Must-see videos of the week – March 22

From a man surviving a 2,500-metre fall from a plane without a working parachute to a man swimming in -52-degree weather, we've seen some great videos this week. Here are some of our favourite:

1. Skydiver recounts plunge to earth after chute fails

Craig Stapleton was doing a complex stunt called a flag jump, but the flag tangled with his equipment and caused the parachute to malfunction. His main chute didn't open so he deployed his reserve chute, but that didn't open fully. He plunged from 2,500 metres and, after falling for three minutes, hit the ground at about 50 km/h. Imagine getting in a car accident at that speed. It probably wouldn't be pretty. And now imagine it without a steel cage or airbag for protection.

But somehow Stapleton, who has done more than 7,000 jumps in the past 25 years, walked away with only bruises. He said he was lucky to fall in soft dirt and remember his training. He rolled when hitting the ground to absorb the impact into as many places as possible on his body. If you are saying to yourself, "If that were me, I'd never go skydiving again," you definitely aren't alone. But that's not what Stapleton is saying to himself. He plans to jump again.

[ Last week's must-see video: Dad pretends to punch toddler ]

2. Lawyer wants death penalty for Punxsutawney Phil

This guy obviously has way too much time on his hands. Ohio prosecutor Mike Gmoser issued a fake single-court indictment for Punxsutawney Phil for "misrepresentation of spring." He wants the death penalty. A little more than six weeks ago, on Groundhog Day, the famous furry forecaster didn't see his shadow. This indicated that there were supposed to be only six more weeks of winter for most of the U.S.

Ontario's Wiarton Willie predicted the same thing. And while most Canadians seem to be done with winter, we know it's not unusual to see snow at the end of March. In fact, most of the country is still covered in the white stuff. And the U.S. isn't done with it too. Phil's handlers defend his actions saying there have been spring-like temperature spikes. But does the animal even need a defence?

The craziest part about this story isn't the cold temperatures, it's the fact someone thinks a rodent can accurately predict the weather. Meteorologists have lots of fancy equipment and they can barely predict it more than three days in advance. And why is this guy complaining? At Gmoser's location, the projected high for Saturday is 8 degrees Celsius. Wouldn't that be nice? Of course, in order to indict Phil, Gmoser will have to prove his case beyond a shadow of a doubt.

3. Elk calling championships

When you need to call an elk, it's good to have Shane Donner around. He won the 2013 Canadian elk calling championships last Sunday in Edmonton. He's been calling for four years, but is a rookie competitor. He can imitate cows in distress or cows ready to breed. He also tries to create illusion there are several different elk around. Competitors use a mouth reed to mimic the sounds and this competition is only for amateurs. And don't think that this happens only in Canada, the World Elk Calling Championships were held in Las Vegas earlier this year.

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4. Man swims in -52 degree weather

Canadians are known for liking the cold, but I don't know many Canadians, including myself, who like the cold this much. This Russian man in Siberia strips down to a Speedo in what appears to be an enchanted white forest with a body of water and takes a dip. Even if the water is warm, the guy has to have some serious tolerance for the cold to walk out of the water.

5. Standing jump world record

The top of this box is just below the top of Kevin Bania's head, but somehow he manages to leap up high enough to get his feet on it and stand up. This means he jumped more than 163 cm and no one in the gym watched. This isn't the first time the CrossFitter has broken this world record. He also did it in July 2012, when he jumped 162.5 cm. According to All Things Gym, after breaking his last record he said, "I only have about a 34" vertical...The difference is made up in timing and flexibility, with a pinch of balance." Take that Wesley Snipes/Sidney Deane.

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