▲Spielberg's 'Jaws' was a mechanical prop nicknamed "Bruce." It's a bit different when confronted with a real life great white shark, even from behind a cage...and remember what happened in the film!

▲This is taking economy class to the limit. Yet this is how some people choose to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon. Talk about winging it.

▲Imagine running a silk glove across three-day-old chin stubble. Now imagine taking a tumble off a plywood board at breakneck speed and landing on sharp basalt rock. Yep, if you really want to hurtle down the slope of a volcano be prepared to shed skin along the way.

▲Aren't bridges a wonderful thing? Problem is they're not always built where you need them. Solution? Balance precariously on a thin cable while walking across that seemingly bottomless gorge. Safety harness optional.

▲"Suicidal" comes to mind when describing this insane method of descending a river. But what's the alternative? Scale a vertical rock face kayak in hand? Better to take the plunge and pray.

▲You'll need a pair of lungs the size of grain silos to even contemplate this crazy form of underwater diving. This is big time breath-holding, where fresh air is a long way up.

▲Dealing with risk and the need for teamwork is what this adrenaline-fueled pastime is all about... until the raft turns turtle and you're gulping down the Colorado River.

▲This relaxing leisure activity means spending well-earned me-time typically climbing cliff faces above enormous heights... without the use of any rope or other forms of protection.

▲If we were meant to fly we'd surely be born with feathers sticking out of our, uh, feet? Dangerous in the extreme, this pursuit separates the eagles from the turkeys.

▲Damn those pesky gorges, waterfalls, and rock pools. They always get in the way of a pleasant walk. Next time pack a wet suit, safety helmet, gloves, climbing rope and harness, and rappel your way home. Simple.

▲Leaping off a tall structure connected by the ankles to an elastic cord takes a giant leap of faith, and a healthy disrespect for one's own well-being.

▲On the face of it, a pretty harmless way of grabbing the best slopes for yourself. But a helicopter often has to fly through turbulence to reach high-altitude regions inaccessible to ground-based emergency services. Loose powdery snow poses an avalanche risk, and what if the weather turns? Where's your lift home? Bet that ski lift option is looking better already.

▲There's been some horror stories regarding hapless souls jumping off cliffs into rivers not much deeper than a soup bowl. These are the depths some people go to impress. Not worth it.

▲What happens when hell freezes over? You dig out the crampons and ice axes and hit the glaciers. Apparently frozen waterfalls are favorite obstacles. But none of this will matter if we don't get a grip on global warming.

▲As if the unpredictability of atmospheric conditions wasn't enough to contend with, taking to the air under a hang glider also requires prior knowledge of the site you intend to operate in and plenty of accumulated flying time, among other considerations. A good pilot is a determined but patient one.

▲Why walk down the stairs when a handrail will do? Expect cuts, bruises, and the odd broken limb in the pursuit of perfection.

▲There's a reason why the expression "walking on thin ice" refers to a situation in which you're likely to upset someone or cause trouble. Skate on a lake that's not properly frozen over and it'll be you breaking the ice.

▲Accidents involving four-wheelers are sadly frequent. Rider inexperience, lack of helmet and other safety gear, or just foolish bravado can flip a machine on any surface in all terrain.

▲There's little room for error when slicing through the air at around 200 km/h (120 mph). The crazier the skydiver, the more extreme the jump.

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Any budding Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel first has to take the wheel while kart racing. It's a rite of passage that many fail to negotiate on the first lap. Drive carefully.

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Can you imagine how utterly claustrophobic this leisure pursuit is? Embarking on a cave dive requires immense skill and a great deal of courage. Lose your way and you've lost your life.

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This is road rage central, a license to wreck and roll until the last wheels are standing. And it's entirely legal. Just remember to buckle up.

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What goes up must come down, and for any self-respecting mountain biker, the only way to achieve this with honor is to cycle blindly through an almost impenetrable wood strewn with hazards like low-hanging branches, fallen logs, and hidden streams. Respect!

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The attractive seaside town of Nazaré (pictured) on Portugal's Silver Coast is where the biggest wave currently surfed was recorded, a whopping 24.4-m (80-ft) mother of a roller.

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Take one determined cowboy, an equally stubborn horse, and watch man and beast buck around in a display of skill, agility, and sheer brute force. Guess who normally bites the dust?

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Do you know what the acronym "BASE" stands for? It means: building, antenna, span, and earth (cliff). Jump from all four fixed objects and you've earned your wings.

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Gardening! Dangerous? Surely not. Well, it depends on the garden, actually. The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, England, features a Poison Garden where hemlock, Deadly Nightshade, and other highly toxic plants are cultivated. Be careful what you pick.

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An athletic way of getting around town by running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, crawling, or rolling. Of course, you can always take the bus.

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How dangerous is having several tons of angry beef charging after you through a narrow street? Ask those who brave the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. It's no bull!

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So you're enclosed in a flexible plastic orb rolling down a slope with no way of controlling direction or speed. This is as close as it gets to being in a hamster ball.

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Free-spirited fun or dangerous lunacy? The way some people choose to relax simply defies logic. Who would deliberately face off with a shark, kayak down a waterfall, or take to the wheel in a demolition derby? Well, actually, lots of people. In fact, your typical adrenaline junkie does all this and more.

Browse the gallery and find out if fear is your friend.