I want to learn hand gliding. How easy is it, and how safe? How many have been injured or have died from it?
109621
Well, it's overall quite safe as long as you don't let go of the bar...
516227
Another option is SSI.   The skills are compatible with PADI and NAUI.  The real learning comes after the initial classes as you dive more and take more skill building classes.  Many people decided on certification purely by price.  Pay attention instead to the level of service that the shop provides and the options they have for purchasing gear. My shop wasnt the cheapest but they applied half of every equipment rental I made towards the purchase of my own gear, saving me hundreds of dollars.
211065
I've never heard of anyone being afraid of flip tricks. The chance of falling while doing one on flat is so low, and if you do fall it won't hurt too bad. Just stick the trick like a man, and ride away.
132913
I've never heard of this technique.  Is it offered everywhere in the country?  I'd love to do something that isn't very high impact b/c I have back problems so maybe this might be good for me.  Thanks for bringing it to my attention! :)
180348
FLY! And effortlessly... I've gotten used to walking, being in thee city...but flying around instead of walking is something I've wanted to do since I was a cub, lol...so unbearlike, right? It'd be cool and for some reason less energy-burning if there are wings for gliding..
371
Check out the link for Skydive Monterey Bay Inc. I haven't done it by my friends have done their first jump there. Their website has a lot of good information on skydiving. As far as I know, your first jumps will always be tandem jumps, where you are strapped to an instructor who will pull the parachute. It seems that the only risk is if the regular parachute and the emergency parachute all fail, which is probably very unlikely.
1148505
Hello Eric, you answered my "moon question". I am on "the fence" with that. But to answer your question, I took Judo at 26 and am acelling fast. I was afraid at first, but if you are 1/2 tough, you will not have a problem. Most people are wimps and easy to beat. I wish to be a black belt soon, you can be too. Just listen to your master even if you do not agree, he knows more than you, so have faith in your master. P.S. My name is Eric aslo:P Good luck with your training, it is not as scary as you may think.
386591
I took my first SkyDive in Nagamibie northern Victoria in November last year.\n\nExhilarating would be a good word to describe it.\n\nLike falling with the initial rush tat you get when falling off or jumping off something, but never finding the ground. Truly awesome!!!\n\nI would recommend it to everyone because once the shoot opens, the scenery is beautiful and everything is completely silent. Such a beautiful experience.
321470
What do you want to gain from the experience?  You could die, or you could be injured so bad that you would need somebody else to wipe your bottom for the rest of your life.\n\nIs the risk worth the reward?  I don't think so.  Find a good roller coaster, maybe go bungee jumping.
1041943
theres always the remote control finger workout, or the 'see how far you can strech to reach stuff without actually getting up' with practice you can get yourself almost horizontal before you fall over, and seeing how much you can carry in one go so you dont have to make two trips, picking up stuff with your feet so you dont have to bend(good strong toes and balance) the list is endless!
647730
nope. Stunts WITHOUT the training & professional approach is suicidal. Stunt people work with the WIDEST margin of safety, and are dedicated to upholding the standards of the industry and reducing risk.\n\nStunts such as drag racing, skydiving, hang gliding, bungee jumping are very adenaline-addictive. But, doing that SAFELY, is life affirming, not death-courting. Suicides don't want to be safe.
1143587
well first off its MOTTOCROSS not motorcross. but its pretty easy. and if you get a good bike its gonna b expensive. but for a beginner you should get a yamaha 4stroke 250.
320937
Go to either one of the below web sites and find a track near your home - there is a search "find a track" on the sites. These are the two largest organizations involved in BMX racing.  I cannot stress safety enough in this sport and I highly advise buying a chest protector, and I don't care what anyone says.  Chest trauma with a handlebar or pedal from another bike can be very dangerous in BMX. I saw a a real super star rider get slammed in the chest with a pedal and he wasn't wearing chest protection (plain ignorance on the parents part).  I don't care how good or how highly  ranked the kid was, accidents happen).  My son wore a FOX chest protector and I can't tell you how many times this saved his chest and he walked away uninjured. I would also have him wear eye protection, depending on the condition of the track. People will tell you that they can create an injury, chest protectors.  I work as a nurse in an ER, I can't not begin to tell you about chest injuries in sports.  BMX racing can be very safe, provided you invest in the protection. It's really helpful to talk with other parents at the track.  I find most parents to be eager to help and there are a lot of nice moms involved (and Dad's) in the sport. I just walked up to people and asked questions and the parents at tracks were always great. Also, have him wear gloves. It's a very fun sport and my son had a blast without any injuries, just some scrapes. Many of the tracks offer introductry courses on racing. I think it's great sport. Take care
213606
Defining the world's most dangerous sport remains a tricky subject, mainly due to limited data: Unsurprisingly, organizers and participants are loath to publicize deaths. (Existing information produces curious results. In the U.K., for example, angling kills more people each year than any other sport, due to drowning, but it is by no means deemed extreme.) The key is not the death toll but what the worst-case scenario is if something goes wrong.\n\n    Which do you think is the most dangerous? \nBASE Jumping \nBull Riding \nHeli-Skiing \nStreet Luging \nBig-Wave Surfing \n \nView Results \nReply \n \nBroadly speaking, if an activity involves being exposed to the elements, using specialist equipment to control an inherently incontrollable and unpredictable environment, it is probably an extreme sport. Cave diving in dank, enclosed spaces qualifies, as does surfing 50-foot waves capable of destroying a small village. \n\nSuch activities, loosely defined as extreme or dangerous sports, are not for everyone. They tend to attract men (though not exclusively) in their late 20s to early 40s, who live for the moment--which is a good thing since it could always be their last. Even without death, there's a long list of injuries on offer: from concussion or brain damage (bull riding) to broken bones (luging, among others), frostbite (mountaineering) or the bends (scuba diving), to name a few. \n\nSo why do it? As Harry Parker, a BASE jumper, says incredulously: "Why? Because you can!" But the bottom line is this: People will go to extraordinary lengths to get high. If this means splashing out over $600 per day to heli-ski by jumping from a helicopter into virgin snow, and risk starting an avalanche, all the better. \n\nBut besides the adrenaline junkies are what the Speleological (the Latinate term for caving) Society dubs "equipment junkies." They love the associated paraphernalia and experimenting. A notorious experimenter is David Kirke, the founder of England's Dangerous Sports Club. Most recently Kirke adapted the trebuchet, a medieval device for throwing rocks, to catapult humans from zero to 55 feet in the air in 1.9 seconds. By taking things to extremes, he says, it puts the rest of life into perspective. As Einstein would say, it's all relative. \n\nHuman curiosity, it seems, is as alive today as in the 1970s when Californian kids hit the open road by lying down on their skateboards and "butt-boarding," arguably one of the earliest extreme sports. The difference today from when these sports first started is that organizations and sponsors such as Red Bull, the energy drink, have turned formerly counterculture pastimes into moneymaking industries with regular televised events, offering prize money and endorsements. The Billibong Odyssey offers $100,000 for the first surfer to ride a 100-foot wave.
767829
Highly recommended!!!\nAnd since this will be your first time, I thought i'd offer a few tips.\n1)get an instructor, not only will you get the few tips to make it easier/faster to learn, classes get lift priority and go straight to the head of the line. HUGE plus if you go on a holiday weekend or if it's just plain busy.\n2)You're going to fall, A LOT your first time. Don't let that discourage you though. Happens to ALL of us our first time out. Bring some aspirin. Your 2nd and 3rd times will be much better.\n3)Everyone seems to think of the obvious with the helmets. That protects you if you happen to fall and smack your head. But you WILL fall, and WILL fall on your wrists and knees. Don't forget to protect them too. Get knee pads and wrist guards!!!!!!People may laugh(they might not too) But you will be the one smiling when you can get right back up after a gnarly bail and keep right on down the slope. I can't stress this one enough. I HIGHLY recommend a pair of Burton impact gloves with the wrist guards built right in. If you have gloves already, maybe some Pro-Tec ones that fit under your gloves. Same with the knee pads. Pro-tec ones can be had for $20-35 a set for knee pads and wrist guards. I bought the Burton Impact gloves for just under $100 and the knee gaskets for about the same. Got both sets of Pro-tec too. And in case anyone is wondering, YES, the more expensive burton ones ARE justified. Sounds expensive, but MUCH cheaper than a broken wrist or a blown out knee. I know, broke my wrist my 2nd time out. Water on my knee the 4th time. Which someone was kind enough to give me this info before I learned the hard way.
43988
I don't know if horseback riding is a popular sport or not.  I just got my own horse after not having ridden for 26 years!  (Bad accident)  One day, I hope to be brave enough again to jump.  I'll be watching to see how people respond to this question, because I'm hoping there are a lot of horse lovers out there!
628728
I think you will have to revise your plans.  The instructor at the training course will advise you regarding what you need but I think you would have to have plenty of experience before he would allow to to jump into a possibly crowded area.  Besides killing yourself, you would probably injure others..........