What's the riskiest stunt you've ever pulled?

HookMeUpII said:

This zero-third party-risk really only occurs on a track. Even then, you could crash out into a competitor. They understand and agree to that risk though.

I know of an individual, not personally, who is now sitting in prison for killing a couple while street racing his mustang. He was young, he was dumb, but there are consequences. I talked to his grandfather who wanted to put some money away for him for when he gets out. He felt the same way. Sorry it happened, even more sorry for the couple and their families, but agrees he deserves it. He's not doing a couple years either. I think it's like 15 years.

I had a couple faster cars but I was a lunatic on a bike. My last bike was a 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R. The thing was a widowmaker. No damper from the factory, 175hp at the crank, and like 15 lbs heavier than a 600cc bike. It did 105 mph in 1st gear, stock. I could wheelie it in all 6 gears. By the time I sold it, it was 180hp at the wheel with intake/exhaust cams, pro tune, full Akrapovic exhaust, and other goodies. Looking back at what I did on that bike: It was stupid, irresponsible, and could have gotten other people killed. There are pictures of bikes going through cars online. It's like a knife going through tin foil.

Doing any of these antics on the street is personally putting other peoples lives at risk.

Jumping off a roof into a pool, solo diving, jumping dirt bikes in the back yard, etc. Those are all personal risks. Any time a risk you take puts an innocent, non complicit, third party in danger = you're an idiot.

I fall into that category and am regretful. Now I see someone zipping in and out of traffic on a bike or in a car and it pisses me off so much.

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For other, but similar actions, I am a self proclaimed, reformed idiot. Praise Jesus that I never killed someone.

Put a 16ft extension ladder in side an articulating man lift to get the last little bit of a church steeple slatted. We figured it was easier then moving the lift and resetting up. Pretty stupid, but when you are 18 years old you will do almost anything if someone asks if you are to scared.

Reading this list makes me think back to all the dumb stuff I've done, and also made me realize I may have had a bit of an adrenaline problem.....
Plenty of speed stories on both cars and motorcycles. Grew up drag racing on and off the track. Did a job for a handful of years that required me to throw hands with drug addicts on a regular basis for felony theft to support their habit (resulted in a shattered nose, boxcutter scars I still have today, and a few stories about handguns).

Funny one that came to mind though was after a bit of indulging, my buddies and I decided it would be a good idea to play "truck paintball", during which we "borrowed" my dads truck and took off for a plowed corn field after harvest at dusk. We'd take turns, two on a dirt bike, two in the truck/truck bed as the pursuers. Everyone had paintball guns. Dirt bike riders were back to back, truck windows all rolled down. You get the gist. Didn't even stop to think how bad that could have turned out.

What you can do with the Proper Incentive.
When I was a youth hunter, we had 20 section (12,800 acres) hunting lease that straddled the Pecos River. The area was in the northern part of the Sonoran Desert. The lease had numerous Senderos (small canyons) that feed into the Pecos River canyon.

I was an 18-year-old, 155-pound football player who thought he was Oil Field Bullet Proof and could handle anything. I was hunting with my brother and one of his friends. They were both 14-years old and athletic.

The three of us were out walking down the tops of some of these Senderos one morning. I got ahead of the other hunters walking west from the top of the plateau, and the canyon I was on ended at a 100-foot cliff. To the north of me was another 150-foot cliff. That was the direction of the other hunters. I knew they had a road access down to the river. So, I needed to get to where they were going to be.

My choices were to walk back up to the top of the plateau (a 2-mile hike) or climb the 150-foot cliff. It didn’t look that tough, so I chose the later. I took my rifle and slung it around my head and over my shoulder and started.

I climbed until I got up about the 100-foot level and things started getting a little tight. I had been down under an overhang and kind of duck walk to a position I could start climbing again. When I got to the climbing position and started climbing, the barrel of my rifle hung up on another overhang. Backing down was not an option. I reached up and pushed my barrel away from the rocks it was hung on. Then I started trying to find something I could get a hold on to. I stretched and stretched. Finally, I found something I could hook on to with my left pinkie finger. My balance was getting critical. I was now having several second thoughts about my decision to climb. I was right at the point of a Really Bad Fall.

You know it’s amazing how strong the smallest part of your body can be when given the proper incentive. I was able to pull myself past the critical point in the climb with the last bone in that pinkie finger. Proper Incentive obviously, Adrenalin you bet.

Once past that point everything started getting easier and I finished the climb without any other trials. When I got to the top of the ridge the other hunters were just arriving. They asked me how the hick I got there and said I climbed the cliff. They told me I was certifiable nuts. I told them it was no big deal (lying thru my teeth).

Soooo many stupid and hairbrained stunts......I'm just addicted to stupid pills.

HookMeUpII said:

This zero-third party-risk really only occurs on a track. Even then, you could crash out into a competitor. They understand and agree to that risk though.

I know of an individual, not personally, who is now sitting in prison for killing a couple while street racing his mustang. He was young, he was dumb, but there are consequences. I talked to his grandfather who wanted to put some money away for him for when he gets out. He felt the same way. Sorry it happened, even more sorry for the couple and their families, but agrees he deserves it. He's not doing a couple years either. I think it's like 15 years.

I had a couple faster cars but I was a lunatic on a bike. My last bike was a 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R. The thing was a widowmaker. No damper from the factory, 175hp at the crank, and like 15 lbs heavier than a 600cc bike. It did 105 mph in 1st gear, stock. I could wheelie it in all 6 gears. By the time I sold it, it was 180hp at the wheel with intake/exhaust cams, pro tune, full Akrapovic exhaust, and other goodies. Looking back at what I did on that bike: It was stupid, irresponsible, and could have gotten other people killed. There are pictures of bikes going through cars online. It's like a knife going through tin foil.

Doing any of these antics on the street is personally putting other peoples lives at risk.

Jumping off a roof into a pool, solo diving, jumping dirt bikes in the back yard, etc. Those are all personal risks. Any time a risk you take puts an innocent, non complicit, third party in danger = you're an idiot.

I fall into that category and am regretful. Now I see someone zipping in and out of traffic on a bike or in a car and it pisses me off so much.

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I was only saying that I didn't see a problem in taking risk when absolutely no one but yourself was at risk, in any shape, form, or fashion, was fine as far as I am concerned.

Mountain Climbing
Deep-Sea Diving
Hunting Cape Buffalo with a rock
Driving a vehicle at 250MPH


I agree with you, except for the part about "only occurs on a track"

In the US, it occurs every day, on private property.

It also occurs every day on public roads, if you are the solo driver in a fatality without the involvement of anyone else.

Legal or illegal?

When i was a kid I pulled a drunk man out of a burning ice shanty on Houghton lake. Never thought much about it at the time , Michigan but my dad treated me a bit different after that. For a while after that whever I closed my eyes I saw fire and glass breaking. A long time a go now.

Not even close to being dangerous compared to some, but a buddy and I took my canoe to Lake Superior intending to explore the Pictured Rocks area of the UP. We got there early Saturday morning and the waves looked like the ocean. The tourist/sightseeing boats were not going out. Of course we didn't either. But then, wanting to get the canoe in the water, we went to the east side of the UP. The wind must be calmer over there. So we put in and headed to Drummond Island. We had our floatable cushions we were sitting on, no life jackets. About halfway across the wind was pushing the waves pretty good. Luckily we didn't get sideways as they were about 2 footers. Getting worse the closer we got but hit the shore and turned around quickly. Now we are going against the wind and waves. Looked south and here comes a freighter. Paddled our tails off and beat the freighter and made it back. Never again!!!

Got married when I was 20 years old.
That was 51 years ago, still married to the same woman.
Hmm, maybe that wasn't the stupidest thing I ever did...

Markopolo50 said:

Not even close to being dangerous compared to some, but a buddy and I took my canoe to Lake Superior intending to explore the Pictured Rocks area of the UP. We got there early Saturday morning and the waves looked like the ocean. The tourist/sightseeing boats were not going out. Of course we didn't either. But then, wanting to get the canoe in the water, we went to the east side of the UP. The wind must be calmer over there. So we put in and headed to Drummond Island. We had our floatable cushions we were sitting on, no life jackets. About halfway across the wind was pushing the waves pretty good. Luckily we didn't get sideways as they were about 2 footers. Getting worse the closer we got but hit the shore and turned around quickly. Now we are going against the wind and waves. Looked south and here comes a freighter. Paddled our tails off and beat the freighter and made it back. Never again!!!

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Thanks for the reminder.. My dad had a sixteen foot starcraft outboard. We were fishing off Drummond Island in the canadian waters.. I was in my early teens. We were catching bass on night crawler harnesses. We could see the thunder heads and dark sky in the west comming in on us. We were catching fish and dad did not want to head in. We waited too long and the waves were tall enough that the boat disappeared in the troughs. As a kid I knew this was bad. Reminded me of the mouth of the columbia river in roughness. I wanted to beach the boat on a close island. Nope dad said we were headed in to the marina. I have no idea how we made it but we did. I will always remember that fishing trip. Dont know if it was a stunt but I will remember that trip forever. We got really really lucky.

93marlin said:

Got married when I was 20 years old.
That was 51 years ago, still married to the same woman.
Hmm, maybe that wasn't the stupidest thing I ever did...

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I would say it was the smartest decision you ever made.

K-man said:

I once argued with my wife…..

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“Once”

Okay, this happened a long time ago when I was young and much more of a stupid arse than I am today (yes, it was possible). I'm at university finishing up the first of many degrees and getting gassed up with my buddies at a local watering hole in Missoula, MT. Unlike them I'd actually enrolled in a ballroom dancing course in one of my less lucid moments. Maybe not so lucid but it turned out to be very beneficial. If I could get out on the dance floor with a gal just once, I was never hurting for company of the feminine persuasion for the rest of the night (cougars = feminine persuasion ... barely). Back to the watering hole: a live band was playing bluegrass and not doing too bad at it. I spy this gorgeous gal sitting with two other young ladies. She's obviously unhappy about something. Okay, time for me to jump out of the phone booth with my dancing shoes on. This should cheer her up. "NO!" Well, jeezus! So I go find some other filly to jitterbug with. Back at the table the boys gave me all kinds of crap for being shut down. Oh well. It happens (more than I want to admit). Later I think the sad gal is actually shedding tears. Well, that just won't do. Time to put on my shining armor again.

"Come on. Let's take a couple spins. You'll feel better. Promise I won't bite or grab ass. I'm really not a bad guy."

"Do you not understand NO? Should I spell it for you?"

Well shit! I straighten up and almost at the top of my lungs: "FORTY BUCKS? Baby, you ain't worth it!"

An asshole like that should have been horsewhipped, right? Instead the bouncer threw HER out. We got the hell out of there before she could find a phone and call out the cavalry. I'm sure she knew plenty of guys who would be glad to lend a hand ... or fist. It was at that point I decided my drinking was getting out of control. Lucidity recovered. For a while anyway.

Steve Snedeker said:

In about 2001 I was driving from Vancouver , WA to Madras, OR on Hwy 26. For those from the area you'll know that as you pass mp 86 you come up onto a plateau that is straight and flat for about 6 miles. I was alone on the road and decided to see how fast a 1999 Honda Accord could go. Everything was smooth up to about 130, then the car started to shudder a touch. I figured this was just buffeting from a little unwanted turbulence and kept my foot into it. At 138 or so the car sucked down noticeably and accelerated. At 153 I had to let off and start braking before I flew into Warm Springs. Damn that was stupid, I didn't tell my wife for a few years. It was fun though.

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You did 153mph in that? Without Z-rated tires?
Dude, you're lucky none of them blew out!
It's a miracle you're still with us.

Marrying my best friend !!! If it doesn't work out I lose a wife, fishing and hunting partner never mind a friend for over several decades !!!!

Tell me the statue of limitations before I go any further.
Mike

Why does one think I've peaked, records are made to broken

Tundra Tiger said:

I have done a lot of stuff that does speak well of my decision making abilities. But one that I look back on and wonder how it didn't maim us...

In my youth - say before the age of 10 - me and my buddies wanted to be mountain men, and had the requisite coon skin caps and Kentucky rifle cap guns - real wood and real metal. Perhaps some of you will remember those rifles: two small relief holes on the barrel near the hammer. You put a cork "ball" in the barrel and the hammer struck a red paper cap, which caused the ball to come out. Well, that wasn't good enough for us.

We taped the holes with electrical tape, opened up my dad's shotgun shells to get powder, and topped the powder off with marbles. I don't think we had all that much for velocity, but it caused the marbles to come out and hit the side of the garage.

I kid you not. How those didn't blow up on us I will never know. It was short-lived. We were afraid my dad would notice the shells missing, so it was a one day experiment. Looking back I realize it has something of a Patrick McManus-esque quality to it, but I am not fibbing: true story.

Please someone else tell me they also tried that too. We couldn't have been alone.

A Googled photo - not my gun

View attachment 782809

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I remember those guns, as I too [okay, I still play [(over) mountainman/long hunter, but with real muzzleloarding guns] played Daniel Boone as a kid. But we were too well guarded by too many adults to be able to pull anything like that off. Even using our homemade gunpowder. Yes! One of the neighbor kids got a chemistry set and found the recipe for making gunpowder.....with the chemicals contained in the chemistry set.

A bunch of years later. "Uncle Sam" sent us south of the border. One day while "out and about" we came across a village. Seriously, I asked the old man what he did with this rifle? His response was, he hunted with it.

There was more and better metal in our "toy" muskets than in his muzzleloarding gun.
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Question: Is it still considered risky if one pre plans for the worst?

Solo hike across the Appalachian Mountains in the winter. From Boone, NC to Morristown, TN. Just above freezing temps during the daytime, sub freezing temps over night, 3+ to 4+ feet of snow covered ground.

Solo night hunt in Africa armed only with my 22 Hornet. First buff bull we just calmly gazed at one another at 30 yards apart. Second buff bull came charging in all pissed off at the world stopped, guesstimation, only 10 to 15 yards apart, we couldn't see one another but knew the outcome wasn't going to be good for one of us, namely me! because I had nowhere to run, climb, or defend myself from his charge. He must have felt the same way as he retreated in the same matter as he arrived.

Disclaimer: Due to Federal, State, and Local Laws: I can neither confirm nor deny that "someone" may or may not have made a "few" Fourth of July "party favors (aka these ain't your normal factory M80's). "OH Shit!.. It's a police helicopter with a spotlight"

Accidentally double (200 grains FFFg) charged a 50 cal BP rifles that misfired multiple times. OOPS!....I used a propane torch, thinking I had loaded a ball without powder. The intent was to soften the lead ball because the ball puller wasn't having any effect on getting the ball out. BOOM! the powder ignited the homemade steel "ramrod" /bullet puller went safely "down range". I wasn't at the range. I was home, in a "quiet" neighborhood.

Join the military: Light Weapons Infantry, Airborne, Air Assault, Special Ops, Combat Engineer Demolitions and Explosives.

We jumped from a military bus doing 35 mph, as if we were jumping from a plane, hitting and rolling as we hit the grassy ground ......(when the bus driver freak out and started slowing down) dodging telephone poles and (number 5 or 6 "jumper") a fire hydrant. No injuries to any of us. LOL..Took a while for the bus driver to calm down.

During my military service time: "It wasn't funny then". But "After The Party", we kicked back; lidded, laughed, repeated the stories, reflected, critiqued, and rejoiced in that we all made it back in one piece above ground.

Now civilian wise; early pre and teen years we didn't understand or we didn't associate, or care about, risks with having fun; it was all about having fun.

R eight said:

I've bought all of mine the same way My wife is very forgiving .....thankfully

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....Wrong!!....She just hasn't delivered her wrath...Oh is that going to be expensive.