Every sport, even those with the least contact, such as table tennis and darts, comes with its fair share of risk. However, there is no reward without risks, so we always have to take the bull by the horns. This is why millions of people show up daily to participate in various sports activities. Today’s post will be focusing on the top 10 most dangerous sports.
1. Mountain Climbing
Even though it’s a thrilling and adrenaline-satisfying sport, mountain climbing has a high injury risk. As the name implies, the participants use ropes and harnesses to climb up a steep slope. There is even a worse version of mountain climbing called free soloing, where the contestants only wear shoes and chalk.
Being suspended several feet above the ground, one small mistake can lead to severe injuries and even death. Hundreds of people have passed away from mountain climbing, a famous example being the Everest, which has a death toll of 330 since 1921.
2. Bull Riding
Everything about Bull Riding screams danger; it’s recognized as the most dangerous eight seconds in sports. In this game, contestants mount a furious bull and, using one hand, grab a rope that touches the bull while the other hand is suspended in the air.
When the bull is released, the rider must withstand the movements and not fall off or touch it with their other hand for 8 seconds. The bulls used in this sport are big and ferocious; they can send the contesters flying tens of miles in the opposite direction. Also, once the bull throws the player off its back. The bull will likely charge at the player and knock them with its horns. According to statistics, 20 bull riders have died since 1989.
3. Base Jumping
As if skydiving wasn’t scary enough, some people thought putting on a parachute and jumping off buildings or mountains was a good idea. The sport is even more dangerous because participants have a very short time to deploy their parachutes. If they hesitate for just a few seconds, their landing will be compromised, leading to either death or a life-changing injury. Sports enthusiasts claim base jumping is 5 to 8 times more dangerous than sky diving.
4. MMA
While it’s true that all combat sports are dangerous, the risk of getting a lifelong injury is higher with MMA. Known in full as Mixed Martial Arts, it entails two players stepping into an octagon and fighting until a knockout, or one gets the most points.
As the name suggests, MMA allows mixed martial arts, including karate, kickboxing, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, and judo. Most MMA fights end up with bleeding faces, broken bones, dislocations, fractures, and other serious injuries. Fortunately, the MMA is heavily regulated by the referees to ensure maximum safety.
5. Motorbike Racing
Motorcycle races have been around for decades. This, however, doesn’t mean that they are safe. Unlike cars, motorcycles are extremely risky because one wrong turn can send riders rolling meters away from their bikes. These motorcycles are sometimes ridden to speeds of up to 150mph. That, paired with the fact that competitors have to negotiate sharp corners, makes the sport even more dangerous.
6. Formula One
Even though Formula One drivers wear a lot of safety gear, the risk of injury and death remains to be high. While the sport is moderately safer nowadays, several races ended with crashes in the previous decades. To put this into perspective, more than 50 drivers have lost their lives on various Formula One tracks since the 1950s. The sport is dangerous because the cars are driven at exceptionally high speeds, exposing the drivers to G-forces that can damage their backs or necks.
7. Rugby
Let alone contact, rugby is a collision sport where 15 players (or 7) from different teams try to place the ball at the end zones to earn points. Unlike American Football, which resembles American Football, rugby players do not wear helmets and padding. Therefore, the contact experienced is more direct and is the leading cause of injuries.
8. Surfing
From a spectator’s point of view, surfing seems to be a fun and harmless sport. However, that’s not entirely true; surfers put themselves at immense risk. While standing on the boards, competitors can be hit with huge waves, leading to drowning – undercurrents can also lead to a similar outcome.
In other cases, colliding with the surfing board can render a surfer unconscious, leading to their demise. At least 35% of surfing accidents are caused by colliding with the board. There’s also the risk of the surfer smashing their body into underwater rocks.
9. Street Luge
Not to be confused with professional luging that is done on special tracks, street luging is a form of longboarding where the participant lays on their back and rides down a steep road at speeds as high as 100mph.
The sport hugely depends on gravity and the players’ ability to maneuver the board and avoid obstacles such as cars and bikes. This makes this sport dangerous because oncoming traffic may not be aware of street luggers on the road. Also, the participants can sometimes accidentally fall off the board, resulting in deadly injuries. Street lugers wear helmets, padding, and a wide range of protective clothing to enhance their safety, which sometimes isn’t enough.
10. White Water Rafting
Water rafting is a fun and safe sport that even children can participate in. On the other hand, in white water rafting, the water involved moves rapidly across very rough terrain. Within such conditions, there are a lot of things that can go wrong.
First, drowning is very likely, especially if the player isn’t a good swimmer. Secondly, the rough terrain mainly comprises rocks, so there is a risk of being hit in the head or other body parts.