Popping the Bubble: Extreme Sports Edition

So you may have thought that competing with your classmates for those prized A's was an extreme sport, but here's a secret: while that may be a sport, it's just not really extreme.If it's extreme you're looking for, Princeton and the surrounding towns have a surprising amount of it. Sure, Mercer may seem like a county without its fair share of risk and adventure, but look just 10 or 15 minutes off campus and you'll find all of the risk and daredevil-ishness a Princeton student could possibly want (although maybe that's not saying much for most of us).Don't believe it? Check out Mercer County Park for a start. Covering over 2500 acres in Hamilton, West Windsor, and Lawrence. The park has some of the best mountain biking trails in New Jersey, and New Jersey-ites flock from all corners of the state. But beware: skill level for some of the events is categorized "Weekend Warriors" and a biker's review cautioned fellow bikers to stay away from "gnarly" areas of erosion. This isn't your leisurely bike ride down to the E-Quad.Or, we can kick it up a notch. How about some white-water rafting on the Delaware River? You can hop on the river in Trenton at Scudder's Falls. For tips, check this out:(video source: www.youtube.com)And if that still isn't enough of a rush, there's always skydiving. The Skydiving Trenton website assures clients that they'll be "in the best hands available." (Something about that isn't totally reassuring...) The company offers accompanied sky diving experiences and skydiving certification classes. Just think - your hands, too, may become the best hands available. If you'd rather travel a little further, there's another skydiving agency based in Williamstown. But I wouldn't if I were you.Now back to my extreme sport of the moment: midterm studying. Safe travels, weekend warriors!