Why do Germans and Austrians enjoy high-risk sports?

[rashka]

Most often I see Germans/Austrians, or Americans of that ethnicity, trying to climb the tallest mountains, skiing from the steepest slopes, water rafting (kayaking), mountain biking and now a record breaking attempt at sky-diving from space.

[noricum]

Cause we can.

[Corvus]

It is in our genes, Germanics are risk orientied individuals with great fighting spirit
Ofc there are exceptions to the rule, but in general it is our character.

[MagnaLaurentia]

Hum... I do not think it is only restricted to Germanic peoples.

Western Europeans accomplish several achievements. Also Russians, they were in space before the Americans.

[safinator]

I don't have any proof but i think high IQ people are attracted to dangerous sports for some reason.

[Anusiya]

Most often I see Germans/Austrians, or Americans of that ethnicity, trying to climb the tallest mountains, skiing from the steepest slopes, water rafting (kayaking), mountain biking and now a record breaking attempt at sky-diving from space.

Lol, it's their habidat that is risky and mountainous.

[Osprey]

Its the Nordic spirit.
Don't you know?
Remember, who founded and explored America?
Remember the Vikings?
Plus, Germanics are not afraid to go out of line. They don't try to fit in. They go wherever their heart leads them.
Its more prevalent in Germanic men than women.

[Leliana]

Cause we can.
This! :cool: Many of the greatest pioneers, explorers, scientists and inventors were German or Austrian. We try to broaden the possibilities and reach for distant and difficult goals.

[MagnaLaurentia]

Its the Nordic spirit.
Don't you know?
Remember, who founded and explored America?
Remember the Vikings?
Plus, Germanics are not afraid to go out of line. They don't try to fit in. They go wherever their heart leads them.
Its more prevalent in Germanic men than women.

Seriously? Just start with the name of America... Please open a history book.

[beaver]

I disagree, Most srong mountaineers in the Himalayas are Russians, they are enogh idiots to make impossible actions - to make vertical wall 3 km or going withot oxygen. Europeans are more moderate, careful and practical..

Also - Kazakhstan, where are both Russians and Kazakhs

[sevruk]

I think the East Slavs riskier people.
The first cosmonaut and the first cosmonaut who was in the open space were of the Soviet Union.
Check out some videos
diDLgFvq7bo
w6g5OnBBwzU
4tDVVN6RhG0

[Bari]

Because of their lack of empathy for human life even their own.

[Sultan Suleiman]

Slavs do the weirdest shit round these parts.

Vs4tM7zTxWo

[The Lawspeaker]

This! :cool: Many of the greatest pioneers, explorers, scientists and inventors were German or Austrian. We try to broaden the possibilities and reach for distant and difficult goals.

Pioneers and explorers ? Few of those were German (Germany not having any real access to actual sealanes). The majority of them were Dutch, Norwegian and British but it must be something Germanic. The reason for that is probably that British, Dutch and Scandinavians are maritime peoples by nature.

[el22]

I think because they are genuinely melancholic people. It could be because of the weather, earth magnetic field... some spell from the past... I don't know.
In any case, they have to do something to distract themselves: risky sports, work like robots, drink ... and if that's not enough, they come in internet forums bitching about any topic

[Ouistreham]

Pioneers and explorers ? Few of those were German (Germany not having any real access to actual sealanes). The majority of them were Dutch, Norwegian and British but it must be something Germanic. The reason for that is probably that British, Dutch and Scandinavians are maritime peoples by nature.

Don't forget that single-handed sailing and around the world records are an almost exclusive French specialty.

As for acrobatic skyscraper climbing, no one is more impressive than "French Spiderman" Alain Robert.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_l7keQGy9l6g/TLmRX3PX5OI/AAAAAAAACnM/cpiMrGWePd8/s1600/Alain-Robert-280_880384a.jpg

One can also observe that in the late 19th century, a large number of the tallest mountains in Italy and Switzerland were climbed first time by British alpinists.

This was certainly related in some way to the colonial expansion of Western European nations (starting also with Spanish and Portuguese seafarers earlier in hostory).

Actually I don't think the Germans have an impressive record for that matter.

[The Lawspeaker]

Don't forget that single-handed sailing and around the world records are an almost exclusive French specialty.

As for acrobatic skyscraper climbing, no one is more impressive than "French Spiderman" Alain Robert.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_l7keQGy9l6g/TLmRX3PX5OI/AAAAAAAACnM/cpiMrGWePd8/s1600/Alain-Robert-280_880384a.jpg

One can also observe that in the late 19th century, a large number of the tallest mountains in Italy and Switzerland were climbed first time by British alpinists.

This was certainly related in some way to the colonial expansion of Western European nations (starting also with Spanish and Portuguese seafarers earlier in hostory).

Actually I don't think the Germans have an impressive record for that matter.
Discovers. The French had some good ones too during mainly the 18th century. :thumb001:

[Leliana]

The reason for that is probably that British, Dutch and Scandinavians are maritime peoples by nature.
Tell the Germans in Emden, Wilhelmshafen, Bremen, Hamburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Rostock or Greifswald that they aren't maritime people. :picard1: What was the 'Hanse' all about?

Germany has access to the North Sea and Baltic Sea and a 5-6x longer coastline than the Netherlands.

[Sultan Suleiman]

Tell the Germans in Emden, Wilhelmshafen, Bremen, Hamburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Rostock or Greifswald that they aren't maritime people. :picard1: What was the 'Hanse' all about?


Hanseatic League was a trading organization which sailed over well determined shipping lanes.

They are in no way comparable to Dutch, French or British explorers of the New World.

Hell if trading routes are your standard for adventure, then even Turks and Indians had more maritime action than Germans. :rolleyes:

[Leliana]

Hell if trading routes are your standard for adventure, then even Turks and Indians had more maritime action than Germans. :rolleyes:
We aren't maritime people alone because we are continental people at the same time! :picard2: There's an element of maritime history and a higher element of continental history.

Maritime area of Germany:

http://www.pension.de/media/karten/nordostsee.gif

I'm no expert on maritime action, go ask some Northern Germans. What's Bosnian maritime history? :D

Lots of US Americans have German ancestors. How did they cross the sea? By car? :picard1:

[Zmey Gorynych]

Most often I see Germans/Austrians, or Americans of that ethnicity, trying to climb the tallest mountains, skiing from the steepest slopes, water rafting (kayaking), mountain biking and now a record breaking attempt at sky-diving from space.

the same reason why they have the best cars, strongest economy, ruled/rule over others ...

[Osprey]

The High Seas Fleet was both smaller and weaker than the Grand Fleet of the English.
But, still it had beaten the Royal navy in comparitively fair battles involving smaller no of ships.
Plus, how can you forget the U Boat?

[Corvus]

the same reason why they have the best cars, strongest economy, ruled/rule over others ...

Indeed, I don`t want to sound supercilious, but Germanics are in general very talented and capable individuals with determination and endurance to achieve great things.

[sevruk]

the same reason why they have the best cars, strongest economy, ruled/rule over others ...

Lol, Jews rule all

[Catrau]

Its the Nordic spirit.
Don't you know?
Remember, who founded and explored America?
Remember the Vikings?
Plus, Germanics are not afraid to go out of line. They don't try to fit in. They go wherever their heart leads them.
Its more prevalent in Germanic men than women.

Germans enjoy it as anybody else. It’s in the human genes. This is merely rhetorical.

Hey Osprey you don't seem to know much about history in general and European history in particular.

... the noric spirit... gimme a break!!

[Nurzat]

well there are a lot of wannabe germanics, but virtually no wannabe romance / slavs (except perimediterranean peoples that wanna pass as euro-meds or euromed-like)

germanicness has a great following in russia! maybe even more than in other slavic countries

[noricum]

I disagree, Most srong mountaineers in the Himalayas are Russians, they are enogh idiots to make impossible actions - to make vertical wall 3 km or going withot oxygen.


The first ones who made Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen where Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler. Messner was also the first who climbed all fourteen eight-thousanders.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=habeler&title=Special%3ASearch

Also the Eiger north-face was ascended by a mixed German-Austrian group first.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiger

I don't know if Russians are now the best climbers in the Himalaya, but this thread is about who did these dangerous and basically pointless actions first.

[noricum]

.... the noric spirit... gimme a break!!

Sounds cool to me, as a central-european counterpart to Nordicism which is getting old and boring anyway.:thumb001:

[Osprey]

Germans enjoy it as anybody else. It’s in the human genes. This is merely rhetorical.

Hey Osprey you don't seem to know much about history in general and European history in particular.

... the noric spirit... gimme a break!!

Really?
First of all, that post was a satirical flow just to tune in to the spirit of the thread.
Secondly, i said Nordic, not Noric.

Thirdly, I may not know much about Portugues history, but i definitely know more about Northern European history than you.

[Sultan Suleiman]

We aren't maritime people alone because we are continental people at the same time! :picard2: There's an element of maritime history and a higher element of continental history.

What I pointed out was that the Hanseatic League was just a trading organization sailing over well determined shipping lanes and you called few minor German captains and turned them into Columbuses and Leif Ericksons. :rolleyes:


What's Bosnian maritime history? :D

During our independent Kingdom of Bosnia we controlled dozen ships "liberated" from Italians with "Bosna Bosni" being recorded as the largest one of them. We later sold most of them to Venetians after losing few important cities on Dalmatian coast.

While during the Ottoman Empire, Bosniaks gave 2 admirals which have proven quite effective. But the sea was never our mistress, we mostly keep to kicking ass on land. :cool:


How did they cross the sea? By car? :picard1:

They used subs, DUH! :rolleyes:

[The Lawspeaker]

Lots of US Americans have German ancestors. How did they cross the sea? By car? :picard1:
Aboard British and American-owned ships during the mid-1800s. German maritime history ? Let's look at the German colonial empire. Which one ? The one that got the scraps the Dutch, British, French, Spanish and Portuguese didn't want and that was only Germany's unification. You know: when we already had a colonial empire for 250+ years.


Tell the Germans in Emden, Wilhelmshafen, Bremen, Hamburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Rostock or Greifswald that they aren't maritime people. :picard1: What was the 'Hanse' all about?

Germany has access to the North Sea and Baltic Sea and a 5-6x longer coastline than the Netherlands.

They never got much further then Scandinavia, Leliana. I am sorry but that is the truth. The Germans are mainly a land race whereas we, the British and the Scandinavians are a maritime race.

[Corvus]

Aboard British and American-owned ships during the mid-1800s. German maritime history ? Let's look at the German colonial empire. Which one ? The one that got the scraps the Dutch, British, French, Spanish and Portuguese didn't want and that was only Germany's unification. You know: when we already had a colonial empire for 250+ years.



They never got much further then Scandinavia, Leliana. I am sorry but that is the truth. The Germans are mainly a land race whereas we, the British and the Scandinavians are a maritime race.

That`s true, but Dutch and Scandinavians also belong to the Germanic meta ethnicity.

[Catrau]

Sounds cool to me, as a central-european counterpart to Nordicism which is getting old and boring anyway.:thumb001:

My point is that germanics are just as anybody else. It's in the human spirit to surpass ourselves. It's not particularly german or nordic.

I agree with you about that central-european stand up. Germanophils and Norics are the most narcisistic people one can find. My ancestors, and the portuguese ancestors in general, came from central Europe (nowadays Austria and southern Germany, somewhere between the Rhine and the Danube. :eek: yes, we are almost 90% R1b and R1a. But I'm a southwest European, I have good genes and "danger is my job" :D:D:D

[Catrau]

Really?
First of all, that post was a satirical flow just to tune in to the spirit of the thread.
Secondly, i said Nordic, not Noric.

Thirdly, I may not know much about Portugues history, but i definitely know more about Northern European history than you.

Huuu, yes sir!!!

I was beeing satirical too.

Sorry to hurt your north european feelings.

[The Lawspeaker]

That`s true, but Dutch and Scandinavians also belong to the Germanic meta ethnicity.

True but the Germans are not a race of explorers and seamen like the Dutch and Scandinavians. They excel in other fields. Fact: we are hopeless on land but when we go out to sea we kick ass. Big time.

[Osprey]

Portuguese, who explored the South American 'Eldorado Myth' were hardened motherfuckers.
Also, the ones who entered Africa to capture slaves.

[The Lawspeaker]

Portuguese, who explored the South American 'Eldorado Myth' were hardened motherfuckers.
Also, the ones who entered Africa to capture slaves.

They are the Dutch of the Med. They are about as fucking crazy as we are. :thumb001:

[Leliana]

They never got much further then Scandinavia, Leliana. I am sorry but that is the truth. The Germans are mainly a land race whereas we, the British and the Scandinavians are a maritime race.
Then that's how it should be. :rolleyes: I'm Southern German and Austrian and I don't have any connection to the sea or with the sea. The coast is some 600 km's away. :cool: It doesn't hurt my feelings but I know of some German seefahrers who were famous and had some impact. What about people like Klaus Störtebecker?

Continental achievements are the best achievements. :P

[The Lawspeaker]

Continental achievements are the best achievements. :P

Many Dutch and British would disagree. :cool:

[Visigoth]

We aren't maritime people alone because we are continental people at the same time! :picard2: There's an element of maritime history and a higher element of continental history.

Maritime area of Germany:

http://www.pension.de/media/karten/nordostsee.gif

I'm no expert on maritime action, go ask some Northern Germans. What's Bosnian maritime history? :D

Lots of US Americans have German ancestors. How did they cross the sea? By car? :picard1:

http://u.jimdo.com/www21/o/sf8baaaab279158e5/img/ib9ace29698218e30/1308182562/std/the-portuguese-empire.jpg

[The Lawspeaker]

http://u.jimdo.com/www21/o/sf8baaaab279158e5/img/ib9ace29698218e30/1308182562/std/the-portuguese-empire.jpg

Dutch Empire:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/DutchEmpire15.png

And that excludes discoveries like Australia, New Zealand, Easter Island, some areas in the Arctic and some islands in the Pacific etc.

[Leliana]

http://u.jimdo.com/www21/o/sf8baaaab279158e5/img/ib9ace29698218e30/1308182562/std/the-portuguese-empire.jpg

Colonialism is overrated! :hiding: Where's your country now in the European competition chart?

[Catrau]

They are the Dutch of the Med. They are about as fucking crazy as we are. :thumb001:

Corrections.

We are not meds. Med is as far way from us as from Paris.

We didn't enter africa to capture slaves, other africans capture them and brought them to us to trade.

We sailed to the indian and to pacific reached first Autralia catured the red sea and the persian gulf introduced fire arms to japan... but those were other portuguese, nowadays we just like to take up the ass... at least it's what looks like.

[Zmey Gorynych]

Lol, Jews rule all

OK, j00s rule all and the germans/germnics are their deputies :)

[Osprey]

I think the correct diagnosis of the situation is that, yes the Germans have been inferior to Dutch/Scottish/English/Portuguese/Spanish in maritime explorations, but that is because they didn't felt the need, they were bullied by the British, they were a chaotic bunch of princely states until the very end of the 19th century.
If Kaiser Wilhem had listened to Bismarck and maintained a more 'harmless' mode towards England, it would have surpassed both England and Holland in the maritime field.
That's because, wherever Germans tend to focus their energies, they tend to dominate it in every possible way.

[The Lawspeaker]

.....
They weren't being bullied by the British in the 18th and 19th century since the British didn't give two f... about Europe. Most states were sandwiched between Prussia and Austria. Both were European powers and they were land-based powers.

[Osprey]

They weren't being bullied by the British in the 18th and 19th century since the British didn't give two f... about Europe. Most states were sandwiched between Prussia and Austria. Both were European powers and they were landbased powers.

One of the reasons of the First World War was Kaiser's ordering of the construction of battleships, which shook England's little willies.

[The Lawspeaker]

One of the reasons of the First World War was Kaiser's ordering of the construction of battleships, which shook England's little willies.

That's just one the (at least a dozen) reasons. Another one was France (the other land power) wanting to take over the Alsace-Lorraine. Another one was Germany's invasion of neutral Belgium with which the British had a treaty etc etc etc etc.

[Catrau]

I admire the Germans for other things, not 40 km jumps although that's an incredible achievement.
I admire Germans for the XIXth and first quarter XXth century scientists (chemists and physicists), for the Bauhaus, a bit for the Weimar republic, for the post war rise of the ashes (Of course, fortunately for them, their friends didn't lend them money at a 7% interest rate, in that case, the rise would be different), and for a very important thing: contrary to common stereotype that, maybe they build for themselves or, worst, some Germans built for all the other Germans, they are a very friendly, kind and educated people with a strong will to participate, to help and to make a stand. I've been in west Germany from north to south (missed Bavaria) and I've worked with Germans and I have German neighbors too. So nothing of that cold, calculative, bad ass, selfish stereotype is actually true, in fact is very far from the average German... but... when a German ruler actually fits in this stereotype, the other Europeans will suffer under Germany might. It happened before and somehow it's happening again.

[Stefan]

I find the dedicated work ethic, intelligence, and high aptitude for independence of the Central European Germanics to be more impressive features than dangerous or risky actions. When I think of Germans (and Swiss/Austrians by extension) I think of normal, efficient, dedicated people who know how to take care of themselves, and due to this independence; they achieve great things in science, and art. Yet the majority of people within these ethnic groups don't need such things to live a good life, historically. That is what fascinates me about them. This is generally true for all Europeans though; however, it seems most notable in Central Europeans for some reason.

[Anusiya]

One of the reasons of the First World War was Kaiser's ordering of the construction of battleships, which shook England's little willies.

And how would they go about running them? Oil resources was the reason.

[Catrau]

Colonialism is overrated! :hiding: Where's your country now in the European competition chart?

I don't want to disappoint you or state that colonialism was the best thing that ever happened to mankind but think: a small country like Portugal, in deed dominated a vast expanse of the world we were more of a mercantile and naval power but despite that, for the domination of the Indian Ocean an anphibious army was needed, all those nasty battles against the Turks and the Arabs and the Melanesians (in their homelands), they had fire power, they weren't naked indigenous afraid of horses... we had to fight resoursefull civilizations, compared with that, south america was a piece of cake but there the spirit was diffrent, it was more about mixing with friendly locals with small skirmishes.
The Portuguese became a lingua franca all over and even today it is spoken by almost 300 million it is the 5th or 6th most widely spoken language, spanish the 3rd and english the 1st (all colonial languages). You can say that the language is the most visible face of that incredible feat but we should not forget that 500 years ago Portugal amassed an incredible wealth and was, in fact and by far the richest nation in Europe. We lost a lot to french pirates but we also expelled the jews who controlled a great deal of that money (thanks to the pope and the spainiards), they went to... the Netherlands, then to London and then to New York (incredibly it's the same families). Our rulers also spend like there was no tomorrow something that tends to repeat itself nowadays.

Anyway we did left a big footprint in the world. Where was your country back then?? Where is it going to be in the future? I ask this because history, as we all know, for better or for worst, sooner or later, tend to repeat itself.

[Damião de Góis]

Portuguese, who explored the South American 'Eldorado Myth' were hardened motherfuckers.
Also, the ones who entered Africa to capture slaves.

You got us confused with the spanish there. And slaves were bought/traded for the most part, that's why they call it "slave trade".

[Peyrol]

Its the Nordic spirit.
Don't you know?
Remember, who founded and explored America?
Remember the Vikings?
Plus, Germanics are not afraid to go out of line. They don't try to fit in. They go wherever their heart leads them.
Its more prevalent in Germanic men than women.

:confused::confused::confused:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerigo_Vespucci (Tuscan,...Where the word "America" comes from?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristopher_Columbus (Catalan-genovese, no explanation...)

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Caboto (Genovese, discoverer of Canada)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Beltrami (Lombard, First explorer of the Midwest, there is also a county in Minnesota with Giacomo's name)

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_da_Verrazzano (Tuscan, discoverer of New York Bay)

[MagnaLaurentia]

:confused::confused::confused:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerigo_Vespucci (Tuscan,...Where the word "America" comes from?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristopher_Columbus (Catalan-genovese, no explanation...)

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Caboto (Genovese, discoverer of Canada)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Beltrami (Lombard, First explorer of the Midwest, there is also a county in Minnesota with Giacomo's name)

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_da_Verrazzano (Tuscan, discoverer of New York Bay)

The French coureurs des bois were there before. Daniel Greysolon sieur du Lhut, Louis Hennepin and Joseph Nicollet drawn maps of the place. Cavelier de la Salle was also in Dakota.

The French discovered the north (Canada, the Great Lake, the Mississippi River...) and the American Midwest (Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri...). The Spaniards discovered the South (Florida, Texas...) and south west (Mexico, California). The English have stayed in along the east coast in their 13 colonies... So yep, voilà, the "adventurous spirit" of the English-American peoples.

[beaver]

Greatist schools in mountaineering are French, Austrian, North Italian, English but now Russians are on the top in the Himalayas.

[Catrau]

The first Europeans to set foot in Canada were the Vikings under Leif Eriksson’s command in 1001. We have reasons to suspect that circa 1471 a Portuguese-Danish joint venture went there in the search of cod fish but it isn't sure that the territory found in that expedition was Terra Nova. In 1501 the Portuguese already had mapped the coast of Terra Nova (Newfoundland) and Labrador by João Lavrador. Two years later the Corte-Real brothers had Explored the entire territory and claimed it to the king of Portugal. All this later events happened some 100 years before of any real British interest in those territories let alone french. It isn’t proved that John Cabot ever went there in the early XVIth century.

Terra Nova and Labrador mapping by João Lavrador in 1501.

http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w420/1Catrau/terranova.jpg

In red: "Lands of the king of Portugal", sorrounded by portuguese flags.

http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w420/1Catrau/1245-48_1383-85.jpg

[Anusiya]

I don't want to disappoint you or state that colonialism was the best thing that ever happened to mankind

All these are but small attempts to globalise and make life better for everyone. I am sure after several failed attempts, we will ultimately get it right. It can only take us that far. What would the ancient Greeks be, had they not built their first ships and explore the surrounding world? Nothing. Cavemen.

[Schneider]

The Asian's were on the American continent long before any European "Discovered it".

[Catrau]

The Asian's were on the American continent long before any European "Discovered it".

Yes, some 50000 years ago but in that instance they came directly from Africa, the same migration that took man to Australia. Maybe you are talking about the 10000 years ago migration coming from central Asia (northern Iran)? Both migrations crossed the Behring straits. Under that approach we had been everywhere before but by foot, not crossing the oceans in vessels.

[Catrau]

Why do Germans and Austrians enjoy high-risk sports?


WTF???


http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w420/1Catrau/Jump.jpg

[Jackson]

Probably because low risk sports are boring.

High risk sports, even those of moderate risk (ie common injury but rarely death) such as motocross, rally, skateboard, BMX, inline skating etc are more exciting because there is a real danger involved, although with moderate risk sports like those mentioned it is usually a minor or moderate danger, with things like skydiving or base-jumping the danger is much more deadly, but i imagine the rush and addiction to it is also much stronger.

I don't know why it would be more common in Germans and Austrians, if it is? Product of upbringing perhaps.

[le penalty]

Simply because they have the money and the geography to make these sports !