There are many names that can be given to people who have deadly hobbies. These people can’t be content with normal hobbies, like hockey or crocheting. They have to push themselves to the limits of what their bodies can withstand. And they could potentially kill themselves while doing it. A single misstep with equipment or your own control, and you could go splat real fast. These hobbies are the world’s deadliest, ranked according to how statistically deadly they are.
10. Bungee Jumping
Let’s jump off a bridge while having a big rubber band attached to your feet. And, while you’re just supposed to gently touch your forehead to the ground as you rebound withgravity’s assistance, you could just as well make impact head first, sustain head injuries, are paralyzed for life, or die from a broken neck. Pleasant way to go; think about that the next time you shoot someone with a rubber band.
Risk: The chances of a fatal bungee jump are about 1 in 500,000.
9. Scuba/Deep Sea Diving
The biggest issue with any type of diving is running out of air. That will surely put a nail in your watery coffin, but when we’re talking about deep sea, or even some types of scuba diving, that’s not the only issue. Say you make a mistake and you run out of oxygen but you’re too deep, and don’t forget you have to depressurize before you crack the surface for air. Oh yeah, don’t forget about the predators either.
Risk: The chances of dying from scuba or deep sea diving are about 1 in 200,000.
8. Skydiving
Anything where you combine freefalling with a bit of fabric between you and Earth, at the speed of gravity, has to be deadly. A cord breaks and you feel what it’s like to impact with deadly force. Yes there are numerous safety checks, but that doesn’t help when the chutedoesn’t deploy, or you blackout in your freefall.
Risk: The chances of dying while skydiving are roughly 1 in 160,000.
7. Ski Jumping
What’s between you and the ground, besides the speed of gravity? Two small strips of wood. Who was the idiot who thought this up? Yes, flipping end over end and catching a ski, which causes you to flip straight into the ground breaking your back and making you look like a sac of calcium jelly, sounds positively tubular. And adding tricks to this dangerous jumping is even more brilliant!
Risk: The chances of dying from a ski jump is about 1 in 8,333.
6. Heli-Skiing
When you have to jump out of a helicopter to get to your slope for skiing, it’s a little extreme. Of course, this hobby offers plenty of variety: skis or snowboard, plane or helicopter, powder or avalanche? When the snow starts avalanching behind you, then it’s getting deadly. And who wouldn’t want tons and tons of snow burying them alive?
Risk: The risk of death from heli-skiing is around 1 in 5560.
5. Cliff Diving/Base Jumping
How many people died when testing out the waters at the base of cliffs, before figuring out which cliffs not to jump off of? Colliding with rocks with enough velocity can cause serious head trauma, leading to death. The same can be said about whether it’s in water or not; if you don’t get that chute or suit open quick enough, Earth is gonna sting.
Risk: The chances of dying from base jumping is about 1 in 2,317.
4. Boxing
Everyone remembers the famous line from Rocky – “Aughuhuhsfahuuhuh …” Considering this is a sport where the main goal is to bludgeon your opponent into submission, or to get them to blackout, a main character who talks like his brain is made out of pudding makes perfect sense. Over time, there are a number of injuries that can affect all areas of your body, the most important of all being that thing in your skull that allows you to string actual words together and remember your own name.
Risk: About 1 in 2,200 boxers perish from a fight-related injury.
3. Summit/Rock Climbing
There is a saying that a mountain is there to be climbed. Mountains are high and dangerous though, so why can’t we just climb a tree? Again, there are lots of pieces of the puzzle to make this safe: ropes, metal clasps, oxygen tanks. Who cares though, when you can die of severe weather, lack of food, or just plain dumb luck in an avalanche? Better yet, let’s have one of the ropes give out, and you fall to your death at the bottom of a chasm filled with sharp rocks – that sounds like a blast and a half.
Risk: The chances of dying from rock climbing is about 1 in 1750. However, if we just counted mountain climbing in Nepal, then this would be the number 1 deadliest hobby on Earth, with a death rate of 1 in 167!
2. Motocross/Motorcycle Racing
As if normal motorcycle racing wasn’t dangerous enough, let’s add 30-foot high jumps, and lots of competitors. Now go as fast as you can and try to do tricks while sticking the landing, without busting your bike or your family jewels. Just make sure to remember the helmet and all the crash gear because, when you miss that landing and hit that packed mound of Earth, your bike and everyone else’s could hit you.
Risk: Roughly 1 in 1,000 motorbike racers will die.
1. Hang Gliding
There seems to be a pattern to this: the higher you go up in the air, and the less you have with you to prevent you from falling, the better the chances are that you will off yourself. Hang gliding is pretty high among these deadly hobbies – certainly you’re more at the whim of equipment malfunction and wind currents than in parachuting or even base jumping. Or better yet, try avoiding a cliff when you don’t have engines.
Risk: About 1 in every 1,000 gliders will perish.
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