1. Extreme sports

2. BUNGEE JUMPING A long time ago I had a fear of heights and one day I decided that I had to overcome it by doing a bungee jump. I had a look on the internet and saw an advertisement for bungee jumps from a bridge in the city of Klisura. I phoned the people and we arranged a meeting on a Sunday morning. Mum and Dad were very supportive and offered to drive me there. It was a sunny day and I was feeling anxious. When we arrived at the place and I looked around I realized that I had to be suspended from 140 metres over a little creek running through a huge gorge. The crew members smiled at me and told me to sit on a chair. They started strapping all sorts of things to my feet - unfamiliar equipment, harnesses, carabiners, cables, wires, and a bungee. The bungee was about 2.5 inches in diameter and made of large rubber bands. My life was in the hands of those rubber bands. The instructor asked me to stand up from my chair and with my feet bound together I had to walk towards the edge. He told me he was going to count down from three and I had to jump. My heart was pumping incessantly. I looked down and felt dizzy. Then I closed my eyes and jumped. The anxiety, fear and nervousness disappeared at once. I was falling head down, feet up. I felt so free, opened my eyes and saw the ground below coming at me very fast. Then I felt the bungee pull on my feet and I came to a stop and then I started moving away from the ground. The ride back up took about 60 seconds. When I got to the top I was spinning a bit, but then I felt the solid ground. My hands were shaking, but I grinned to Mum and Dad. THEN WE CELEBRATED! Kristina

3. SNOWBOARDING During the winter holiday all my family went to the mountains. We skied very well, but until then none of us had tried snowboarding. We decided to sign up for a snowboarding school. We thought that it was very funny, with no rules and limits, something new and exciting and we looked forward to the first lesson. In the evening my dad read some interesting facts about the history of this sport. We learned that in 1964, in America, Sherman Poppen built a surfboard for the snow as a present for his daughter. Then this sport developed as one of the most popular sports and today half of the people in the USA have got snowboards. In the morning we had breakfast and we put on comfortable warm clothes. Before the first lesson the instructors gave us full equipment – a helmet, goggles, gloves, knee and elbow protectors. In the beginning it was difficult for us to learn to stay up on the board. After several tries I managed to snowboard down quite far, thanks to yoga for improving my balance, but each time I fell, I could not get up. It was definitely harder than on skis but, with a lot of practice and a patient instructor, we were all able to ride a snowboard on the fifth day, except my mum. While snowboarding we could see excellent views. The white rocky mountain tops, the dark green pine tree forests and the sparkling blue sky kept us energized for many weeks. We took a lot of pictures to share with friends and family. We met some interesting people there, and we heard many amazing stories and unbelievable adventures, on the ski runs and off them. My mum decided that it was too extreme for her, but definitely my Dad and I will try it again next winter. Yana

4. ICE SWIMMING Last month my family and I went to Tyumen, Siberia. We were there to see the world ice swimming competition. I was very curious because I had read that ice swimming was an adventurous and healthy sport for people who got used to it, but it could be very dangerous to those who were not used to swimming in extremely cold water. I learned that it was popular in Eastern Europe and Russia as part of the celebration of Epiphany. There were 1275 swimmers from 42 countries all over the world in the competition in Tyumen. The youngest participant was 8 years old and the oldest was 91 years old. Actually, we went there to support our Bulgarian swimmer Petar Stoychev. We found nice seats to watch the competition. The view was wonderful. There was a lot of snow and we saw several frozen lakes. The water was very cold but the swimmers were not afraid. Some of them had special swimming suits but most of them wore only shorts. The competition started. Everybody got very excited. The swimmers lined up at the end of the swimming pool and took their positions. The referee whistled and the swimmers jumped into the water. Our swimmer was seventh. He advanced quickly and soon moved up to third. He was swimming in crawl style which was extremely difficult. It was very hard for him to take a deep breath in the cold water. In the next moment Petar showed his head above the water and raised his hand. He had become the world champion! I could not believe that! It was such a happy moment! After the final, it was time to leave. We carefully walked through the crowd. When we passed near the pool I saw Peter. I was so excited and walked up to him. He saw me too, smiled at me and greeted me. I asked him: ”Weren’t you afraid to swim in this ice cold water?” He smiled, ”Ice swimming is awesome! It is not as difficult, scary and cold as it seems. The hardest thing is to take the pain on contact with the ice water. Then you get used to it and just let it go.” I was so happy to meet the champion! It was a great adventure that I will never forget. Natalia

5. VOLCANO BOARDING Last year we decided that we needed more adrenaline during our summer holidays. We started surfing the internet and read about volcano boarding in Nicaragua. We got in touch with the instructors who told us that we could either board on an active volcano or on an inactive volcano, but I chose the second one because it was less scary and looked similar to sand boarding. They told us to take jumpsuits, goggles and helmets. We arrived in Nicaragua after 24 hours and five flights. After a night in a hotel we reached the spot by car and climbed the volcano hill in 45 minutes. We all had backpacks with waterproof jackets, bottles of water, packed food, headlamps, hiking shoes, sleeping bags, sunglasses, small multi-tools, gloves and socks. I also carried my mobile phone and camera, WiFi antennas and wireless batteries. I kept my phone in a protective case. We first climbed the volcano, and when I saw how high we were I just wanted to go back but it was too late. I sat on my wooden board, grabbed the rope, leaned back and went off! Small volcanic stones went into my face, but I didn’t feel the pain because of the adrenaline rush of speeding down the side of the volcano. But then I lost control, started to turn sideways and crashed into the rocks. After a few minutes I realized that I was OK, with several scratches and just a bit more dirty! We had a lot of laughs with Mum and Dad when I arrived at the bottom! Now it was time to hike back up and do it all over again! I will never forget this adventure and the eggs that we cooked inside the volcano! Diana

6. CLIFF DIVING Several years ago I had a fear of heights and one day I decided it was time to find a way to overcome it somehow. I am an adventurous type so I looked on the internet for different options for practising extreme sports in Bulgaria. I found a short video of seaside cliff diving which was amazing! It started with the Wonderful Rocks by Tsonevo lake and ended up at the north shore of the seaside by the Cape of Kaliakra and the Stone Arch by Tulenovo.. I talked to my Dad and asked him if we could go together and try cliff diving. He was eager to do it and one summer day we jumped into the car and drove off for Varna. The instructors were waiting for us at the Wonderful Rocks – strange stone “needles” from 14m to 25m high, pinned on the shore edge. They warned us that we had to wear special shoes to climb over the cliffs and also to protect our feet when we made contact with the water after we jumped. We climbed one of the highest “needles”. I stepped on to the edge and, when I looked down, my heart stopped. The surface of the water was like a mirror – you could see nothing under it and it also reflected the cliffs around which was really scary! There were dangerous underwater rocks and we had to be really precise in jumping so as to enter the water in the right place, because every centimeter counted! I looked for the red flag in the water, took a deep breath and jumped. I went head first, then turned a somersault and splashed into the water. It was cold, but I felt free! Next destination - Mallorca! Danko

7. CANYONING Two years ago I was searching for more adrenaline adventures and decided to go to a summer camp called “AtmosphereSport” in the Himalayas – the highest mountains in the world! The advertisement said that the expert canyoning guides would lead us abseiling, jumping, and sliding down steep canyon walls and waterfalls to deep pools below and we would have a great time. After a tiring flight we arrived at the hotel and slept like children! The next day the guides met us and gave us our equipment; a very strong rope, a wetsuit, helmet and special shoes. They taught us how to abseil at the first waterfall. We had to gain confidence to go over a very big rock with a beautiful waterfall near it. The same as the others I had to climb that 50 metres high rock. When I started climbing I got very scared but decided to go on although my hands and legs were shaking…When I was 5 meters from the end I stepped on a cracked rock, which broke off and I fell down, hitting my head on the rock. Everyone looked at me. I was lucky because the rope saved me from falling further. I was fine but they said they would have to take me back to the hotel to rest. The next day there was a 60 meter waterfall with many exciting jumps and slides. We had a one hour walk with great views as a bonus! It was an excellent adventure, a lot of adrenaline, swimming and walking in the fantastic nature! YASEN

8. SCUBA DIVING A few months ago my best friend, who is a scuba diving instructor, went on a vacation to Bora Bora to practise this extreme water sport. I have always been interested in these adventures and was anxious to learn about his experience. Two weeks ago he asked me to accompany him on his second scuba diving adventure to an Atlantic island - Fernando de Noronha. I was thrilled! I ordered the tickets immediately and was ready to take on the world! We packed our luggage and we took off really early in the morning. After 15 hours of travelling from Bulgaria to Brazil we arrived in Fernando de Noronha. We had incredible weather and chilled the next day. On the second day it was time to go scuba diving. We went to a special base, where two local instructors gave us the equipment: under-breathing apparatus, fins and a special scuba diving swimsuit. They instructed us and we were ready to go. At first it seemed scary for me to go to the deepest areas in the ocean, but I thought I would be fine with my friend. We dived into an incredible bluish-green world in complete peace and silence, where I could only hear my own heartbeat and the sound of my breath. We saw some small fish, lots of colourful corals, some urchin, giant cucumber, yellow fish, zebra fish, and then I also found NEMO the clown fish. OOOh, Octopus and I were ecstatic seeing the fish swimming around me! After a while the instructor signed for going up and I checked my watch – 40 minutes had passed like 5! Scuba diving is my new favourite sport and my next scuba diving destination is Micronesia. TSVETI

9. LIMBO SKATING Yesterday on YouTube I watched Tiluch Keisam set a world record for the longest limbo roller skating and I was amazed by the incredible skills of that guy. Tiluch started learning how to skate when he was three and received his first pair of roller-skates. Since then he has become addicted. They said in the video that his determination earned him a celebrity status in his hometown. The little boy was looking for more skating challenges as he claimed he wanted to be in the Olympics. Skating under 39 cars was apparently easy enough for Tiluch who said he wanted to skate under 100 cars next time. The little boy's incredible feat astounded onlookers and he even claimed he could get a record at the Guinness Book of Records. His amazing skills at roller skating have given him fame among the kids in his hometown in Bangalore, India. Kids now want to learn how to skate! IVO

10. SLACKLINING Slacklining is an extreme sport which I tried last year. It was walking on a rope and doing tricks on it. For beginners (like me) the rope wasn't very high from the ground and I was tied to it. There was a soft pad under the rope in case someone fell down. It was very hard to stay on the rope at first. I felt a little bit afraid but it was fun at the same time. It required balance and coordination. The instructor explained what to do and showed some tricks on the rope – turning around, walking backwards and doing a jump start. He was amazing! Learning how to slackline reminded me of learning how to ride a bike – very frustrating at the beginning but really easy after some practice. I kept on trying and patience was the key! My longest record for staying on the rope was 40 seconds. After spending 3 weeks in the park I participated in a competition! At the competition we didn't do any tricks, of course! We just stayed on the rope and walked VERY, VERY slowly. It was a lot of fun! Any participant who fell from the rope was out of the game! I think I did very well in the competition because I won second place! Slacklining was a lot of fun – a perfect opportunity to spend time with your best friends in the open. Yoana

11. PARKOUR I have always had a fear of heights. I read an article about a girl doing parkour on the internet. Her story really made me think and also inspired me to start fighting my fear. Parkour had taught her that there was another way to see the world. It was about viewing obstacles and overcoming them and that this could be transferred into everyday life. If something scared her in her life – asking herself why was important. The article impressed me deeply. I decided it was time to slowly expose myself to greater heights. For instance, I started by studying on the 2nd-floor balcony at home. Next, I tried to hike a large hill and look down over the distance. I took pride in each accomplishment. With patience, I might eventually find myself bungee jumping to celebrate my new strength! IVETA

12. WHITE WATER RAFTING Me and my friends are very crazy. We love extreme sports. Last time we went to participate in a new extreme sport - white water rafting along the Colorado River. The guides who met us had a very relaxed, confident and professional personality with the groups and our guide was no exception. They gave us an inflatable raft, wetsuits and life jackets. I was a bit afraid because I didn’t know how to swim and the rapids were really fast. The rafting was absolute fun – calm waters and crazy rapids, after which you just coast down the river, with such beautiful scenery around you. We went through two class 5 rapids where we lost 2 of the 5 people in the boat, which was a little scary, but once everyone was back on the boat we continued over a few more rapids. Then we left the river for the campsite where we showed each other the pictures and video. I can’t wait to get back there again to try and ride the waves! It was an amazing experience I’ll never forget! Angela

13. BASE JUMPING In this story I will tell you about my personal base jumping experience. A year ago, on the 22nd of July my friends and I decided to go to the Grand Canyon in the USA to practise base jumping. We took a plane to Colorado airport and then a bus to the hotel. The next morning our instructor was waiting for us. We got the equipment – a modern rectangular parachute, which gives the jumper greater control over direction and speed once opened, and a parachute to land. We jumped from a height of 670 meters. We started gliding through the canyon and then we landed. After a little rest we decided to jump again. We climbed the cliff and jumped, but when I decided to open my parachute it didn't work. I thought that was my last day! The sun was shining but I was falling down head first. Suddenly, I felt my friend grab me and he opened his parachute. We landed safely without any injures. That was the scariest moment of my life! We took our luggage and went back to Sofia. I told my parents about my experience and they said I was crazy. Since then I check my equipment carefully before I make a jump. DIMITAR

14. SKYDIVING I learned about skydiving on the internet and TV. I’ll always remember my first jump! On the day of the jump, I went to the skydiving centre. The instructor gave us basic parachute equipment information, taught us how to free fall, open the parachute and land. Then the moment came! We put on our diving overalls, parachutes, helmets, gloves and goggles. The next step was boarding the aeroplane. At that moment, I started feeling extremely worried and excited. At an altitude of thirteen thousand feet the jumpers opened the door. For a few seconds, I had a sense of falling. Then, I noticed that we were falling faster and faster. After ten seconds, I could see the cameraman filming my free fall. My parachute opened fast, and there was no problem. It was perfectly okay and stable. I could see the beautiful scenery from thousands of feet above. Then I looked for the drop zone. I flew my parachute to the drop zone and very smoothly landed on the ground. I was one of the successful students who was able to walk right after landing, without falling. The 5-minute adventure ended! Bilyana

15. MOTOR RACING When we were little children we used to ride bikes. Now we are seventeen and we like to ride motorbikes. It's a very exciting sport and also dangerous, because we ride in the mountains and jump from rocks. We have to wear black or blue jeans, T-shirt, sweatshirt and bodice. We ride all day long, very fast at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour and it is fantastic. There are eight girls in our group. Sometimes boys come with us, but we don't like riding with them because they are faster. When we finish riding, we go to a bar and have a drink. Then we go to a club and we dance a lot. It's absolutely cool to ride motorbikes. It's thrilling, funny, exciting and fantastic. Next week we are going to the seaside and I think it will be great. There we are going to ride our motorbikes on the beach and it will be amazing. Now we are going to the mountains to jump from the rocks. VASILENA

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