Who wants trees for shade, when you can use them as a means for transportation down a steep slope with all of your risk taking friends??

During the Onbashira festival that occurs every six years in Japan, they do just that—and have been for the last 1,200 years. 

The logs are chosen from fir trees, which are felled and dragged by hand to their destination. When a slope is reached, local men hop aboard and careen to the bottom to test their bravery. The process is as dangerous as it sounds, with people regularly being injured and killed. Despite this, it’s incredibly popular, attracting over half a million attendees. The dramatic hill riding is just one part of the several-month process of moving the logs, which is filled with numerous festivities.

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