Because kayaking isn't extreme enough, because it's on your list of resolutions or because you'd rather not actually get stuck in a ski gondola: The reasons to go BASE jumping this new year are plenty, and we've been hearing more and more about the insane sport recently.
In Whistler, two nuts leaped from the new Peak2Peak gondola, which is at its highest point more than 1,400 feet above the ground. Meanwhile, three jumpers in Minneapolis were nabbed by cops after they flung themselves from the 32-story-high Foshay Tower--and then returned to the building, now a W Hotel, to brag about the feat in the lobby bar.
But lest this trend seem too safe, an English jumper snagged his 'chute on a cliff face in Devon in December and had to be rescued by the local coast guards. While he was uninjured, authorities said a similar incident in 1996--when BASE jumping was truly cutting edge!--left a thrill seeker seriously hurt.
Related Stories:
· Base Jumpers Caught Bragging at the W Hotel [HC]
· Parachutist Caught on Cliff Face [BBC]
· Booming BASE, Phobics Need Not Apply [Jaunted]]]>
If this video whets your appetite to take a short leap off a tall object, you're probably not as afraid of heights as we are. Base jumpers leap from buildings, antennae, spans and earth with special suits, parachutes at the ready but unopened.
There are plenty of videos of jumps gone awry on YouTube, but the right shots capture a pure surge of adrenaline like nothing else. Do it safely by taking a three-day course with APEX Base in Twin Falls, Idaho, where they'll help you get the blood pumping safely.
Related Stories:
· APEX Base [Official Site]
· Summer Vacations with an Edge coverage [Jaunted]]]>