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The first time I heard the term BASE jumping I knew it had been too long since my last attendance of a Major League baseball game. I have always known about stealing bases but jumping them? Well, I have since found out BASE jumping has absolutely nothing to do with baseball. Instead, BASE is an acronym for Building, Antennae, Span, Earth; these being the fixed objects enthusiasts jump from.
BASE-jumping is simply the sport of jumping from one of the above-mentioned fixed objects instead of a plane and using a parachute to (hopefully) reach the ground safely. Every once in a while the news broadcasts will make mention of a man or woman who on that day jumped from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park or the Golden Gate Bridge, World Trade Center, Eiffel Tower, and a host of other places. In most cases the jumper is charged with a misdemeanor violation while others actually spend time in jail.
While many think of BASE jumping as a “new” sport, the first time a parachute was used to leap from a building was when Stefan Banic, a Slovak inventor tested a prototype of a parachute he had designed and constructed. His testing procedure was to leap from a forty-one story building in Washington, D.C. Mr. Banic patented his new invention and began testing them by jumping out of airplane. The year was 1914 and Banic’s parachute became standard equipment for U.S. pilots during the First World War.
Stefan Banic was the first to conceive the parachute idea though. Some five hundred years ago, a famous artist, sculptor and inventor by the name of Leonardo De Vinci made a sketch of a device he was thinking of. On Tuesday, June 27, 2000 his idea was put to the test at 13:04 GMT. Against all the odds given by the “experts,” De Vinci’s 187 pound parachute made of wood and canvas was dropped by a hot air balloon and landed its human cargo, Adrian Nichols, safely to ground in Mpumalanga, South Africa
It wouldn’t be until the 1970’s that BASE-jumping would take off as an actual sport that had enthusiasts from around the world.
The Royal George Bridge was first jumped from in 1975 by Don Boyles and in 1976; Owen Quinn took a dive off the World Trade Center. The first LEAGAL BASE jumping from El Capitan was in 1978 and the first magazine devoted to the sport was available in 1981.
BASE-jumping is a dangerous sport but that is one of its charms. There are many who would consider the BASE-jumping enthusiasts to be crazy for taking such risks with their lives. At the same time, I am sure the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindberg, Amelia Earhart and Chuck Yeager heard the same but where would aviation be today if not for these “crazy” people? How about the first astronauts such as John Glen, Neil Armstrong and Gus Grissom? I am also sure that Stefan Banic received many such comments concerning is “parachute” idea.
BASE-jumping authorities suggest several safety items (besides their parachute and containers) to be used and/or taken during ANY jump. All jumpers, regardless of their experience or skill level, should use or have these with them.
1. Helmets – A “brain bucket” can make the difference between life and death in any extreme sport. Considering the attempts to get children to use a helmet while riding around the block on a bicycle to prevent severe injuries and head trauma, think for a moment what type of damage you could do to yours jumping from a height of three to four thousand feet and dropping at one hundred miles per hour.
2. Shoes and Ankle Protection – Your feet are the first thing to touch the ground (as long as your parachute works correctly) and the type of foot wear you have may not eradicate the chance of broken heels or legs but it can help to reduce the risk. Nike and Reebok didn’t intend their cross trainers to be used to jump off a hundred story building.
3. First Aid Kit – This may take up a little bit of room but when you might end up injured some 800 feet from the ground on a narrow outcropping of the cliff you just jumped from, it may be all you have for quite sometime as you wait for medical assistance to come.
4. Altitude Detection Device – It would be a sad thing to find out after you have jumped from a place you don’t have the altitude necessary to give your parachute time to deploy and land you safely.
5. Radio or Cell Phone – You may not be planning on making a telephone call on the trip down but they come in awfully handy when you are preparing to jump and wondering about the conditions down below. One of these may also be your savior if the jump goes bad and you need help.
6. There is also a wide variety of miscellaneous equipment you may want to have on hand. A few of these are knee and elbow pads, ankle wraps, compasses and goggles.
For those wondering where they could experience this type of sport, there are several excellent magazines available, which will give clues as to the best jumping places. For those that like to travel, you will find the sport popular not only in the US and Britain, but also in Norway, Mexico, France, Brazil, Italy, South Africa and more than likely, in any other country in the world.
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