Monday 4 December 2017
Thrill-seeking Brits cling to their daredevil attitudes until the age 34, when the idea of risking it all loses its appeal, a new study to launch Dave's new series Ross Noble: Off Road has revealed.
The new research into extreme activities has uncovered how far we Brits are willing to push themselves for a rush of danger, and when the urge to take physical risks begins to ebb away as they approach their forties.
Off the 2,000 people surveyed, 28 per cent believe the thrill-seeking side of their personality has yet to be tamed by the march of time.
And a bolshy one in ten believe they have become more daring as the years have ticked on.
A more reserved two in five think their taste for adventure has mellowed over time, and 44 per cent believe they were more happily reckless when they were kids, willing to seek out their own dangerous thrills.
Luke Hales, Dave general manager, said:
We've loved watching Ross put himself through physical and mental anguish for Off Road. The survey shows that nearly a third of Brits still crave the rush of adrenaline that extreme activities provide, and that there's no reason to slow down.
Watching Ross take on one of the toughest challenges motorbiking has to offer is an aspirational - and often hilarious - show. He took it extremely seriously, even taking his coach on tour with him. I hope it is more entertaining for Dave viewers to watch than it was for Ross to experience!
The 3-part-series, which airs from Wednesday 7th December on Dave, sees comedian and famed bike lover Ross Noble take on the epic Scottish Six Days Trial, a legendary challenge where the best motorbike riders in the world come together to race a hundred miles each day in a true test of stamina.
Of those who feel they have lost their youthful lust for life, one in two said they have become more aware of their physical fragility as time has worn on, and over a third thought taking risks simply stopped appealing to them as much as it used to.
And three in ten found the idea of taking part in an extreme activity a more frightening prospect with every passing year.
Men are more likely to indulge their daredevil side than women, and women are more likely to avoid extreme activities all together.
Men are also almost twice as likely as women to have already suffered an injury due to taking part in an extreme sport.
Despite the possible danger, one in six Brits has tried their hand at skiing, and a fifth have chalked up their palms to go rock climbing at some stage in their lives.
A third have taken the wheel of a Go-Kart and one in five have hurled themselves down a woody trail on a mountain bike.
One in seven have tried kayaking and one in six have embraced their inner Tony Hawk and tried a trick on a skateboard.
Given the chance to indulge in some adrenaline-pumping activities, scuba diving is the risky sport which most appealed to thrill-seeking Brits, followed by Go-Karting and sky diving.
Free climbing - which involves scaling a rock face without the use of supporting ropes - was rightly considered the most dangerous extreme activity in the study.
Cliff jumping and base jumping continued the theme of risking it all at great heights to round out the top three most dangerous sports.
Windsurfing, snowboarding and BMXing meanwhile are considered to be on the safer side of the extreme activity spectrum.
When asked to describe the emotions they feel when participating in a risky sport or activity, a fifth admitted to experiencing fear, though two thirds agreed the rush of adrenaline was the overriding feeling of the experience.
And one in five of those surveyed by OnePoll said taking part in an extreme activity gave them a feeling of happy glow afterwards.
MOST POPULAR RISKY SPORTS
- Scuba Diving
- Skiing
- Go-Karting
- Sky Diving
- Jet Skiing
- Surfing
- White Water Rafting
- Kayaking
- Snowboarding
- Hang Gliding
- Mountain Biking
- Rock Climbing
- Snowmobiling
- Waterskiing
- Windsurfing
- Bungee Jumping
- Motocross
- Cliff Jumping
- Free Climbing
- Wing Suiting
- BMX
- Skateboarding
- Base Jumping
- Parkour
- Aggressive Inline Skating
MOST DANGEROUS RISKY SPORTS
- Free Climbing
- Cliff Jumping
- Base Jumping
- Bungee Jumping
- Rock Climbing
- Sky Diving
- Wing Suiting
- White Water Rafting
- Motocross
- Parkour
- Hang Gliding
- Aggressive Inline Skating
- Scuba Diving
- Mountain Biking
- Skiing
- Go-Karting
- Jet Skiing
- Surfing
- Waterskiing
- Kayaking
- Snowmobiling
- Skateboarding
- BMX
- Snowboarding
- Windsurfing
Ross Noble: Off Road starts exclusively on Dave, 8pm Thursday 7th December and is available to catch up on UKTV Play.
@Davechannel #OffRoad
Notes to Editors
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About Ross Noble: Off Road
Ross Noble: Off Road (3x60') sees bike lover Noble return to Dave following his acclaimed series Ross Noble Freewheeling. This time a camera crew follows Noble as he takes part in the Scottish Six Days Trial, a legendary challenge where the best motorbike riders in the world come together to race a hundred miles each day in a true test of stamina, ability and willpower. It's a race that's defeated countless seasoned professionals who've been riding all their life, and certainly isn't for the faint-hearted - or foolhardy comedians. Training during every second of spare time and helped along the way by his coach James Burroughs, can Noble conquer one of the toughest sporting challenges known to man?
Ross Noble: Off Road is produced by Oscar and Emmy-winning Grain Media (The White Helmets, Virunga) and directed by Jon Drever.
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