SkySurfing
I like the idea of "SkySurfing".
The use of a board to "surf" currents of air in the way that surfers surf waves, snowboarders surf snow-waves and skateboarders board on artifical "waves" brings together many extreme disciplines into one place.
SkySurfing is more popular in the US than the rest of the world, and it is a challenge for even experienced skydivers and freefallers.
Using a modified "surfboard" as a monoplane wing, the skysurfing enthusiast soon learns how to work the board to best effect.
Tipping the front edge of the board down will increase airspeed - the air flow over the board is fast enough to give some "lift" even though the board surface is quite small and narrow.
It's when the board is tipped up that astonishing things occur - as the the board becomes more resistant to air the skysurfers flip over their centre of gravity - giving rise to the amazing loops and flips that you see on TV and video.
Learning to skysurf is +200 jumps - so it's for hardcore sydivers - not novices.
The great thing is that every year more and more people are attracted to skydiving and less and less people die - the pool of +200 people will grow and grow.
Isn't it time for the first "Sky Olympics".
The sports could be skysurfing, freefall acrobatics, freefall flown distance, skyflying acrobatics, skyflying flown distance, freefall formation and skyflying formation.
There are now enough competitors and enough different disciplines to make it possible - and there are experienced camera skydivers to make it work .
Enough people jump from all over the world to make it a reality without making it dangerous - the recent skydiving formation record in Thailand had 400 people from 31 countries - a massive undertaking.
If enough people decide to make it happen then the first "Sky Olympics" could be held within the next few years.
If that happens we can expect interesting crossovers as surfers, snowboarders and skaters learn to skydive so they can skysurf as well.
The resulting mashups should be visually spectacular and fun for everyone involved.
Tags: extreme sports extreme tales skydiving skyflying skysurfing sky olympics