Going to the extreme

There are days we feel that our lives have become routine, as in stale. A change becomes a good escape.
Even if one is tied up with work, there’s still a chance for that breather.

A few weeks ago, I went to the Rexona for Men’s new campaign. It’s about guys trying something different or "doing the extreme." As it turned out, I got a very early taste of the "extreme." I woke up after the rendezvous time with the press group. If you don’t call this "extreme" – taking a shower and dressing up under five minutes, I don’t know what is.

I made it. (The feeling of doing the South Super Highway with no traffic when you’re in a rush is almost like winning in a raffle). Before we knew it we were on our way to Clark, Pampanga. When we reached Clark we saw this huge tower-like structure, with a scaffolding about 16 stories high. It was entirely made to showcase some extreme stunts Rexona for Men wanted to let ordinary guys try. There was the "drop down" (what Tom Cruise did in Mission Impossible), the Zip (where a person is attached to a cable and slides down from one point to another covering a huge distance), the Vertical Run (face-down rappel) and Crazy Climb (what Spider-Man usually does).

I thought we were there just to watch the stuntmen. But after waking up so early and traveling so far, it would be pointless to sit there and watch these guys have all the fun. So after the stuntmen gave the go signal, we were given the liberty to be the guinea pigs and try the stunts.

The only stunt which was available for us to try was "the zip." For us to zip, we had to climb to the top of the huge 16-story-high steel scaffolding. Lucky are the consumers when they get to try the stunts in the malls; the scaffoldings do not go that high. So we were definitely the guinea pigs, but excited ones, I might add. I’m not really fond of heights but if there are things I believe I should try once in my life, this is one of them. Given the complexity of the stunts and the enormity of the structure, I can only imagine how much money I would have to fork out if I were to pay.

Once the safety gears were firmly attached we were all set for that tedious climb. The climb to the top was no joke though; it’s one of those moments where I was not sure what I got myself into but I still went ahead with it.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. Sure there was a safety rope attached if I slipped, but there was the chill creeping behind my neck. After a few deep breaths and a few pauses (because the guy ahead of me had to catch his breath out of exhaustion) we finally reached the top, a bit windy but the view was nice, I just made sure not to look down. I was a bit sweaty and my hands were full of funky stuff because of the steel bars but I didn’t mind. It was part of the whole "get dirty and extreme" feel. I still couldn’t believe what I was doing– "Better to get this over with," I told myself.

Finally, it was my turn to zip. Still my hands wouldn’t let go of the bars, at that moment it was one of those instances when my mind was completely blank either because of excitement or sheer terror. Add to that, my face was as pale as this newsprint. It may not be a near-death experience just yet, but I couldn’t help but think that if something went wrong, I could have been a goner. Seconds from zipping, they told me that I’d be in a sitting position, by now I was suspended 16 stories up in the air, and still as pale as ever. By this time my right hand wouldn’t let go of the bar, but the stuntmen said to let go. At this moment I just had to literally leave my life in their hands. After three counts they let go of the rope and I was flying or should I say zipping across a wide open field.

While I was going down, the adrenalin rush was inexplicable. It could be numbing, and in my case "colorful" words were coming out without me really knowing what I was saying. The ride ended as quickly as it started.

I felt a bit awkward especially when I landed among the stuntmen, because I must have looked like a loony going down that darn rope. (Now you know why you will not see any pictures of me zipping to go with this piece.)

At the end it felt good, a nice conversation piece with friends. But if you ask me, it’s one of those "you-did-it-once- in-your-life moments," for I have no intentions of doing it again anytime soon.

So what’s the moral of this story? None really. But seriously speaking, we need an escape from conformity from time to time, a moment to let go of all inhibitions. Try it, even just for kicks, for it may be the break you need.

You can try the unknown, live dangerously – even for only a split second in your life.

In short, you can go extreme.

Keep posted regarding Rexona for Men’s mall tours for people who want to try some extreme stunts. Lucky buyers can even win a motorcross bike, a monster truck or a helicopter ride.

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E-mail the author at ketsupluis@yahoo.com.