Most Dangerous Sports in the World
Sport and danger often go hand in hand, although most activities do not involve life threatening risk. A few sports however push the limits and carry a genuine chance of severe injury or worse.
rock jumping is dangerous
Below we have ranked sports that are widely regarded as having high levels of danger because of their risk of serious injury or death. The items are presented in the order we consider the highest to lowest risk.
- BASE jumping — Jumping from fixed objects such as buildings bridges or cliffs with a parachute often at low altitude which leaves little margin for error.
- Wingsuit flying — Flying close to terrain in a fabric suit that creates lift requires precise control and leaves little room for recovery if something goes wrong.
- Free solo climbing — Rock climbing without rope or protective equipment where any fall can be fatal.
- High altitude mountaineering — Climbing very tall peaks exposes participants to avalanches extreme weather and the effects of low oxygen.
- Big wave surfing — Riding very large ocean waves brings risk of long hold downs collisions with the reef and dangerous currents.
- Bull riding — Attempting to stay on a bucking bull risks trampling and severe impact injuries.
- Cave diving — Diving in submerged cave systems involves tight confines limited visibility and no direct route to the surface.
- Offshore yacht racing — Long distance sea racing exposes sailors to extreme weather collisions and the risk of being separated from the vessel while far from help.
- Cliff diving — Diving from great height into natural water basins requires perfect technique because of the high forces on entry and variable water depth.
- Free diving — Diving deep on a single breath risks loss of consciousness drowning and injuries from pressure changes.
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