Back left
Back right

World's Most Dangerous Sports

Dec 27, 2006


2. Free Diving - Divers will plunge up to 400 feet (120 meters) underwater in a single breath. At the 2001 Free Diving World Cup, 15 people had to be rescued because of blackouts caused by their brains not getting enough oxygen.

3. Cave Diving - Imagine being more than 100 feet (30 meters) underwater in a deep, cold and dark cave. Divers are well trained but there are so many things that can go wrong which is why this is one of the world's most dangerous sports. You can lose your way, run out of air, your equipment can fail or you can be eaten alive by a cave creature.

4. Speed Skiing - This is the world's fastest non-motorized sport and one of the world's most dangerous sports. Skiers wear special skis and aerodynamic suits to fly down a hill at speeds up to 160 miles (250 kms) per hour! That's almost as fast as a racecar! One crash often means death.

5. Rock Fishing - Unless you're a fish, how can fishing be one of the world's most dangerous sports? Rock fishing involves casting a line into the ocean from the shoreline. People often forget about the tides and are swept away or are dragged underwater by massive waves. In 2001, 15 people in Australia died while rock fishing.

6. Bull Riding - Jump on a raging bull who hates your guts and try to hang on. That's the name of the game in bull riding. Some of the bulls weigh over 2000 pounds (900 kilos) and can throw a rider off in a split second - and may even stomp on the rider afterwards. Riders suffer broken bones, punctured lungs and even death.

7. Supercross - Athletes fly in the air on a motorcycle while doing backflips, taking their hands off the handlebars and other death-defying stunts.

8. Solo Yacht Racing - In a race around the world, sailors encounter waves, sharks, hurricanes and even pirates. The nearest help can be hundreds of miles away and racers have no control over the conditions they run into. With no one nearby to help them out, racers can lose the race and their lives.

9. Street Luging - Highly modified skateboards are used to race down a hill at speeds up to 80 miles (128 kms) per hour. The pioneers of this sport originally raced down hills in the middle of traffic which made it even more risky. There are now special luges and equipment for the sport which make it much safer. But hey, you're still hitting pavement when you crash.

10. Riding a Bike - We've all heard the phrase "it's as easy as riding a bike." Well, riding a bike can still be dangerous. In 2001, more kids broke bones or dislocated joints riding bicycles than any other sport.

What do you think is the world's most dangerous sport?

Related Stories: