From Where comes the Dare in Daredevil
What compels daredevils to do the things that they do? I could pretend to tell you I know because I have tried some scary things in my life, I have jumped out of a few planes, climbed some tall ribbons of ice, raced a motorcycle, and even stood on the roof of a moving car. From my seat those things seemed to have an acceptably low risk, and at the time I had the invincibility of youth. Even with my youthful ignorance every time I did these things I have been afraid, I did them to prove that I could, and I started to crave the fear that made me feel electric. The truth is I love and value my life and unlike true daredevils I would never put this “alive” feeling over the safety of staying alive.
For New Years this year Red Bull planned a new crop of Daredevil stunts that they called the “Red Bull Experiments”. One of these stunts was going to be the first ever Automotive Back Flip done in a car by Rhys Millen, and the second a motorcycle jump clearing an entire football field by Robbie Maddison. The experiments were only half successful with Rhys Compressing his spine while practicing his back flip and Robbie making his 322′ jump successfully. The football field jump is unreal and you can see footage here. Why should we care about these acts of insanity? For me the late great Evel Knievel has the answer.
Evel Knievel became a hero of mine after seeing a documentary on his life and really coming to understand his insane bravery. He was quoted as saying:
“I want to tell you that last night a kid came up to me and he said, “Mr Knievel, are you crazy? That jump you’re going to make is impossible, but I already have my tickets because I want to see you splatter.” That’s right, that’s what he said. And I told that boy last night that nothing is impossible.”
After making this quote he told his team that the run in for the ramp was too short to make the jump safely. They did not have the time or space to re-make the ramp and asked Evel if they should call it off . He responded by saying the 90,000 people paid to see the impossible and that is what he was going to give them. Only hours later he made the jump only to crash land shattering his pelvis and breaking several other bones.
Robbie Maddison’s jump was done in memory of this greatness
There are thrill seekers (myself included) that do things to get that rush, but I want to believe that great Daredevils are driven to not by the thrill of the act but the thrill of pushing the boundaries. They are showman who want to inspire us, and who show us that the impossible is not so. I salute Red Bull for promoting this, and for Daredevils that have the bravery to break bones rather than breaking their promise to challenge our idea of what is possible.
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Comments
Can one be a daredevil only by risking his/her life? The Webster’s definition of a daredevil is “a reckless person who enjoys doing dangerous things.” When does fearlessness become blind? When does the thrill become nothing more than the drug Evel was addicted to?
Pushing boundries does not mean risking it all for the simple satisfaction of knowledge of the ability to complete a task. Pushing boundries has to come from a desire to make the world better, or our immediate environment better. It cant be because of the thrill.
Keep it up, bro. The best writing is the stuff that people question.
the thoughts of fearlessness that know no boundaries is an inspiration. i have been inspired by such a person that has helped me, not only believe in the impossible, but to achieve it. cheers to all the other fearless do-ers in the world, and here’s to a 2008 of many broken records (even at the expense of broken bones)! keep writing.