Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
VALPARAÍSO, Chile — It's funny how the phrase "extreme sports" doesn't have the same effect it once did.
We are used to seeing people risk life and limb to pull extreme tricks on skateboards, free-climb mountains without ropes, and zipping through canyons in wingsuits. Some extreme sports are now commonplace with many people voluntarily skydiving, bungee jumping and backcountry skiing.
Yawn. (JK, it's all terrifying.)
But some humans will always be chasing the high of bigger and bigger adrenaline rushes and pushing the limits of what bodies can do.
Enter urban racing, a sport that looks a lot like mountain biking but the path is carved through the cement, stairs and obstacles of a city.
In this video, Lewis Buchanan straps a camera on his helmet to show us a hit point of view as he screams down the track of Red Bull's Valparaíso Cerro Abajo Urban DH 2023 in Valparaíso, Chile — and it. Is. Intense.
He navigates endless sets of stairs, twisting jumps, light poles and more while people along the round are screaming at him. (Yes they're cheering him on, but screaming is still screaming.)
It's so bananas that Buchanan himself titles the video of his run, "I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AFTER THIS…" Even watching this from the comfort of my couch may my heart pound and my palms sweat.
While many of us may never understand what feels good about feeling death breathing down your neck every time you engage in your hobby or career, it will always make for excellent couch-surfer entertainment.
