https://www.outsideonline.com/2158371/high-tech-race-deadly-adventure-sports-safe-everyone?

And skydiving isn’t the only high-risk pursuit that has undergone
a revolution in accessibility. Across the action sports industry, advancements
in technology are providing safer and easier entry into the zone than ever
before. Powder skiing, with its utterly magical sensation of floating down a
mountain, used to be the rarefied domain of top athletes. Today, extra-fat skis
make that float available to anyone who can link two turns together. Mountain
bikes, which once offered bone-rattling descents to all but the best riders, now
have supple front and rear suspensions, oversize balloon tires, and an ability
to roll over the most daunting terrain. Even kitesurfing — best known on the
Internet for its "kitemare" footage of people getting dragged by giant sails
across highways — has mellowed. Better safety gear lets newcomers find the balance
between wind and waves with a fraction of the exposure and learning time.

Thanks to Andrew Vanis.