Asked if he’s afraid of heights, David Ghysels simply smiles and says “Of course not.” The creative Belgian came up with the bold idea of attaching a dinner platform to a crane and hoisting it 50 meters into the air. Up to 22 adventurous diners are seated around a table with their feet resting on a platform. Everybody’s strapped into their chairs wearing four-point seat belts. “There’s practically no risk,” explains Ghysels. He and his team can transport their dinner crane to any place, as long as there is a 500-square-meter area to set it down. Once up in the sky, the chef prepares the dinner, while the fearless waiters serve drinks. “Dinner in the Sky” has been ranked by Forbes as one of the world’s top 10 most unusual restaurants.

Bravery is in a smokejumper’s job description. Sent to the remotest areas of the country by the Forest Service, they parachute from 460 meters right into the dangerous fire area. Jennifer Martynuik and Jessie Thomas have done it many times. Of the few female smokejumpers in the US, two are based in Missoula, Montana. They have fought literally hundreds of fires, equipped only with fireproof clothes, tools and pumps – and courage. The risk is high, but worth it, says Jennifer. Is she afraid? “Yes, but I have learned to deal with fear and nervousness in a positive effort, such as focusing attention on the task ahead,” she says. And she relies on past experience. “Both success and failures give guidance.” Jennifer loves being out in nature and doing her best to save it.

As a young man, Mario Luraschi would don his armor, mount his horse and ride into battle. Now, an older, wiser veteran, he is content to let younger professionals experience the thrills and spills of professional stunt work. Speaking at Germany’s Kaltenberg Ritterturnier, as a group of weapon-wielding knights trot past, the 61-year-old says, “At my age I no longer ride in the rough sequences. The youngsters should do it.” Risk is a constant when working as a stuntman, but training and preparation are the best ways to prevent injuries. Plus a good horse. I am a nobody,” says the winner of the 2002 World Stunt Award. “The horse has put me in this good position. The crowd cheers me because of my horse.”

Published by PROJECT M in December 2008