Former Nike exec, mountain climber dies BASE jumping in Norway


A longtime mountain climber and volunteer with Portland Mountain Rescue, Michael Leming, died while BASE jumping in Norway. (Jamie Francis/The Oregonian)

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By Molly Harbarger | The Oregonian/OregonLive
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on June 26, 2016 at 6:57 PM, updated June 27, 2016 at 11:30 AM



Michael Leming, a member of Oregon's outdoors community and former talent scout for Nike, died Sunday while BASE jumping in Norway. His parachute didn't open, according to KGW.
Leming had just turned 53. On Wednesday, his partner Erin Jacobson posted a video to Facebook showing Leming gliding to the ground in time for dinner and whiskey shots to commemorate his birthday.
He worked at Nike for 15 years, recruiting some of the company's top talent. He left to have more time to pursue his thrill-seeking outdoor passions. He BASE jumped around the world, using a parachute or wingsuit. The extreme sport is considered highly dangerous because of the low altitudes from which people jump.
Leming also summited Mount Hood dozens of times, both for fun and to help people trapped on the mountain. He volunteered with Portland Mountain Rescue since 2000.
The organization posted a tribute to Leming on its Facebook page, saying, "Michael, you lived larger than all the rest of us, you pulled as hard as anyone on the team, you demonstrated deep generosity, you cheered loudly for the underdog, and you loved freely your friends, of which there are many. We all just wish we could have had you on belay."
Condolences and memories of Leming flooded social media Sunday, as friends and coworkers found out about the accident.

KGW anchor Joe Donlon wrote a long tribute to Leming, who accompanied Donlon the first time he climbed Mount Hood.
"I had a feeling this day was coming. Still, even when I got word of what happened, I didn't want to believe it. My friend, Michael Leming, was dead. I never asked him directly, but I think he would have admitted -- this was probably inevitable. So did the hundreds of people who were close to him. But that never stopped him, or slowed him down," Donlon wrote, before describing several times Leming got into tight scrapes or nearly died.
The Oregonian/OregonLive wrote about one of those times in 2009. Leming fell 200 feet after a block of ice he was standing on broke. He waited for hours before being airlifted off the mountain. Another time, he was rescuing climbers when a helicopter crashed next to him on live TV.
His father, Reis Leming, was also a celebrated rescuer in the U.S. Air Force.
A Nike spokesman sent The Oregonian/OregonLive: "Nike extends its deepest sympathies to Michael Leming's family and friends. Michael had a true adventurous spirit and was always inspired by the challenges in front of him."
-- Molly Harbarger