When you grow up in a small town in the north woods, you have to make your own excitement. High spirits, idiocy, and showing off for the girls inspire Gary Paulsen and his friends to attempt: Shooting waterfalls in a barrel The first skateboarding Jumping three barrels like motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel-except they only have bikes Hangliding with an Army surplus target kite Bungee jumping Wrestling . . . a bear?

Extreme sports lead to extreme fun in new tales from Gary's boyhood. !

Gary Paulsen grew up in the Philippines and has worked as a sailor, archer, trapper, singer, actor and carnival worker, amongst others. He is the author of many critically acclaimed books for young people, and has won the prestigious Newbery Honor Award three times, for his books The Winter Room, Hatchet and Dogsong. He lives in New Mexico and on a boat in the Pacific, with his wife, the painter Ruth Wright Paulsen.

Gary Paulsen's hilarious recollections of the terrifying stunts of his childhood friends in 1950s America - the original extreme sports!