Jump! Jump!

I am the very definition of a couch potato.  I am the person for whom the 24-hour news cycle was invented because I have a superhuman tolerance for bad tv.  So last night I was elbow-deep in a bag of pretzels, watching Netflix, when I stumbled upon the Red Bull Illume Photography Contest.  The contest recognizes the best in action photography every 3 years, (but does not, as I understand it, include extreme web surfing – a sport in which I would gold medal).  Later this week it will be announcing its top 50 finalists in Hong Kong. 

As I clicked through some of the images, shamefully aware of the pretzel dust on my sleeve, I got to thinking how fearless these athletes are, and it inspired me.  I’ve been contemplating some big changes lately, and – though it isn’t exactly canyon jumping – I’m still sitting on the couch, jittery and scared.  These photos reminded me that sometimes…you just have to jump.

In the immortal words of Kris Kross: The Mac Dad will make ya jump jump.

Check out more photos here!

*Photos via Elias Kunosson, Dimitrios Kontizas, Martin Lugger, Sebastien Boue, Jussi Grznar, R. Tyler Gross, Dave Trumpore, Nicolas Jutzi, George Karbus*