DUBAI // Two record-breaking Base jumpers say they would love to repeat their spectacular leap in April from the top of the Burj Khalifa.
Known as the Soul Flyers, Frenchmen Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet’s jump from the building’s summit at 2,717 feet eclipsed the previous world record by 500 feet.
They say their Burj Khalifa feat was among their most challenging and worthwhile efforts, including their jump from Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps in May.
“It would be the dream of any Base jumper because it’s the world’s tallest building and it really gives you time to do your stunts,” said Fugen on Wednesday.
The duo are in Dubai for the Dubai International Parachuting Championship that began at Skydive Dubai on Wednesday. But they will not be competing in the championship, which ends on December 7.
“We had been planning the Burj jump for about three years, and thanks to the help of Sheikh Hamdan [bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai] and Skydive Dubai we were able to do it,” said Reffet. “If it was up to us we would jump it every day.
“If we could do another Burj jump we would probably do some more difficult stunts.”
The duo fell in love with the sport when they were children, thanks to their parents.
“Both our dads were skydiving instructors and we just naturally wanted to follow in their footsteps,” said Fugen. “We started off doing basic zone drops and progressed from there.”
The Frenchmen are already planning their next big jump.
“We have a number of ideas in mind but we’re keeping it a secret until we have things finalised,” Fugen said.
The feeling and thrill of Base jumping has no comparison, they said. “It’s a pure rush you get when you jump off the platform and there is nothing like it,” Fugen said.
nhanif@thenational.ae
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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On sale: December
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini