Tourists watched in amazement as Base jumpers leapt from Burj Khalifa in Dubai on Tuesday.
Families and children clapped and cheered as the Base jumpers plunged from the world’s tallest building. People filmed and shared photos and video as a steady series of parachutes opened and the jumpers landed safely in a cordoned-off area in front of the 828-metre steel and glass tower.
Chris Smith, a tourist from Toronto, Canada, told The National: “It’s not something I thought I was going to see today. It's very unique, especially for me, coming from Toronto. We have the CN Tower but you would never think of anybody actually jumping off the CN Tower. It's pretty cool that they have the platform here so that those guys can jump.”
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, had posted a video on Instagram showing a platform suspended from Burj Khalifa, and stamped “Exit 139 Burj Khalifa Base Jump”, late on Monday.
X Dubai said the jumps were part of a “groundbreaking extreme sport spectacle” that brought together 30 elite Base jumpers in Dubai.
“Over the next few days, the full story of this unprecedented feat will be revealed, showcasing the spirit of innovation, ambition and adventure that defines Dubai,” the action lifestyle brand said in a statement. The event is being held in partnership with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Emaar and Skydive Dubai.
Adventure sport
Thessa and Daan Jansen from the Netherlands were among clusters of people craning their necks to watch the parachutes unfurl and the Base divers land safely.
“We just saw them jumping from the Burj Khalifa and it was amazing,” Ms Jansen said. “I don’t think I would ever be able to do that because I would be too scared.” Her son Daan disagreed, saying: “I want to do that. I would come back and learn that.”
Base jumping is an acronym for the four types of platform that jumpers can leap from: buildings, antennas, spans (or bridges) and earth (such as cliffs). Dubai and the city’s soaring skyscrapers have been the backdrop for adventure athletes who have set Base jumps records and performed gravity-defying stunts using parachutes and wing suits.
In 2014, two athletes broke a Guinness World Record for the highest Base jump from a building when they leapt off a specially made platform at the top of the Burj Khalifa.
