• Tandem BASE jumping will be available at Bridge Day 2011 for those with no parachuting experience.  We’re excited to offer this as countless spectators have expressed interest in it over the last decade.  I’m traveling to the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho to learn more about the system and take additional photos/videos.  The Perrine Bridge offers legal BASE jumping 24/7/365.
• We’re currently fabricating a human catapult that will hurl jumpers up 20′ and out 50′.  It should be ready for sandbag and human testing later this summer.  We’re hoping that the Bridge Day Commission will be as excited about this as we are.
• Our new Miva Merchant 5.5 web store is up and running after spending countless hours configuring it.
• Jumper headquarters has moved back to the Holiday Lodge Oak Hill and we’re excited.

That’s all for now.  Gearing up for another crazy July 1st at 2pm when jumper registration starts.

At least that wasn’t he case until Tandem BASE Jumping matured.

New life-size cutouts coming soon to Welcome Centers across the state Life-size “stand-in” cutouts of snowboarders will soon be available for the winter season at Welcome Centers across the state in the next couple of weeks. These cutouts offer a fun photo opportunity for visitors to capture their memories of the Mountain State. Summer cutouts include backgrounds with outdoor activities such as whitewater rafting and BASE jumping off of the New River Gorge Bridge. For a list of Welcome Centers, click here (http://www.wvtourism.com/spec.aspx?pgID=23).

This is very similar to what we had at the official BASE jumpers booth at Bridge Day 2008:

In the USA, it’s common to assume that other people are insuring your safety and well-being. For example, when you see a serious car accident, most of us assume that someone has already called 911. When you ride a roller coaster, you assume that the manufacturer has accounted for worst-case conditions with generous safety factors. And when you walk out onto the New River Gorge Bridge on Bridge Day, you assume that the WV Department of Highways has performed the appropriate calculations to insure the safety of all spectators.

While it’s unknown exactly how many spectators have been on the bridge at one time, my best guess would put the number at 20,000. BASE jumpers alone total more than 500 people near the jumper exit point at the center of the bridge. With 20,000 spectators mainly concentrated near the center of the bridge on the Northbound lanes, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that this is a unique asymmetrical load on the 31 year-old bridge. Before 9/11, spectators and motorists shared the bridge as four lanes of vehicular traffic became two for approximately ten hours. This arrangement permitted a more balanced weight distribution.

However, cars and trucks weigh quite a bit more than pedestrians. For example, a fully loaded semi-truck can max out at 80,000 lbs while a typical person weighs less than 175 lbs. Assuming that all spectators weigh 3,500,000 lbs (20,000 spectators times 175 lbs each), it would take only 44 fully loaded semi-trucks to equal this amount. With the New River Gorge Bridge at 3030′ long, I don’t believe it would be unreasonable to see this amount of loading. Of course, as a mechanical engineer, it’s in my blood to ponder things such as this.  At the next Bridge Day Commission meeting, I’ll speak with the DOH to see what calculations have been performed.  Nonetheless, having attended every Bridge Day since 1992, I’m confident and comfortable on top of the bridge (and you should be as well).  Just as long as we all don’t jump up and down at the same time…..

In the spirit of Bridge Day, I didn’t make a big deal of the situation. However, it’s all too common to see photo pirates attempting to justify the theft of a photographer’s hard work. Unauthorized users often report the incident as a “mistake” or a “mixup” of photos. With the proliferation of images posted on the internet and the ease of digitally transferring them, it’s become too easy for publishers to find the perfect unauthorized photo.

I have a simple solution to this problem that some people often overlook. It’s called “asking permission”. You’ll find that I’m very accommodating when people go through the proper channels and simply ask for permission before using my photos. After all, I’m here to promote Bridge Day and insure that the event is around for future generations to enjoy. If you see a photo on my website that would fit nicely on your new webpage or brochure, don’t hesitate to contact us.