只有CEO才玩得起的奢侈運動

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.

上週，許多人非常驚訝地獲悉，艾倫•尤斯塔斯無畏地從平流層上一躍而下，成功超越了奧地利跳傘運動員菲利克斯•鮑姆加特納創造的高空跳傘世界紀錄。

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.

更讓人驚訝的是，從超過25英里（約合40,234米）高的熱氣球上跳下，下落速度超過800英里（約合1,287千米）每小時的尤斯塔斯，並不是你想象中的四肢發達，頭腦簡單。現年57歲的他是一位計算機科學家，碰巧也是谷歌公司（Google）工程與研究事務高級副總裁。

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.)

尤斯塔斯比鮑姆加特納年長十多歲。他從日常工作中抽出時間，挑戰一項如此驚心動魄的壯舉，這的確令人驚歎。當然，在我們看來，尤斯塔斯的這個業餘愛好可不便宜。沒有人透露尤斯塔斯爲這次跳傘花了多少錢，實際上，他與一個由科學家和工程師組成的團隊爲這次行動做了好幾年的準備，還可能得到了一些外來的贊助。畢竟，尤斯塔斯需要一套配有維生系統的特製宇航服，還有特製降落傘和氦氣球。【據說鮑姆加特納在氣球上就花了7萬美元，儘管他的跳傘得到了紅牛公司（Red Bull）的贊助。】

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.

換句話說，這種運動只有身價不菲的高管才負擔得起（或者就像鮑姆加特納這樣，某位由公司贊助的勇敢者）。接下來我們看看只有有錢人才玩得起的其他五項昂貴的體育運動，以及都有哪些高管喜歡這些運動。

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.

滑雪已經成爲一項富人的運動，因爲滑雪裝備和吊椅都要花很大一筆錢。再加上直升機就顯得更加奢侈了（只要有直升機出現，那絕對夠奢侈）。儘管直升機滑雪需要一天的路途奔波，花費達到每人約1,000美元，但這項運動卻日漸流行。直升機滑雪的理念相對簡單：讓直升機載你飛到一片人跡罕至的山區，在那兒你可以踏着新雪來幾次超級昂貴的滑行。俄羅斯億萬富翁，布魯克林籃網隊（Brooklyn Nets）老闆米哈伊爾•普羅霍洛夫，以及特立獨行的億萬富翁，維珍集團（Virgin Group）創始人理查德•布蘭森，都對這項運動情有獨鍾。

Actually, speaking of Sir Richard . . .

實際上，說起理查德爵士……