Fill your need for an adrenaline rush as The Signal editor Ashley Smith explores extreme activities to do around Houston during Spring Break.

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Matt Candelaria

The Signal

With spring break right around the corner, most students are already excited and ready to blow off some stress. The everyday routine of college momentarily comes to a pause for a week and gives students some free time to get out and have some fun.

Instead of going to a bar, heading to the beach or staying at home and watching a movie, go out and have some adventure. Do something that can be a highlight of a lifetime.

Tired of getting tickets, but have that extreme need for speed? Luckily, Grandsport Speedway in Hitchcock is the place to put the brakes on the tickets, and put the peddle to the metal.

Racing Adventures, held at the speedway, offers a speed track where anyone can take his or her car and really test its engine. They also offer two cars for racetrack driving.

First, weighing in at 3,000 pounds is the corvette. This vehicle holds a V-8 engine to deliver the type of power that can make anyone smile. Also, there is a Cobra Repliracer. This open top car can go 0-60 in 4.2 seconds. Continue Reading

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Jessica O’Rear

The Signal

At 14,000 feet in the air, Diana Cotter stepped out of the door of a small airplane and descended toward land. The free fall lasted for about 30 seconds at a speed of 120 mph. In a short period of time, Cotter fell from 14,000 feet to 7,000 feet. At 6,000 feet Cotter deployed her parachute and, after a few minutes of floating in the sky, arrived safely on the ground.

“I remember that after I landed, I was the happiest person on earth,” Cotter said. “Skydiving was one of the most exciting and intense experiences that I’ve encountered.”

Cotter, a 23-year-old communication major, is a self-proclaimed “outdoor girl” who enjoys exciting and intense activities. After moving from Houston to Mexico as a child, Cotter found she liked trying new experiences.

“The exposure to new people, culture and language was crucial for my interest for adventure,” Cotter said. “Since I was a little girl, I have always felt the need for adventure.”

One of Cotter’s earliest outdoor activities occurred at a summer camp where she learned how to put together a tent. Cotter fell in love with the outdoors. Since then, she has tried many outdoor sports including skiing, skydiving, kayaking, rafting, snorkeling and playing paintball.

“I performed many activities that made me feel passionate for adventure,” Cotter said. “Cliff diving was one of the first activities that made me feel an adrenaline rush. We had to climb to the top of the cliff, probably 20-feet high, and when we got to the upper part I looked down and saw excitement.” Continue Reading

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