whocares 0 #1 October 9, 2003 BASE jumper boasts thrill of gliding from tallest places Sebastian man to skydive off of China tower By Linda Jump FLORIDA TODAY SEBASTIAN -- Harry Parker of Sebastian has a Peter Parker complex. Like Spiderman, he glides from tall buildings, and gravity is his nemesis. Sunday, he joined 14 other BASE jumpers from five nations who leaped from a platform off the world's third-tallest building in China. Today, he and a handful of jumpers will jump from the Macau Tower on China's southern coast. Harry Parker of Sebastian prepares for a trip to China. Image © 2003, Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY. When Parker was 15, his father -- a photographer -- introduced him to skydiving, and within a few years, he tested low-altitude parachutes by jumping from his grandmother's Virginia Beach 21-story condominium. "Nobody saw it. It was scary," he recalled. His leap Sunday from the 88-story Jin Mao Tower drew a crowd of "tens of thousands" spectators waiting to see the first BASE jump show on mainland China, according to the Shanghai Daily News. They quoted Parker as saying "It was an amazing view when I saw in the air the huge crowd gathered to cheer our jump." The stunt was broadcast live to 1.2 billion people by China's largest television station. Today, Parker and his three-man L.A. Demos, which Parker said is the world's only professional low-altitude parachute demonstration team based in Parker's Sebastian home, will jump from the 338-meter Macau Tower, the world's tenth tallest free-standing tower. Parker said Asians are eager to market BASE jumping to attract crowds. But in the United States, while there are many jumpers, they have few places to legally test their sport. They've been banned from federal lands and some of Parker's friends have been fined and even jailed for their extreme rush. Most owners of tall buildings and municipalities with tall bridges don't allow BASE jumping because of the liability. BASE stands for Building, Aerial Span and Earth, and the jumps are made from tall buildings, antennae, bridges or cliffs. BASE jumping is one of a growing number of extreme sports. "Life is a risk. You're risking your life every day. Some people die in their homes. This is managed risk," Parker said. Parker said initially, the pull to jump was the adrenaline rush. "It frees you to be completely present in what's happening right now," he said. Parker and other members of Ill Vision completed an 11-way jump this summer to set a world record. A videotape of one of Parker's 15 jumps over two days demonstrates the excitement. Clad in a "wing suit" designed with material attached web-like under the arms and between the upper legs, he crouched over a 3,000-foot cliff in Norway. He takes a deep breath, looking very calm and pushes off the ledge with his legs like a swimmer. He opens his arms to drift outward, gliding for what seems like an eternity before he deploys his canopy chute. Parker drifts downward slowly away from the cliff's steep wall. Moments later, he lands seamlessly after pulling both steering toggles to stop himself, moving his legs to hit the ground literally running. He lands in what seemed like a tiny grass area from above with a whoop. "There's such a sense of freedom," he said, glancing up at the television screen as he packed for China. Parker's L.A. (low altitude) Demos associates are Avery Badenhop of Petaluma, Calif., team coordinator and David Major of Santa Barbara, director of photography and cinematography. Parker is events director. Together, the three estimate they've made 10,000 jumps. Parker said some of the differences between skydiving and BASE jumping are that in jumping, a single square parachute is used, while in skydiving a dual system is used. Both use feet to land and both use lines to steer. "Skydiving is a game. BASE jumping is for real," he said. Christopher White, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said because BASE jumps are made from fixed objects instead of airplanes, the FAA doesn't regulate the sport. "In skydiving, we only require that the parachute was rigged by a certified rigger," White said. Parker is an FAA-certified parachute rigger. Parker said Asians realize the potential of aerial jumps for marketing. "America is very litigious. In Asia, they are embracing this and want more of it," he said. He hopes his demonstrations will interest others and show its marketing potential. Parker has a bachelor's degree in advertising and marketing from the University of Florida. Online Web sites agree that in 1975, Carl Boenish, who died in a 1984 jumping accident on the Troll Wall in Norway, made the first successful low-altitude parachute jump from the 3,000 foot El Capitan cliff in Yosemite National Park. One of many extreme sports that took off in the past decades, BASE jumping drew a quick following. Bridge Day in Fayetteville, W.Va., gave BASE jumpers a chance to compete, beginning in 1981. "It was the first legal competitive BASE jumping," Parker said. Parker took best overall and team champion in the 1998 Bridge Day. He was co-founder and president of the Cliff Jumpers Association of American from 1994 to 2000, a group that tried to standardize safety standards and equipment. Those guidelines still remain the only rules for the sport. Skydiving and BASE jumping aren't Parker's only sports. He also is a private pilot, sailor, surfer, certified SCUBA diver, snowboarder and skier and climber. At 39, he said, he's "getting too old for my dream to become an actor and specialized stuntman." Low-altitude stunts appear in recent movies, including "Tomb Raider II" and "Cliffhanger." He said equipment is becoming safer and overall, the BASE jumping record is good. Ironically as he jumped Sunday from the Mao Tower, Australian jumper Dwain Weston died when he hit a bridge and fell to rocks in Colorado, according to BLiNC magazine. "The worst I've ever had was a bruised ego -- actually, a sprained ankle," Parker said. Still, Parker said, he has to travel the world to find places to jump. "I don't jump here. It's so flat, there's nothing to jump off," he said. Some call Parker crazy, but he said he wants to live. "It's not about cheating death. It's about celebrating life," he said. >>>> We want to hear from you <<<< Story Feedback Submit a letter to the Editor Subscribe to FLORIDA TODAY > Leaders hope tax strategy sways voters > BASE jumper boasts thrill of gliding from tallest places > MCC grad comes back to teach > Delegation hears session requests > Appealing facility may encourage pet adoption, reduce need for euthanasia Bush Defends Handling of Iraq, Economy Teen Sniper Suspect to Argue Insanity Episcopalian Group Repudiates Gay Stance Preliminary Hearing Begins in Bryant Case Schwarzenegger Introduces Transition Team Former Boston FBI Agent Arrested, Charged Two Arrested in Kidnap of Senator's Wife Philly Mayor Says He's Not Being Probed Siegfried Says Tiger Was Trying to Help Liberty Bell Arrives at New Philly Home Home | News | Entertainment | Communities | Customer Service Jobs | Automotive | Real Estate | Classifieds Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated December 2002). We invite your comments, questions or advertising inquiries. Copyright © 2003 FLORIDA TODAY. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Treejumps 0 #2 October 9, 2003 Self promotion at its finest! Facts? We don't need no stinkin facts! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skreamer 1 #3 October 9, 2003 I believe you are getting Felix and Harry confused. Read the article again, read what Harry said and what the reporter wrote. Harry didn't write that article. Will Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
georgechurchill 0 #4 October 11, 2003 Nice one Harry !! Georgehttp://georgechurchill.blogspot.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spiderbaby 0 #5 October 11, 2003 After the Royal Gorge Games, in casual conversation with other jumpers and mourners, my buddy Wayne Crill was informed, much to his surprise, that Harry Parker had been killed during the filming of the Vin Diesal movie "Triple XXX". I was then told immediately, and we were both crushed that we only just found this out. SO PSYCHED TO HEAR THAT THIS WAS MISINFORMED CRAP! Me and Waynes original mentor is in China with Dennis and Avery hucking buildings, maybe there is a God after all."It takes a big man to cry, it takes an even bigger man to make that big man cry" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base283 0 #6 October 12, 2003 QuoteI believe you are getting Felix and Harry confused. Read the article again, read what Harry said and what the reporter wrote. Harry didn't write that article. Will So who shall one promote, you? Why should one promote anything... maybe to promote one´s self? have fun.. take care, space Long live the KING Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #7 October 13, 2003 Quote...Harry Parker had been killed during the filming of the Vin Diesal movie "Triple XXX".Quote Different Harry. Equally tragic loss. There's a thread about it in talkback somewhere if you do a search.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites 0 Go To Topic Listing
