The 50 Gnarliest Pictures in Sports
Picture a chilly late afternoon on the slopes, snowflakes fluttering and birds sporadically chirping. As you cruise through the snowy serenity at intense speeds and prepare to launch off the upcoming ramp into the abyss, only one thing runs through your mind. Extreme.
But you've been down this road before, and you're set to surpass radical and go far beyond any insane trick performed in the past. Extreme doesn't quite cut it. No, you're headed for the pinnacle of greatness. We like to call it gnarliness.
Ok so perhaps the term gnarliness has yet to reach an actual dictionary, but you get the point.
We're set to look at the 50 gnarliest pictures of athletes truly defying gravity and eclipsing extreme.
Blonde manes and rebellious verbs like "frothing" and "bro-ing out" aren't required in gnarlyville.
But some epic tunes are.
50. Human Art of Flying
1 of 50So maybe Red Bull doesn't give you wings, but it certainly gives you courage.
49. Tundrous Surroundings
2 of 50It's clear at this point he's frozen in time...call for backup.
48. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
3 of 50Bro, you forgot your break pads.
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47. The Rooney Tunes
4 of 50The stunning bicycle kick perfected by Wayne Rooney himself. He will not be stopped.
46. Free Fallin'
5 of 50Enjoying the intricate architecture one backflip at a time.
45. Deep Green Sea
6 of 50Jaws finally shares his side of the story.
44. Trampling the Competition
7 of 50Just another day at the office for this bull rider. We expect he's got a dentist appointment.
43. Trailing Greatness
8 of 50Forked between immortality and failure. An epic moment captured.
42. Testing the Wind
9 of 50For that one moment, he felt on top of the world.
And then came the epic splash.
41. Preparing for Battle
10 of 50Just offering his competitors a path to follow.
40. Flipping and Dipping
11 of 50A new and possibly more effective form of warfare.
39. Old School Rugby
12 of 50Pig-bladder perfection circa 1925.
Synthetic rubber has taken over today's rugby balls.
38. A Glorious Ending
13 of 50As the dirt scampers away and the muddy terrain braces for impact, one driver remains focused on the finish line.
37. Boarding the Wake
14 of 50Solid form, 10s all around.
36. Shiny Descent
15 of 50A slim reflection makes the shaving of the mountain seem almost natural.
35. The Speed of Soccer
16 of 50Seems like the workings of an epic victory dance.
34. Dabbling in Greatness
17 of 50When he kiteboards, the wind is always at his back.
He is the most interesting man in the world.
33. The Beauty of Basketball
18 of 50Who knew flagrant fouls could be so epic?
32. In-Flight Amenities
19 of 50That's certainly another way to travel.
31. The Bengal Leap
20 of 50As Jerome Simpson defied gravity, we quickly reached for the replay button.
30. A Carolina Delicacy
21 of 50Footlong club with lettuce, tomato, onions, swiss and Titan. Please and thank you.
29. Living on a Prayer
22 of 50Almost there, just a mile to go.
28. Eclipsing the Norm
23 of 50OK, let's see. Picked up the dry cleaning? Check. Went grocery shopping? Check. Do a triple backflip and land 125 feet from the takeoff ramp? Check.
26. A Brazilian Bike Ride
25 of 50Pele's unforgettable prowess is far from old news.
25. Taking a Second Look
26 of 50More vibrant than most color-filled photographs. Embrace the violent subtlety.
24. Sky Is the Ceiling
27 of 50Look Ma, no hands.
23. Death Race
28 of 50Cell phone and wallet? Check. iPod? Check. Parachute? Uh oh.
22. MJ's Gift
29 of 50Few possessed vision comparable to the man known simply as Air Jordan.
21. Soaring Towards Insanity
30 of 50Just a man and his skis. That's all.
20. Changing Atmospheres
31 of 50Each daredevil can feel the skin escaping their face, flopping for freedom.
19. Calming the Wilderness
32 of 50Drugs for the eyeballs.
18. Scratching the Surface
33 of 50This sandboarding phenomenon continues to intrigue us in the sandless crevices of the world.
17. The Ultimate Proposal
34 of 50On second thought, the scripted snow reads madness.
16. For the Love of Fire
35 of 50If only his girlfriend didn't live directly across the treacherous volcano down the block, this would be so much easier.
15. Jumping for Joy
36 of 50Easily the most stunning tour this guy's ever been on.
14. Newton's Law
37 of 50Gymnastics off a speeding plane. We can only hope the Olympic committee is making some phone calls right about now.
13. The Man, the Legend, the Ichiro
38 of 50Willie Mays would applaud this performance.
11. The Black and White Phenomenon
40 of 50Ok Jim, let's try that one more time. But with a smile please.
10. Becoming One with Nature
41 of 50He seems to be enjoying himself.
9. A Walk on the Wild Side
42 of 50Walking on water is so last year.
8. Reaching the Pinnacle
43 of 50Laughing down on all those who doubted him. Inches away from the clouds.
7. Music Makes You Luge Control
44 of 50Beautiful and chaotic, very reflective of postmodern athletics.
6. A Day in the Life
45 of 50Mixing calm serenity with natural greatness produces perfection. Nicely done.
5. Slicing and Dicing
46 of 50Those waves never had a chance.
4. The Art of Free Running
47 of 50Seagulls can fly, sure, but humans can parkour. Take that!
3. Luging a Grip
48 of 50Thankfully Junior got a ride to school today. A calm, whining-free luge ride to the office.
2. Dr. Seuss' Dream
49 of 50Maybe if the Grinch traveled to Whoville, he'd have been a legend.
1. City of Sandy
50 of 50Just a casual ride to the supermarket across treacherous dunes and salty pastures.
Carrying the groceries back should be interesting.
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