Mancations - Stunt driving

The classic Boys’ Weekend Away is a near-sacred tradition. Often difficult to negotiate with partners and loved ones, they are hard earned and come at a high cost – in brownie points at the very least. Here then is a little Mancation inspiration: the best of the best of boys’ weekends in Australia. So unwind, enjoy, and remember . . . it’s all in the name of manly fun. Words by AT Staff, edited by Craig Roberts

Deep down underneath all our manners and beneath our suits and uniforms lies a thrill-seeking inner petrol-head with an appetite for sliding around chicanes and slicing in between traffic without so much as scratching a single fleck of paint off the chassis. Becoming a stunt driver, or at least attempting to, is something seemingly attempted by most men in their youth. Just look at our papers today; they’re filled with street racers having their Imprezas hauled away by cops. But why should Generation Y have all the fun?

Now, imagine speeding around a track on two wheels through a gap with less space than a customer service employee in their cubicle in Bangladesh. Better yet, how about being able to show off a flawless J Turn (reversing a car at full speed, spinning 180° and zooming off without losing momentum), or a 90° handbrake car park? And it doesn’t end there: you can learn all the skills employed in movies – barrel turns, 360° spins, wet weather driving, ramp jumping and all the basic flicks and corner slides.

The defensive driving skills picked up will actually make you a better driver – not just a flashier one.

Annette Van Moorsel from the adventure-based booking engine Adrenalin says that when you’re out of control, you’re actually in control. Cryptic. But we think she means that when you’re spinning 180° and your heart is pounding a mile a minute, it’s a good thing. “It’s a lot of fun and it gives you the experience to know what to do if these situations do happen,” says Annette.

Not only is it something you’ll remember forever, but also the defensive driving skills picked up will actually make you a better driver – not just a flashier one. Give it a shot and become James Bond, even if only for a few hours.

Brag Factor // Being able to definitively prove, once and for all, that you are the best driver in the family.

Partner Pitch // “You know it’s what you’ve always wanted, baby: a real life James Bond that you can call your own.”

Details // Adrenalin features several stunt driving courses in various states (www.adrenalin.com.au, 1300 791 763). Godo has a wide selection, from short stunt driving courses to driving a Porsche 911 for a day, from $110 (1300 46 36 48, www.godo.com.au). Driver Dynamics offers short stunt driving courses in Melbourne and Sydney from $199 (www.driverdynamics.com, 1300 652 693).