Alain Robert AKA Spider-Man

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689]

Alain Robert's been mentioned a few times in I&P (and lobbied for DL inclusion by the likes of DDT) but I'd like to see him have his own thread, which could also be used as a depository for general daredevil-type idiot behaviour like tombstoning, BASE jumping and free soloing.

 

He wishes "to kick the ass of a society that has become too antiseptic", in case you were wondering about his motivation.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,218]

A good idea H. I do think, however, that he will probably see us all out.

Good old Ranulph Fiennes is probably the daddy of all "Daredevil adventurers". Im not sure loosing half your fingers and the like for the sake of adventure is worth it, I suppose these kinds of people hover between genius or stupidity, take your pick.

Tell me, what exactly is "Free soloing?" Its not something that my mum told me would make me go blind if I did it, is it?

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

I don't remember what I was doing when Elvis or John Lennon died, but I fairly vividly recall watching this bit of news footage, of the patriach of the Flying Wallenda family suddenly deciding to retire in the middle of a tightrope walk.

 

Neither flying nor well-ending

 

Not for the faint hearted, so look away now if you're not hard enough.

[Banshees Scream 110]

Holy sh*t! He got down alright! I'm actually more for prime ministers of the middle eastern world, who have assassins at every direction. I admit that I would have never expected a risk taker like the crocodile hunter to be electrocuted by a sting ray .. but hazards don't spare it's presentation. I feel the probability of having 'Alain Robert' for example, on your list while he falls off a forty story building, is not very great. Then again, there is a first time for everything. As of right now it may be more likely that Hamid Karzai explodes to dust this July.

[Godot 149]

I know Fiennes has his own thread but the mention here is timely because I understand he is in the Everest area at the moment. Not sure where we're at with the mad Chinese idea to take the Olympic flame up there, but Fiennes is wanting a crack at Everest this season. If so, it may be his last.

 

Re-tombstoning, I was in to that years ago only I didn't call it that when I developed the urge to jump off bridges. It was cured when I jumped off a canal bridge into about three or four feet of water and nearly turned inside out. Not pleasant, heavy on the old knees, put me off tombstoning for good.

[honez 79]

I would have never expected a risk taker like the crocodile hunter to be electrocuted by a sting ray

I bet it took him by surprise too.

[hellkat 3]

I know Fiennes has his own thread but the mention here is timely because I understand he is in the Everest area at the moment. Not sure where we're at with the mad Chinese idea to take the Olympic flame up there, but Fiennes is wanting a crack at Everest this season. If so, it may be his last.

 

Re-tombstoning, I was in to that years ago only I didn't call it that when I developed the urge to jump off bridges. It was cured when I jumped off a canal bridge into about three or four feet of water and nearly turned inside out. Not pleasant, heavy on the old knees, put me off tombstoning for good.

 

Did his trip go ahead, then?

At one point a few months ago, I read that his trip was going to be cancelled BECAUSE of the Olympic Flame Up Everest thing ... the Chinese ordered loads of trips up there cancelled, so that they could take it up there. I remember reading that Fiennes was one of them, due to his ascent being very close to flame-takeage time.

 

And it got to the top a couple of days ago, actually.

 

Personally I think Fiennes will last for ages, one of those annoying old men who live forever and (in his case) pester you to do the typing when they need to text someone.

[Anubis the Jackal 77]

This chap could find himself impaled on an alp at some point.

 

"A 48-year-old man from Switzerland has successfully jumped out of a plane over the Alps using a jet propelled hang-glider he built himself Yves Rossy has spent five years training for the event and was helped by four jet engines. "

[TAFKAG 70]

What is it about the French? Michel Fournier is up to some very high skydiving jinks in Canada, but is encountering a few snags.

 

Apropos of not much, he was born a mere 12 days after Steve Fossett.

[TAFKAG 70]

Not really sure of the best place to put David Blaine. All his stuff seems too clinical and organised to be properly considered 'risk-taking'. He's a right annoying fuckwad, isn't he?

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

Not really sure of the best place to put David Blaine. All his stuff seems too clinical and organised to be properly considered 'risk-taking'. He's a right annoying fuckwad, isn't he?

 

David Blaine is apparently taking breaks from hanging upside down for 60 straight hours in Central Park, and has regularly been spotted standing upright on the ground, receiving medical check-ups, etc.

 

Batman? More like the Joker

 

I didn't think it was possible to hate David Blaine any more than I did, but it turns out I was wrong. He's now entered the Brian Harvey Zone, populated by a select few who I am actively hoping to die.

[Lard Bazaar 3,799]

Not really sure of the best place to put David Blaine. All his stuff seems too clinical and organised to be properly considered 'risk-taking'. He's a right annoying fuckwad, isn't he?

 

David Blaine is apparently taking breaks from hanging upside down for 60 straight hours in Central Park, and has regularly been spotted standing upright on the ground, receiving medical check-ups, etc.

 

Batman? More like the Joker

 

I didn't think it was possible to hate David Blaine any more than I did, but it turns out I was wrong. He's now entered the Brian Harvey Zone, populated by a select few who I am actively hoping to die.

 

 

This sounds very much like my own Turner League - people who I simply cannot abide and would like to stab in the face - headed by Anthea Turner. Included are Michael Barrymore, Les Dennis, Cilla Black and Daniel Bedingfield, to name but a few.

[One shot Paddy 1,206]

How about "Jetman" Yves Rossy, about to fly the channel as I type?

[One shot Paddy 1,206]

He made it in just under 10mins.

 

I want one!

[Anubis the Jackal 77]

So flying around country roads on an enormously overpowered motorbike isn't enough for you now, OSP?

 

May I say that I really, really hope you don't get one of these so you can continue contributing to the Deathlist forum personally rather than as a news item.

 

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

He made it in just under 10mins.

 

I want one!

 

According to the slide show on the Times' website:

 

"The 22-mile flight from Calais to Dover took 10 minutes," and "Rossy reached speeds of 125mph during the short flight".

 

Now, I'm no mathematical genius, but if a 22 mile flight took ten minutes, that would mean in one hour he could fly 132 miles, so his average speed must have been 132 mph. Which makes the journalist a gormless buffoon.

 

You'd think a paper called the "Times" would know multiplication

[TAFKAG 70]

It must be the Channel silly stunt season, as Stephane Rousson tries to pedal a blimp across it. His danger appears to lie in going up rather than down.

 

A lot of these oddballs seem to be French these days. The old Dunkirk spirit has turned into le spirit de Dunkerque.

[Monoclinic 39]

He made it in just under 10mins.

 

I want one!

 

According to the slide show on the Times' website:

 

"The 22-mile flight from Calais to Dover took 10 minutes," and "Rossy reached speeds of 125mph during the short flight".

 

Now, I'm no mathematical genius, but if a 22 mile flight took ten minutes, that would mean in one hour he could fly 132 miles, so his average speed must have been 132 mph. Which makes the journalist a gormless buffoon.

 

You'd think a paper called the "Times" would know multiplication

 

Furthermore he cheated. He jumped out of a helicopter and had a parachute to land!

[honez 79]

"The 22-mile flight from Calais to Dover took 10 minutes," and "Rossy reached speeds of 125mph during the short flight".

 

Now, I'm no mathematical genius, but if a 22 mile flight took ten minutes, that would mean in one hour he could fly 132 miles, so his average speed must have been 132 mph. Which makes the journalist a gormless buffoon.

 

You'd think a paper called the "Times" would know multiplication

Well, it kind of depends on what the 125mph is a measure of. If it's ground speed then you're quite correct, but with a tail wind of 7mph, his air speed would be 125mph.

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

"The 22-mile flight from Calais to Dover took 10 minutes," and "Rossy reached speeds of 125mph during the short flight".

 

Now, I'm no mathematical genius, but if a 22 mile flight took ten minutes, that would mean in one hour he could fly 132 miles, so his average speed must have been 132 mph. Which makes the journalist a gormless buffoon.

 

You'd think a paper called the "Times" would know multiplication

Well, it kind of depends on what the 125mph is a measure of. If it's ground speed then you're quite correct, but with a tail wind of 7mph, his air speed would be 125mph.

 

If I were in a balloon, with no propulsion, and the wind were blowing me along at 10 miles an hour, then wouldn't I still be moving at 10 mph?

[TAFKAG 70]

I don't remember what I was doing when Elvis or John Lennon died, but I fairly vividly recall watching this bit of news footage, of the patriach of the Flying Wallenda family suddenly deciding to retire in the middle of a tightrope walk.

 

Neither flying nor well-ending

 

Not for the faint hearted, so look away now if you're not hard enough.

 

Young Nik Wallenda's obviously never seen that clip of his great-grandad.

Newark mayor Cory Booker said he was grateful for the publicity but added: 'We're doing everything we can to lift the city and it would have been tragic if he had fallen.'

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

I don't remember what I was doing when Elvis or John Lennon died, but I fairly vividly recall watching this bit of news footage, of the patriach of the Flying Wallenda family suddenly deciding to retire in the middle of a tightrope walk.

 

Neither flying nor well-ending

 

Not for the faint hearted, so look away now if you're not hard enough.

 

Young Nik Wallenda's obviously never seen that clip of his great-grandad.

Newark mayor Cory Booker said he was grateful for the publicity but added: 'We're doing everything we can to lift the city and it would have been tragic if he had fallen.'

 

I'm calling bullshit on this story. There is no way the mayor of the city would have been stood there watching if there was any chance of the guy plummeting to a netless death. It was also apparently covered live on the Today Show, which gets a national audience of millions. NBC's not going to take that risk either. He must have had a hidden bungee cord or something.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

Alain Robert has just scaled a 33-story building in Indonesia and next month he's off to Qatar to climb La Cigale Hotel

 

So he's still as busy as ever, slightly older and therefore possibly slightly weaker. There is a very reasonable chance his fatal slip might come in 2009 and he should be included on next year's DL.

[themaninblack 2,112]

Alain Robert has just scaled a 33-story building in Indonesia and next month he's off to Qatar to climb La Cigale Hotel

 

So he's still as busy as ever, slightly older and therefore possibly slightly weaker. There is a very reasonable chance his fatal slip might come in 2009 and he should be included on next year's DL.

 

I would think the odds would be a bit steep for that to happen...

[TAFKAG 70]

How would you feel if you'd spent ten months rowing across the Pacific, only to wave the white flag* 60 miles from the finish?

 

I'm not disappointed. I'm not disappointed at all

 

* Well, he is Italian.