Risk-taking risk managers: whether it's jumping off a cliff or driving a race car, these two risk managers use their skills to manage exciting hobbies.

John Hach, a risk manager for Cleveland-based Lincoln Electric Co., a manufacturer of arc welding equipment, spends his weekdays working to protect the company from risk. But on his free time, he enjoys soaring up to 60 mph, up to 5,000 feet in the air, hanging on to what amounts to a giant kite.

Hach said he loves the feeling of flying that comes when he straps on the 60-pound aluminum hang glider and jumps off a cliff. The thrill of flying is not a conflict with his day job, he insists.

"A risk manager's job is not to avoid risk; it's to manage risk," Hach said. "It's easy just to avoid it, just buy insurance, or don't take any risk. But without risk, there are no rewards. Hang gliding is the same way. You have to manage the risk. The potential for catastrophe is definitely there, but people who manage it get the most reward."

The reward is the personal satisfaction that comes from hang gliding, he said. "You're flying like a bird. You're free, and you are in total control," Hach said.

Hach does follow safety procedures, including wearing a helmet and a parachute in case something goes wrong. He also has a special rider on his life insurance policy to include coverage in case he is killed while hang gliding. Hach's been hang gliding since 1980, and also mountaineers--he's twice climbed Mount Rainier--and enjoys snowboarding and skiing.

Life in the Fast Lane

Risk manager Mike Benishek of Palmetto, Fla., manages risk for the 40 privately held companies under PTG Management Co., the largest entity of which is Pacific Tomato Growers. As a risk manager for the largest grower, shipper and packer of fresh-market tomatoes in the country, Benishek's job requires him to travel around the globe in an effort to reduce risk at various locations.

Closer to home, you often can find him racing a modified Miata, using both speed and precision driving to slalom around orange cones. At speeds of up to 60 mph on an autocross course--which has cones to drive around--or up to 90 on a straight oval track without cones to dodge, Benishek said racing cars is not dangerous.

"All of the appropriate risk management measures have been identified and addressed. If you have a car set up for it and you drive at your limits, at the end of the day, you'll have a smile on your face and the fastest time of the day," Benishek said.

As the head safety inspector for an amateur racing club, Benishek oversees the safety of the individual cars competing in racing events, which are sponsored by two Florida-based car clubs. He said there are four safety posts on the course, each manned by three people with fire extinguishers and flags to warn drivers to stop, slow down or keep going. All drivers must wear helmets and cotton clothing, including long pants and a long-sleeve shirt, in case of fire.

Autocross driving has helped give him a new perspective at work, Benishek said. "I think of legal issues in these terms: 'I want to end up here, but if I turn too early, I'll go off course. If I turn too late, the other side will get to the finish before me.' It's a different way of looking at start-to-finish legal problems," he said.

Benishek is also a fan of other risky hobbies, including, like Hach, hang gliding. He also enjoys using electronic devices to hunt for radioactive rocks. The radioactive rocks, found in fields, can be used for science experiments, including placing the stones on undeveloped film, then developing the film to see what interesting images the radiation made. Benishek stores the stones in lead containers.