22 replies to this topic

[Black.Ghost]

We were talking about this before in the office and I was just wondering what kind of stuff people had done and liked, done and hated and do on a regular basis. What's the scariest things people have done?

I'm expecting skiing/snowboarding to crop up quite a bit, and MTB. Any mad parachutists amongst us, or kite surfers? What about less common sports like fencing etc. Has anyone represented county or anything for various sports?

Just bored at work and interested really.

Personally, snowboarding and MTB, and I have done some white water rafting before on a quite challenging river which was pretty good fun. I'd like to try mountain boarding and kite surfing as well I think. Maybe even a parachute jump or two if I get the balls for it. The idea of a bungee jump scares the crap out of me though to be honest. I'd rather trust a parachute than a stretchy rope. I've done abseiling but not a big fan of rock climbing.

Adrenalin and being outside of the comfort zone is actually pretty exhilirating I think.

Anyway, what do you lot do?

[minimaxie]

Ive done a bit of rock climbing before around the north of the lakes/southern Scotland and absolutely loved it! Used to go with my dad every year. Were planning on doing Ben Nevis and Snowdonia one day :)

Used to do a lot of skiing holidays with my Mum in Salzberg when I was younger too, and loved that. Bit of snowboarding too! Trying to convince the other half to go skiing with me next year rather than a usual lazy hot holiday lol.

Dont know if anyone has done that freestyle mountain boarding before, where you're on like skateboard with massive tyres going down a massive hill. But its freaking amazing! The adrenaline rush is incredible lol

I love outdoor sports, just wish i did more of them

EDIT: oh and definately have to do a bungee jump or parachute jump one day! Its on my bucket list lol

Max

Edited by minimaxie, 17 August 2012 - 10:44 AM.

[Lyford01]

Well I have completed advance free fall training and done 20 jumps from light aircraft had a go at snow boarding riden motor bikes since I was 5 I am also extreme cold weather servival qualified just to name a few

[Lee_bash]

I hated heights, so naturally jumped at the chance of rock climbing lol. First few lessons, I got to the top of the wall and sat there shaking like a leaf, then a coulple lessons in we started practising for how to handle people falling, which involved jumping off the wall. Instructors seemed adamant that a girl over half my weight should belay for me, without the weight bag... He said, if she goes in the air I'll catch her...

I jump from about 30 foot up, felt the rope go past it's usual stretchy bit then before I knew it I was halfway down and the girl belaying me is next to me swinging about on the wall 15 foot up... Haha.
I don't mind heights now though!

Other than that, I'm a sailing instructor. I've got my own boat, a laser single hander, rubbish at races but love to go out and find a good gust and get the boat fully powered up on a run.
Best experience ive had was sailing a catermeran on the Menai straits in a force 6-7. We were both hanging right out on a trapeze line, one hull about 4 foot in the air and doing about 30 which felt like 60... Was brilliant until we put a gybe in as we're approaching the shore and got the trim wrong, the front dug in and 16 foot of catermeran tipped end over end!

[Black.Ghost]

Lyford - are you in the forces by any chance? I'd quite like to give the extreme cold weather course a go. In not fit enough or I'd like to do the Commando course as well.

I forgot about sailing. I've done a bit, the bet was in force 10 winds. Someone did t tie the foresail down properly so I had to go and sort it out. Thank god I was tied on! I love sailing when the yacht is at a big angle and you can't help but think its going over.

To the first reply, yeah I want to try mountain boarding. It does look like amazing fun.

[TfcIan]

Never done any of this sort of thing before, would love to go sky diving though, I'd probably be scared stiff on the way up but just go for it when at the door about to jump.

[M J W J]

Taken part in some club competitions with my RC planes. Nothing major and no real prize but if I get the chance I will always go to another club and take part against people I haven't competed against.

I've done:

Time and glide. You get 20 or so seconds to get your plane as high as you can and then stay in the air for as long as possible without the engine running.

Spot landing. A giant target is painted on the floor and the closest you can land to the centre the higher your score. Sometimes done with the engine running so its more difficult

Loops. How many you can do in a set time limit

Spot landings. How many times you can take off and land in a set time limit

Killer. Take off, three loops, three rolls and land. Quickest time wins. Can be done in any order

Pop the balloon. As the name says. Its very difficult. I won the last one I took part in as I was the only person to hit the balloon.

Limbo competition. Stretch a wire between two poles and fly under it. Usually the more passes in a time limit wins. The last one I took part in they gave you 1 point for doing it the right way up, 2 points for upside down. I was the only person to attempt a limbo flying inverted. Came second.

Blind flight time. Take off and fly for a set time limit with no aid from watches, alarms or someone else. A lot more difficult than you think. I won the last one I took part in.

Flour bomb. You drop a plastic bomb off your plane filled with floor at a target. It requires a specially set up plane to do. I borrowed someone else's to do it.

I've also taken part in the Steve Tarrox challenge which is where you have to fly a routine and you are judges on your accuracy.

The chair man of our club has taken part in pylon racing at national levels

[lapider]

Other than that, I'm a sailing instructor. I've got my own boat, a laser single hander, rubbish at races but love to go out and find a good gust and get the boat fully powered up on a run.

Plus one for sailing i live just off cardiff and sail a laser so twice a week i go down and blast out into the bristol channel in my laser and get some really strong winds.

apart from that when the weather and funds permit i ski as much as i can. i used to kayak a lot. but my most consistent sport would be my sailing i instruct a bit at my local club and take part in the uni BUSC sailing championships and as im in plymouth you get a fair amount of knots of wind coming in from the channel.

Edited by lapider, 17 August 2012 - 11:55 PM.

[Spud_133]

Stock car racing. Race And smash classic cars every week! Controversial I know, but you can't knock it until you've experienced the buzz!

[mini93]

Tried a few things. 1st when i was younger i did MTBing.... mostly jumping but enjoyed the DH aswell. All my friends went onto BMX, so i bought one but couldnt get into it like they did so i switched to skateboarding and that was it for me, did that for year....right up till i passed my driving test and unfortunatly iv hardly been on it since. quite annoyed at myself at times and wish i could just go for a push about but there really is very little places to go round here.
Recently, iv had a go at snowboarding and now im really looking forward to going again next year. I know its nothing im ever going to be majorly good at due to being a very seasonal thing not to mention its all abroad (indoor things cant really be counted)

but best of all for me is rallying (and off to rally day at castle combe in 20 mins)
I bought a mini for rallying back in 2007, 2nd hand, spent a butt load of money coming upto my 1st rally including car prep, my overalls and helmet and my BARS test and retired on the 2nd stage! so disheartening.
My personal view is minis are too fragile and outdated to be truly competative in modern rallying. Ill get another rally car one day but i cant afford it at the moment. cost of events are quite expensive for full multi-stage rallys and if you really wanted to do a propper road rally your such unless you can do the jim clark rally in scotland, uk's only closed road rally

[Lee_bash]

Plus one for sailing i live just off cardiff and sail a laser so twice a week i go down and blast out into the bristol channel in my laser and get some really strong winds.

apart from that when the weather and funds permit i ski as much as i can. i used to kayak a lot. but my most consistent sport would be my sailing i instruct a bit at my local club and take part in the uni BUSC sailing championships and as im in plymouth you get a fair amount of knots of wind coming in from the channel.

I bet the Bristol Chanel is fun, my dad doesn't live far from there so I may give it a shot one day
Do you have to dodge much water traffic or do you use a fairly quiet bit? When we sailed the Menai straights it was the tide that was a killer, we went on a downwind run in a laser 2000 with the spinny up, took us about 3 minutes to get from one point to another then half an hour to return back, having to tack back against the tide.

I'd love to get a kayak, I tried it a good few times on holiday last summer. Went in a two man with my gf, she didn't know how to paddle so I had all the control, ( I didn't tell her that, chose to keep it that way!) and as we headed away from the beach, when the tide was out there was a ship wreck on some rocks. Naturally, I wanted to get as close as possible, it was on its side with a big hole in the deck and the engine visible so I was getting us nice and close for a good look in. She was going bezerk, and as we got about 5 foot away the was a loud grinding sound and the kayak stopped still... Apparently there was a bit under the water I hadn't seen and we were sat on top of.
Whooooopss

[cherryblossom]

<sub>I've been a snowboarder for coming up to 5 years, so thats always quite exciting. I'm trying longboarding this year too not very extreme but a bit different.


I used to horseride and used to ride for warwickshire so if i would have stuck at it maybe would have gone a bit further..
Need to get out and do more i think i want to try rock climbing and would love to bungee jump as one of my friend is an instructor in New Zealand just need some monies lol!</sub>

[lapider]

Plus one for sailing i live just off cardiff and sail a laser so twice a week i go down and blast out into the bristol channel in my laser and get some really strong winds.

apart from that when the weather and funds permit i ski as much as i can. i used to kayak a lot. but my most consistent sport would be my sailing i instruct a bit at my local club and take part in the uni BUSC sailing championships and as im in plymouth you get a fair amount of knots of wind coming in from the channel.

I bet the Bristol Chanel is fun, my dad doesn't live far from there so I may give it a shot one day
Do you have to dodge much water traffic or do you use a fairly quiet bit? When we sailed the Menai straights it was the tide that was a killer, we went on a downwind run in a laser 2000 with the spinny up, took us about 3 minutes to get from one point to another then half an hour to return back, having to tack back against the tide.

yeah there is a large shipping channel about 600 meters off shore carrying container ships into cardiff bay. the tide is a killer as well we get a few beginners that aim to low and don't take into account the tide and miss the boey. you get some sever waves down here at times which is great fun in a laser but does not do them much good.

[Beej123]

I have done white water kayaking and go ocean kayaking with the mrs and mates whenever I can.
I've done a bit of rock climbing and a few charity bungee jumps. Used to MTB and snowboard but need to lose some weight before I go there again! Haha

[toyboy396]

Stock car racing. Race And smash classic cars every week! Controversial I know, but you can't knock it until you've experienced the buzz!

Heathen

How could you !!!






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