Living on the Edge: Extreme, Skiing Endeavors

This is the moment you've been waiting for your entire life; your willpower has finally disintegrated. For years you've laid in bed at night, fantasizing about how good it must feel to slip and slide into ecstasy. You're the most inexperienced of all your friends, but today you can finally partake in one of life's greatest pleasures -- and boy, you can hardly wait. You survey those milky-white curves in awe -- what a breathtaking view -- and your heart is pounding anxiously with anticipation. You lick your lips, let out a light sigh and journey into a whole new dimension of euphoria: your first skiing experience, of course! (Get your minds out of the gutter!)

Yes -- we're talking about the adrenaline-infused, white-knuckle sensations induced by a fantastic skiing experience. If you're mad for the mountain slopes then the following extreme, skiing endeavors are right up your alley!

Need for Speed: Speed Skiing

"Speed skiing" is the discipline of skiing downhill in a straight line as quickly as possible.

Speed skiing is the fastest, non-motorized sports on land. Speed skiers routinely exceed 200 km/h (125 mph), faster than the terminal velocity of a free-falling skydiver!

Simone Origone of Italy holds the world record for the fastest, male speed skier to date! In April 2006 at a Les Arcs, France competition, Origone clocked in at 251.4 km/h (156.2 mph).

Sanna Tidstrand of Sweden holds the world record for the fastest, female speed skier to date! In April 2006 at a Les Arcs, France competition, Tidstrand clocked in at 242.59 km/h (150.74 mph).

Risky Business: Extreme Skiing

"Extreme skiing" is performed on long, steep slopes in mountainous terrain. On average, extreme skiing is executed at the standard angles of 45 to 60+ degrees; at grades anywhere from 100% to 170%.

The long, steep and dangerous terrains of the selected ski areas often result in the serious, often fatal injuries of even the most experienced skiers.

The following sports gurus are among the most 'extreme' of all the extreme skiing practitioners: Swissman Sylvain Saudan during the 1960s; Frenchmen Patrick Vallencan, Jean-Marc Boivin and Anselme Baud during the 1970s and 1980s, and the 1980s-early 1990s North American natives: Doug Coombs, Shane McConkey, Seth Morrison, Glen Plake, David Kraft and Scot Schmidt.

Laugh in the Face of Danger: 5 Most Dangerous Ski Runs

#1. "Corbet's Couloir" - Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Known as "America's scariest slope," this run -- at 10,450-ft high -- has a free fall of 10-30 ft, along with a 60 degree slope.

#2."La Grave" - France

This 10,500 ft mountain has a 40 minute cable car ascent and 7,000 ft. of vertical drops! Oh, and did we mention there is no ski patrol in sight?

#3. "Delirium Drive" - Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada

This run offers a 50 degree pitch and a near vertical drop-off. Additionally, skiers who wish to attempt this beast must first pass through the avalanche, beacon gate.

#4. "Body Bag" - Crested Butte, Colorado

If the name doesn't already put you off, maybe the 275-vertical drop (at a 55-degree angle) will do it for you! Don't forget the 45-degree pitch that gives this bad boy the title of "Steepest cut run in North America!"

#5. "Harakiri" - Mayrhofen, Austria

With a 78% average incline and 28-degree pitch, this run is considered the steepest groomed slope in the world (well now I understand the name choice).

Vertical Limit : Longest Vertical Drop

"Mt. Mackenzie" of Revelstoke Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Canada has a 5,620 vertical ft drop! It's considered "North America's Greatest Vertical" and boasts the largest, lift-accessed vertical in the world.

Higher Ground : Highest Ski Lift in the World:

"Chacaltaya" of the Andes Mountain in Bolivia has a top lift height of 5,421m (17,785 ft.)! This alone has earned Chacaltaya the title of, "Highest Surface Lift in the World." Additionally, this mountain is the closest area to the equator, and its extremely-high altitude is attributed to the frequent "skier sickness" that first-time challengers face.

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