Ho! Ho! Whoa!

Take a chance and surprise someone with an extreme gift

Tired of buying the same old presents for those on your Christmas list? This year, take things to the next level with extreme gifts that promise to put a smile on the recipient's face. Not one of those forced, "you really shouldn't have" smirks. These presents should have your special someone grinning from ear to ear and wondering why you haven't gotten them stuff like this before!

Jump out of a plane, or just ride one

Of all the places in the world, Hawaii's got to be one of the best for jumping out of a plane. Tourists from all over flock to Oahu's North Shore on a daily basis for the chance to skydive in such a scenic locale.

Skydive Hawaii offers a basic tandem jump package for $225, but will knock the price down to $175 for Hawaii residents. The whole experience will last about two hours, and you can also purchase video and photos to prove everything actually happened.

If actually jumping out of a plane is too much, opt for a ride in Skydive Hawaii's "Top Gun" fighter instead.

The Pitts S-2B biplane used for these flights allows you to experience the thrill of aerobatic flight maneuvers. For $185, passengers will experience loops, rolls, hammerheads, inverted flight and other stomach-churning moves. Just be sure not to eat too much before taking this particular trip!

» Skydive Hawaii, Dillingham Airfield, 637-9700.

Better yet, learn to fly

Take the in-air experience to another level, with an introductory flight lesson from Flight School Hawaii.

Besides the full-on training programs offered to get pilots certified by the government, FSH offers the general public a chance to get behind the controls for just $59.

Reservations are a must, and keep in mind that weekends are generally a lot more busy at Honolulu International Airport. You're better off flying during the week, when there's less air traffic and you're more likely to get the appointment time you want.

» Flight School Hawaii, 134 Nakolo Place, 837-7767

Drive on the edge

You don't have to get in a plane to experience an adrenaline rush -- just give the gift of a ride in one of Paradise Cruisers' "Hawaiian Luv Bugs."

If you've driven through Waikiki in the past three years or so, then you've seen these dainty little vehicles.

Using the same engine as a moped, the tricycle-like contraption is designed to carry two people squeezed shoulder to shoulder.

Paradise Cruisers has the most of these "Luv Bugs" available for rent, with two locations in Waikiki. Rental fees start at $29.95 for the first hour, $10 for each additional hour.

» Paradise Cruisers, corner of Kuhio and Nahua and 1944 Kalakaua Avenue, 926-2847

Get 'em a T-shirt, or 12

In Tuesday's installment of the "12 Days of Christmas" we told you about the cool shirts available from Threadless, a company that features designs from regular folks around the country who submit their ideas to the www.threadless.com Web site.

But why buy just one shirt, when you can give the gift of membership to Threadless' Shirt of the Month Club?

For $200, the recipient will be sent 12 limited-edition prints unavailable to the general public. The designs will never be reprinted either, making the shirts that much more unique.

» www.threadless.com, (800) 557-7095

Issue a stamp

If you have access to a digital camera and the Internet, you can give the gift of postage this year -- and look cool doing it!

Stamps.com has offered online postage services for years, and first introduced custom stamps to its product line in 2004. After selling more than 2.5 million stamps in just 7- 1/2 weeks, the company made them available permanently in May. Since then, another 1.4 million stamps have been sold.

Simply upload your image to the PhotoStamps Web site, then decide what kind of stamps you'd like to order.

Seven denominations are available, from post cards and first-class to parcel post postage. Prices start at $17.99 for a sheet of 20 first-class stamps at the new 2006 postal rates.

» www.photostamps.com

Sunglasses that rock

Hawaii's own Duane "Dog" Chapman made the original version of Oakley's Thump sunglasses popular by wearing them during tapings for "Dog the Bounty Hunter." Now the company has upgraded the shades' styling and design, and released the new Thump2 sunglasses to the public.

Forget about carrying a separate digital music player -- the Thump2 comes with 1 gigabyte of flash memory built in, giving the wearer access to up to 240 of their favorite tunes. Earpieces are also built in, with telescopic arms that allow them to be positioned a number of different ways.

They can also be placed above the ears when not in use. Prices start at $299 per pair.

» Oakley, Ala Moana Shopping Center, 949-7100