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Everybody has their own hobbies. Some people collect stamps. Some people go on archeological digs looking for dinosaur bones. Some people spend their days curled up with a book.

Some climb up a 600 foot cliff in Acapulco and dive into the small area of shallow water beneath, hoping they will land in it.

Have you ever wondered what drives people to extreme hobbies? What inspires them to risk their life for fun? What inspires them to push themselves beyond the boundaries of what we as a society consider to be “sane”?

Perhaps they suffer from a mental disorder. Perhaps they have a no regard for their corporeal lives. Perhaps spitting in the face of death gives their lives relevance. Perhaps they are related to the Kneivel family…

Some might say yes. Others would argue that the passion that drives people from the tops of the mountains to the bottom of the ocean, from one side of the globe to the other, is much simpler.

Passion and Adventure Don’t Disappear Just Because You Get a Little Bit Older

When we were small children we would envision some fantastic adventures. We would battle space aliens, fire-breathing dragons and medieval knights. We were brave souls armed with cardboard swords and we never lost a battle. We drifted off happily to sleep at night dreaming about the next days’ adventures.

What are your dreams? Do you still battle dragons? When was the last time you took a sword in hand and parried around your living room, or wielded your shield against a mighty blast of flame that would turn you into a crispy critter if you weren’t quick enough, smart enough, savvy enough, well trained in the art of combat?

The truth is when we grow up our monster enemies all have faces. This is the end of fantasy. Before we know it, we are on the ground looking up into hard, cold reality. We get stuck in a rut of non-fiction as we take on the responsibilities of adult life. Our dragons are gone just like Puff. There is no more Honalee.

There’s no more passion. No one wants to live like that.

Extreme Sports. Not Just For Adrenaline Junkies Anymore

Why is it that battling a giant squid was so important to that child? I’m sure it was fun, but it also may have delayed writing that book report that is due the next day. I’ll bet the real purpose behind it though was the ever present chance that the squid may just win the war one of these days. That day in the future when the poor kid won’t be up to the task of slaying the evil cephalopod no matter how well-armed he may be. He will fail and the terrible creature will unleash himself upon all the dwellers of the ocean, man or beast.

Now if that isn’t enough inspiration to keep the brave child going, I can’t imagine what would be.

That attitude is what keeps the extreme doer moving ahead. The knowledge that there is always a chance that some day the giant, slimy, ferocious creature will win pushes the warrior on ever harder, ever farther, every faster than ever before. Every time they claim victory over the giant squid, though, is the time they are most alive.

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