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John Russell

John Russell's sports column appears Sundays in Steamboat Today. Contact him at 871-4209 or e-mail jrussell@SteamboatToday.com.

Steamboat Springs — I've met more than a few radical people in my life. Guys who drove hundreds of miles to jump on the back of a bull, people who have scaled the face of Everest and a few who have thrown themselves out of perfectly good airplanes.

But lately, I've started to wonder what it will take for the next generation of "extreme" athletes to gain our attention.

Sure, today's daredevils grab our attention for a few moments, thanks to YouTube and media coverage. But once someone's spotlight fades, you can bet there will be another athlete right behind him or her, ready to do something even crazier for a camera.

The ideas demonstrated by today's extreme athletes continue to push the limits of sanity. The problem is, the extreme curve constantly is being pushed, and in most cases, it ends with a shocking headline on a story nobody really wants to read.

Take the exploits of kayaker Tyler Bradt, which were documented in the June/July edition of National Geographic's Adventure magazine.

Bradt was written up after he attempted, and I'm glad to say survived, a 186-foot descent over the cascading water of the Palouse Falls in Washington in April.

The 22-year-old set a new record in breaking the previous mark of 127 feet, which had been set in Brazil a few weeks before Bradt's attempt.

Anyway, I guess breaking the 180-foot mark is some kind of monumental feat in the world of kayaking. Kind of like Lindbergh flying solo over the Atlantic Ocean - stop the presses.

Bradt was the first, but my guess is there will be plenty of paddlers willing to follow his historic feat for 15 seconds of fame.

In his defense, Bradt apparently thought about his fall before pushing off the shore into the water. He visited Palouse State Park and scouted his planned descent. He practiced by paddling over a number of 70- to 80-foot falls before taking the plunge. Let's hope the next guy goes to the same trouble.

My guess is that Bradt will become a legend among paddlers. He'll be the type of guy who will inspire young athletes who enjoy playing in the whitewater and paddling in some of this country's most breathtaking rivers.

It's hard not to be impressed with what Bradt did in a boat, and given the opportunity, I might have packed my camera bag and photographed the event. But I have to stop and wonder: Would I be as impressed if this young paddler had not been successful? Would I have the same feelings if Bradt had been seriously injured?

In today's world, there seems to be a new generation of adventure-seekers willing to push the limits in all kinds of extreme sports.

Success brings fame and attention from a world hungry for adventure. Failure, on the other hand, brings questions and makes us wonder why anyone would risk their lives for 15 seconds in the headlines.