Dustier and, at times, more scenic than snow- or sand-boarding,
volcano surfing is the sport of choice for adventurers eager to hang
ten on a steep mountainside of ash and cinder.



Worlds Scariest Sports

Volcano Surfing		Chili & Nicaragua
Running of the Bulls		Pamplona, Spain
Elephant Polo		South East Asia
Cliff Diving		Acapulco
White Water Rafting		South America

Volcano Surfing

Chile, with its geographical and climatic extremes, is ideally suited to extreme sports of all kinds; and it is the self-anointed “birthplace of sand skiing.” This sport, which originated in the country’s Atacama Desert, takes place on sand dunes instead of ski slopes, and in 100-degree heat instead of below-zero chill.

Nicaragua, country of countless volcanoes, has recently one-upped Chile with a new, highly specialized activity known as “volcano surfing” or “ash boarding.” Participants spend an hour   hiking to the summit of the 1200-foot Cerro Negro; then they soar down on a “sandboard” — a snowboard that has been adapted for the ash, sand and cinder surface of the volcano.

“The slope of the mountainside is 40 degrees — perfect for a good speed,” says Pierre Gedeon of Nicaragua Adventures, who was among the first to introduce volcano surfing to the public. Gedeon originally tried to navigate the rocky drops with skis, but switched to the adapted board because he found it easier for casual athletes to manage.

“The maximum speed is 25 miles an hour,” he says, “and we have even done it in the active crater. But we can’t seem to bring people — it’s too dangerous.”

For now. By 2009, it may be a whole different story — that is, if the new breed of thrill-seeking travelers has anything to say about it.

Read the complete article and the rest of the  Worlds Scariest Sports     ◄    here


See a Slide Show here     ►      Slide Show of the World's Scariest Sports



Me? 

I'd love to try the Volcano surfing! 

My daughter and fiance saw the Running of the Bulls this fall while on a tour of Spanish wineries and had a great time.  It's one non-stop, crazy party.

Which would YOU like to try?