The World’s 5 Most Dangerous Sports

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Almost any sport can have an element of danger. You can get hit with a baseball, or break bones playing football, get bruised playing soccer, or even drown when fishing. But for some, that kind of danger just isn't enough. There are many more sports or extreme activities that people do every day, and they even live to tell the tale. These sports include:

• BASE Jumping: The BASE is an acronym for Buildings, Antennas, Span (like a bridge) or Earth (like a cliff). Jump off one of those high-up things with a parachute? Are you nuts? You could easily get blown off-course by the wind, or pull the parachute too late, or die any number of other ways. It's illegal in many parts of the world, including the US, except at organized events like Utah's Tombstone Challenge or West Virginia Bridge Day.

• Heli-Skiing: Jackie Chan might even blanch at the prospect of this one. Heli-skiiers fly up to the top of a peak in a chopper, then jump onto virgin snow and ski down, down, down from there. Dangers can include, helicopter crash, avalanche, change in weather, too much speed, wind drafts. Not only is this not for the faint of heart, it's not for the poor, either. Figure on a minimum of $500 just for the helicopter ride, not even thinking about the insurance, the gear or the cost to get to the exotic locale.

• Bull Riding: Sitting astride a ton of pissed-off beef who's determined to get you off his back... what can go wrong? Well, having that bull's head come back and crack you across the face, for starters, which is sorta like being bludgeoned with a bowling ball. Or being thrown off and trampled by the beast, or being jerked around until it feels like your eyeballs are going to fly out of your head. And don't forget that your protective gear consists of a felt Stetson, and helmets or mouth guards would get you laughed out of the rodeo.

• Street Luging: This one started in the Seventies when bored California skateboarders would lie down on their boards and "butt-board" next to cars, with nothing to stop them but their feet. The modern-day version is a full recline on a hot rod version of the mechanic's creeper, with only a helmet and protective leathers between you and the asphalt. This one is 100\% illegal in many areas, and for good reason.

• Whitewater rafting: So it's you and a bunch of other people in a rubber dinghy, riding tons of fast-moving water over rocks, around curves and down waterfalls. This, of course, entails the possibility of cracking your head on a rock, plunging down waterfalls (you won't know how steep they are until you get there) or being tossed completely out of the boat. If you do wind up clear of the boat, you could get a foot or knee stuck in the rocks, or you could just get swept God-knows-how-far downstream. Wrenched knees and ankles, concussions and broken bones are not uncommon.

If you're brave enough to try this good luck and make sure you have an ambulance on stand by... you may need it.

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