Red Bull Acro Team Basejumper Ueli "the Sputnik" opened a new exit called "champignon" off the eiger north wall in switzerland and did a 13 sec. freefall after climbing to the very impressive exit point. pictures will follow on www.redbull-acroteam.com
Hey Sputnik...not so sure about that...Eric Jones did a jump from the Eiger some moons ago,think it was off the north wall/face maybe you should give him a call to check out where he stepped off...his phone number is available from Leo Dickinson...
really not, we were on this mushroom in 1994 to jump it !!!!!!!!!
please check before !!
Eric Jones is Eiger #1. The jump was made in late 1989 and a photo of it was published in the Fixed Object Journal in 1990.
I suppose you can be forgiven for not knowing about it. Not a glory hunter or braggert, Eric Jones BASE jumped for the ulitmate reason, for himself.
Nick D.
BASE 194
sorry, but he jumped from a small cliff at the bottom of the north face, this cliff is 100meters and the north face 1800meters, then it's not really from the north face
in 1990, a french guys jumped from the middle, near the mushroom, with a snowboard.
in 1994, a Sector Team, with Ruby jerome and Rhem dedé, was on the mushroom.
so please red bullshit team, check before saying bull #####
>sorry, but he jumped from a
>small cliff at the bottom
>of the north face, this
>cliff is 100meters and the
>north face 1800meters, then it's
>not really from the north
>face
I knew two fellows who visited the same building (Symphony Towers) during its construction. The first fellow jumped from what is (was) the top floor and that's the 16th (she'll top out at thirty four), but he gleefully direct bagged the 160 feet to the sidewalk on numerous occasions.
When the building reached into the thirties another jumper came along and started freefalling it. Which one of these two fellows did not jump Symphony Towers?
And yes, concerning Eric Jones, I too see two types of jumps here, however, any feat in BASE is feat enough to toast, and feet, never mind time, doesn't have anything to do with it.
The second and third time around you'll always need to slice it thinner. :-)
Nick
There's a big difference between doing a 100 meter route and an 1800 meter route on the same wall.
There are many climbs on El Capitan, and many "firsts" claimed because they did different routes, with different conditions, requirements and levels of difficulty.
And nobody who climbed 100 meters up El Capitan would ever think of claiming to be the "first" to climb El Capitan.
Eric Jones may be the first to jump a route ON the Eiger north face, and he'll always have that prestigious distinction, but he was not "Eiger #1" to the exclusion of the red bull guys or the ones who jumped before them.
As for your analogy, the Eiger was not only 100 meters high when Eric jumped it. It's been its current height longer than humans have been alive, so it's not even remotely the same situation.
All the people in questions jumped the Eiger; that's not in questioin. But as climbers do when they hear that someone has _climbed_ the Eiger, the next questions are: Which route, and which ascent (descent)?
Again, in climbing, first ascents are big news, second and third ascents are noted accomplishments (especially if a long time goes by -- I jumped a cliff in the Fisher Towers by Moab in 1993 after jugging up the fixed lines of Rob Slater and Stu Richey, who had done just the second ascent of "The Oracle," as the route was called -- almost 30 years after some fellow named Harvey something-or-other did it first (I honored Harvey's achievement by naming my launch point (halfway up) "Harvey's Toe."
SO to bottom line it: Whoever did the first descent of the mushroom claims a first descent from that route just as much as Eric gets to claims his. Eric also has the distinction of being the first person to make a jump anywhere on the Eiger.
Robin
Eric Jones is the first person to parachute from the Eiger, period.
And, what do the traditions of some other sport (climbing) have to do with BASE jumping?
It took Columbus years to reach the new world, now you can make it in two and half hours on the Concord, which feat has more weight?
When Eric planned the Eiger jump he ventured into that special place where no-one had been before. The latest jumps are just that, the latest jumps.
Discounting an always confusing present, with an uncertain future, history is the only real thing. So hang onto it!
And Robin, when some guy comes along and flies a wing suit off the Royal Gorge Bridge and claims a first I'll be there to argue on your behalf.
While on the subject, what's with wingsuits? The beauty of what we do is, we fly our bodies, the first generation in the history of the world to do so. If you want to turn yourself into an airplane, buy an airplane!
Nick :-)
When a wingsuiter goes off the Royal Gorge, you'll need to argue on DON BOYLE'S behalf.
The Royal Gorge was my first BASE jump, but Don was first to jump the bridge (intending to llive, that is), back in the early 1970s, when he freefell it with a B-4 container, belly wart reserve and 28-foot round. He sprained his ankle on landing and that was it. His rig now resides in the Canon City, Colorado, Municipal Museum.
In 1979, John Noak did a floater exitr with Dave Blattel holding his pilot chute. Dave followed him off, with a floater freefall exit. He did three seconds from this 1,053-foot-high bridge, and when he landed he tried to radio topside to Carl Boenish and I that "it's too low to frefall. DON'T freefall it!"
But I didn't hear him, and did the first poised/swan dive launch from the bridge and did about 5.5 seconds because my pull-out Racer (with handle attached to the bottom of the p/c and a 3-foot bridle) gave me a pilot chute hesitation and made the ride a little longer.
I also made the first standup landing from the Royal Gorge (not counting the suicides who landed feet first).
Carl then followed me off and landed deliberately in the water, both to protect his one weak leg, and to get better film.
We shot the whole thing in 16mm film and made a cool movie which was set the music best known as the theme from Monday Night Football (which Carl didn't know because he never watched it!)
AS for the Eiger debate, what counts most is all these guys did some great jumps and got good pictures from one of the world's most famous mountains. Congratulations to every one of them. I'd like do do that big ol' mushroom myself...
Love,
Robin
Hi french jumper
>so please red bullshit team, check
>before saying bull #####
I regret your lack of professionalism. Where is this "lord of sites" that one should check with? So you wish to crash him because he didn´t know? This is unbecoming of you.
space
Been wondering when we'd see some more of your pearls, kiddo.
By the way, there's a lot of people out in Moab claiming "firsts" that were done years ago by Alf Humphries and his associates, but you know the old saying: If you're clueless, it's a first to you.
Unfortunately, BASE is no different than any other field of human endeavor; the trailblazers and creators get quickly forgotten once the new experiential toy is up and running.
BASE44
"in 1994, a Sector Team, with Ruby jerome and Rhem dedé, was on the mushroom."
and so the question begs....were they really on the mushroom?
Remember when we did this for the smile, the chills,
the eroticism, the freedom, the knicker twisting thrill, the quiet hug of a friend.. and the honor of respecting all before......
we still try to, as do many....but then we jump for the bake sales.....
gotta love those cookies
JUst do it for yourself!! who the ##### cares who was there first or second ?! why are u base jumping ??to be the first on each spot ?NO WAY! just to feel you'r alive and kicking!
c'ya
you're right, steve, first and second and 30th is less important than doing it at all; I just think those who insist on trumpeting their "firsts" should do a little homework before they claim virgins who have already deen deflowered.
Yes, it is true. I jumped Eve last week and I was the first.
I also jumped El Cap, and Troll, and Leaning Tower of Piza, and my mother. All last week and I was the first.
I would like to thank my sponsors, Alfredo's home made vino. If you want to lose your energy, try Alfredo's.
P.S Seriously though, nice jump anyway Red Bull guys. Good photo's in a beautiful part of the world. Keep trying for a real first. You'll get there.
Respect and Kudos for Mr Eric Jones. A living outdoor adventure legend. Some one all of us should look up to.
Anon ;)
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