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• Touchline • Issue 14
humans developed the fight or flight mechanism which in many
cases stopped us being torn to shreds by whatever was trying
to tear us limb from limb on some ancient steppe. The world is
risky enough, why look for trouble?
One explanation for the modern day boom in extreme sports
is that things are just too safe. Countries like Australia, the
US and Canada have an unprecedented amount of rules for
safety: seatbelts, helmets, guard-rails. All of these precautions
undoubtedly save lives, but the cost may be a certain level of
autonomy and arousal.
That said, there is certainly a divide between the “woulds” and
“wouldn’ts” of the world. While a small segment of society
is climbing up slippery cliffs with nothing more than chalk,
climbing shoes and a prayer, for most of us the most dangerous
thing we do is to light a gas BBQ after having six beers.
Science suggests that there are actually two kinds of people
when it comes to risk seeking.
This theoretical distinction was pioneered by psychologist
Marvin Zuckerman. Essentially, most people who BASE jump can
be deemed High-Sensation Seeking Personalities. As outlined
in Psychology Today, these individuals “are typically impulsive,
uninhibited, social, and tend toward liberal political views.
They like high-stimulus activities, such as loud rock music
or pornographic or horror movies, yet are rarely satisfied by
vicarious thrills. Some level of actual risk--whether physical,
social, or legal-seems necessary. Highs tend to be heavy bettors.
They may try many kinds of drugs and favour sports like skiing
or mountain climbing to running or gymnastics.” Clearly, they
enjoy a rush.
Of course, just one factor, such as genetics, cannot determine
what makes people a “high” or a “low”. Environment plays a
major role also. The compulsion to risk your life would certainly
have had certain advantages for people back in prehistory. High
risks can result in high rewards, and there is also evidence that
“highs” have a higher threshold for stress than “lows”. Therefore,
while the “low” panics during that inevitable sabre-toothed tiger
attack, the “high”, shot through with endorphins and adrenaline,
will perhaps do slightly better with his pointed stick.
This leads us back to the popular belief that people who exhibit
high-risk behaviour have a death wish. A great deal of academic
work has been done on the subject in the last decade, and what
comes across is the lack of participants who actually list “dying”
as a motivation for pursuing these sports.
When discussing his proclivity for risking his life, top downhill
skier and motorcross racer Daron Rahlves says, “The high
element of risk makes you feel alive, tests what you are made of
and how far you can take yourself. I’m not looking for danger. I’m
in it for the challenge, my heart thumping as I finish, the feeling
of being alive,” he said. “I definitely get scared on some of the
courses. It just makes me fight more. …The hairier the course the
better. That’s when I do best.”
Athletes at the highest level know how to thread the needle of
risk. They have the experience to know when they are about to
cross a line. However, many can cite certain moments when they
felt they had overstepped the line.
That primal fear can be seen many of the studies. One extreme
downhill skier says, “There are times when I am like ‘oh my God
I am going to puke right now or shit my pants because I do not
want to go down this’….Once the heli (helicopter) leaves you are
shaking for sure.”
Extreme sports are part of the sporting landscape now.
Participants know that death is a very real threat, but defying
death does not seem to be the point. Boosting self-confidence,
being in the moment and feeling the rush of danger keeps them
coming back, climbing steeper cliffs, leaping off increasingly
high ski drops.
Meanwhile, I am off to light the gas BBQ.
Michael McMurtrey base jumping with a wingsuit off Baring Mountain
© Tony Robino