What takes more balls/skill...

[>Omen<]

This...

YouTube - Stupid guy jumps off cliff onto cardboard boxes!

or this...

YouTube - Wingsuit Base Jumping

I'm seriously considering using a still from the 2nd one for a wallpaper. I just wish I could DL the original uncompressed footage.

[Ensign Riles]

The second one, especially flying that close to either the cliff or the road. I'd be worried about crosswinds slamming me back into the rock.

However, I think this one has the potential for more danger with either a ski, person, or chute catching on something and losing complete control.

+ YouTube Video

[>Omen<]

Yeah that def looks a bit crazy what with winter winds/downdrafts being less predictable than summer thermals/winds. Just being strapped to a chute makes it less precise. Looks daredevilish and risky more than tactically planned, like the cardboard box guy. It looks to be more like wreckless stunting than a sport, and he appears to be more paragliding than skiing, often times barely touching ground at all where it appears he wanted to ski a section.

Conversely, Wingsuit Base Jumping has taken off as a worldwide extreme sport, and 60 Minutes is even going to showcase it with a segment tonight. I really think it has more spectator appeal too just due to the summer weather, nice colors and ability for many to access watching it up close, like those guys standing on the road. It's a beautiful thing to look at and adrenaline inducing seeing people fly that close to the ground at well over 100 MPH.

For many years skydivers have been hoping to someday land without a parachute. If anyone does it successfully, it will probably be one of these Wingsuit experts.

[Afterburner]

I really, really want to do wingsuit flying. I'm particularly excited because one of the guys who pioneered the sport mentioned awhile ago that they were working on a wingsuit you could land without using a parachute.

[MrFancypants]

I'd say the wingsuit is more dangerous than the chute after looking at those videos. I think those chutes have control cables that influence the lift, so if the guy sees an obstacle he can quickly increase lift and get out of harms way. The wingsuit guy's lift can only be controlled by changing his angle towards direction of flight which is probably more difficult to do and less effective, so if he miscalculates he'll end up as blood-stain on the side of that mountain.

[>Omen<]

Lift true, though it's called flaring. All chutes/parasails have such controls. Ensign was speaking specifically of the potential to lose complete control via something snagging a rock though, not necessarily overall difficulty/skill. You also have way more surface area with a chute to worry about getting tossed about from unexpected gusts. However the wingsuit guys are traveling much faster and close to cliffs, no margin for error.

Both are crazy dangerous, but I much perfer watching the wingsuit guys, and I couldn't help but think while watching their video that if I just found out I was terminally ill, it's something I'd want to try before I go. What better way could their be to leave the world behind? Espen's my new hero, just hope he doesn't get himself killed splattering into some highway.

BTW, anyone know of any DVDs of Wingsuit Base Jumping I might be able to rent? I tried making a wallpaper of a still I Prt Scrned from the above video, but even with enhancement it was too bluurry. You really get a feel of how fast they're going when you pause/play the video as Espen flies by the road. One second he's well in front of it, the next well past it.

So no comments on the cardboard box guy? I don't even know what injuries if any he suffered. One thing's for sure, if I were to pull a stunt like that, I'd hire a cameraman that could do it in much higher res.

[Ensign Riles]

Originally Posted by >Omen<

So no comments on the cardboard box guy? I don't even know what injuries if any he suffered. One thing's for sure, if I were to pull a stunt like that, I'd hire a cameraman that could do it in much higher res.

It would really depend on the type of boxes he used, and how they were stacked. I'd be most concerned about landing on a corner of a box and risking a puncture wound.

[gravy666]

I was just watching something about that wingsuit base jumping on 60 Minutes, reminds me of Batman.

I'd say that the cardboard box thing is ballsier. There's no parachute, so you're fucked if you miss.

But wingsuit base jumping sounds like it takes more skill. The people they interviewed on 60 Minutes said something about being experienced rock climbers and skydivers.

[computernerd]

Definitely the second, but it looks like a lot of fun.

[NiteStryker]

I think jumping into the boxes takes more balls because you know how you will land and what you will land on, and that shit could hurt badly.

The wingsuit one looks like you need alot of skill to use correctly.