WATCH: Europeans test their mettle against Storm Ciara (and lose)

Hundreds of flights and trains have been delayed or cancelled amid the onslaught from Storm Ciara as it howled its way inland across Europe, but that hasn’t stopped some adventurous (or foolhardy) souls from braving the elements.

After Ireland was lashed by ferocious winds, Ciara unleashed her wrath on Britain, dropping a month and a half's-worth of rain within a 24-hour period in several parts. The downpour caused widespread flooding and power cuts, affecting over 500,000 households for a time. 

Even that wasn’t enough to dissuade some residents in Blackpool from venturing outside for a walk… with their children!?

While going for a walk in 97mph gusts –and amid warnings of an impending blizzard in parts– could maybe be forgiven, one reckless man decided to challenge Ciara with his trusty surfboard. As eyewitness video showed, he lost (but was lucky to live to tell the tale).

Meanwhile, in western Europe, 35 French departments were put on orange alert including Normandy, the Ardennes and Lorraine, as winds of up to 110 km/h gusted in Champagne and Brittany.

In Belgium, wind speeds of up to 130kph forced the cancellation of some 60 flights out of Brussels airport as a precaution. At least 120 flights out of Amsterdam's Schipol airport were cancelled. 

Though the ski jumping world cup in Willingen, Germany was cancelled, as were several top-tier football games in Germany and The Netherlands, nothing could stop participants in the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships from completing the 8.5 km course in Zeeland.

In what may have been the slowest race on the course for some time, the racers battled the elements riding their bicycles with no gears, no fancy lightweight frames and no curved handlebars. 

By stark contrast, some creative geniuses in Holland apparently attached a parachute or a large kite to a shopping cart and managed to build up quite some speed.

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