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Demolition derby -

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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Bronc riding -

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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Heliskiing - 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.

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Free diving - 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. 

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White water rafting - 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.

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Cave diving -

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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Free solo climbing - 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.

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All terrain vehicle - 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.

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BASE jumping -

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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Wing walking - 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.

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Volcano boarding - 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.

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Running with bulls -

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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Waterfall kayaking - "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.

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Zorbing -

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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Wingsuit flying - 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.

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Parkour -

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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Canyoning - 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.

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Bungee jumping - 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.

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Shark cage swimming - 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!

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Horticulture -

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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Cliff diving - 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. 

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Highlining - 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.

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Ice climbing - 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.

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Hang gliding - 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.

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Big wave surfing -

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

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Ice skating on a frozen lake - 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.

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Skydiving - 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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Kart racing -

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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Downhill mountain biking -

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!

See also: Free solo: Climbing on the edge of death

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