14 DAY TRIAL // Chances are that our ancestors never even dared imagine coming close to an active volcano, let alone turn it into a sports attraction. Guys and gals in this day and age, however, seem to love and adore such fiery mountains.
So much so that a new sport that boils down to riding plywood boards down volcano slopes is now growing in popularity in Nicaragua. That's right, people are actually turning volcanoes into their playgrounds.
Volcano boarding is not for the faint of heart
As far as rules and regulations go, this new and fairly bizarre sport dubbed volcano boarding really isn't all that complex. All you have to do is grab hold of a plywood board, place it on the ground, sit on it and then slide down a volcano slope of your choice.
Why is it then that the sport is steadily growing in popularity, some might be tempted to ask. After all, is it not true that it is a hearty adrenaline rush that keeps most people hooked on extreme sports like, say, bungee jumping or surfing?
Rest assured, there are adrenaline rushes by the bucket when it comes to volcano boarding. First off, the simple thought of turning a volcano into a playground is more than enough to wind up otherwise perfectly average Joes and Janes.
Then, it looks like, what with all the ash covering them, sliding down volcano slopes is not all that different to sledging. In fact, word has it that it sometimes happens that folks move so fast on their boards that they reach the bottom of a slope in just a few seconds.
Turning volcanoes into tourist attractions
Presently, it is only in Nicaragua that people can experience the wonders of volcano boarding. Here, guys and gals are guided up to the summit of the Cerro Negro volcano and then slide down its slopes wearing orange jumpsuits and protective goggles.
33-year-old Cadi Melo, who owns the local Bigfoot Hostel, says that the Cerro Negro volcano stands about 2,400 feet (roughly 700 meters) tall. He further details that, when moving down its slopes, folks sometimes reach speeds of 60 miles per hour (nearly 100 kilometers per hour).
Add to this the fact that the 160-year-old volcano has erupted as many as 23 times so far, and it really should not come as a surprise that adrenaline junkies are flocking to this corner of the world hoping for an experience they will not easily forget.
“Volcano boarding is a unique extreme sport. There is no other place on earth you can slide down an active volcano, so the fact that it's an exclusive spot makes it quite special. People come for one experience they will not find elsewhere,” Cadi Melo said in an interview, as cited by Daily Mail.
