HELENA — Have you ever wondered what it takes to surf the biggest waves, climb rock walls or free fall through the air? ExplorationWorks’ latest exhibit allows visitors to do just that as "Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits" debuted Saturday.

Jonny Walker reports (and demonstrates):

“You have to sit down for this because you get the feeling that you’re moving and you’re flying down a mountain,” said director of exhibits Matt Jetty while demonstrating its virtual reality component. “So that’s one of the fun things here.”

Jetty has been ExplorationWorks’ director of exhibits for the past seven years — and he was kind enough to show MTN Sports around the Extreme Sports exhibit.

The exhibit’s interactive attractions include, but are not limited to:

• A slackline meant to imitate the feeling tightrope walking 
• A virtual reality station that allows visitors to experience downhill skiing and cycling 
• Two balance boards meant to imitate the feeling of paddle boarding 
• Multiple video screens playing video interviews with extreme sports athletes  

“It’s a fun exhibit where you get to try out things you’ve never tried before,” said Jetty. “So, I see people enjoying it because it’s something new. There’s an adventure part of it, too, that’s a little more exciting than maybe science of molecules. It’s action and adventure.”
And Jetty said it’s the smile on visitors’ faces that makes his job worth it.

“It’s the best part is watching kids play with this,” said Jetty. “And just watching grandparents play with it, too, is also really fun to see. The family interaction, I think, is the best part of Exploration works.”

"Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits" will run through the summer.

ExplorationWorks is at 995 Carousel Way; click here to visit the website.