Think just living in Beijing is enough adventure? Meet five locals who push it to the limit everyday for fun!

Johan Sjöberg

★Paragliding

Extreme Moment: “The front of the canopy collapsed and stopped flying,” Sjöberg says. “It felt like I fell and fell and fell until it reopened again with a bang. Everything happened so fast I didn't even have time to get scared. That came later. [The flight] lasted for two and a half hours, along a beautiful mountain and looking out over a nice valley. The landing was on a field below the mountains, watched by all the local farmers. The audience was large, interested and very friendly.”

Want to go extreme?

Beijing Flying-man Club.

Tel: 6234-4230, 135-2023-0772,

email: paratechx@yahoo.com or check:

www.flying-man.com/china

Superwing Paragliding Club.

Tel: 6491-2233 ext 201, 136-0124-1119

or email: superwing@sohu.com

Takako Hoshi

★Rock Climbing

Extreme Moment: “I fell upside down 8 meters after grabbing onto a broken rock,” says Takako, who loves climbing for its psychological and physical challenges. With 12 stitches in the face and one ear and two bolts in the left hand where the bones were shattered, Takako is still in rehab but determined as ever. “My attitude changed towards rocks. I am more gracious. But experts climb like water on rock, so I set my new goal to improve and learn.”

Want to go extreme?

Dianshi Club weekdays at Ritan Park

from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.,

weekends at different locations around Beijing.

Contact Zhan Xiaoliu (aka “Camel”)

for more info, Tel: 138-0105-2361

Piers Touzel

★Mountain Biking

Extreme Moment: “I don't know what was more surprising, us stumbling across a bunch of soldiers practicing drills in full military attire or the drill sergeant seeing five laowais whiz past in bright lycra,” says the recent champion of the Huangshan mountain biking race of the time he accidentally trespassed a PLA compound in the outskirts of Beijing. Trapped inside, the commander ended up schooling Touzel and friends on turf etiquette. “When they released us, we raced them about five km down the road from the compound!”

Want to go extreme?

Mountain Bikers of Beijing (MOB).

Tel: 134-0114-5438, or check:

www.themob.404.com.au

Kingdom Bike Rental.

Tel: 8549-4541, 133-8140-0738,

email: kingdom@m165.com

or check: www.bicyclekingdom.com

Cycle China.

Tel: 8402-4147, 139-1188-6524

or check: www.cyclechina.com

Beijing United Triathlon Team.

Tel: 135-0113-3504

or check: www.butt.fitchina.org

Kai Ge

★Horseback Riding

Extreme Moment: “When the horse returned to the village with boots but no rider, Lao Jiang rushed out to look for me,” says horseback rider, Kai Ge, describing his first time on a horse. “What happened was, I got to the intersection and the horse freaked out. It changed course and I freaked out. Before I knew it, I was hanging off the horse, my foot caught on a strap. I got dragged 50 meters.”

Want to go extreme?

Beijing Green Equestrian Club.

Tel: 6457-7166

Equuleus Riding Club. Tel: 6438-4947

Hanci Horse Riding Club.

Tel: 136-7139-7716

or check: www.hanci.cn

High Club.

Tel: 8580-5080,

email: lucy@highclub.cn

or check: www.highclub.cn

Xiao Long

★Skateboarding

Extreme Moment: “You know the backside noseslide?” asks super skateboarder, Xiao Long. “Well, it’s this super simple trick, but it really messed me up last May. I smoked too much that night, tried the move on some random sidewalk bench and my knee is still recovering. So, kids, don’t smoke.” Right. Luckily, Xiao Long has a kick ass doctor. “Acupuncture is pretty awesome! He stuck a huge needle into my butt.” The explanation? “It’s magic medicine. Foreign skaters use it when they don’t want to operate.”

Want to go extreme?

Beijing’s skate punks can be found daily in front of St. Joseph’s Cathedral on Wangfujing. Or check out these skate shops.

Tour Skateshop. 48 Jiaodaokou Nandajie.

Tel: 6403-2639.

Demokratic.

Upper East Side Complex.

Tel: 139-1179-2698.