Burj Dubai BASE Jump
November 22, 2008 12:20 AM Subscribe
As they said, the shape of the building makes for a tricky base jump. Other than that it seemed pretty straight forward (said the coward from the safety of his comfy chair). When it comes to base jumping, a shorter fall in which one barely has time to deploy the chute is much more dangerous and unnerving than jumping off tall structures.
Oh, and I assume the guy whose face was blurred out is using a pseudonym? Because if that's his real name he probably won't be given a Saudi visa once he's vetted. That would effectively shut down his plan to jump off the 1,600 meter building which is currently under construction in the Kingdom.
posted by Devils Slide at 1:26 AM on November 22, 2008
Oh, and I assume the guy whose face was blurred out is using a pseudonym? Because if that's his real name he probably won't be given a Saudi visa once he's vetted. That would effectively shut down his plan to jump off the 1,600 meter building which is currently under construction in the Kingdom.
posted by Devils Slide at 1:26 AM on November 22, 2008
Is there anything the French cannot make boring? Sitting on a park bench! Climbing stairs! Talking about the weather! Philosophizing! Jumping off (not quite) the top of a building! Driving a car!
posted by nicwolff at 1:33 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by nicwolff at 1:33 AM on November 22, 2008
I like how they speak different languages but understand each other, sorta like Han Solo and Chewbacca.
posted by zardoz at 1:35 AM on November 22, 2008 [13 favorites]
posted by zardoz at 1:35 AM on November 22, 2008 [13 favorites]
The fact that they were able to hang out for a few hours makes me want to try to throw a renegade soundsystem party in the building before it's finished. That would be hard core.
posted by loquacious at 1:39 AM on November 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by loquacious at 1:39 AM on November 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Dang it! I've been spoiled by watching the documentary Man On Wire (previously) - - all these modern extreme skyscraper stunt dudes look like rank amateurs now...
posted by fairmettle at 2:05 AM on November 22, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by fairmettle at 2:05 AM on November 22, 2008 [4 favorites]
You know, I watched a lot of BASE jumps before I realized that BASE stood for anything.
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:28 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:28 AM on November 22, 2008
Children, before you think of jumping off great heights, consider the sad fate of one of the two men in this instructional video. His face was permanently blurred afterward.
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:40 AM on November 22, 2008 [9 favorites]
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:40 AM on November 22, 2008 [9 favorites]
What freaks me out about BASE jumping is the videos floating around the web that show what happens when the chute doesn't open or gets fouled.
posted by bwg at 4:54 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by bwg at 4:54 AM on November 22, 2008
What freaks me out about BASE jumping is the videos floating around the web that show what happens when the chute doesn't open or gets fouled.
A couple of years ago I watched a documentary about BASE jumping... not all the participants were alive by the end of it.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:09 AM on November 22, 2008
A couple of years ago I watched a documentary about BASE jumping... not all the participants were alive by the end of it.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:09 AM on November 22, 2008
In other Dubai Records, they had the world's biggest firework display this week, at the opening of the £750m Atlantis Hotel.
posted by gman at 5:13 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by gman at 5:13 AM on November 22, 2008
The idiots bloviate about a feeling of "total freedom" when in fact, they have relieved themselves of almost all elements of freedom by jumping. Your choices: 1) pull the cord or 2) die. That doesn't seem like a lot of freedom to me.
posted by notmtwain at 5:13 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by notmtwain at 5:13 AM on November 22, 2008
What is it with the French? It seems most of the batshit insane nutcases doing these kinds of things are French.
posted by schwa at 5:56 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by schwa at 5:56 AM on November 22, 2008
"I didn't know what would happen if something went wrong." (from the video in the first link)
Uhhhhhh.....
posted by nosila at 6:11 AM on November 22, 2008
Uhhhhhh.....
posted by nosila at 6:11 AM on November 22, 2008
In other Dubai Records, they had the world's biggest firework display this week, at the opening of the £750m Atlantis Hotel.
So that's where all our monies went.
posted by nosila at 6:12 AM on November 22, 2008
So that's where all our monies went.
posted by nosila at 6:12 AM on November 22, 2008
What floor would you have it on, loq? If the cops show up, would everyone have to bail in those flying fox suits?
posted by GeckoDundee at 6:13 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by GeckoDundee at 6:13 AM on November 22, 2008
schwa: What is it with the French? It seems most of the batshit insane nutcases doing these kinds of things are French.
I thought the same thing. Alain Robert (the human spider) is another one, although he doesn't appear to have climbed the Burj Dubai... yet.
posted by afx237vi at 6:13 AM on November 22, 2008
I thought the same thing. Alain Robert (the human spider) is another one, although he doesn't appear to have climbed the Burj Dubai... yet.
posted by afx237vi at 6:13 AM on November 22, 2008
Yeah, while watching it I though: 'I wonder if that French Spider-Man nutter has climbed it yet?"
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 6:35 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 6:35 AM on November 22, 2008
Base jumping is just probabilistic self-littering.
posted by srboisvert at 6:50 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by srboisvert at 6:50 AM on November 22, 2008
I'm super impressed that they did 150+ flights of stairs in an hour and fifteen before jumping off the building.
posted by iamkimiam at 7:09 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by iamkimiam at 7:09 AM on November 22, 2008
They "infiltrated" the building. These guys try this crap in the US, Homeland Security would talk to them for a few years.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:33 AM on November 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by cjorgensen at 7:33 AM on November 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
These guys try this crap in the US, Homeland Security would talk to them for a few years.
Are you still that scared? I would hope not.
posted by GeckoDundee at 7:46 AM on November 22, 2008
Are you still that scared? I would hope not.
posted by GeckoDundee at 7:46 AM on November 22, 2008
What I find weird is that the English guy's face is blurred in the Eiffel tower footage, yet you can clearly see his face a few times on the footage of the event - notably in the car and going up the stairs.
Or am I going mad? When he says that the guy wasn't close enough to see the plate, there is not one hint of blur. I am also assuming pseudonym, as blurring his face but adding only his name is a bit daft. Unless the voices have been switched around, of course.
posted by Brockles at 7:49 AM on November 22, 2008
Or am I going mad? When he says that the guy wasn't close enough to see the plate, there is not one hint of blur. I am also assuming pseudonym, as blurring his face but adding only his name is a bit daft. Unless the voices have been switched around, of course.
posted by Brockles at 7:49 AM on November 22, 2008
That's not the record. Jumping off cliffs/peaks is also considered part of BASE jumping. The record is currently held by Glenn Singleman and Heather Swan with a jump from Meru Peak in northern India at a starting elevation of 6,604 meters (21,667 ft).
posted by furtive at 7:57 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by furtive at 7:57 AM on November 22, 2008
No, Brockles, that's the younger, French guy. He wears sunglasses in some shots.
posted by GeckoDundee at 8:05 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by GeckoDundee at 8:05 AM on November 22, 2008
Good friend of mine is an avid skydiver, thousands of jumps, and he's also summitted the five highest peaks in the world--and says he just can't bring himself to go BASE jumping.
posted by Restless Day at 8:13 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by Restless Day at 8:13 AM on November 22, 2008
List of base jumping fatalities. I check this out periodically. There are always one or two new entries.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 9:33 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 9:33 AM on November 22, 2008
This feels like something out of a Michel Gondry movie.
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 9:40 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 9:40 AM on November 22, 2008
I can't see the Flash video on this computer, but all I can think of is how the crane operator at the top level of that tower feels. That is insane.
posted by krinklyfig at 9:46 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by krinklyfig at 9:46 AM on November 22, 2008
I love how they just walked right into the building at night, with giant bags full of who knows what, in full view of the other workers.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:57 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:57 AM on November 22, 2008
From Lupus_Yonderboy's site:
#6 Pauli Belik - Mar 07, 1983 Pauli Belik
Object: Antenna
Location: SWEDEN, , Stockholm
COD: Impact
Description:
Pauli, along with several other jumpers, had been jumping the day prior and landing into very deep snow. The jumpers shook the dry snow out of the canopies prior to packing, but evidently Pauli didn't remove it all. What's left melts inside the packed rig while it sat in a warm room. The jumpers deposit the rigs into the trunk of an old Saab and drive to Stockholm. The temperatures are well below freezing. On deployment Pauli's canopy went to line stretch but is basically a solid block of ice that never inflates.
No work will be performed today, methinks. This is incredible stuff.
posted by docpops at 10:15 AM on November 22, 2008
#6 Pauli Belik - Mar 07, 1983 Pauli Belik
Object: Antenna
Location: SWEDEN, , Stockholm
COD: Impact
Description:
Pauli, along with several other jumpers, had been jumping the day prior and landing into very deep snow. The jumpers shook the dry snow out of the canopies prior to packing, but evidently Pauli didn't remove it all. What's left melts inside the packed rig while it sat in a warm room. The jumpers deposit the rigs into the trunk of an old Saab and drive to Stockholm. The temperatures are well below freezing. On deployment Pauli's canopy went to line stretch but is basically a solid block of ice that never inflates.
No work will be performed today, methinks. This is incredible stuff.
posted by docpops at 10:15 AM on November 22, 2008
The idiots bloviate about a feeling of "total freedom" when in fact, they have relieved themselves of almost all elements of freedom by jumping. Your choices: 1) pull the cord or 2) die. That doesn't seem like a lot of freedom to me.
Perhaps it's more about lack of control and surrender to fate than freedom?
At the moment they leap off that building, all priorities and forces in life are put into sharp focus: nothing matters except falling, and pulling that cord.
Sort of like the rush gambling junkies get when rolling the dice or waiting for the roulette ball to settle - they have exercised, for one moment, total control.
posted by TravellingDen at 10:47 AM on November 22, 2008
Perhaps it's more about lack of control and surrender to fate than freedom?
At the moment they leap off that building, all priorities and forces in life are put into sharp focus: nothing matters except falling, and pulling that cord.
Sort of like the rush gambling junkies get when rolling the dice or waiting for the roulette ball to settle - they have exercised, for one moment, total control.
posted by TravellingDen at 10:47 AM on November 22, 2008
#50 Terry Forrestal - Jun 10, 2000 Terry Forrestal
Object: Earth
Location: NORWAY, ,
COD: Object Strike/Impact ***
Think this was the guy who died in the doc I saw. ex-SAS being the clue. I seemed to remember his confidence seemed to far out-way his skill in the jumps they showed.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:40 AM on November 22, 2008
Object: Earth
Location: NORWAY, ,
COD: Object Strike/Impact ***
Think this was the guy who died in the doc I saw. ex-SAS being the clue. I seemed to remember his confidence seemed to far out-way his skill in the jumps they showed.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:40 AM on November 22, 2008
I'm thinkin it's "total freedom" from social control.
posted by LordSludge at 11:49 AM on November 22, 2008
posted by LordSludge at 11:49 AM on November 22, 2008
You'd have to shoot me and dump my body from the building to get me to 'jump off' but boy are these ever amazing to watch from ground level.
posted by stinkycheese at 12:04 PM on November 22, 2008
posted by stinkycheese at 12:04 PM on November 22, 2008
I would have thought that BASE "records" would be inverse. After all, the higher the structure, the safer the jump. Get back to me when someone does a successful 20m jump.
posted by CaseyB at 12:49 PM on November 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by CaseyB at 12:49 PM on November 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
I wonder how long it will be before someone jumps from the Siduhe Grand Bridge.
posted by homunculus at 1:13 PM on November 22, 2008
posted by homunculus at 1:13 PM on November 22, 2008
I wonder how long it will be before someone checks the schedule, fires everyone working on the ground floor that night, and hires a new batch of immigrants to replace them within minutes.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:41 PM on November 22, 2008
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:41 PM on November 22, 2008
Problem with the embed? I see no video (except that ad for the "Rebels" series).
posted by dhartung at 2:12 PM on November 22, 2008
posted by dhartung at 2:12 PM on November 22, 2008
What is it with the French? It seems most of the batshit insane nutcases doing these kinds of things are French.
That comment prompted me to go re-watch all of my favourite wingsuit videos.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:13 PM on November 22, 2008
That comment prompted me to go re-watch all of my favourite wingsuit videos.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:13 PM on November 22, 2008
I wonder how long it will be before someone checks the schedule, fires everyone working on the ground floor that night, and hires a new batch of immigrants to replace them within minutes.
It wouldn't surprise me if management knew about this. They were sure super ready with statements to the press here (Dubai) and it pushed the imploding real estate market off the front page for the first time in weeks.
Also, expats, not immigrants.
posted by atrazine at 2:10 AM on November 23, 2008
It wouldn't surprise me if management knew about this. They were sure super ready with statements to the press here (Dubai) and it pushed the imploding real estate market off the front page for the first time in weeks.
Also, expats, not immigrants.
posted by atrazine at 2:10 AM on November 23, 2008
It wouldn't surprise me if management knew about this. They were sure super ready with statements to the press here (Dubai) and it pushed the imploding real estate market off the front page for the first time in weeks.
Ah ... see, that's clever.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 4:06 AM on November 23, 2008
Ah ... see, that's clever.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 4:06 AM on November 23, 2008
It is already home to the world's glitziest buildings, man-made islands and mega-malls - now Dubai plans to build the tallest tower. But behind the dizzying construction boom is an army of migrant labourers lured into a life of squalor and exploitation.
posted by homunculus at 10:02 AM on November 23, 2008
posted by homunculus at 10:02 AM on November 23, 2008
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posted by Happy Dave at 12:43 AM on November 22, 2008