For one thing, bears are attracted by food that people often bring to campsites. If the food is stored too close to the tent or camper, a bear who is wandering through will be attracted by it and will initially rummage through the containers, but may well turn its attention to the campers instead due to their proximity to the food source. In the attack referenced above, though, food was not involved. Rather, a couple were hiking on a well known, popular trail during broad daylight when the woman surprised a mother bear and her cubs, startling the sow, who then charged the woman’s husband and killed him. The bear then turned on the woman and bit into her backpack, flinging her high into the air and dropping her on the trail, where she played dead and was uninjured. As I mentioned, this kind of thing is extremely rare. The last time anyone had been killed by a bear in Yellowstone National Forest was 1986. But these things do happen. You should always, always pay careful attention to your surroundings when in the forests, even on well traveled trails that would seem to be very civilized and public. Wild animals can show up at any time, anywhere.

Those who enjoy extreme activities can be relatively assured that when they decide to go hiking, camping, or mountain climbing in such places, the odds of something like this happening are very remote, but caution is always needed.

Watch the entire play by play here.  If you have ever been deep sea fishing or even been in a glass bottom boat where it’s all glass & windows, and tried bringing in a really big fish, you will know the feeling these poor fellows had when they reeled in their catch, only to find that most of it had become the prey of shark.

• Cocoa Beach – I know it’s January, but I am definitely hitting the beach.  Cocoa Beach is on the Atlantic Ocean and it is incredible.  It is not too far from Orlando, so I will be heading there first.  It’s well known for the sweet surfing, so I will probably be suiting up to hit some waves.
• Miami – What’s a trip to gorgeous Florida without going to Miami for a visit?  I am surely going to scoot down to the south of Florida for some partying and beach time.  It’s in the mid-seventies this week and that couldn’t be better for taking in the sun.
• Key West – If you want to do some great diving, the Florida Keys are definitely the place to do it.  It is some of the best diving in the world right here in the United States.  Plus, it does not get much more laid back than in the Keys.  The people and places are completely mellow and it is the perfect way to end my Florida adventure.

Now skiing does not have to be extreme.  There are plenty of people who are perfectly content taking it easy and sticking to the ski slopes, but for those rebels out there who want to jump, spin, and take on skiing at incredible speeds it does not get any more extreme than that.

Over the years many skiers and athletes have chose skiing as their sport of choice.  After they choose skiing, they choose to take it to new levels.  They will try to jump higher, perform more tricks, tackle the highest mountains, and even jump out of helicopters to ski.  It is insane what these thrill seekers will do all for the love of action and skiing.

The infographic below takes a good look at some of skiing’s most extreme participants over the years.  See if you would have the courage to do what some of these guys have done.

Rafting is probably my favorite adventure sport because it scares the crap out of me, but I love the exhilarating feeling of the white capped rapids rushing around me while I have a paddle in my hand.  Each year my family takes a couple of white water rafting trips so we can all get our rafting fix.  I find my self looking more and more forward to it each year, and I still never lose that fear.  -K. Croft

I started rock climbing about seven years ago, and I am pretty much addicted to it.  Because of my crazy schedule I usually end up doing a lot of indoor rock climbing, but twice a year I take a trip to a place I’ve never been before to get in on some real rock climbing action.  It’s intense, but I think that’s why it’s so awesome.  -T. Kemp

Repelling down mountains and cliffs is so much fun.  I am a big fan of heights so it is definitely the action sport for me.  I also love to take in the natural surroundings.  As long as I am outdoors I am happy, but I would much rather be repelling than any other sport out there.  M. Mahoney

Well, there you have it folks.  Even those people crowding the malls this time of year are adventurous!

You may think extreme sports are unusual, unless you’ve been following their development over time or are already a loyal fan of one or more of them.  Some people are very conscious of their home security systems, constantly going out of their way to be certain they have activated all of the settings each time they leave the house;  they would never dream of taking on the dangers that come with extreme sports competition themselves, but that won’t stop them from watching.  But what are the dangerous sports in the world?  Here is an infographic you will surely enjoy.  Click to expand and learn more about the world’s most dangerous sports:

I decided that I want to learn to capture the action though.  I would love to be able to whip out my camera and get some great shots of my friends biking or playing around.  In order to achieve my goal, I have been learning some tips and tricks from the pros of the trade.  Below is a video of the action shot taker Elizabeth Kreutz talking about how she manages to get some of the best action shots out there.

As you already know, I’m quite the sports junkie, especially if those sports are adrenaline-filled, crazy, and extreme.  However, I am willing to admit that there is one sport that is not considered to be really extreme that I really love.  That sport is college basketball.  Growing up my dad was a huge fan of University of North Carolina basketball, the Tar Heels.  So now as an adult, I am too.  I mean, how can anyone not love a team that Michael Jordan was a part of?  Since school is starting back up, I was curious to see if there is any current information out on the internet about this year’s team.

While I found some news articles and info, I found something much more interesting to share with you.  It’s an infographic about the basketball players whose jersey numbers have been retired at the college.  When you see the numbers hanging in the Dean Smith Center, you get an overwhelming feeling of pride in the fact that you support such an amazing program of athletes.  I’m counting down the days until the 2011-2012 Tarheel basketball season begins.  Click on the infographic to enlarge it. TAR!  HEELS!

This is an extreme kayaking video.  It’s pretty awesome, and I love the playlist.

This was last year’s Parks Bonifay’s Double of Nothing wakeboarding competition.  I love this one primarily for the fact that all of the boarders are trying to land double ups and other incredibly awesome tricks.  The first part of the video shows them not landing the tricks, and the song is talking about whiplash, ummm yeah.

Just watching this base jumping video makes me feel queasy, but if you’re into that sort of thing, then enjoy it!

Outer Banks, NC – Here’s a little history lesson for you all:  The brothers who invented the first plane, Wilbur and Orville Wright, ventured to the Outer Banks, specifically Kitty Hawk, in order to use the wind to test out their fliers.  If it’s good enough for Wilbur and Orville, then the wind is good enough for me.  I even ended up going to a kiteboarding camp there too.  I loved it and I definitely recommend it especially if you’re looking for a more quiet place to be.  Find out the surf/boarding information at their surf report site here.

South Padre Island, TX – Everything’s bigger in Texas, and when I first arrived at South Padre Island I knew it was true.  Not only do they have some of the greatest conditions for kiteboarding around the United States, but the area is like tailor made for kiteboarders.  Plenty of clinics, contests, hotels, and an incredible night life make South Padre Island awesome.  If you need to keep your brain constantly entertained, I recommend it.  Wind and weather and more for the area can be found here.