroplane, free-fall and then, just before landing, open your parachute. In Wing Suit Jumping you try to mimic a flying squirrel; that is, you wear a “wing suit” and as you “fly” towards the earth, you open you legs and arms and “glide” your way down as far as you dare before opening your para-chute.
Bungee Jumping is another way to risk your life while free-falling from a great height, in this case attached to an elastic cord that snaps you back up just before you hit the ground. But for some intrepid Australians, a simple jump of 30 meters, or more, off a bridge is not enough of a challenge, so they have introduced the extra thrill of jumping over crocodile infested rivers, this time snapping you back just before a crocodile makes breakfast out of you!
Free-falling through the air is not the only way to get your adrenaline rush. Consider Big Wave Surfing. We’re talking about surfing waves of up to 30m tall. There are only a few places in the world where you can find such monster waves and just getting to them is part of the challenge. One of the biggest breaks is off-shore from a small town in Portugal, so if you’re up for the challenge, I suggest a trip to Nazare.
Well, I’ve made my choice: the one sport that suits my temperament.… Extreme Sleeping!

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