I recently got back from a trip to New Zealand to see the Louis Vuitton Cup racing (GO ORACLE!). I found that several times a day I was commenting "They would never let you do that in America". Does anyone else have a similar adventure? I just thought this would be a fun topic. For example: I sailed on NZL40 in winds gusting to 50kts, Went down a really steep hill in a Zorb (a giant plastic bubble), and jumped rapids in a jet boat. What a cool country! Photos will follow if I can get them to post. Anyone else have a story?

This is NZL40, used by the Kiwis in the last Americas Cup, the leward rail is underwater. There were only 4 crew aboard, two were bailing water. My friend Steve (in the red jacket) was grinding, so that he would have something to hang on to.

The guy who runs this jet boat gave my friend and I directions to his house, so I could ride all the way up the river with him to pick up the other passengers. My friend couldn't go because she is pregnant, so he gave her the key to his house so she could relax and wait for me. With just two of us in the boat, we did spinouts, and caught big air off the rapids before we picked up the other passengers. I'm in the back, in the red life jacket. What an E-Ticket Ride! Never in America...

I used to travel a lot internationally for work and frequently visited Germany. In Paderborn (and throughout Germany) there are go-cart rental tracks - some of which are capable of speeds of 50 to 60mph and could very easily be driven to fast into the corners. I saw several flips in the few times I raced. It is handled in much the same way you rent one of the 10mph carts here in the U.S....no training, pretty much 'gimme $5, here's your helmet, and GO!'. What really made it fun, depending on your perspective, was the fact that they served beer in the waiting line. I remember saying the same thing..."They would never let us do this back home!'

Blame the insurance industry and the lawyers that support them.

You almost got it right...
Blame it on the lawyers and the insurance industry that supports them.
The Bard had it right!

A few weeks ago I returned from an annual sojourn into remote sections of Grand Canyon National Park. With all due respect, I can honestly say that if I saw one of those jet boats blasting through the Colorado River rapids, it would be the last time I visited the park. (That is, until the campaign that I personally initiated saw to it that they were forever banned.)

Of course, if someone wants to accommodate the craft by building an artificial rapid in the middle of some strip mall parking lot (and serve beer to those waiting in line), have at it.