Extreme winter sports keep getting riskier because we're a nation of risk-takers, and some personality types need those extreme thrills, according to psychologists. But the risks seem to be getting more risky, with no end in sight. "We're a nation of risk-takers, and that's a good thing,'' says Frank Farley, a psychologist at Temple. “You want your kids to have thrilling adventures. I call it the fourth R: reading, writing, arithmetic and risk-taking,” he said.