What seems to matter greatly how affect someone is by an earthquake, seems to also be related to how used people are to being unbalanced. I was once with a group of friends who most of them were skaters and snowboarders, so used to thinking about balance and being in situations where they can't do much about it, standing on relatively unbalanced things. During the earthquake, similarly to parent, most of them were fascinated, while the non-skaters quickly panicked and threw themselves on the ground.

Of course, just an anecdote, and those people could also have a general lack of fear of death, but the difference between the two of you made me think of the event again.

I ski. Responding to being out of balance is just automatic, it doesn't come from needing to think about it.

It is a transferable skill. Have tried ice skating twice, could just do it fine.

Well you actually bring up a very good point, people who do extreme things know full well that one mistake and they can hit their head and never walk again, feeling the same fear while knowing that you are not in any danger is what creates excitement in a way.