????上周，許多人非常驚訝地獲悉，艾倫?尤斯塔斯無(wú)畏地從平流層上一躍而下，成功超越了奧地利跳傘運(yùn)動(dòng)員菲利克斯?鮑姆加特納創(chuàng)造的高空跳傘世界紀(jì)錄。

????更讓人驚訝的是，從超過(guò)25英里（約合40,234米）高的熱氣球上跳下，下落速度超過(guò)800英里（約合1,287千米）每小時(shí)的尤斯塔斯，并不是你想象中的四肢發(fā)達(dá)，頭腦簡(jiǎn)單。現(xiàn)年57歲的他是一位計(jì)算機(jī)科學(xué)家，碰巧也是谷歌公司（Google）工程與研究事務(wù)高級(jí)副總裁。

????尤斯塔斯比鮑姆加特納年長(zhǎng)十多歲。他從日常工作中抽出時(shí)間，挑戰(zhàn)一項(xiàng)如此驚心動(dòng)魄的壯舉，這的確令人驚嘆。當(dāng)然，在我們看來(lái)，尤斯塔斯的這個(gè)業(yè)余愛(ài)好可不便宜。沒(méi)有人透露尤斯塔斯為這次跳傘花了多少錢(qián)，實(shí)際上，他與一個(gè)由科學(xué)家和工程師組成的團(tuán)隊(duì)為這次行動(dòng)做了好幾年的準(zhǔn)備，還可能得到了一些外來(lái)的贊助。畢竟，尤斯塔斯需要一套配有維生系統(tǒng)的特制宇航服，還有特制降落傘和氦氣球。【據(jù)說(shuō)鮑姆加特納在氣球上就花了7萬(wàn)美元，盡管他的跳傘得到了紅牛公司（Red Bull）的贊助。】

????換句話說(shuō)，這種運(yùn)動(dòng)只有身價(jià)不菲的高管才負(fù)擔(dān)得起（或者就像鮑姆加特納這樣，某位由公司贊助的勇敢者）。接下來(lái)我們看看只有有錢(qián)人才玩得起的其他五項(xiàng)昂貴的體育運(yùn)動(dòng)，以及都有哪些高管喜歡這些運(yùn)動(dòng)。

????直升機(jī)滑雪

????Many people were surprised last week to learn that Alan Eustace had successfully outdone Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner by setting a new world record for high-altitude skydiving with his death-defying jump from the edge of the stratosphere.

????Even more surprising? Eustace, who leaped from a balloon more than 25 miles above the earth and fell at more than 800 miles per hour, isn’t your typical daredevil. In fact, he’s a 57-year old computer scientist who also happens to be Google’s senior vice president of knowledge.

????Kudos to Eustace –who is more than a decade Baumgartner’s senior – for taking some time off from his day job to tackle such a heart-racing feat. Of course, it occurred to us that Eustace’s side-project was probably a bit expensive, as far as hobbies go. No one has said how much the feat cost Eustace, who spent several years preparing with a small team of scientists and engineers and who very well could have received outside funding. After all, Eustace needed a specially-designed spacesuit with a life-support system as well as a special parachute and helium balloon. (Baumgartner’s balloon reportedly cost about $70,000, though his jump was sponsored by Red Bull.)

????In other words, it’s the kind of sport only a reasonably wealthy executive (or, in Baumgartner’s case, a corporate-sponsored daredevil) would likely take up. Here’s a look at a five other expensive sports for only the most affluent of athletes, and some of the top executives who love them.

????Heli-skiing

????滑雪已經(jīng)成為一項(xiàng)富人的運(yùn)動(dòng)，因?yàn)榛┭b備和吊椅都要花很大一筆錢(qián)。再加上直升機(jī)就顯得更加奢侈了（只要有直升機(jī)出現(xiàn)，那絕對(duì)夠奢侈）。盡管直升機(jī)滑雪需要一天的路途奔波，花費(fèi)達(dá)到每人約1,000美元，但這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)卻日漸流行。直升機(jī)滑雪的理念相對(duì)簡(jiǎn)單：讓直升機(jī)載你飛到一片人跡罕至的山區(qū)，在那兒你可以踏著新雪來(lái)幾次超級(jí)昂貴的滑行。俄羅斯億萬(wàn)富翁，布魯克林籃網(wǎng)隊(duì)（Brooklyn Nets）老板米哈伊爾?普羅霍洛夫，以及特立獨(dú)行的億萬(wàn)富翁，維珍集團(tuán)（Virgin Group）創(chuàng)始人理查德?布蘭森，都對(duì)這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)情有獨(dú)鐘。

????實(shí)際上，說(shuō)起理查德爵士……

????風(fēng)箏沖浪（以及理查德?布蘭森愛(ài)好的其它所有運(yùn)動(dòng)）

????Skiing is already a sport for the wealthy, what with the equipment and lift passes likely to run you a pretty penny. Tossing a helicopter into the mix just seems extravagant (it always does). But heli-skiing is gaining in popularity despite day-long excursions often costing around $1,000 per person. The idea is relatively simple: A chopper flies you to a not-so-accessible part of a mountain, where you're dropped onto some of the freshest snow imaginable for a few very pricey runs. Russian billionaire and Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov apparently enjoys the sport as does the original extreme billionaire, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.

????Actually, speaking of Sir Richard . . .

????Kite-surfing (and, pretty much every other Richard Branson hobby)