With most of our countries attention focused on the upcoming Super Bowl, some people may have overlooked the nasty crash that occurred today at the Winter X Games. The bone chilling crash didn’t weigh on me until hours after I heard the news. It is one of those events that I suppose becomes more common with age where someone younger than you is on their deathbed.
I grew up hooked on the X Games. I would much rather watch someone catch massive air and perform acrobatic feats over watching football or basketball. Records were smashed every year as the hardware and ramps caught up to the courageous athletes. Do you remember those gnarly street luge races where men wearing anti-g suits hurdled down mountains? They would melt the wheels after two races. To an adventurous daredevil like me it seemed I found my people.
I still partake in the occasional extreme activity, but never have I considered anything near the insanity of where these professionals have taken their respective sports. The media wants to know if the games have gone too far. How I could puke, instantly. Perhaps we take for granted the massive risk these guys have taken for the last 17 years. Try doing even their smallest stunt and you’ll be amazed you didn’t die. They take huge chances, we watch closely because we know the risk. It’s a lot like watching traders, or quarterbacks. Any performance will be pushed to the highest level.
You have to expect to see carnage. We’re fragile bags of fluid. Please don’t sully the X Games.
In other extreme sports news, the biggest wave ever was ridden this week. Check out one of the early images from the massive ride. This is human nature:
