 |
Ski-BASE jumping is the recreational sport of skiing at a high speed off of a cliff or mountain and free-falling through the air, using a parachute to descend to the ground, therefore combining the two sports of skiing and BASE jumping. Participants often perform tricks or manoeuvres during the freefall and remove their skis mid-air in order to safely deploy the parachute and land. [1]
Contents
Ski-BASE jumping is different from other forms of parachuting or BASE jumping as it requires an advanced skiing ability alongside traditional BASE jumping skills. BASE jumping is largely executed in alpine conditions, and is considered a highly dangerous sport. [2]
- The first ski-BASE jump was performed by Rick Sylvester on January 30, 1972 at a cliff face located in Yosemite, El Capitan, California. [3] The jump location was situated 3,200 feet above the valley floor. The jump was filmed by a camera crew and featured within a film titled Earth Rider, which starred Sylvester's jump. [3]
- In 1976, Sylvester performed another ski-BASE jump in Mount Asgard as a stunt double in the July 1976 James Bond film 'The Spy Who Loved Me', starring Roger Moore. The stunt was completed only once due to bad weather, with a single camera successfully capturing suitable footage for the film. [4] The stunt formed part of the opening scene of the film with a running time of 2 minutes 41 seconds.
- In 1991 French jumper Jean René Gayvallet was then the first to Ski-Base, slider-up, no PC hand held and no release system on his skis. He jumped different spot around Chamonix area (France). He then also jumped the North Face of Eiger (Switzerland) in November the same year and was already performing huge front flip which was at the time a big step done in the sport. In 1993 and 1994 his jumps were part of the opening scene of a TV series " Extrem " and can be seen also in TV commercial spot like Mountain Dew, Pepsi Max, Nordica, Ford. Jean René Gayvallet is also a SAG member as stunt man and worked on Movies like "Terminal Velocity".
- In 2003, professional skier Shane McConkey ski-BASE jumped from the cliff "Lover's Leap" in Lake Tahoe, California. [5] Later that year McConkey executed another ski-BASE jump in Bella Coola, British Columbia. [6]
- On April 21, 2004, freestyle skiers Shane McConkey and J.T Holmes ski-BASE jumped from La Clusaz. [7] McConkey and Holmes further pioneered the sport by ski-BASE jumping from the Eiger North Face in Switzerland in 2004. [8] McConkey performed a double-flip prior to releasing his parachute. [9] This jump was featured in 2015 as part of the 60 Minutes documentary "Taking on the Eiger". [10]
- On February 25, 2007 Shane McConkey performed the first ski-BASE jump using a wingsuit, at Gridsetskolten, Norway. This pioneered the sport of wingsuit ski-BASE jumping. [6] During that year McConkey also ski-BASE jumped off of the Silver Legacy hotel in Reno, Nevada. [11]
- In 2011, French skier Matthias Giraud executed a ski-BASE jump in the French Alps. [12] During the jump, Giraud triggered an avalanche behind him. The jump was filmed by photographer Stefan Laude using a GoPro Hero camera. [13] Giraud's achievements are listed on his website www.superfrenchie.com [14] wherein he is accredited as the first person to: ski-BASE jump off Mt Hood in Oregon, ski-BASE jump off Engineer Mountain in Silverton, Colorado, ski-BASE jump off Aiguille Croche in Megeve, France, ski-BASE jump off Ajax Peak in Telluride, Colorado, ski-BASE jump off Ingram Peak in Telluride, Colorado, ski-BASE jump off Petite Balm in Tignes, France, ski-BASE jump off Castle Rock in Durango, Colorado, and ski-BASE jumped off Point d'Areu in France. [15]
- In 2011, professional BASE jumper Erik Roner performed the first ski-BASE jump in Macedonia. The jump is featured in season 4 episode 8 of the Behind the Line series. [16]
- In 2012, Red Bull Media House and Matchstick Productions released the documentary History of Ski Base as part of the series Ultimate Rush , produced by Murray Wais and Steve Winter. [17] The episode primarily features ski-BASE jumpers Shane McConkey and J.T Holmes.
- In 2014, professional freestyle skier Mike Wilson executed a ski-BASE jump from the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho. [18] The jump was performed during summer and required ice to be imported in order to create the ramp. [18] Wilson performed a railing grind along the barrier of the bridge prior to the jump. He executed the jump twice, after slipping and falling the first time due to a technical error. [19] The jump was filmed by company Stept Productions for the action film 'Mutiny'. [20]
- Norwegian freestyle skier Karina Hollekim is considered to be the first female to perform a ski-BASE jump. [21] Her father was a Norwegian ski instructor. [22] The American female skier Suz Graham is also currently recognized as one of the only active females to participate in the sport. [23] Graham has performed over 25 ski-BASE jumps. [24] She has also featured as a stunt double performing a ski-BASE jump for the music video "Winter Game" by Japanese band Girl Next Door. [24]
- Alaskan athlete Pryce Brown ski-BASE jumped from the Stawamus Chief, British Columbia, on December 26, 2015. [25] The granite cliff is situated 2,303 feet above ground.
- In March 2018, BASE jumpers Richard Grove, Mike Bickley and Miles Daisher ski-BASE jumped from the Rock Springs Buttress outside of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. [26] The jump was filmed by Tim Schwartz using GoPro and drone cameras. [26]
- French skier Matthias Giraud achieved the record of the highest ski-BASE jump, on June 24, 2019. [27] Matthais skied from Mont Blanc, situated in the Western European Alps and 4,359 metres above sea level. [28]
- In March 2022, BASE jumpers Jesse Hall, Mark Ortiz, Adam Milhouse, Richard Grove, Logan Johnson, Austin Hollingshead, E-Rach Donovan, and Orion Remaniak performed ski-BASE jumpers in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest at the first ever @jessehallskibase Invitational.
