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REGISTER TO JUMP HERE

Bridge Day is an annual legal BASE jumping event held at the 876' tall New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Over 450 BASE jumpers and up to 200,000 spectators are expected to attend Bridge Day 2007 on Saturday, October 20. For most jumpers around the world, Bridge Day is a chance to make legal jumps, see old friends, and meet new ones. For 100+ jumpers each year, it's the chance to make their first BASE jump. For those interested in BASE training, The Snake River BASE Academy will be teaching a 4-day long course shortly before Bridge Day and a 6-8 hour Introductory Course on October 19 (more info below). If you're new to Bridge Day, please read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Jumper registration begins on July 1, 2007 at 2pm EDT (18:00 GMT). If you don't crash my server again this year, refreshing your browser at 2pm will allow the "ADD TO BASKET" button to be enabled. You will then be able to fill out the questionaire and add a single jumper to your basket. If you have multiple jumpers on one order, please add each jumper's information separately to your basket.

Changes for 2007:

1) Registered jumpers will be able to request more than 150 hotel rooms at the Holiday Inn Oak Hill and Quality Inn New River DURING online registration (first-come, first-served). No need to call for hotel rooms on September 1st this year because early registrants will automatically get one of the hotel rooms we hold under contract. If you registered early enough to qualify for a hotel room, we'll email you with further instructions in mid-July and you can call the hotel from August 1-7 to hold your room with a credit card. We'll also have a waiting list in case someone cancels. Jumpers who did not register early and have no chance of obtaining one of our contracted rooms will be notified in mid-July, allowing them plenty of time to secure a room themselves at alternate hotels. Pretty simple.

2) Jumpers must have made at least 100 parachute jumps (skydiving and/or BASE jumping) prior to Bridge Day.

3) Jumpers must have made at least one parachute jump (skydiving or BASE jumping) in the two years prior to Bridge Day.

4) BASE jumping specific or approved skydiving gear only (harness/container and parachute). Please reference our Bridge Day Gear Guide before you purchase a jump slot if you have questions. BASE rental gear is also available.

5) First time BASE jumpers are required to attend one of the following courses:

• Bridge Day First BASE Jump Course - Four days (October 17-20) of advanced training by The Snake River BASE Academy, comparable to the courses taught on the West Coast by the main BASE Gear Manufacturers. In addition to the basic skills needed for a successful Bridge Day experience, such as packing, exits and canopy flight, this course covers BASE history, ethics and culture, as well as malfunction and object avoidance theory. In person training with simulated exits and some home study is included. Cost is $375.
  
• Bridge Day Introductory Course - Six to eight hours of training on the day prior to Bridge Day that covers packing, Bridge Day logistics, malfunctions, launch practice, and a landing area tour. The Snake River BASE Academy will be teaching this course and the cost is $50. Experienced jumpers are welcome to attend portions of this course for a minimal charge.

Based on feedback received via email and this forum, we've added the option for first time BASE jumpers to be trained by an approved mentor (rather than attending one of our two FJC's). Approved mentors should be experienced BASE jumpers with 100+ BASE jumps performed from a variety of fixed objects. The mentor must have attended and jumped at Bridge Day in the past. You'll be required to provide contact information for your mentor when purchasing your jump pass.

I'm sure there will be questions and comments in regards to the above changes. Nothing is set in stone, and we're pretty accommodating to jumpers who have special situations. Raising the jump requirement from 50 to 100 has been planned for many years. Requiring parachute currency is a good thing to keep things fresh. Requesting hotel rooms during jump slot purchases should be a welcome change to many of you who had to call at midnight on September 1st in past years. The first time BASE jumper training requirement is something that we feel strongly about, but we realize it may be inconvenient for some. Please let us know your thoughts on this, good or bad. And the stricter BASE gear requirements will only affect a few jumpers. We're still permitting some skydiving canopies that are used for BASE jumps, but we're not permitting skydiving containers. We'll make exceptions for very experienced Bridge Day jumpers who've been using the same skydiving rig for years (contact us for a waiver before you register). We're mainly trying make sure first time jumpers are taught to use BASE gear for BASE jumps.


More Bridge Day Info

Bridge Day is the largest extreme sports event in the world held on the third Saturday in October every year in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Bridge Day is unique in that it is the only day visitors may walk across the bridge, BASE jumpers can parachute from the railing, and rappellers are allowed to descend and ascend fixed ropes. Vendors line both ends of the bridge selling stained glass, crafts, shirts, photos, and refreshments. Bridge Day is West Virginia's largest one-day festival and is rated one of the top 100 festivals in North America.

Jumpers from all over the world will be lined up to take their turn leaping from the world's second longest single arch bridge. Most will fall from the bridge for 3-4 seconds before deploying their parachute. Then they'll spend the next 20-30 seconds floating down to the designated landing zone located on National Park Service property at the edge of the New River.

BASE jumpers have jumped from the New River Gorge Bridge every year since the first Bridge Day on November 8, 1980 (the only exception being the cancellation of Bridge Day 2001 shortly after 9/11). The first Bridge Day saw five skydivers making BASE jumps from the bridge in the early days of the sport of BASE jumping. Over the years, Bridge Day became the place for thousands of skydivers to make their first BASE jump. It is also the largest gathering of BASE jumpers each year, complete with first jump seminars, packing classes, and a BASE gear trade show.

The popular 16' commercial aluminum diving board, first introduced in 2003, will be returning to Bridge Day this year. BASE jumping aerialists from countries as far away as Australia and Russia will again travel to Fayetteville, WV to amaze the spectators with multiple flips and twists from the massive diving board before deploying their one and only parachute. The Vertical Visions team also plans to have a landing accuracy contest with cash prizes (1st place last year received more than $1000 in cash and prizes), a BASE jumping film festival (again, thousands of dollars in prizes last year), and some special jumps that should make for an exciting Bridge Day 2007 for both jumpers and spectators.

If there is enough jumper interest and funds are available, we'll have a new launch platform this year. A "walk the plank" type device is in the works which will extend 20' away from the bridge railing. Jumpers will stand on the end of the plank and spectators will pull a lever to release the jumper. We'll charge spectators and donate most of the money to charity.

All BASE jumping activities at Bridge Day 2007 will again be coordinated by Vertical Visions LLC, owned by West Virginia BASE jumper and skydiver Jason Bell (BASE #428, D-16725). Jason will be assisted by his wife Jennifer, Charleston native Bill Bird (D-6977), and over 50 staff members.

For questions regarding Bridge Day BASE jumping, please contact Jason Bell (click on the "base428" profile to the left for email address) or visit www.bridgeday.info. For further whuffo-type information on Bridge Day 2007, please visit the official Bridge Day website located at www.officialbridgeday.com.

Here are a few more links:
Schedule
First Timers Page
The LZ
Hotels/Camping
Shuttle Buses to LZ
Our Main Staff


-------
Vertical Visions LLC
Jason Bell - Owner
PO Box 934
Bridgeport, WV 26330
Phone: 304-203-8500
Email: Click on the "base428" profile to the left
Bridge Day Website: www.bridgeday.info


edit to insert additional information regarding first time jumpers and mentors ~TA

The temptation to point out how this goes against the history and spirit of our sport is big. But then I realize that everybody is free to make a bid for the right to organize Bridge Day. We all appreciate the enormous effort you put into this event Jason, and anybody critiquing you on this decision ought to consider organizing his own event next year.

Although I'm disappointed to see this happen, I understand the rationale.

That said, I do wonder about the monopolization of the options. It seems entirely under control of Snake River BASE. Have you not received offers from other BASE instructors to do similar instruction?

You're not the first one to comment on the first jump course requirement. While most first timers make an honest attempt at educating themselves about BASE jumping prior to their jump, there are always a few who don't. We've seen jumpers who don't know how to hold their pilot chute, let alone pack their parachute. I'm not one to implement too many "rules", but in the long run this requirement will likely keep someone from an injury or even death.

I think everyone would agree that some form of training prior to Bridge Day is a good thing. Just try to make a skydive without training - nearly impossible today. So what do I do about the handful of jumpers who think this is just another skydive? Do I implement a requirement that affects the majority in order to protect the minority? I'm not sure. More than 30% of Bridge Day 2006 jumpers were first timers. I'd like to think that I'm making an attempt to point them in the right direction through (at least) some basic training on the day prior to their jump.

As for the monopolization, the Snake River BASE Academy was contacted by me and I requested that each course contain certain criteria. In the past, I've worked with multiple FJC instructors teaching at Bridge Day. I found that it's a much more peaceful and productive event if we offer a single instructor. Besides, anyone who doesn't like the Bridge Day requirements or FJC's can choose to not attend. It's not like we're making you wear a helmet or a GoFast jersey.

Thanks for the comments. As I mentioned before, nothing is set in stone. So I'd like to hear more comments on the first jump requirement.

How can one school give proper instruction to over a hundred 1st time jumpers?

Hey Jason,

According to the Chinese Zodiac...it is the Year of the Pig!!!! LOL!!!!

See ya there,
Kaye
Mama Pig...Easterpig13

Hire a lot of teachers?

What is the date and time of the 6-8 Hour Base FJC?

Date: October 19, 2007
Time: Not determined yet, but will probably start early (8-9AM).

Perhaps Tom can provide the starting and break times?

I applaud these changes. Kudos to you.

I would say the currency requirement is a little lax. I think 30 days would be much better.

Newsflash: Hank Caylor is going to be teaching a "Climbing, Rappelling, and Rescue Course" tailored for BASE jumpers at Bridge Day. It'll be a free course for registered jumpers. More info soon....

PS. At the post-jump party on Saturday night, he'll be hosting a seminar on how to safely crash through a hotel window after a 180. He's THE authority on that topic. Thanks Hank!

Even better. I might just attend for info like that.

I agree


Nifty, way to add something to the event aside from the 6 hours of goodness. I'll do that



OH YEA IT IS!!!

LOL!!!!

there is so much more to this event than "6 hours of goodness"

lol, yea... you're right...

Based on feedback received via email and this forum, we've added the option for first time BASE jumpers to be trained by an approved mentor (rather than attending one of our two FJC's). Approved mentors should be experienced BASE jumpers with 100+ BASE jumps performed from a variety of fixed objects. The mentor must have attended and jumped at Bridge Day in the past. You'll be required to provide contact information for your mentor when purchasing your jump pass.

Of course, some will argue about what qualifies as an "approved mentor" and whether 100+ BASE jumps is adequate. Regardless, at least we're making an honest effort to educate new BASE jumpers in a technical and ethical manner.

Would an Apex FJC out in idaho be considered an aproved mentor?

Yes, but if you took the Apex course, wouldn't you already have made a BASE jump during their course? Our training requirement only affects "first time BASE jumpers". If, for some odd reason, you were trained by Apex but didn't jump, then the Apex training would be more than sufficient.

Ohhh... i thought by first time jumpers you ment first time at bridge day

Thanks!

Well, another exciting July 1st at 2pm for me. My server didn't crash this year, which was a relief. The load was up to 30 seconds between requests.....

I'm in the process of answering emails and processing orders right now. If you were one of the many people who simply added quantity 5 jump slots to your order under one jumper's name, then you need to email me with information on the remaining 4 jumpers. I realize that you save valuable registration time by doing it this way, but it complicates things.

In the next week, registered jumpers will receive emails informing them of their jump order and whether they got a hotel room (if requested). If you signed up for a FJC, you'll also receive further information via email shortly.

Many thanks to all of you. It's been pretty smooth so far and more than 300 slots are gone in the first 1.5 hours. I'm looking forward to another great Bridge Day! Don't hesitate to email or call me if anyone has questions.