Most people think BASE jumpers are “crazy”. Deep down inside, I’ll assume they’re simply jealous. BASE jumpers realize their dreams by exploring human flight while the naysayers watch life pass them by, sinking deeper and deeper into the safety of their couch and remote control.
My name is Jason Bell (no relation to the guy on your left) and I’m a 36 year-old BASE jumper from Bridgeport, West Virginia. I was the 428th person in the world to make parachute jumps from a Bridge, Antenna, Span (bridge), and Earth (cliff), earning me BASE #428. I’m also the “Bridge Day BASE Jumping Coordinator” since 2002, a BASE jumper since 1993, a mechanical engineer, and father of two small children. This blog serves as an easier method for me to post my thoughts on the Bridge Day event, details of Bridge Day Commission (BDC) meetings, rants and raves about the media, details on the sport of BASE jumping, and anything else that I’d like to chat about. Perhaps you’ll find some interesting information here that wouldn’t normally be found elsewhere?
BASE jumping is a complex sport that is commonly misunderstood by the masses. Most people are taught that BASE jumping is dangerous by what they’ve seen on TV. How many times have you seen a story on all the successful BASE jumps we’ve made around the world? Fortunately, a few good people in Fayetteville, West Virginia realized that the excitement of seeing people jump off a perfectly good bridge can bring nearly 200,000 spectators to the area for the largest BASE jumping event in the world. BASE jumpers travel from all over the world for a small six hour jumping window, but the sport is very weather-dependent. Most jumpers would prefer a three-day weekend of BASE jumping from the hidden catwalk below the road deck. Jumpers can’t be seen my motorists and more money would be brought into the Fayetteville community. Did I mention that the nearly 1000 BASE jumpers and family members spend an estimated $500,000 dollars to attend Bridge Day each year?
I’ll leave you with the following quote from whitewater pioneer Jon Dragan, who said “why do they invite 200,000 spectators to Fayetteville and then wave goodbye to them six hours later?”