Fearless On Your 30th | Most Manly 30th Birthday Ideas Possible

30th birthday ideasI’m coming up on my 30th birthday in January. My best friend’s big 30th birthday is next month. We’ve been talking about how to make it big and unforgettable, but we’ve been scratching our heads for huge, manly, 30th birthday ideas.

Parties are cool. Huge parties are great. I love feeling celebrated. But to me, that’s not original enough. And it’s not mantastic enough. I want something over-the-top, dangerous, and completely unique when it comes to manly 30th birthday ideas.

When people think of big birthday’s like their 30th, maybe they think about going skydiving or something like that. Perfect—but others have already been there and done that. I want something wholly original.

So please, help me out. There’s not much time. My best friend and I are talking about doing a combined killer, adventurish, manly, all-time great birthday extravaganza sometime between now and January. And I want your input. I’ve come up with some ideas below. But please, leave your wildest ideas in the comments below!

1. Go Alligator Wrestling

I’m serious. I am legitimately trying to find a place in Southern California where legit alligator wrestlers hang out. I just need to find out where it is, how much it costs to get trained, and if I can jump in with a small or medium sized gator immediately!

You should expect that if you don’t help me come up with a better 30th birthday idea, and I actually find a place where I can do this, you’ll see photos of it by January.

You’ve got to read what I wrote on how to beat these beasts and survive by clicking here How to Wrestle An Alligator.

2. Race a NASCAR on an official track

Probably my next, most accessible idea is simply paying to drive an expensive car on a legit race track. I just want to get up to 200 mph once in my life.

3. Go whale hunting. Or hunting some other dangerous animal for that matter.

A really pretty girl gave me this idea today. I promise, if you’re looking to strike up conversation that makes you sound like a man, tell a woman you need her help planning a birthday (ladies love planning parties). Then tell her it needs to be more manly, dangerous and original than skydiving or even alligator wrestling. It’s awesome.

Her very first idea to me simply was, “Whale hunting.” I’m thinking, “This can go places.”

Anyways, I don’t know how to sign up for something like bear, whale, or dinosaur hunting. As long as it’s not illegal, and its remains won’t be wasted, it sounds like a pretty awesome 30th birthday idea for men to me.

4. Learn a new, extreme skill and put it to use immediately.

My best buddy Brian and I were thinking it’d be great to learn something very intricate and stealthy and do it on our birthdays. The problem is we don’t have time to invest mastering a skill then putting it to work before the big THREE-ZERO. Help us out. Can you think of something that can be trained in a day, and immediately put to use?

5. Climb a treacherous mountain.

One does not simply climb into Mordor for your 30th Birthday…

30th birthday ideas

 

6. Appear on American Gladiators

30th birthday ideas

Risk your life for the prize.

This happened to wind up on my list of bucket list items you shouldn’t feel obligated to do. 12 Things A Man Doesn’t Have To Do Before He Dies.

7. Cattle driving, lassoing or subduing a wild animal.

This seems pretty accessible. Especially for someone (me) who lived in Texas for 8 years. Did you know that California (where I currently live) produces more agriculture than any other State in the Union? That’s right. California IS farmer country.

Anyways, if they did it on City Slickers, I need to. And this should be a rite of passage for my son.

Read on about Boys Becoming Men.

30th birthday ideas

 8. Take an amateur fight.

This might require training. Then again, if you feel scrappy and fit enough…nah probably not worth the risk of injury…oh wait. Yeah, I want to be a man and do something crazy for a 30th birthday idea. Sign me up Mick.

You’ve got to read my favorite guest post How To Win A Bar Fight from Steve Ramsbottom.

9. Train  for and dominate a food eating competition.

That beautiful woman I referred to earlier gave me this idea. It’s kind of strange that she would suggest I do this considering she’s a juicing machine die hard.

10. Fly in an F-15

Yeah, that’s right, a jet. John and I’s buddy, Jon @ Free Money Wisdom, told us he saw this very deal on Groupon just a few months ago! This may be the pinnacle of 30th birthday ideas.

Your Best Manly 30th Birthday Ideas Please

Now it’s time for you to help. I’ve been passing out the ideas here, now I need yours. Help me make my best friend and my’s big day great. What are your grand 30th birthday ideas?

Make sure to read my follow-up 30 Years and 30 Life Lessons by clicking here.

Comments

  1. I love the F-15 idea…I’m not sure about some of the others though. Frankly, alligator wrestling seems a little too dangerous for me. Maybe I’m just not manly enough. lol. What about camping in the rockies with nothing other than some clothes, a backpack, and some flint. Okay…maybe throw in a sleeping bag.

  2. #7 is my definite favorite. Since I didn’t do that for my 30th maybe I should get on it….

  3. The whale hunting chick is a keeper.

    Fix up an old car. You probably won’t be in mortal danger doing it, but man, popping a hood and fixing something like that up — definitely belongs on the list. Every man should be able to do it and have done it.

    • Todd Mayfield says

      That’s a really great manly goal…are you suggesting doing it for a 24 hr marathon trying to get as much of the job done in one day?

  4. Edward Antrobus says

    I didn’t do jack for my 30th. I started dreading it at 27, so by the time I actually hit 30, it was old news.

    • Todd Mayfield says

      I think at 28 I was really bummed about it. By 29 I accepted it. By January, I’ll embrace it. Also, I used to work with a ton of college-aged people, and that made me feel like I was Captain Hook in Neverland. Except I was getting older.

      Now I’m around people my age. And we’re not old. I think 30 year olds in Texas are come off as much older than 30 year olds in Cali.

  5. Manly doesn’t have to be extreme and life endangering…..but I guess that is what you think it means so here are my suggestions:

    – Run with the bulls in Spain
    – Hunt for big game (Elk, deer, bears, lions, etc) – skin and dress it yourself (also counts for manly skill learned and immediately used?)
    – Deep Sea fishing in general would count but only if you cook what you catch
    – Build something cool and useful – like a home for orphans or a log cabin
    – Cigars in Cuba
    – Something in Alaska – double whammy with dangerous animals and treacherous climate
    – Drink the water in Mexico and eat some street meat
    – Learn Lumberjack skills – nothing more manly than that, right 😉

  6. Todd,

    Along the lines of #7, I suggest riding a bull as a manly goal. I had a friend who did this one summer at a rodeo. He had absolutely no experience but when the organizers asked if anyone wanted to take a shot at riding a bull, he volunteered. I really thought he was going to wind up with several broken bones.

    What’s most interesting is that when they opened the gate (or shoot?) he slid off the bull and fell to the ground. The organizers didn’t think he’d had a fair chance to ride the bull, so they said he could do it again! Yikes. If it were me, I would have said “no way, I already survived this once, why tempt fate?” But, my friend got back in the shoot and climbed on a second time!

    I still shake my head that he got on again. But, he did survive with minimal collateral damage.

    • Todd Mayfield says

      That’s mind-blowing. Someone needs to give that man a prize! I would be afraid of destroying my spine. Pretty ballsy guy.

  7. Oh, F-15 hands down! Other than that I’d probably try sky diving (okay… I’m not really sure if I would myself but I’ll tell you to go ahead and go first, then let me know how it went – assuming you’re still alive). BTW, love the Ron Swanson cake photo!

    • Todd Mayfield says

      Haha thanks for noticing Mr. Swanson! Love Parks and Rec!

      I know, if that F-15 deal was still active I’d do it. But even on Groupon, it was $500! Worth it for a 30th birthday idea though!

  8. My wife just suggested that you go streaking at a public sporting event. #1, you’ll be naked in front of everybody. #2 You’re going to get tackled and handcuffed. #3 You’ll be standing there, awkwardly naked again and be spending a night in jail.

    • Todd Mayfield says

      Wow, that wraps up the three biggest things I wanted to experience, all in one night! Now, will this “crime” prevent me from employment in the future?

  9. Swim in the Devil’s Pool at the top of Victoria Falls! Google it — looks crazy awesome.

    • Todd Mayfield says

      Wow I just took a look–that’s absolute insanity! I literally couldn’t believe that it’s possible! Then I read about it, and it makes sense. But man, it would still take a lot of faith to get right up to that edge! Even if I believe in the physics of it, it would be hard not to bail out!

  10. Get your handgun license and go to a shooting range. Its a one day class.

  11. My husband is going to go skydiving. A friend of his did a paint-balling day with the guys. Another suggested bungee jumping but never actually did it.

  12. Not a birthday idea per se, but my buddy is getting married this summer and for his Bachelor party we are all flying out to a ranch in San Antonio Texas and going wild boar hunting for the weekend. Not with guns, but with hunting dogs and a long hunting knife. I really can’t think of many things more manly.

    We also get to stay in the bush camp while we are hunting. Excuse me while I go sharpen my knife in anticipation. This should be epic!

    • Whattttt. Adam that’s pretty incredible. So do the dogs drag down the hog and then you knife it?? That’s some hardcore old school hunting!! Not even with a longbow!!!

  13. Andrew Downie says

    Great white shark tank in Cape Town, South Africa…..my 30th is in July, its on the b list.

  14. Whale hunting?! Seriously!?! Instead of killing another inncocent mammal which is endangered ( what idiot gave you that idea…), instead go swimming with the Great White Shark. One of you will certainly have some fun! Y

  15. Jeremy Clark says

    How about a cross country bike ride adventure!

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