Balls of Steel

MaxwellBygraves
MaxwellBygraves Posts: 1,353
edited April 2014 in The cake stop
Here (SFW)
"That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! " - Homer

Comments

  • badgerbeaver
    badgerbeaver Posts: 102
    Impressive.

    I felt sick watching this, and have started to sweat a bit. Phenomenal skill and confidence.
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 16,010
    Balls of steel... head of d1ck?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,601
    Some very odd perspective there probably due to the fish eye lens effect. Impressive but I don't think it was as steep or high as it appeared.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    BadgerBeaver wrote:
    Impressive.

    I felt sick watching this, and have started to sweat a bit. Phenomenal skill and confidence.
    I agree the skill is phenomenal but I'm not sure how to classify the "confidence". The risks involved are huge and doing this sort of thing regularly makes it highly likely that you'll end up dead, paralysed or very seriously injured at a young age regardless how good you are. Mechanical problems, unexpected wind gusts, a bird, rock slide, a muscle spasm.....any number of things could turn this to disaster in a moment regardless of how skilled he/she might be. I used to think those who did these high risk sports were, to some extent, irresponsible idiots but I've changed my mind. Many of these guys feel they need to do this stuff to feel alive. It's a big part of their psychology and not just something they're doing for attention or kudos. If that's the case and they're prepared to accept the risks and they're not putting others in danger then it's up to them really. The difficult bit, I suspect, is how much stress this must put on families.
    I recently saw a documentary about the guys that use wing suits. Any errors with these and you're probably dead. However the subjects of the documentary were very frank and honest about why they did it and their fears etc. It was very interesting. Most of them had lost friends/aquaintances but they still did it. they weren't reckless in their planning and preparation. They were fairly sober about the risks. They assessed them and then put them out of their heads. Some had retired when they had kids and did seem to find it a big sacrafice to have to make.

    If your brain chemistry is such that you need to take extreme risks to feel as stimulated as most people do from fairly pedestrian activities then I'm not going to sit in judgement. I'd love to fly a wingsuit - but I never will. For me the risks aren't acceptable and I can find safer things to excite me, they need to take those risks and the rest of us often benefit from their experimentation.

    Well, that was a longer post than I planned!
    I'll shut up now
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,723
    Obviously it's super cool and I could never do it but it's not that special for the world of Freeride MTB...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • MaxwellBygraves
    MaxwellBygraves Posts: 1,353
    ddraver wrote:
    Obviously it's super cool and I could never do it but it's not that special for the world of Freeride MTB...

    You're right, but most of us roadie types don't get out much :wink:
    "That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! " - Homer
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,839
    Just noticed this - video title is a bit misleading its the Red Bull Rampage event that's held somewhare in the US South West (search on youtube will throw up plenty of others). The lens does make it look even steeper than it is but that takes massive cojones in any event.

    If anyone is interested in big balls cycling this side of the pond, the world cup down hill series is up and running - UK round is in Fort William. Can be watched on Red Bull TV.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • arran77
    arran77 Posts: 9,260
    As Stevo says check out any of the Red Bull Rampage stuff, quite :shock: but very 8)
    "Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity" :lol:

    seanoconn
  • RDW
    RDW Posts: 1,900
    Balls of tungsten for this one:
    http://www.theguardian.com/sport/video/ ... onix-video
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,839
    RDW wrote:
    Balls of tungsten for this one:
    http://www.theguardian.com/sport/video/ ... onix-video
    Like that - Chamonix is one of my favourite places as well.

    Here's another Red Bull Rampage video - watch out for the backflip over the 72 foot canyon gap 8) You get a more realistic idea of the steepness on this one.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x76VEPXYaI0
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,839
    Last one, with some good third party camera views:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv_DRJZZ2qI

    :shock:
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • nathancom
    nathancom Posts: 1,567
    That's mental, and very cool.
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    If I go for a set of hand built wheels, with 32 spokes on the front, not 24, will they be strong enough for this ? :wink:
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,601
    Give it a try and report back.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,540
    I thought I was slow on the uptake,. Where have you all been (other than MSC and benito)?

    viewtopic.php?f=10007&t=12954028#p18682493
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,839
    pinarello001 wrote:
    I thought I was slow on the uptake,. Where have you all been (other than MSC and benito)?

    viewtopic.php?f=10007&t=12954028#p18682493
    Which is why Pinno resolutely refuses to get on a mountain bike :)
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    Ai_1 wrote:

    If your brain chemistry is such that you need to take extreme risks to feel as stimulated as most people do from fairly pedestrian activities then I'm not going to sit in judgement. I'd love to fly a wingsuit - but I never will. For me the risks aren't acceptable and I can find safer things to excite me, they need to take those risks and the rest of us often benefit from their experimentation.

    Me neither, but I think it constitutes a form of mental illness.

    And a few months ago, I saw a video of two Russian fellas climbing up an unfinished building in Dubai(?). People like that have something... evolutionary... missing from their make-up.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
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  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Pross wrote:
    Give it a try and report back.

    Well, I'm still here, but I think that's because I chose Lasers, not CX-Rays.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,839
    One more, to try and persuade some of you lot to watching the World Cup DH series. Slightly less loony than the Red Bull Rampage stuff but a great watch nontheless:
    Danny Hart's winning run in Champery 2011

    Listen for the comment at the end :)
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,540
    "How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that bi...czzz"

    Great riding and unbelievable but awful commentary.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • MaxwellBygraves
    MaxwellBygraves Posts: 1,353
    Relevant
    "That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! " - Homer
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,540
    MaxwellBygraves wrote:
    Relevant

    Eeeek. :shock:
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • nathancom
    nathancom Posts: 1,567
    MaxwellBygraves wrote:
    Relevant
    Well with balls that big they have a low centre of gravity.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Ben6899 wrote:
    Ai_1 wrote:

    If your brain chemistry is such that you need to take extreme risks to feel as stimulated as most people do from fairly pedestrian activities then I'm not going to sit in judgement. I'd love to fly a wingsuit - but I never will. For me the risks aren't acceptable and I can find safer things to excite me, they need to take those risks and the rest of us often benefit from their experimentation.

    Me neither, but I think it constitutes a form of mental illness.

    And a few months ago, I saw a video of two Russian fellas climbing up an unfinished building in Dubai(?). People like that have something... evolutionary... missing from their make-up.
    It's no more a mental illness than the people who are terrified of the slightest risk and won't move off at a junction while driving if there's another car anywhere to be seen. It's simply the other end of the spectrum. As in my previous post, those who feel the need to take big risks are often very beneficial to humanity. Why should we all aspire to be "normal" and "safe"? You could make a very sound argument for the view that living a conservative, safe, normal life is in fact what doesn't make sense!

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