BASE Jump in "National Geographic Adventure"

[JohnRich 4]

"National Geographic Adventure" magazine had a small photo of a wingsuit BASE jumper in their most recent edition.

You can see a video of the jump here, featuring Dean Potter, voted "adventurer of the year" for 2009:
http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/best-of-adventure/dean-potter-video

Quote:

"Last August rock climber Dean Potter leapt off the Eiger in Switzerland wearing only a wingsuit. He flew nearly four miles in two minutes and 50 seconds, a record."

The clip includes a scene where he walks out on a tightrope spanning a canyon wearing a BASE rig, and when half-way across, he jumps off.

[pchapman 261]

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wearing only a wingsuit.

Wow.
Only a wingsuit, the news says.

C'mon, if you aren't going to take a parachute along, at least put on a pair of clean underwear.

[Andy_Copland 0]

If you enjoy his stuff you should check out "The Sharp End." He has a segment in there about his slack line BASE jumping and free climbing. Personally i think the guy is inspiring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rX2v3f4G7U

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[Halfpastniner 0]

+1. Everyone go check out the sharp end. It will change your life!

BASE 1384

[skydiver604 0]

Another guy who was an inspiration for speed climbing and rope jumping (i think that's what it is called) is Dan Osman (sorry if this is a repost)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Gf7Quc0Ws

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

[billeisele 122]

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Another guy who was an inspiration for speed climbing and rope jumping (i think that's what it is called) is Dan Osman (sorry if this is a repost)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Gf7Quc0Ws

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[mjosparky 3]

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Another guy who was an inspiration for speed climbing and rope jumping (i think that's what it is called) is Dan Osman (sorry if this is a repost)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Gf7Quc0Ws

He may have been an inspiration but I wonder what his daughter thinks about the whole thing.

Sparky

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Osman

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[skydiver604 0]

yeah, considering he died and left the daughter an orphan maybe this wasn't a good example. however he was an inspiration for me to get into skydiving.

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

[mjosparky 3]

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yeah, considering he died and left the daughter an orphan maybe this wasn't a good example. however he was an inspiration for me to get into skydiving.

That's cool.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[gixxer1k 0]

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yeah, considering he died and left the daughter an orphan maybe this wasn't a good example. however he was an inspiration for me to get into skydiving.

people die every day in tragic events, if a parent dies in the pursuit of something they love it is sad but that does not constitute a tragedy in my opinion... and two the daughter has a mother, she is not a little orphan Anny.

[mjosparky 3]

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yeah, considering he died and left the daughter an orphan maybe this wasn't a good example. however he was an inspiration for me to get into skydiving.

people die every day in tragic events, if a parent dies in the pursuit of something they love it is sad but that does not constitute a tragedy in my opinion... and two the daughter has a mother, she is not a little orphan Anny.

There is a pretty good rebuttal to your “opinion”, having something to do with responsibility but my guess is it would fall on deaf ears.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[tdog 0]

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You can see a video of the jump here, featuring Dean Potter, voted "adventurer of the year" for 2009:
http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/best-of-adventure/dean-potter-video

Quote:

"Last August rock climber Dean Potter leapt off the Eiger in Switzerland wearing only a wingsuit. He flew nearly four miles in two minutes and 50 seconds, a record."

Well, his BASE rig is custom made out of light weight fabric with no metal hardware (chest strap tied in a knot, leg straps sewn permanently to his leg size) - so at about 6 pounds, it could almost be as if he did not have a rig on.

This makes me smile. Dean is a good guy. I have jumped with him at Twin Falls and in Switzerland. I remember when he was just learning to skydive actually.

Watching him fly off the Eiger Mushroom - and basically fly to the point his canopy opening was so far in the distance you could barely recognise it as a canopy - was absolutely awesome. But he was not happy, he did not make it to the next valley which was his goal...

The Mushroom is a rather intense hike/climb to get to, not epic, but about 2 hours of steep rocks and one or two somewhat technical areas. Most of our group was rather tired after the hike. Dean looked up and said, "the weather's great, see ya later." (Normally the clouds come in on the north face around lunch time, it's a 1 jump a day sort of site, but this day the weather was allowing 2)

He said he would pack his rig half way up at this little cave area as he would know if the weather was holding out by then, and sprinted up the Eiger to do jump it again.

That night he came back to the Horner with a smile saying he broke his own record and flew to another city/valley by flying a slightly modified line... And in a rare case of quasi-defeat, he said, "I am tired."

I don't know if that was the day he broke the record quoted above, or if he flew farther after we left a week later - but either way, watching Dean fly is impressive. He is blessed with a tall body with above average surface area, and is super thin. Couple that with a good wingsuit and above average athletic skills - and he is the "perfect guy" to go far with a wingsuit. Next time you see him - take a look at his hands. They have more surface area than some skydiver's whole body (ok, an exaggeration, but they are huge).