BASE jumping: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
imported>Wildbird033 Undid revision 1298164877 by Neonshuffle (talk) |
imported>Rappatic m Typo |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description| | {{Short description|Activity of jumping from fixed objects using a parachute}} | ||
[[File:Base jump.webm|thumb|upright=1.2|BASE jump in Oman, 2013]] | [[File:Base jump.webm|thumb|upright=1.2|BASE jump in Oman, 2013]] | ||
[[File:BASE Jumping from Sapphire Tower in Istanbul.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|BASE jumping from [[Istanbul Sapphire|Sapphire Tower]], [[Istanbul]]]] | [[File:BASE Jumping from Sapphire Tower in Istanbul.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|BASE jumping from [[Istanbul Sapphire|Sapphire Tower]], [[Istanbul]]]] | ||
'''BASE jumping''' ({{IPAc-en|b|eɪ|s}}) is the | '''BASE jumping''' ({{IPAc-en|b|eɪ|s}}) is the activity of jumping from fixed objects, using a [[parachute]] to descend to the ground. BASE is an [[acronym]] that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: [[building]]s, [[antenna (radio)|antennas]] (referring to [[radio masts and towers|radio masts]]), [[span (engineering)|spans]] ([[bridge]]s) and earth ([[cliff]]s).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.basenumbers.org/ |title=BASENumbers.org |publisher=BASENumbers.org |access-date=2014-02-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Sangiro |url=http://www.basejumper.com/ |title=BASE Jumping Resource and Community |publisher=Basejumper.com |access-date=2014-02-03 |archive-date=2017-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815085600/http://www.basejumper.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Participants jump from a fixed object such as a cliff and, after an optional [[freefall]] delay, deploy a parachute to slow their descent and land. A popular form of BASE jumping is [[Wingsuit flying#Wingsuit_BASE|wingsuit BASE jumping]]. | ||
In contrast to other forms of [[parachuting]], such as [[skydiving]] from airplanes, BASE jumps are performed from fixed objects that are generally at much lower altitudes, and BASE jumpers only carry one parachute. | In contrast to other forms of [[parachuting]], such as [[skydiving]] from airplanes, BASE jumps are performed from fixed objects that are generally at much lower altitudes, and BASE jumpers only carry one parachute. | ||
BASE jumping is significantly more hazardous than other forms of parachuting and is widely considered to be one of the most dangerous [[extreme sports]].<ref name="ch-trib-thrill">{{cite news |last=Dizikes |first=Cynthia |date=22 April 2011 |title=BASE jumpers fall for thrill-seeking lifestyle |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2011-04-22-ct-met-basejumping-20110421-story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018122637/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2011-04-22-ct-met-basejumping-20110421-story.html |archive-date=18 October 2018}}</ref> | BASE jumping is significantly more hazardous than other forms of parachuting and is widely considered to be one of the most dangerous [[Extreme sport|extreme sports]].<ref name="ch-trib-thrill">{{cite news |last=Dizikes |first=Cynthia |date=22 April 2011 |title=BASE jumpers fall for thrill-seeking lifestyle |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2011-04-22-ct-met-basejumping-20110421-story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018122637/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2011-04-22-ct-met-basejumping-20110421-story.html |archive-date=18 October 2018}}</ref> | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
| Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
[[Fausto Veranzio]] is widely believed to have been the first person to build and test a parachute,<ref> Francis Trevelyan Miller, [https://books.google.com/books?id=MdDNAAAAMAAJ The world in the air: the story of flying in pictures], G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1930, pages 101–106</ref> by jumping from [[St Mark's Campanile]] in [[Venice]] in 1617 when he was more than 65 years old.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TM2EAAAAIAAJ ''He's in the paratroops now''], Alfred Day Rathbone, R.M. McBride & Company, 1943, University of California.</ref> However these and other sporadic incidents were one-time experiments, not the actual systematic pursuit of a new form of parachuting. | [[Fausto Veranzio]] is widely believed to have been the first person to build and test a parachute,<ref> Francis Trevelyan Miller, [https://books.google.com/books?id=MdDNAAAAMAAJ The world in the air: the story of flying in pictures], G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1930, pages 101–106</ref> by jumping from [[St Mark's Campanile]] in [[Venice]] in 1617 when he was more than 65 years old.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TM2EAAAAIAAJ ''He's in the paratroops now''], Alfred Day Rathbone, R.M. McBride & Company, 1943, University of California.</ref> However these and other sporadic incidents were one-time experiments, not the actual systematic pursuit of a new form of parachuting. | ||
=== Birth of | === Birth of BASE jumping === | ||
Precursors to the activity date back hundreds of years.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dewey |first=Caitlin |date=March 25, 2014 |title=The Freedom Tower skydivers weren't the first: Here's the insane, morbid history of urban BASE-jumping |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/03/25/the-freedom-tower-skydivers-werent-the-first-heres-the-insane-morbid-history-of-urban-base-jumping/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> In 1966 [[Michael Pelkey]] and [[Brian Schubert]] jumped from [[El Capitan]] in [[Yosemite National Park]].<ref name="johnnyutah_com">{{cite web|title=Mike Pelkey – A BASE Pioneer| url=http://www.johnnyutah.com/mikepelkey.html|publisher=Paradigm Adventures, Inc.|access-date=26 March 2012}}</ref> The acronym B.A.S.E. (now more commonly BASE) was later coined by filmmaker [[Carl Boenish]], his wife Jean Boenish, Phil Smith, and Phil Mayfield.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rosenblatt|first=Roger|title=The Whole World Is Jumpable| magazine=Time| date=July 1999|volume=154|issue=3|page=94|issn=0040-781X}}</ref> Carl Boenish was an important catalyst behind modern BASE jumping and in 1978 he filmed jumps from El Capitan made using ram-air parachutes and the [[tracking (skydiving)|freefall tracking technique]].<ref>{{cite magazine| last=McCallum| first=Jack|title=Who Needs An Airplane?|date=August 26, 1985|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]| volume=63| issue=9}}</ref> While BASE jumps had been made prior to that time, the El Capitan activity was the effective birth of what is now called BASE jumping. | |||
After 1978 the filmed jumps from El Capitan were repeated, not as an actual publicity exercise or as a movie stunt but as a true recreational activity. It was this that popularized BASE jumping more widely among parachutists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-05-04 |title=About BASE |url=https://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/wiki_index.php?title=About_BASE |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=BLiNC Magazine |language=en}}</ref> Carl Boenish continued to publish films and informational magazines on BASE jumping until his death in 1984 after a BASE jump off the [[Troll Wall]].<ref name=":1" /> By this time the concept had spread among skydivers worldwide, with hundreds of participants making fixed-object jumps. | After 1978 the filmed jumps from El Capitan were repeated, not as an actual publicity exercise or as a movie stunt but as a true recreational activity. It was this that popularized BASE jumping more widely among parachutists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-05-04 |title=About BASE |url=https://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/wiki_index.php?title=About_BASE |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=BLiNC Magazine |language=en}}</ref> Carl Boenish continued to publish films and informational magazines on BASE jumping until his death in 1984 after a BASE jump off the [[Troll Wall]].<ref name=":1" /> By this time the concept had spread among skydivers worldwide, with hundreds of participants making fixed-object jumps. | ||
| Line 21: | Line 21: | ||
[[File:04KJER0243.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Jumpers from a cliff wearing tracking suits]] | [[File:04KJER0243.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Jumpers from a cliff wearing tracking suits]] | ||
In recent years, recognizing the | In recent years, recognizing the activity's growing appeal and the potential for high-impact marketing, companies such as Red Bull<ref>{{Cite web |title=BASE Jumping |url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/tags/base-jumping |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=Red Bull |language=en}}</ref> have stepped in to sponsor athletes, further elevating the activity's profile. | ||
=== BASE numbers === | === BASE numbers === | ||
| Line 27: | Line 27: | ||
== Equipment == | == Equipment == | ||
In the early days of BASE jumping, people used modified skydiving gear, such as by removing the deployment bag and [[slider (parachuting)|slider]], stowing the lines in a tail pocket, and fitting a large [[pilot chute]].{{ | In the early days of BASE jumping, people used modified skydiving gear, such as by removing the deployment bag and [[slider (parachuting)|slider]], stowing the lines in a tail pocket, and fitting a large [[pilot chute]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bahney |first1=Anna |title=BEFORE YOU LEAP; Where, When and How to BASE Jump . . . or Not |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/25/travel/before-you-leap-where-when-and-how-to-base-jump-or-not.html |access-date=24 November 2025 |work=The New York Times |date=25 October 2002 |quote=use BASE gear as opposed to converted sky-diving gear}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Keenan |first1=Steve |title=BASE jumping pioneer recognized in Fayette County |url=https://www.fayettetribune.com/news/base-jumping-pioneer-recognized-in-fayette-county/article_a7b9bdec-1040-11ed-9655-db26ebe38561.html |access-date=24 November 2025 |work=Fayette Tribune |date=30 July 2022 |language=en |quote=...it's really inspiring to live in this era of BASE jumping knowing that people like him with really homemade, self-modified gear at the time...}}</ref> However, modified skydiving gear is prone to kinds of malfunction that are rare in normal skydiving (such as "line-overs" and broken lines). Modern purpose-built BASE jumping equipment is considered to be much safer and more reliable. | ||
=== Parachute === | === Parachute === | ||
| Line 40: | Line 40: | ||
== Technique == | == Technique == | ||
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2023}} | {{unreferenced section|date=July 2023}} | ||
BASE jumps can be broadly classified into low jumps and high jumps. The primary distinguishing characteristic of low BASE jumps versus high BASE jumps is the use of a [[slider (parachuting)|slider]] reefing device to control the opening speed of the parachute, and whether the jumper falls long enough to reach [[terminal velocity]]. | BASE jumps can be broadly classified into low jumps and high jumps. The primary distinguishing characteristic of low BASE jumps versus high BASE jumps is the use of a [[slider (parachuting)|slider]] reefing device to control the opening speed of the parachute, and whether the jumper falls long enough to reach [[terminal velocity]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}} | ||
=== Low BASE jumps === | === Low BASE jumps === | ||
Low BASE jumps are those where the jumper does not reach terminal velocity. Sometimes referred to as "slider down" jumps because they are typically performed without a [[Slider (parachuting)|slider]] reefing device on the parachute. The lack of a slider enables the parachute to open more quickly. Other techniques for low BASE jumps include the use of a [[static line]], direct bag, or P.C.A. (pilot chute assist). These devices form an attachment between the parachute and the jump platform, which stretches out the parachute and suspension lines as the jumper falls, before separating and allowing the parachute to inflate. This enables the very lowest jumps—below {{convert|60|m}} to be made. | Low BASE jumps are those where the jumper does not reach terminal velocity. Sometimes referred to as "slider down" jumps because they are typically performed without a [[Slider (parachuting)|slider]] reefing device on the parachute. The lack of a slider enables the parachute to open more quickly. Other techniques for low BASE jumps include the use of a [[static line]], direct bag, or P.C.A. (pilot chute assist). These devices form an attachment between the parachute and the jump platform, which stretches out the parachute and suspension lines as the jumper falls, before separating and allowing the parachute to inflate. This enables the very lowest jumps—below {{convert|60|m}} to be made. BASE jumpers have been known to jump from objects as low as {{convert|100|ft|-1|disp=flip}}, which leaves little to no canopy time and requires an immediate flare to land safely. | ||
=== High BASE jumps === | === High BASE jumps === | ||
| Line 53: | Line 53: | ||
=== Tandem BASE jumps === | === Tandem BASE jumps === | ||
Tandem BASE jumping is when a skilled pilot jumps with a passenger attached to their front. It is similar to skydiving and is offered in the US and many other countries. Tandem BASE is becoming a more accessible and legal form of BASE jumping. | Tandem BASE jumping is when a skilled pilot jumps with a passenger attached to their front. It is similar to skydiving and is offered in the US and many other countries. Tandem BASE is becoming a more accessible and legal form of BASE jumping. | ||
On 20 March 1983, Timothy Cousins performed a BASE jump from the [[West Gate Bridge]] in [[Melbourne]], with Shane Sparkes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tandembase.com/about |title=About Tandem BASE |website=Tandem Base |access-date=Mar 15, 2026}}</ref> A subsequent tandem BASE jump was carried out in 1984 by Ted Strong from the [[New River Gorge Bridge]] in [[West Virginia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mywvhome.com/more/bridge/Bridge2/tedstrong.htm |title=Ted Strong and Robin Heid's Tandem Base Jump 1984 |last=Waters |first=J. |access-date=Mar 15, 2026 |website=West Virginia Home}}</ref> In 2009, Mark Kissner and Abbie Mashaal began prototyping and manufacturing equipment designed for tandem BASE jumping and established a commercial tandem BASE jumping operation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tandembase.org/?#ModernTandemBASEhttps://tandembase.org/?#ModernTandemBASE |title=Tandem BASE Jumping : The Complete History |last=Heid |first=Robin |date=Nov 9, 2023 |access-date=Mar 15, 2026 |website=Tandem BASE}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://jumpbridgeday.com/tandem-base-jump-history |title=Tandem BASE Jumping |website=Jump Bridge Day |access-date=Mar 15, 2026}}</ref> | |||
== Records == | == Records == | ||
''[[Guinness World Records]]'' first listed a BASE jumping record with married couple Jean and [[Carl Boenish]]'s 1984 leap from Trollveggen ([[Troll Wall]]) in Norway. It was described at the time as the highest cliff jump.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sohn |first=Tim |date=May 22, 2015 |title=Capturing the Complexity of a Free-Falling Obsession |url=https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/capturing-complexity-free-falling-obsession/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128095437/https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/capturing-complexity-free-falling-obsession/ |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |access-date=June 30, 2025 |website=Outside Online |language=en-US}}</ref> The jump was made two days before Carl's death at the same site.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=July 10, 1984 |title=Parachutist continues to jump after husband's death |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/07/10/Parachutist-continues-to-jump-after-husbands-death/1519458280000/ |access-date=June 30, 2025 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref> | ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' first listed a BASE jumping record with married couple Jean and [[Carl Boenish]]'s 1984 leap from Trollveggen ([[Troll Wall]]) in Norway. It was described at the time as the highest cliff jump.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sohn |first=Tim |date=May 22, 2015 |title=Capturing the Complexity of a Free-Falling Obsession |url=https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/capturing-complexity-free-falling-obsession/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128095437/https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/capturing-complexity-free-falling-obsession/ |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |access-date=June 30, 2025 |website=Outside Online |language=en-US}}</ref> The jump was made two days before Carl's death at the same site.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=July 10, 1984 |title=Parachutist continues to jump after husband's death |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/07/10/Parachutist-continues-to-jump-after-husbands-death/1519458280000/ |access-date=June 30, 2025 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref> | ||
On August 26, 1992, Australians Nic Feteris and [[Glenn Singleman]] made a BASE jump from an altitude of {{convert|6286|m|ft}} | On August 26, 1992, Australians Nic Feteris and [[Glenn Singleman]] made a BASE jump from an altitude of {{convert|6286|m|ft}} off the [[Trango Towers]] in Pakistan. It was the highest BASE jump off the earth at the time.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/leap-from-the-top-of-the-world/2006/06/08/1149359863372.html| title=Leap from the top of the world|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=2006-06-08}}</ref> | ||
On May 23, 2006, Glenn Singleman and Heather Swan made a BASE jump from an altitude of {{convert|6604|m|ft}} off [[Meru Peak]] in Northern India, breaking Singleman and Feteris's previous record for the highest BASE jump off the earth. They jumped in wingsuits.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gibson |first=Jano |date=2006-06-08 |title=Aussies smash BASE jump record |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/aussies-smash-base-jump-record-20060608-ge2hc0.html |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=The Age |language=en}}</ref> In 2015, they also made the first ever wingsuit jump across the [[Grand Canyon]], flying approximately 11km from one side to the other.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-05-11 |title=Video: world-record wingsuit flight over Grand Canyon |url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/australian-geographic-adventure/adventure/2015/05/video-world-record-wingsuit-flight-over-grand-canyon/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=Australian Geographic |language=en-US}}</ref> | On May 23, 2006, Glenn Singleman and Heather Swan made a BASE jump from an altitude of {{convert|6604|m|ft}} off [[Meru Peak]] in Northern India, breaking Singleman and Feteris's previous record for the highest BASE jump off the earth. They jumped in wingsuits.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gibson |first=Jano |date=2006-06-08 |title=Aussies smash BASE jump record |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/aussies-smash-base-jump-record-20060608-ge2hc0.html |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=The Age |language=en}}</ref> In 2015, they also made the first ever wingsuit jump across the [[Grand Canyon]], flying approximately 11km from one side to the other.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-05-11 |title=Video: world-record wingsuit flight over Grand Canyon |url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/australian-geographic-adventure/adventure/2015/05/video-world-record-wingsuit-flight-over-grand-canyon/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=Australian Geographic |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
| Line 63: | Line 65: | ||
Daniel Schilling set the Guinness World Record for the most BASE jumps in a twenty-four-hour period, jumping off the [[Perrine Bridge]] in [[Twin Falls, Idaho]], a record 201 times on July 8, 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alderman |first=Jesse Harlan |date=2006-07-10 |title=Soldier sets BASE jump landmark |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/jul/10/soldier-sets-base-jump-landmark/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=The Spokesman-Review |language=en}}</ref> | Daniel Schilling set the Guinness World Record for the most BASE jumps in a twenty-four-hour period, jumping off the [[Perrine Bridge]] in [[Twin Falls, Idaho]], a record 201 times on July 8, 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alderman |first=Jesse Harlan |date=2006-07-10 |title=Soldier sets BASE jump landmark |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/jul/10/soldier-sets-base-jump-landmark/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=The Spokesman-Review |language=en}}</ref> | ||
On May 5, 2013, Russian [[Valery Rozov]] jumped off [[Changtse]] (the northern peak of the [[Mount Everest]] massif) from a height of {{convert|7220|m|ft}}. Using a specially developed wingsuit, he glided down to the [[Rongbuk glacier]] more than 1,000 meters below, setting a new world record for highest altitude | On May 5, 2013, Russian [[Valery Rozov]] jumped off [[Changtse]] (the northern peak of the [[Mount Everest]] massif) from a height of {{convert|7220|m|ft}}. Using a specially developed wingsuit, he glided down to the [[Rongbuk glacier]] more than 1,000 meters below, setting a new world record for highest altitude BASE jump.<ref>{{cite web | title=Daredevil Makes Record-breaking Leap from Mount Everest| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/nepal/10085870/Watch-record-breaking-Everest-base-jump-filmed-on-daredevils-helmet-camera.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529132113/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/nepal/10085870/Watch-record-breaking-Everest-base-jump-filmed-on-daredevils-helmet-camera.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2013-05-29 |date=2013-05-29 |website=The Telegraph |access-date=2013-05-29}}</ref> | ||
On October 5, 2016, Rozov broke his own record for highest altitude BASE jump when he leapt from a height of {{convert|7700|m|ft}} from [[Cho Oyu]], the sixth-highest mountain in the world, landing on a glacier approximately two minutes later {{Citation span|text=at an altitude of around 6,000 metres (20,000 ft)|date=June 2025}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 25, 2016 |title=Valery Rozov BASE jumps from 7700m off Cho Oyu |url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/valery-rozov-base-jumps-from-7700m-off-cho-oyu.html |access-date=June 30, 2025 |website=PlanetMountain.com}}</ref> He later died while attempting another high-altitude BASE jump in Nepal in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sterling |first=Joe |last2=Khan |first2=Omar |date=November 13, 2017 |title=A famed Russian daredevil is killed in a BASE-jumping accident |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/13/world/valery-rozov-base-jumping-death-trnd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513232330/https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/13/world/valery-rozov-base-jumping-death-trnd/ |archive-date=May 13, 2024 |access-date=June 30, 2025 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> | On October 5, 2016, Rozov broke his own record for highest altitude BASE jump when he leapt from a height of {{convert|7700|m|ft}} from [[Cho Oyu]], the sixth-highest mountain in the world, landing on a glacier approximately two minutes later {{Citation span|text=at an altitude of around 6,000 metres (20,000 ft)|date=June 2025}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 25, 2016 |title=Valery Rozov BASE jumps from 7700m off Cho Oyu |url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/valery-rozov-base-jumps-from-7700m-off-cho-oyu.html |access-date=June 30, 2025 |website=PlanetMountain.com}}</ref> He later died while attempting another high-altitude BASE jump in Nepal in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sterling |first=Joe |last2=Khan |first2=Omar |date=November 13, 2017 |title=A famed Russian daredevil is killed in a BASE-jumping accident |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/13/world/valery-rozov-base-jumping-death-trnd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513232330/https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/13/world/valery-rozov-base-jumping-death-trnd/ |archive-date=May 13, 2024 |access-date=June 30, 2025 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> | ||
| Line 83: | Line 85: | ||
* In 1979, Santee, California skydiver Roger Worthington completed one of the first "Span" jumps when he successfully parachuted off the newly constructed {{convert|450|ft|m|order=flip}} [[Pine Valley Creek Bridge]] (A.K.A. Nello Irwin Greer Memorial Bridge) on Interstate 8 in San Diego County. Upon take off he held a red smoke flare in each hand. When interviewed afterward he claimed to know of no other "bridge jumpers" in the country.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Associated Press |date=8 April 1979 |title=Jumps for Joy |page=10 |newspaper=Santa Cruz Sentinel |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SCS19790408.1.10&srpos=8&e=-------en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-%22pine+valley+creek+bridge%22-------1 |access-date=29 January 2022}}</ref> | * In 1979, Santee, California skydiver Roger Worthington completed one of the first "Span" jumps when he successfully parachuted off the newly constructed {{convert|450|ft|m|order=flip}} [[Pine Valley Creek Bridge]] (A.K.A. Nello Irwin Greer Memorial Bridge) on Interstate 8 in San Diego County. Upon take off he held a red smoke flare in each hand. When interviewed afterward he claimed to know of no other "bridge jumpers" in the country.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Associated Press |date=8 April 1979 |title=Jumps for Joy |page=10 |newspaper=Santa Cruz Sentinel |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SCS19790408.1.10&srpos=8&e=-------en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-%22pine+valley+creek+bridge%22-------1 |access-date=29 January 2022}}</ref> | ||
* On February 22, 1982, Wayne Allwood, an Australian skydiving accuracy champion, parachuted from a helicopter over the [[Sydney central business district|Sydney CBD]] and landed on the small top area of Sydney's [[Sydney Tower Eye|Centrepoint Tower]], approximately {{nowrap|{{convert|300|m|ft}}}} above the ground. Upon landing, Allwood discarded and secured his parachute, then used a full-sized reserve parachute to BASE jump into Hyde Park below.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVDlu7dvzGM |title=Centrepoint Tower BASE jump 1982 |publisher=YouTube |date=13 February 2010 |access-date=4 February 2014}}</ref> | * On February 22, 1982, Wayne Allwood, an Australian skydiving accuracy champion, parachuted from a helicopter over the [[Sydney central business district|Sydney CBD]] and landed on the small top area of Sydney's [[Sydney Tower Eye|Centrepoint Tower]], approximately {{nowrap|{{convert|300|m|ft}}}} above the ground. Upon landing, Allwood discarded and secured his parachute, then used a full-sized reserve parachute to BASE jump into Hyde Park below.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVDlu7dvzGM |title=Centrepoint Tower BASE jump 1982 |publisher=YouTube |date=13 February 2010 |access-date=4 February 2014}}</ref> | ||
* In 1986, [[Welsh people|Welshman]] [[Eric Jones (climber)|Eric Jones]] became the first person to BASE jump from the [[Eiger]]. | *In November 1983 Max Botto of Venezuela was the first person to BASE jump from [[Angel Falls]] <ref> Jerry Bird The Making of a Skydiving Legend - Linda Carlson {{ISBN|978-8-9852592-5-4}} P216 </ref> | ||
* On October 22, 1999, Jan Davis died while attempting a BASE jump from [[El Capitan]] in Yosemite Valley. Davis' jump was part of an organized act of civil disobedience protesting the NPS air delivery regulations (36 CFR 2.17(a)), which make BASE jumping illegal in national park areas. | * In 1986, [[Welsh people|Welshman]] [[Eric Jones (climber)|Eric Jones]] became the first person to BASE jump from the [[Eiger]].{{citation needed|date=May 2026}} | ||
* On October 22, 1999, Jan Davis died while attempting a BASE jump from [[El Capitan]] in Yosemite Valley. Davis' jump was part of an organized act of civil disobedience protesting the NPS air delivery regulations (36 CFR 2.17(a)), which make BASE jumping illegal in national park areas.{{citation needed|date=May 2026}} | |||
* In 2000, [[Hannes Arch]] and [[Ueli Gegenschatz]] were the first to BASE jump from the {{convert|1800|m|adj=on}} high north face of the [[Eiger]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hannesarch.com/about/biography.html |title=Biographie – Hannes Arch |first=©2016 Hannes |last=Arch |website=Hannes Arch |access-date=26 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326143226/http://www.hannesarch.com/about/biography.html |archive-date=26 March 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | * In 2000, [[Hannes Arch]] and [[Ueli Gegenschatz]] were the first to BASE jump from the {{convert|1800|m|adj=on}} high north face of the [[Eiger]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hannesarch.com/about/biography.html |title=Biographie – Hannes Arch |first=©2016 Hannes |last=Arch |website=Hannes Arch |access-date=26 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326143226/http://www.hannesarch.com/about/biography.html |archive-date=26 March 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
* In 2005, [[Karina Hollekim]] became the first woman to perform a ski-BASE. | * In 2005, [[Karina Hollekim]] became the first woman to perform a ski-BASE.[citation needed] | ||
* In 2009, three women—29-year-old Australian Livia Dickie, 28-year-old Venezuelan Ana Isabel Dao, and 32-year-old Norwegian Anniken Binz—BASE jumped from [[Angel Falls]], the highest waterfall in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://coolermag.com/blogs/anniken_binz/falling-angels |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001044446/http://coolermag.com/blogs/anniken_binz/falling-angels |url-status=dead |title=Falling Angels | Anniken Binz | Blogs | Cooler – snow, surf, life & style |archive-date=October 1, 2009}}</ref> | * In 2009, three women—29-year-old Australian Livia Dickie, 28-year-old Venezuelan Ana Isabel Dao, and 32-year-old Norwegian Anniken Binz—BASE jumped from [[Angel Falls]], the highest waterfall in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://coolermag.com/blogs/anniken_binz/falling-angels |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001044446/http://coolermag.com/blogs/anniken_binz/falling-angels |url-status=dead |title=Falling Angels | Anniken Binz | Blogs | Cooler – snow, surf, life & style |archive-date=October 1, 2009}}</ref> | ||
* In September 2013, three men parachuted off the then-under-construction [[One World Trade Center]] in New York City. Footage of their jump was recorded using head cams and can be seen on YouTube.<ref>{{cite web |last=NYC B.A.S.E. Jump |date=24 March 2014 |title=NYC Freedom Tower B.A.S.E. Jump |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=441bLA2KY50 |via=YouTube}}</ref> In March 2014, the three jumpers turned themselves in.<ref>{{cite web |title=Four men arrested in One World Trade Center jump stunt |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/25/justice/one-world-trade-center-jump-stunt/ |website=CNN |access-date=29 March 2014 |first=Haley |last=Draznin |date=26 March 2014}}</ref> They were sentenced to community service and a fine.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |date=10 August 2015 |title=World Trade Center parachutists fined $2,000 for jumping off building |language=en-GB |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/10/world-trade-center-base-jumpers-guilty |access-date=1 April 2023 |issn=}}</ref> | * In September 2013, three men parachuted off the then-under-construction [[One World Trade Center]] in New York City. Footage of their jump was recorded using head cams and can be seen on YouTube.<ref>{{cite web |last=NYC B.A.S.E. Jump |date=24 March 2014 |title=NYC Freedom Tower B.A.S.E. Jump |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=441bLA2KY50 |via=YouTube}}</ref> In March 2014, the three jumpers turned themselves in.<ref>{{cite web |title=Four men arrested in One World Trade Center jump stunt |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/25/justice/one-world-trade-center-jump-stunt/ |website=CNN |access-date=29 March 2014 |first=Haley |last=Draznin |date=26 March 2014}}</ref> They were sentenced to community service and a fine.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |date=10 August 2015 |title=World Trade Center parachutists fined $2,000 for jumping off building |language=en-GB |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/10/world-trade-center-base-jumpers-guilty |access-date=1 April 2023 |issn=}}</ref> | ||
==Comparison with skydiving== | ==Comparison with skydiving== | ||
[[File:03WAVRE006b.jpg|thumb|right|BASE jumping from an antenna tower]] | {{More citations needed|section|date=June 2025}} | ||
BASE jumps are typically performed from much lower altitudes than in skydiving. Skydivers are required to deploy their main parachute above {{convert|2000|ft|m|order=flip}} altitude.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uspa.org/SIM/2-1#1I |title=USPA Skydiver's Information Manual |access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> BASE jumps are frequently made from less than {{convert|486|ft|m|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Perrine_Bridge |title=Perrine Bridge |publisher=HighestBridges.com |access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> A BASE jump from a {{convert|486|ft|m|order=flip}} object is only about 5.6 seconds from the ground if the jumper remains in free fall. Standard skydiving parachute systems are not designed for this situation, so BASE jumpers use specially designed harnesses and parachute systems | [[File:03WAVRE006b.jpg|thumb|right|BASE jumping from an antenna tower]] | ||
BASE jumps are typically performed from much lower altitudes than in skydiving. Skydivers are required to deploy their main parachute above {{convert|2000|ft|m|order=flip}} altitude.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uspa.org/SIM/2-1#1I |title=USPA Skydiver's Information Manual |access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> BASE jumps are frequently made from less than {{convert|486|ft|m|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Perrine_Bridge |title=Perrine Bridge |publisher=HighestBridges.com |access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> A BASE jump from a {{convert|486|ft|m|order=flip|adj=on}} object is only about 5.6 seconds from the ground if the jumper remains in free fall. Standard skydiving parachute systems are not designed for this situation, so BASE jumpers use specially designed harnesses and parachute systems. | |||
BASE jumps generally entail slower airspeeds than typical skydives (due to the limited altitude); a BASE jumper does not always reach [[terminal velocity]]. Skydivers use the airflow to stabilize their position. BASE jumpers, falling at lower speeds, have less aerodynamic control. The [[aircraft attitude|attitude]] of the body at the moment of jumping determines the stability of flight in the first few seconds, before sufficient airspeed has built up to enable aerodynamic stability. On low BASE jumps, parachute deployment takes place during this early phase of flight. If the parachute is deployed while the jumper is unstable, there is a high risk of entanglement or malfunction. The jumper may also not be facing the right direction. Such an off-heading opening is not as problematic in skydiving, but an off-heading opening that results in object strike has caused many serious injuries and deaths in BASE jumping. | BASE jumps generally entail slower airspeeds than typical skydives (due to the limited altitude); a BASE jumper does not always reach [[terminal velocity]]. Skydivers use the airflow to stabilize their position. BASE jumpers, falling at lower speeds, have less aerodynamic control. The [[aircraft attitude|attitude]] of the body at the moment of jumping determines the stability of flight in the first few seconds, before sufficient airspeed has built up to enable aerodynamic stability. On low BASE jumps, parachute deployment takes place during this early phase of flight. If the parachute is deployed while the jumper is unstable, there is a high risk of entanglement or malfunction. The jumper may also not be facing the right direction. Such an off-heading opening is not as problematic in skydiving, but an off-heading opening that results in object strike has caused many serious injuries and deaths in BASE jumping. | ||
| Line 112: | Line 114: | ||
{{See also|List of fatalities due to wingsuit flying}} | {{See also|List of fatalities due to wingsuit flying}} | ||
Recent statistics reflect improved safety of the activity. The 2024 Bridge Day Event which saw the participation of 325 BASE jumpers completing 755 BASE jumps resulted in zero jumper injuries, in contrast to two non-jumper related medical transports from the same event.<ref>{{cite web |title=What are the safety stats for the one day of permitted BASE jumping that takes place in a United States National Park? |url=https://baseaccess.org/faq |website=BASE Access |access-date=28 November 2024}}</ref> And in the year 2023 the United States saw zero BASE fatalities.<ref>{{cite web |title=United States BFL Statistics |url=https://bfl.baseaddict.com/list#BFL |website=BASE Fatality List |access-date=28 November 2024}}</ref> A study of BASE jumping fatalities estimated that the overall annual fatality risk in 2002 was one fatality per 60 participants.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Westman |first=A |author2=Rosen, M |author3=Berggren, P |author4=Bjornstig, U |title=Parachuting from fixed objects: descriptive study of 106 fatal events in BASE jumping 1981–2006 |journal=British Journal of Sports Medicine |date=7 April 2008 |volume=42 |issue=6 |pages=431–436 |doi=10.1136/bjsm.2008.046565 |pmid=18523039 |s2cid=22586192 |url=http://bjsportmed.com/content/42/6/431.abstract |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301214219/http://bjsportmed.com/content/42/6/431.abstract |archive-date=1 March 2012 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> A study of 20,850 BASE jumps from the [[Kjerag|Kjerag Massif]] in Norway reported nine fatalities over the 11-year period from 1995 to 2005, or one in every 2,317 jumps.<ref name="Soreide 2007 1113–7">{{cite journal| last1=Soreide| first1=K| last2=Ellingsen |first2=CL |last3=Knutson |first3=V|title=How dangerous is BASE jumping? An analysis of adverse events in 20,850 jumps from the Kjerag Massif, Norway|journal=The Journal of Trauma|date=May 2007|volume=62|issue=5|pages=1113–7| pmid=17495709|doi=10.1097/01.ta.0000239815.73858.88}}</ref><ref name="Risk of Dying">{{cite web| url=http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/sports.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904102144/http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/sports.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-04 |title=Risk of dying and sporting activities |publisher=Medicine.ox.ac.uk |date=2003-05-26 |access-date=2014-02-04 }}</ref> However, at that site, one in every 254 jumps over that period resulted in a nonfatal accident.<ref name="Soreide 2007 1113–7"/> BASE jumping is one of the most dangerous recreational activities in the world, with a fatality and injury rate 43 times higher than that of parachuting from a plane.<ref name="Soreide 2007 1113–7"/><ref name="Risk of Dying" /> | Recent statistics reflect improved safety during the modern era of the activity. The 2024 Bridge Day Event which saw the participation of 325 BASE jumpers completing 755 BASE jumps resulted in zero jumper injuries, in contrast to two non-jumper related medical transports from the same event.<ref>{{cite web |title=What are the safety stats for the one day of permitted BASE jumping that takes place in a United States National Park? |url=https://baseaccess.org/faq |website=BASE Access |access-date=28 November 2024}}</ref> And in the year 2023 the United States saw zero BASE fatalities.<ref>{{cite web |title=United States BFL Statistics |url=https://bfl.baseaddict.com/list#BFL |website=BASE Fatality List |access-date=28 November 2024}}</ref>. There have been no rescues related to BASE jumping in the past four years in Yosemite National Park despite it being one of the highest volume locations for wingsuit flying in the United States<ref>{{cite web |title=BASE Jumpers took an illegal leap during the government shutdown|url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/base-jumping-is-illegal-in-national-parks-yet-thrill-seekers-jump-from-el-cap-every-year-how/|access-date=25 December 2025}}</ref>. | ||
Data from the earliest pre-2010 era of BASE jumping reflects greater risk. A study of BASE jumping fatalities estimated that the overall annual fatality risk in 2002 was one fatality per 60 participants.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Westman |first=A |author2=Rosen, M |author3=Berggren, P |author4=Bjornstig, U |title=Parachuting from fixed objects: descriptive study of 106 fatal events in BASE jumping 1981–2006 |journal=British Journal of Sports Medicine |date=7 April 2008 |volume=42 |issue=6 |pages=431–436 |doi=10.1136/bjsm.2008.046565 |pmid=18523039 |s2cid=22586192 |url=http://bjsportmed.com/content/42/6/431.abstract |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301214219/http://bjsportmed.com/content/42/6/431.abstract |archive-date=1 March 2012 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> A study of 20,850 BASE jumps from the [[Kjerag|Kjerag Massif]] in Norway reported nine fatalities over the 11-year period from 1995 to 2005, or one in every 2,317 jumps.<ref name="Soreide 2007 1113–7">{{cite journal| last1=Soreide| first1=K| last2=Ellingsen |first2=CL |last3=Knutson |first3=V|title=How dangerous is BASE jumping? An analysis of adverse events in 20,850 jumps from the Kjerag Massif, Norway|journal=The Journal of Trauma|date=May 2007|volume=62|issue=5|pages=1113–7| pmid=17495709|doi=10.1097/01.ta.0000239815.73858.88}}</ref><ref name="Risk of Dying">{{cite web| url=http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/sports.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904102144/http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/sports.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-04 |title=Risk of dying and sporting activities |publisher=Medicine.ox.ac.uk |date=2003-05-26 |access-date=2014-02-04 }}</ref> However, at that site, one in every 254 jumps over that period resulted in a nonfatal accident.<ref name="Soreide 2007 1113–7"/> BASE jumping is one of the most dangerous recreational activities in the world, with a fatality and injury rate 43 times higher than that of parachuting from a plane.<ref name="Soreide 2007 1113–7"/><ref name="Risk of Dying" /> | |||
{{As of|2023|01|04}}, the BASE Fatality List records 480 deaths for BASE jumping since April 1981.<ref name="fatal-list">{{cite web |url=https://bfl.baseaddict.com/list |title=BASE Fatality List |access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref> | {{As of|2023|01|04}}, the BASE Fatality List records 480 deaths for BASE jumping since April 1981.<ref name="fatal-list">{{cite web |url=https://bfl.baseaddict.com/list |title=BASE Fatality List |access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref> | ||
| Line 126: | Line 130: | ||
{{Commons category|BASE jumping}} | {{Commons category|BASE jumping}} | ||
* [https://archive.today/20130118061503/http://bjsportmed.com/cgi/content/abstract/42/6/431 Parachuting from fixed objects: descriptive study of 106 fatal events in BASE jumping 1981–2006] | * [https://archive.today/20130118061503/http://bjsportmed.com/cgi/content/abstract/42/6/431 Parachuting from fixed objects: descriptive study of 106 fatal events in BASE jumping 1981–2006] | ||
* [http://www.tmba.tv/broadcastanimation/stunt-junkies/wingsuit-base-jump/ Luigi Cani | * [http://www.tmba.tv/broadcastanimation/stunt-junkies/wingsuit-base-jump/ Luigi Cani BASE jumps off a cliff] | ||
* [http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=basejump&redirected=true A Sport to Die For] ESPN, Michael Abrams | * [http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=basejump&redirected=true A Sport to Die For] ESPN, Michael Abrams | ||
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140529085749/http://surfandshare.com/worlds-first-base-jumping-dog-plunge-sky-name-whisper/ First Dog Ever To BaseJump] | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140529085749/http://surfandshare.com/worlds-first-base-jumping-dog-plunge-sky-name-whisper/ First Dog Ever To BaseJump] | ||
| Line 141: | Line 145: | ||
[[Category:Outdoor recreation]] | [[Category:Outdoor recreation]] | ||
[[Category:Parachuting]] | [[Category:Parachuting]] | ||
[[Category:Extreme sports]] | |||