Extreme kayakers tackle 300ft reservoir in Wales

Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents would warn you not to go down to the reservoir? It's not that the reservoir wasn't fun - it was just, you know, a little dangerous for kids. It was really steep, there was unsupervised water where you could drown and there were always those unruly punks who would vandalize the walls with graffiti and other nonsense.

I don't think the kids in Wales, site of the Llyn Brianne dam, learned their lesson about reservoirs. As the BBC points out, it seems that the dam makes for a mighty tempting joyride during rainy season, when the spillway turns into a rushing torrent of water that drops hundreds of feet to a river below. As you can see in the video, several professional kayakers have recently attempted it, shooting down the 300 foot concrete flume at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.

In case you are missing the gene for common sense, this is highly dangerous. In fact Welsh Water, who owns the dam, has condemned the practice as highly illegal. But still, you've got to admit, it looks like quite a thrill. Just don't come running to me when you crack your head open kayaking the reservoir...