You may think that because Trauma Tuesday comes in late on a Wednesday, and features a video that is a couple of years old, that we are slacking here at BRO. Well, we had some server trouble late yesterday afternoon (it’s true because I read it on Facebook), so really, it’s not our fault…entirely…so save it.
Mike Wilson 99 Foot Rope Swing Quadruple Backflip from Shreddy Times on Vimeo.
Even though it was downright chilly when I stepped out for the jog this morning, August usually means high temps and even worse, high humidity. They call it the Dog Days for a reason, because it’s so hot and humid you sit around like an old hound drooling on yourself, panting heavily, and staring at everyone who walks by with a pathetic look or misery. Or maybe that’s just me. Time to hit the swimming hole/cliff jump/river pool or your choice.
When I was growing up, my crazy cousin built a huge rope swing into our family’s farm pond. This particular cousin fancied himself an amateur engineer in high school – he went on to become an actual engineer and works with lasers now (or something – it’s hard to follow the explanation of what he does in the lab) – so he built a platform way up the bank, then built another platform on that platform. The swing itself was fairly terrifying, dropping about 30 feet from release point, but the climb up to the launch pad was the scariest part. We thought we were daredevils and really cool because it was the biggest rope swing we had ever seen, and occasionally someone would do a spin or jackknife or something. I continued to think that until yesterday when I came across the above video of Matt Wilson launching 100-foot rope swing quad backflips into Lake Tahoe. Nothing makes you feel like a kid again like having a great summer day spent doing something crazy like making a rope swing and using it – also, thinking you were cool until someone comes along and does the exact same thing except bigger, better, and awesomer definitely makes me feel like a kid again. So this video is both physically scary, and psychologically scaring: it’s a Trauma Tuesday Double Dip!
Speaking of double dipping, here’s a bonus video of Wilson hucking doubles and triples into the Truckee River, which has a significantly smaller landing zone than Lake Tahoe:
Triple Backflip – Truckee River Rope Swing from Shreddy Times on Vimeo.
