I had posted this story once. But then I got to thinking that it could be looked upon negatively as me looking for attention. I myself love reading about peoples adventures. Maybe there's someone out there that would like to read about mine.
6 weeks ago:
I'm staying at a friends here in Edmonton for 8 weeks. It's b een 4 already and after about the second I've already been looking at all the tall buildings. A friend and I have already gone up a few of the bigger ones to see if there was a fairly easy way of getting up top. I have never done this before so I really don't know the best way. Up at each one though, it's all locked off and I still don't see a way besides trying to bribe a security guard. So I need something else.
While we were driving around we spotted a building that's in thge process of being built. Perfect! When I first lasered it, I was getting 240ish to the top of the building and 290 to the crane. Lowest I've jumped so far was 306'. I scouted it out a couple times and there was two different places to go off depending which way the crane was facing. If it's facing the west, the back alley, and if it's facing the east, the street with trees on it.
The street with trees seems wider at first glance, but when you consider how much the trees overhang onto the street it narows it up considerably. There is one spot where they seem wider than the rest of the street and I think it wouldn't be too bad of landing area. Still pretty tight though.
The back alley is another story. At the base of the building it's 18 feet wide. I'm not too sure how wide a canopy is at flight, but I'm thinking it's close to 18 feet. Not alot of room for error. It does however widen up at the corner of the square base of the building! It's got to be closer to 30-40 feet wide there.
So after another two weeks of looking and scouting of the building, I finally decide to do it. I call up a skydiving friend for GC and we set off at 11pm friday night. On earlier scouting trip all the lights had been on in the building. We get there and it's dark. WTF we didn't bring any flashlights. So whatever, lets run to a quick e mart and grab a cheap flashlight. You wouldn't believe just how hard it was to find a place that sold flashlights at 11pm in Edmonton. I couldn't believe it.
So we get to the building and it's 1am with two flashlights ready to go. We do a quick walk around and had three different vehicles go in and out of this alley! We go over the plan and what could happen, which way I'm running if I get busted and such. There's lots of city light in the alley which is great! Time to head up and get the show on the road. I'm already stoked!
There's some scaffolding right in the back that leads up to a window. I don't know if they could have made it easier. But as soon as I was up on the second lift, a car pulls out of a parking garage. I'm laying on top of the scaffolding thinking I'm going to get busted even before I get in the building! It pulls away super slow, and just as it gets to the end of the alley it either turned around, or another car pulls in. This one goes by slow too but doesn't stop. whew! Just as I'm about to get up another vehicle pulls into the alley. This one pulls into the very building I'm about to go into. Right in front of me! Finally after it's inside as the doors shutting I get up onto the third lift and into the building.
From there I find the stairway right away and start heading up. The lights are on too! Perfect. As I get up to the 16th floor hear a noise! Shit they're onto me I think. I dart into one of the floors and get into some darkness. I needed a break anyways. As I'm catching my breath, I'm listening to the noise. It sounds like someones working a floor above me. Finally it clues in that it's probably one of the tarps flapping in the breeze (there was no wind on the ground). Once I've caught my breath I dash up past the noise and carry on climbing. I tell ya the adrenaline is flowing!
As I keep climbing the top of the tower isn't lit and I stop or another break and look on one of the floors. Here I am, in the middle of a city, in a dark building being built looking at people living their lives in the condo building right next to this one. And they don't know I'm there. Pretty cool. And when I look dow, that landing area is pretty small.
I keep on climbing. I get to the top and the stairs are totally blocked in like a box. WTF? I go back down one floor and climb up the crane base to the top of the roof. Time to gear up. Looking around it's totally amazing I tell ya. Here I am in the middle of all these light and people doing something that I shouldn' be doing and it feels just right. Quite the feeling. I can see as far as the eye sees and just off to the right is the checkstop we went through on our way back after we got the flashlights. The same one that I drove right through a red light after just going through the checkstop! Behind me is the rest of the city center. I snap off a couple pictures once I'm gtg and put the helmet on.
I headup the crane base (Ok I don't really know if jumping off the crane part counts as a building or not but it was still pretty cool and it gave me the altitude I needed) and there's a touch of wind but not too bad. Plus it's going the way I want if theres to be any wind at all. I get up to the doghouse of the crane, do my checks, get my PC ready, and flash Derek. I swear I only looked away for a couple seconds but I thought I seen him flash back.
I head out to the end of the crane. I'm feeling a bit nervous as I always do. The darn landing zone hasn't grown yet. I'd be happy if it was 4 times as big. But the cranes in the perfect spot for the jump. I get to the end and flash derek. I get my PC ready and pop my flap open. I didn't want any thing to hold up the opening. Paraniod I guess. Take a minute and looked around amazed at the sight. I climb out of the cable fence and get to the very end of the crane. Take a couple seconds to get calmed down and feeling just right.
As I lean forward and my knees bend, my mind is totally focused. I'm in the zone. I launch. I hold for a short half second and pitch. As soon as I pitch I can see the shadow of me and my PC racing down the building across the alley. I'm in the moment. I watch my PC hit bridal stretch. It inflates. Bam my canopy is open but it doesn't feel right. Immediately I realize I have a 180. I'm turned around instantly facing the dark building I just left. I reach up and get on a riser as fast as possible. As soon as I'm turned 90 away from the building I'm looking at the base of it rush up at wondering if I'm going to clear or smash into the building roof.
In the instant that I realize that I will clear it with room to spare I'm now wondering if I can land on the roof across the alley or not. I quickly realize that I'll impact anywhere from the edge to two feet down. I'm not going to make it. I make another 90 to the right and as soon as the canpopy has turned I'm flaring because the ground is coming FAST.
I hit feet first immediately followed by my butt and my head Slams into the pavement. I lay there for a second or two. The pain is astounding. AsI lay there my first thought is I can feel my legs. They feel unbroke. My back feels whole. I better get up so derek knows I`m alive. I stand up in a world of pain, gather my chute and go back to my knees. I`m in so much pain. Derek runs up and I tell him to throw the chute in the stashbag.
As derek`s getting the chute in the bag a group of teens comes around the corner. All I can think now is damn. I`m about to get rolled worse than I already am. Like I really need this. One of them pipes up "what are you guys doing? What are you stealing?" I'm thinking "WTF does it look like idiot" but I'm not feeling like talking at the moment. as soon as derek gets the chute in the bag I tell him to go get the truck. He runs there and next thing I hear is the group saying look at his buddy leave him. I wanted to smash them. But I was the one already smashed. Tires are squealing and Derek roars up. I walk around the truck and we go get some water, i pop a bunch of advil and head home. Derek was a champ man. He ran and got some ice and we spent the next couple hours talking about what went down.
Looking back at the jump, I was in over my head. It was too technical of a jump I think. If I had only a 90 or a good onheading I would have had no troubles. I did deal with the 180 as best as I could, but at the same time if I had done toggle turns rather than riser turns I don't know. I might have been better off. But it would take me longer to get my toggles. Overall, I'm glad to be alive and in one piece. Pretty sore and tender but I don't regret jumping.
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