Kjerag ProBASE U Turn Wingsuit Race

Last week 36 of the best wingsuit pilots from around the world traveled to Kjerag, Norway to compete in a wingsuit race.  This race was the first of its kind because it had a complete U-Turn built into the course. Because this is a maneuver that is Rarely done in the BASE world, it was a course that was challenging for all.

The first day of the competition we had one practice jump and 2 round for qualifications. The following day, we finished the competition. We were so lucky to have one of the most beautiful days of the year! Sunny, warm, not windy, (apparently this happens maybe ones a year in Norway ;-) And it was on the day of the race!

The first round 35 jumpers competed to be one of the 16 competitors to enter the semi-finals. To my surprise, I made it to the semi finals! I was elated to be the first girl to ever make it into the semi-finals at a wingsuit race. After that, the 16 jumpers competed to be in the top 8 for the final round.

We all took the heli to the exit point, and I, for the first time, actually felt the nerves of competition. I am not a competitive person... but at this moment- I Wanted to be in the top 8. So I geared up, closed my eyes, and practiced this jump in my head over and over again- visualizing myself pushing from the cliff, the wind speed picking up as I position my body into the most aerodynamic position- visualizing reaching the turn- pausing for a half-second as to not cut the corner, then turning- and then diving like hell to the finish line, flaring my suit and pitching.

Once it was my turn to go, I jump just like I had practiced, it felt Good, it felt Fast! When we got the results from that round, I Made it to the finals! Woo hoo! First girl to ever make it to the finals!

I was super happy to make it to the finals, the only problem is that there was a female world record jump at the same time as the final round. I had to decide if I wanted to jump in the race, or jump in the world record. I decided to stay in the race, and I got to watch 15 of the top chick jump from one of the most beautiful cliffs in the world- there were girls jumping in skirts, track suits and wingsuits- and they nailed it! It was so amazing to see them all flying at the same time!

Now its time for the final round- the only way I can make my time faster is if I cut it closer to the corner. So this is my plan. Judging from my previous jumps I had about a 10 meter margin on the turn, so I planed to reach the turn, and instead of pausing for a half a second before turning, I was just going to go for it. Why Not?! This is my chance to make it to the podium! All 8 of us jumped, and when we got to the bottom, the judges wouldn't tell us how we did until that night at the ceremony. Finally after waiting for several hours it was time to celebrate! Coming in first place was a super quiet Russian who took us all by surprise! He is super solid, consistently flying fast and clean every round- Gleb Vorevodin. Second was Robert Pecnick- the man! Third was Noah Bahnson who has excelled in wingsuit flying in the recent years. 4 of us in the final round ended up cutting the corner too short, thus getting disqualified and placing 4-8.

These races are so much fun because the competitors are not trying to make the other fly worse- on the contrary- every one is helping each other get better. We all want everyone to fly better, faster, safer. There is no heave cloud of competition. Every time i participate in these events I learn more in 2-3 days than I would all year. I am excited to compete in the next race in Romsdalen Norway in 2 weeks!

Dam BASE jumping

In the winter it is much more difficult to access the big wingsuit jumps, so right now, I am focusing on the lower objects around town. Lately I have been considering jumping a dam, which is not to far from where I live.  But when jumping an object like this, it is best to get some advice from the locals.

Luckily last weekend I met 2 jumpers who live just below this dam! Guillaume and Jonathan knew all the beta on the access, landing, weather... it seems I had found my guides! And it also seemed it was going to be an adventure :)

We chose the best weather day that week, and decided to go for it! Because it is winter, the only way to access this dam is by skinning up to the top. I was super excited to hear this because I have never gone skinning before, and I really wanted to test out my new gear!  Thankfully I was with some pros, and even though they laughed at me-- a lot, they were great at teaching me the best techniques to getting up the mountain.

Once we arrived on top, I had a chance to- for my first time- see the landing area. It is certainly not a beginner jump. The landing area is quite tight, and you are limited on space for setting up a nice landing pattern.  But with all of my experience jumping in Moab, I felt completely confident that I could do this jump.  In fact- I was far more terrified of the hike out that I was of the jump.

The day was very warm, and the snow was becoming very wet and heavy. While we were scouting out everything from the top, including out hike out- we watched 2 decently sized Ice falls right where we needed to cross to get out. The ice was falling down a gully that wasn't too wide, and it had great shelter on either side, so I felt that we would be able to cross this section fairly quickly, limiting our time of exposure.

Once I felt confident that I would be able to conquer all of these obstacles, I geared up, stepped over the fence, took a few deep breaths... and jumped. I love the feeling I get from a low, sider down jump.  Everything happens very quickly- you see the ground below you approaching quickly, and just before it gets too scary, you canopy opens-- Quickly. Then you have about 10 seconds to set up a landing pattern before you reach the snowy landing area and are overwhelmed with a great sense of joy and satisfaction.

The hike out was at some points challenging. The snow was pretty deep, and the terrain was very steep. We passed through two tunnels, one of which was completely snowed in, and we had to break through the snow, digging a hole that was just big enough for us to squeeze through. Then we had to pass the area of the Ice falls. We passed one at a time, while the other two people kept an eye up for ice, and we safely all crossed.

We finally made it back to the top and relaxed with a nice cup of tea. Then, just before the sun set behind the mountains, we put our skis back on and got some fresh powder tracks on our way down.

Video

Swiss ProBASE World Cup 2012

I had such an amazing time competing in the Pro BASE World Cup this weekend! 42 of the best wingsuit pilots showed up to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland to go head to head to see who the fastest pilot was! It was great to see everyone working together, and giving tips and advice to help other pilots. The energy there was just incredible!

The flying in the race was something I have never done before. I am used to jumping off of cliffs High up in the mountains and the flying for a few minutes, navigating the terrain, and then pulling super high in order to assess the landing areas and wind directions. At This competition, the total flight took most people under 25 seconds, and then 25 seconds of canopy time. It was FAST!  Here the flying style is completely different. We were diving as fast as we could to the ground, which felt very unnatural. But the increased speed gives you more energy which means faster inputs, and all of this added up makes it a very intense, exciting experience. I went there with the goal to be the fastest girl, and i was!!! And now that I have learned some more tricks on flying fast, I fully anticipate to be on the podium next year :)