Author: Nate Damm

  • 6 BASE Jumpers To Watch In 2015

    6 BASE Jumpers To Watch In 2015

    Get ready everyone, because 2015 is looking like it will be an especially exciting year in the world of BASE jumping, and the world’s most talented BASE athletes are preparing themselves for a seriously epic jump season. Here are six athletes to follow so you don’t miss a thing.

    1) Cedric Dumont

    Cedric Dumont is a full time member of the Red Bull team, and one of the most highly respected and experienced athletes in the BASE jumping community. With that said, Dumont’s talents extend much farther than his skills in the sky, as he is fluent in five languages, is an expert in sports psychology, and has a successful speaking career.

    See Dumont in action:

    Where to follow along:

    Website: CedricDumont.com
    Facebook:     Cedric Dumont Fan Page
    Twitter:     @CedSkywalker

    2) Felix Baumgartner

    This is a guy who does a little bit of everything, and he always does it in the most epic way possible. The most extreme example of this is when Baumgartner completed a record-shattering skydive from 21 miles above the earth in 2012 as the world watched in awe. It was during that legendary jump that he became the only human being in history to break the sound barrier without the help of vehicular power. Not to mention that he has set the world record for the highest BASE jump off a building not once, but twice.

    See Baumgartner in action:

    Where to follow along…

    Website: Felix Baumgartner Red Bull Profile
    Facebook: Felix Baumgartner Fan Page

    3) Ellen Brennan

    Ellen Brennan has completed over 600 BASE jumps, both wingsuit and slider down jumps, and is also an avid rock climber and paraglider. After finding that her passion was jumping and flying when she began jumping out of hot air balloons at age 18, Brennan pursued her favorite sports full time, and is now known as the fastest flying woman in the world after her amazing performance at the World BASE Race in Norway.

    See Brennan in action:

    Where to follow along:

    Website: Ellen-Brennan.com
    Facebook: Ellen Brennan Fan Page
    Twitter: @EllenLBrennan

    4) Chris McDougall

    For nearly two decades, Chris McDougall has been pushing himself to become among the elite BASE jumpers in the world, and he has certainly succeeded at that. Commonly referred to as “Douggs”, McDougall has completed over 2,600 BASE jumps in 38 countries, is an author, and also offers one of the most popular First Jump Courses in the world, in which he personally instructs new BASE jumpers.

    See McDougall in action:

    Where to follow along…

    Website: BASEDreams.com
    Facebook: Chris McDougall Fan Page

    5) Jokke Sommer

    Jokke Sommer specializes in wingsuit flying, but like a lot of BASE jumpers he’s also involved in many other extreme sports, especially motocross. After finding a sudden passion for skydiving in 2007, Sommer quickly completed his required jumps and became licensed, then used that knowledge to transition into a BASE jumping career. Several years later, he has earned himself a well-deserved place among the world’s BASE jumping elite and continues to wow fans through his incredible talents in the air.

    See Sommer in action:

    Where to follow along…

    Website: JokkeSommer.com
    Facebook: Jokke Sommer Fan Page

    6) Clair Marie

    Clair Marie established herself as one of the most talented women in BASE jumping very quickly after she began completing jumps, even at the young age of 16. She began rock climbing as a kid, and her love for outdoor extreme sports only grew from there. Marie is now a professional BASE jumper and skydiver, works as a stunt person in movies and on television, and has a successful modeling career.

    See Marie in action:

    Where to follow along…

    Website: BASEGirl.com
    Facebook: Clair Marie Fan Page
    Twitter: @theBASEgirl

    So there you have it. Follow these world class BASE athletes in 2015 and you’re sure to see a ton of exciting things happen. Here’s to a great 2015 in BASE jumping!

  • The 9 Best BASE Jumping Videos Of All Time

    The 9 Best BASE Jumping Videos Of All Time

    We’ve taken a long look around the web and located the best and most thrilling BASE jumping videos ever uploaded. From high budget, highly involved film projects to basic DIY helmet cam footage, the videos below will give you all the BASE jumping inspiration you will need.

    Record Jump From Burj Khalifa

    This is incredible footage of a record setting jump completed by Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet from the top of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building.

    Best of BASE

    This ‘Best Of’ video features some of the best BASE jumpers in the world, including Jokke Sommer, Jeb Corliss, Espen Fadnes, and Alexander Polli, and includes jaw-dropping footage from locations all over the globe.

    World Record Mt. Everest BASE Jump

    This may be the most obvious choice for this list, and for good reason! Watch Valery Rozov complete his record-setting wingsuit BASE jump from the north face of Mt. Everest, as he leaps from 23,688 feet above sea level. It’s hard to imagine that Rozov’s record of highest BASE jump in history will be beaten any time soon, if ever.

    Pure Joy On Baffin Island

    Baffin Island is one of the wildest BASE jumping locations on earth. We love this video from Melissa Andrezjewski and Chris McNamara, showing their leaps from one of the island’s gigantic faces. No music, no frills, just pure adrenaline and gorgeous scenery. Listen for that emphatic celebration at the end… pure joy.

    Become A BASE Jumper In 60 Days

    Experienced adventurer Joby Ogwyn shares the process he went through over a sixty day period to become a BASE jumper. Fascinating stuff. Experience the process from the initial training to his first official jump.

    10 Incredible BASE Jump Exits

    This video covers some of the most daring and extreme BASE jumps ever captured on film, featuring locations in Chile, Turkey, Switzerland, Kuwait, Greece, and more, with jumps completed by many of the world’s most famous BASE athletes.

    BASE Dreams U.S.A.

    A great installment of Chris “Douggs” McDougall’s BASE Dreams series, featuring jump locations all across the United States and thrilling exits from the always entertaining BASE Dreams team.

    My First 100 BASE Jumps

    The sheer dedication needed to make a video like this is amazing. Christoph Dittmer provides a jump-by-jump storyline of his first 100 BASE jumps, hard landings and all (wait for 7:07 in the video, ouch).

    Experience Freedom

    And last but definitely not least, this video includes quite a bit of skydiving footage, so it’s not totally BASE, but that simply doesn’t matter once you take a look. The camera and editing work in this video is some of the most beautiful we’ve ever come across. It’s definitely goosebump-worthy stuff.

  • Our Favorite (Illegal) BASE Jumping Locations

    Our Favorite (Illegal) BASE Jumping Locations

    The legality of BASE jumping is something that has been an issue for lovers of the sport since day one. While virtually any surface high enough off the ground for a safe jump can serve as a place to BASE jump, many jumpers often run into trouble with the law and end up with citations, permanent bans from certain areas, or even some time in jail.

    While there are certainly a lot of great places where BASE jumping is allowed, some of the best jump locations in the world are officially illegal to use, causing determined jumpers to conveniently ignore the law and go for their jumps anyway. We’ve listed a few of our favorite illegal places to BASE jump below.

    El Capitan

    El Capitan is arguably the most recognizable huge rock face in America, and is where the first BASE jumps ever took place in 1966. Located in the legendary Yosemite National Park in California, this giant monolith offers daring BASE jumpers are 3,000 foot vertical drop. BASE jumping is strictly prohibited in all U.S. national parks, but that doesn’t stop some athletes from taking a leap off the famed wall.

    Mount Thor

    Mount Thor is a seriously epic mountain located on Canada’s Baffin Island, within the limits of Auyuittuq National Park. The mountain features the greatest vertical drop on the planet at 4,101 feet.

    The Cave Of Swallows

    Featuring the largest cave shaft in the world, the Cave Of Swallows in Mexico is a popular place for tourists and adventure sports enthusiasts alike. BASE jumping is officially not allowed, but many jumps have taken place at the cave, which offers up a truly one-of-a-kind 1,092 foot freefall into the earth.

    Troll Wall

    The Troll Wall is the highest point on the imposing Troll Peaks, which are located along the Norwegian coast, and is the tallest face of vertical rock in Europe with a 3,600 foot drop.

    Trango Towers

    In 1992, BASE jumpers Glenn Singleman and Nic Feteris set a world record for the highest starting elevation for a BASE jump, and they did it from the top of the Trango Towers in Pakistan at a dizzying 19,537 feet. Their record stood for over a decade. The Trango peaks are some of the most sought after climbing and adventuring destinations in the world.

    Burj Khalifa

    Several permitted BASE jumps have taken place at Burj Khalifa, including the record setting 2,717 foot drop by Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet from the top of the tower in 2014, while a handful of other jumps have been completed outside the limits of the law. Some athletes have even entered the building in disguise in order to gain access!

    These are just a few of the best illegal BASE jumping locations in the world. As awareness about BASE jumping continues to grow and athletes forge ahead by pushing their limits and educating the public about the sport through their perpetual epicness, we can only hope that more and more legal jump locations continue to open up across the globe. Maybe even some of the locations above will be open to all BASE athletes someday!