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Extreme Sports Lesson Gift Guide

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Are you completely out of gift ideas for someone very close to you, someone you’d want desperately to surprise? If the person in question has an insatiable thirst for adventure, then you’re in luck. For that someone on your list who’s got it all, anything less than extraordinary isn’t going to make a lasting impression. And, outside of gold bullion or a long-lost family heirloom, objects don’t remain extraordinary for more than a couple weeks.

What really stands the test of time are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. So if you want to make a splash this holiday, check out our compendium of five great extreme sports holiday experiences. Sometimes, the best things don’t come in packages at all.

Skydiving

If you’ve ever heard the person for whom you’re buying say he’d “totally jump out of a plane,” this holiday season might not be a bad time to make him put his money where his mouth is (or put your money where his mouth is, we suppose). A quick visit to ProSkydiving.com will allow you to purchase gift certificates for skydive schools anywhere in the U.S., where your gift recipient can participate in any number of skydive variations from free-fall to tandem to low-level parachute jumps intended for skydive rookies. All the schools in ProSkydiving.com’s network are run by certified, experienced professionals so your loved one will be in good hands. Most jump prices start at around $200/session. Check out video from one of ProSkydiving.com’s Chicago members to see what you’re signing up for.

Cage diving with Great White Sharks

This one’s not for grandma. If you’ve got someone in your family or circle of friends who’s fascinated by some of the most ferocious beasts on the planet, however, enough that he’d want to come within inches of their chomping jaws, Great White Adventures cage diving is an awesome gift idea. Destinations include the Farallon Islands (about 25 miles west of San Francisco) and Isla Guadalupe (about 160 miles off the Baja, California coast) and packages start at between $775 and $3,200 per person, depending on which option you select. Those who’d rather appreciate the action from the safety of the boat can get a “Topside Observer” ticket for $375.

Trials

For the person on your list who can’t stop watching YouTube highlights of Danny MacAskill, a trials riding tutorial may very be in order. Located in Sequatchie, Tennessee, the Trials Training Center is an all-inclusive resort staffed by seasoned professionals who work with motorcycle and off-road enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. Any trip to the Trials Training Center yields much more than quality instruction. With more than 600 acres on the campus’s mountain property, this is the perfect vacation site for many. Give this gift, and you’ll provide a respite along with an opportunity to learn new skills. That’s what you call killing two birds with one stone.

BASE jumping

We’re guessing that they’re aren’t too many mothers out there that are anxious to pay for their sons and daughters to have an opportunity to throw themselves off a building or bridge, but this is a fantastic gift for any giver who can get beyond the inherent fear factor. The Snake River BASE Academy in Twin Falls, Idaho offers affordable multi-day training packages that will instruct your loved one on jump fundamentals before ever letting them to take his or her first flying leap. Moms everywhere, rest assured. An added bonus: course costs include packing video, tools, a course reader, log book, and T-shirt. The only downside to this awesome opportunity? Course space is very limited and would-be trainees need to file an application to be considered for a spot. That means this gift might be more of a process than a surprise.

Skateboarding

Last year, you got him a skateboard and he taught himself how to ride it. Now, he wants to learn some tricks. GoSkate.com‘s your go-to source for professional skateboard trainers, certified to teach boarders of all different skill levels, anywhere in the country. Group and private lessons are offered at the boarder’s home or at a nearby skate park and prices start as low as $37 per private session and $30 per group session and kids as young as 3 can be signed up to learn. You might have a little Tony Hawk on your hands. There’s only one way to find out.

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