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Ski-BASE Jumping

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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. Ski-BASE jumping combines 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]


Ski-BASE Jumping - Glen Anderson

Ski-BASE jumping is different to other forms of parachuting or BASE-jumping as it requires an advanced skiing ability alongside traditional BASE jumping skills. Such BASE jumps are largely executed in alpine conditions, and it is considered a highly dangerous extreme sport.[2]

History and Notable Jumps

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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.[4]

In 1976, Sylvester performed another ski-BASE jump in Mount Asgard, Canada 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, with a single camera successfully capturing suitable footage for the film.[5] The stunt formed part of the opening scene of the film with a running time of 2 minutes 41 seconds.

In 2003, professional skier Shane McConkey ski-BASE jumped from the cliff 'Lover's Leap' in Lake Tahoe, California.[6] Later that year McConkey executed another ski-BASE jump in Bella Coola, British Columbia.[7]

On April 21, 2004, freestyle skiers Shane McConkey and J.T Holmes ski-BASE jumped from La Clusaz, France.[8] McConkey and Holmes skier further pioneered the sport by ski-BASE jumping from the Eiger North Face, Switzerland in 2004.[9] McConkey performed a double-flip prior to releasing his parachute.[10] This jump was featured in 2015 as part of the 60 Minutes documentary 'Taking on the Eiger'.[11]

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.'[12] During that year McConkey also ski-BASE jumped off of the Silver Legacy Hotel in Reno, Nevada.[13]

In 2012, Red Bull Media House and Matchstick Productions released the documentary 'History of Ski Base' as part of the series Ultimate Rush. It was produced by Murray Wais and Steve Winter and has a running time of 23 minutes.[14] The episode primarily featured ski-BASE jumpers Shane McConkey and J.T Holmes.

Norwegian freestyle skier Karina Hollekim is considered to be the first female to perform a ski-BASE jump.[15] American female skier Suz Graham is also recognized as one of the only females to participate in the sport.[16]

Alaskan athlete Pryce Brown ski-BASE jumped from the Stawamus Chief, British Columbia in December 26, 2015.[17] The granite cliff is situated 2,303 feet above ground.

French skier Matthais Giraud achieved the record of the highest ski-BASE jump on June 24, 2019.[18] Matthais skied from Mont Blanc, situated in the Western European Alps and 4359 metres above sea level.[19]

Equipment

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Ski-BASE jumping usually requires the following equipment:

  • Mountaineering tools to assist with reaching the slope. (A helicopter may also be used to access inaccessible areas)[20]
  • Ski equipment: skis, poles, helmet, clothing. The skiing equipment also often requires a specialised mechanism to allow the automatic release of the skis to prevent the skier becoming flipped upside down during free-fall.[21]
  • BASE jumping equipment: BASE container and BASE parachutes. BASE jumping typically involves a single parachute, as it is considered to be a safer and less complex system than accomodating a reserve parachute.[22] BASE containers are used to secure the parachute around the back of the participant and cost between $1000 and $1500 USD.[23] BASE parachutes or canopies are eject from the container to assist with landing and cost over $2500 USD.[24]
  • In order to begin participating in ski-BASE jumping, interested participants usually are required to gain necessary skills by completing a number of skydives in order to learn to fly and a control a parachute. This allows for practicing using relevant equipment where the margin of error is greater than in a standard BASE jump.[25]

Fatalities

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Whilst no studies have been performed concerning the mortality rate within the sport of ski-BASE jumping, a 2002 study of the fatality risk for BASE-jumping estimates a death rate of 1 per 60 participants.[26]

Famous pioneer of ski-BASE jumping Shane McConkey died in an accident during a ski-BASE jump at the mountain Sass Pordoi in the Dolomites, Italy in 2009 when he was unable to release his skis before deploying his parachute.[27] The mountain was 600 metres above ground level and located next to the renowned ski resort of Corvora. After performing a double-back flip from the cliff face, he was flipped upside down due to a technical issue with releasing his skis. McConkey was unable to release the parachute prior to reaching the ground.[28] He was 39 years old. McConkey had already BASE-jumped the same cliff the year before and was yet to attempt a ski-BASE jump from the mountain.[29]

A subsequent documentary outlining his life and death was released in 2013, titled McConkey. The documentary premiered in April 2013 at the Tribeca Film Festival.[30] In an interview recorded close to the time of his death, McConkey described his experience with ski-BASE jumping as 'I'm getting maximum enjoyment out of life and I'll never stop.'[31]

Ski-BASE jumper Eric Roner also perished whilst performing a ski-BASE jump in Lake Tahoe, California in 2015.[32]

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The primary legal issue of ski-BASE jumping is related to its the legality of performing such a jump within particular locations.

The application to perform the first ski-BASE jump at the Yosemite Valley was rejected by National Park authorities who banned participants from using the space.[33] They illegally skied against the orders of the National Park in order to complete the jump.[34] The jump was performed at 11am on January 30, 1972 and required a helicopter to airlift the camera crew and skiers to the slope. A large orange banner had also been placed on the valley floor in order to mark the landing position for Rick Sylvester. Although the crew had been threatened with imprisonment prior to completing the stunt, they were never caught.[35]

Since 1979, over 6,000 illegal jumps have been performed in and around the Yosemite National Park.[36]

Ski-BASE Jumping is banned across all 55 US National Parks, with moderate fines enforced for trespassers.[37]

Filmography

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There are various films and documentaries that contain ski-BASE jumping. Some include:

  • McConkey (film)[38] McConkey was produced by Matchstick Productions and distributed by Red Bull Media House. It was released in 2013 and includes segments of interviews from famous athletes such as Tony Hawk. The documentary details the life and death of ski-BASE jumper Shane McConkey.
  • The Spy Who Loved Me. The Spy Who Loved Me is a 1977 film directed by Lewis Gilbert and produced by Eon Productions. It featured Rick Sylvester performing a ski-BASE jump from Mount Asgard, Canada as a stunt double for James Bond. The ski-BASE jump is included as part of the opening scene of the film.
  • History of Ski Base - Red Bull Ultimate Rush Season 1 Episode 7. The documentary episode is produced by Red Bull Media House and Matchstick Productions and focuses on the development of the ski-BASE jumping sport. The documentary notably focuses on the contributions of the two famous ski-BASE jumping participants JT Holmes and Shane McConkey.
  • 60 Minutes - Taking on the Eiger.[39] The 60 minutes documentary aired on November 29, 2015 and features ski-BASE jumper JT Holmes completing the first ski-BASE jump at the cliff face of the Eiger, Switzerland.
  • In 2007, Shane McConkey re-enacted the ski-BASE jumping opening scene from the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me and published the recording online.[40]

Reference List

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  1. ^ "How Extreme Skiing Works". HowStuffWorks. 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  2. ^ Rogge, Mike (2015-09-11). "Action Sports After Death". Vice. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  3. ^ www.tetongravity.com https://www.tetongravity.com/story/ski/hot-dog-the-legacy-the-story-of-the-first-base-jump-in-ski-history. Retrieved 2020-01-31. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ www.tetongravity.com https://www.tetongravity.com/story/ski/hot-dog-the-legacy-the-story-of-the-first-base-jump-in-ski-history. Retrieved 2020-01-31. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ "The 5 Best Bond Stunts – and the stories behind them". The Telegraph. 2015-10-08. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  6. ^ www.redbull.com https://www.redbull.com/au-en/episodes/history-of-ski-base-ultimate-rush-s01-e07. Retrieved 2020-02-01. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ History of Ski Base, retrieved 2020-02-01
  8. ^ www.redbull.com https://www.redbull.com/au-en/episodes/history-of-ski-base-ultimate-rush-s01-e07. Retrieved 2020-02-01. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ "The Eiger jump by JT Holmes". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  10. ^ "Subscribe to read | Financial Times". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  11. ^ "Taking on the Eiger". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  12. ^ History of Ski Base, retrieved 2020-02-01
  13. ^ "Shane McConkey movie by Red Bull, Matchstick premieres at Tribeca Fest". The Denver Post. 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  14. ^ www.redbull.com https://www.redbull.com/au-en/shows/ultimate-rush. Retrieved 2020-02-07. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ "Karina Hollekim Ski BASE Jumper By ProMotivate Speakers Agency". Promotivate. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  16. ^ "Suz Graham is world's lone female ski BASE jumper". X Games. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  17. ^ "Ski BASE jumping off The Squamish Chief might the craziest thing of 2015". Matador Network. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  18. ^ "Man Skis Off Mont Blanc Cliff and Lives". The Whiteroom. 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  19. ^ "Giraud bases the Mont Blanc". the black mail. 2019-08-06. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  20. ^ Mountain, The Inertia. "Matthias Giraud Tried to Ski-BASE Jump Off the Matterhorn and It Went Horribly Wrong". The Inertia. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  21. ^ "MSP: McConkey Never Threw His Chute". X Games. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  22. ^ "Asylum Designs -". www.asylumbase.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  23. ^ "BASE Jumping Containers: Summit, Summit Lite, TL2, DPw". Apex BASE. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  24. ^ "BASE Jumping Canopies: FLiK II, Lynx, Lobo, & Rook". Apex BASE. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  25. ^ "Asylum Designs -". www.asylumbase.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  26. ^ "Parachuting from fixed objects: descriptive study of 106 fatal events in BASE jumping 1981–2006 -- Westman et al. 42 (6): 431 -- British Journal of Sports Medicine". web.archive.org. 2012-03-01. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  27. ^ Carberry, Joe. "The Gnarliest Line Ever Skied". The Inertia. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  28. ^ "Subscribe to read | Financial Times". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  29. ^ "Shane McConkey's Lasting Legacy". Tahoe Quarterly. 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  30. ^ "Shane McConkey movie by Red Bull, Matchstick premieres at Tribeca Fest". The Denver Post. 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  31. ^ "Shane McConkey's Lasting Legacy". Tahoe Quarterly. 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  32. ^ Fitzgerald, Matt. "Erik Roner, Action Sports Athlete, Ski BASE Jumper, Dies at 39". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  33. ^ www.tetongravity.com https://www.tetongravity.com/story/ski/hot-dog-the-legacy-the-story-of-the-first-base-jump-in-ski-history. Retrieved 2020-02-07. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. ^ www.tetongravity.com https://www.tetongravity.com/story/ski/hot-dog-the-legacy-the-story-of-the-first-base-jump-in-ski-history. Retrieved 2020-01-31. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. ^ Dietzel, Christian W. "The Insane Story Of Skiing's First BASE Jump - Hot Dog! The Legacy". www.tetongravity.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  36. ^ "The Mag Archive: Frank Gambalie lived, died for BASE jumping". ESPN.com. 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  37. ^ "The Mag Archive: Frank Gambalie lived, died for BASE jumping". ESPN.com. 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  38. ^ "McConkey | Now Available". McConkey | Now Available. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  39. ^ "Taking on the Eiger". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  40. ^ "Subscribe to read | Financial Times". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
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