North Carolina man makes good on promise to jump TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) _ He let go of the railing on the Perrine Bridge, gave a hearty push with his legs and fell into history. Jim Guyer, 74, of Hendersonville, N.C., on Friday became the oldest person to ever BASE jump from a span. The bridge is 486 feet over the Snake River and one of the few legal places to jump in North America. ``It was terrific, I got to do a 360-degree turn after the chute opened and everything,'' Guyer said while relaxing after his jump. BASE stands for building, antenna, span, earth. They are the stationary places jumpers leap from, although they get scant time to pull the ripcord. Guyer said he took up the sport a couple of years back to augment his love for skydiving. Friday's jump could qualify him for a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Guyer jumped with a few close friends who share his love of the sport. They also share admiration for Guyer. ``I used to think, 'Man, when I'm 50, I'll be too old for this crazy stuff,''' said Tony Herring, 42, of Rock Hill, S.C. ``I can't think that with him around.'' ``I hope I have half that energy when I'm his age,'' said T.J. MacArthur, 35, of Charlotte, N.C. ``Are you going to come back and break my record when you're 75, Myles?'' Guyer asked his friend, Myles Elsing, as they and the others in their party walked to the center of the bridge to make their jumps. ``I've got 19 years to wait,'' said Elsing, a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Idaho. Guyer's jump drew a small crowd of spectators to both sides of the bridge. Several motorists passing by on the bridge honked their horns and cheered as Guyer and his party prepared to go over. Guyer said he has no plans to slow down anytime soon, but does not mind the thought of any challengers going after his record. ``I really hope what I did inspired some 75-year-old guys to come out here,'' he said. ``That's the fun of it. Life is a game. Records are made to be broken.'' AP-ES-08-03-02 1523EDT :SUBJECT: NC Copyright (c) 2002 The Associated Press :-)
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