Once you and your jet propelled kayak have beaten Top Gear's Richard Hammond -- driving a seriously modified Range Rover, at that – well, what else is there to do? Fly that sucker off Niagara Falls, that's what. Not immediately, of course, there are plenty of details to work out before taking the 167-foot plunge. In the meantime, Shaun Baker will take his kayak and its propulsion system, a compact two-stroke engine and waterjet drive akin to that of a jet ski, and refine both his technique and equipment.

Rather than announce what waterfall he might careen from next, Baker is playing his cards close to the vest in an attempt to head off any potential access problems. The world record holder figures he's going to need some kind of aerofoil system to ensure stable flight on the way down from such heights, and landing without crushing his spinal column would be nice, too. Tuning the propulsion system to ensure the kayak escapes the pull of the waterfall's current cleanly is also necessary to try and avoid a watery death. Wonder what Hamster might try to ride over the falls? Top Gear's Icelandic Kayak vs. Tomcat 4x4 segment embedded after the jump.

[Source: The Sunday Times, Photo: Wired]