The stage dive is an essential part of any hard rock show. It is the perfect representation of the effect that music has on those who dedicate their lives to it - rejecting the choice of safety to instead plunge into an uncertain destiny, just for the sake of how it feels mid-air. Some are caught, some fall face-first into the ground. But some stage dives are so unbelievable that they leave a lasting impression that concertgoers will always remember. In tribute to those rockers who took that momentous leap of faith, Loudwire presents the 10 Most Epic Stage Dives Ever:

  • 10

    Eddie Vedder Jumps From Camera Mast

    This classic clip of Pearl Jam was filmed at the 1992 PinkPop festival in Holland. Eddie Vedder climbs onto the rotating camera mast and makes the uneasy crew take him over the crowd, who go berserk after the Pearl Jam frontman dives into the huge festival pit.

  • 9

    Cage the Elephant Vocalist Launches Off Giant Speakers

    There are many different videos of Matt Schultz's dive at the Vic Theater in Chicago, but this one looks the coolest. The Cage the Elephant frontman had problems with methadone addiction in the past, but Schultz may have been crazy enough to make this near 20-foot dive sober.

  • 8

    Iggy Pop's Final Stage Dive?

    It would be sacrilegious to not pay tribute to a pioneer of the stage dive, Iggy Pop. Although it's not his best, this 'last' stage-dive at New York's Carnegie Hall represents a possible end of an era for Iggy. Unfortunately, no one in the audience caught him and the original punk rock wild-man subsequently announced at the age of 62 that he would no longer stage dive at shows due to injuries -- although that remains to be seen.

  • 7

    Slipknot's Sid Wilson Jumps Into a Sea of Maggots

    Sid Wilson is well known for his death-defying leaps into the pit. The Slipknot DJ famously broke both of his heels during the band's first show of the 2008 Mayhem Festival. Wilson was bound to a wheelchair after the incident, but showed true grit as he joined his band onstage for every remaining show of the tour.

  • 6

    Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix Makes a Splash at Jones Beach

    This next entry combines the showmanship of stage-diving and the elegance of swan-diving within one video. After Papa Roach had finished their set at Jones Beach, N.Y., frontman Jacoby Shaddix took the act from land to water as he leapt off the stage. Although the crowd went nuts, the swans passing by remained unimpressed.

  • 5

    Blessthefall Gymnastics

    In this clip from Sydney, Australia, vocalist Beau Bokan doesn't only Blessthefall, he Takesthefall! Clever, right? But seriously, he jumps off the speaker stack into the crowd - adding a pretty sweet front-flip that more than likely resulted with a few fans leaving with broken faces.

  • 4

    Scary Kids Scaring Kids Landing on Kids

    During his eight-year reign with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, keyboardist Pouyan Afkary didn't just stand around when he didn't have a part to play, he took it to the pit. Somehow Afkary made it to the top of the crude outdoor stage and began recklessly swinging from the top bar. The result was the largest trust-fall in rock history.

  • 3

    Escape the Fate's Huge Backwards Jump

    One of the perks of being a vocalist in a rock band is the freedom to climb and jump off pretty much anything you want during a performance. At the 2008 Bamboozle Left Festival, Escape the Fate frontman Craig Mabbit took a huge backwards fall into the crowd from what looks like at least 20-feet in the air.

  • 2

    Fred Durst's Suicide Dive

    During the peak of Limp Bizkit's career, frontman Fred Durst took a huge backwards hat-less jump from the top of the Hammerstein Ballroom stage. The noticeably shaken Durst gave a perfect "I immediately regret this decision" look as he reached the top of his climb. Despite his nervousness, Durst took the dive and was safely caught by his fans. "I could have hit the ground, I would have died for sure," stated Durst.

  • 1

    Boy Hits Car Singer's Insane 68-Foot Drop

    There is no stage-dive in history that even begins to match this historic drop from Boy Hits Car frontman Craig Rondell. During the bridge of 'Benkei,' the vocalist reportedly dropped 68-feet after climbing onto a stack of speakers at K-Rockathon 10 in Weedsport, N.Y. "I didn't even plan on jumping," stated Rondell. "I wanted to get a better vantage point to view the crowd, but once I climbed up and lowered myself onto the speakers, I got a bit of vertigo cause the speakers began to shift and move. I recall not wanting any part of it, but I couldn't pull myself back into the rafters. I was stuck, and the whole crowd was chanting "JUMP-JUMP-JUMP". Looking back, it seems my choices were to wait for the fire department and a long enough ladder, or charge it."

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