I think the concept of 'perceived' risk is an interesting one. I love to ski, rock climb, mountain bike ride and spend time in white water, but when I see people with no skill or experience doing these things I get scared for them. I work at as an Outdoor Education Teacher and the perceived risk idea comes up especially when we're on the adventure ropes course. People think the 'high' elements would be more dangerous than the 'low' ones, as the high are 10-15m in the air, and the low ones are at knee height. Thing is, on the low elements, you are 100% guaranteed to hit the ground, making yourself more vulnerable to injury, whereas the risk is reduced (significantly!) on the high elements because of the safety and skill involved. I'm a scaredy cat. I won't do anything that's outside my comfort zone, I'll nudge at the edge, so I can improve and travel further, but I like to take baby steps!!!!

The fact that planking (according to those of my friends who are right into it) involves a heavy dose of alcohol as well as the competitive element, makes me think it's a recipe for disaster. Sure, there are the innocuous funny set ups, but all I can see is the future news headlines.

Still, I LOVE watching Warren Miller movies and extreme athletes pushing their boundaries, but this phrase always sticks in my mind:

"There are old climbers, and there are bold climbers, but there are no old, bold climbers".