Published: October 23, 2007 05:36 pm         

Bridge Day appreciated around the world

FAYETTEVILLE — Tammy Maxwell had her first shot of Bridge Day BASE jumping adrenaline Saturday, and the thrilled woman could not wait to tell her friends — in Australia — about West Virginia.

“It’s gorgeous, so beautiful,” the Byron Bay resident said. “The people — everyone is friendly. They like us BASE jumpers. You people rock!

“I’m going to tell all my mates to come here. The camping and hiking here looks phenomenal. Bridge Day rocks, mate! Yeah!”

Bridge Day attracted an estimated 155,000 people to Fayetteville’s New River Gorge Bridge Saturday, including 377 BASE jumpers from 10 different countries. It is West Virginia’s largest one-day festival, and it is the largest extreme sports event in the world — bringing jumpers from across the globe.

Maxwell raved about her first Bridge Day as she described her 876-foot plunge from the bridge — platform to riverbank.

“As you stand (at the platform), your gear is checked twice,” she said. “You know you’re fine.

“...You go to the edge, and say, ‘Three! Two! One! See ya!’ Then, you go. And it’s, ‘One-thousand, two-thousand, three-thousand’ — then you throw your canopy while you’re going fast and turning away. It’s such a rush, especially when you’re fairly new. At the edge, you just breathe with your arms up and your head high. ... The silence. It’s different. ... For me, it’s an adrenaline rush. It’s so peaceful.”

Chris “Flummi” Wengel flew in from his Munich, Germany, home just for Bridge Day.

“You have a beautiful bridge, and we’re so glad you’re letting us do this,” he said. “...This is my third year in a row — it’s the adrenaline. The people here are just so nice. You have more than 100,000 people looking on.”

Wengel said BASE jumping at the New River Gorge was especially wonderful, to him, because of the fall scenery.

“It’s just beautiful,” he said. “You have the view, the trees, the valleys, rolling hills. You have the red and orange trees. It’s so nice. The morning haze coming from the canyon — it’s like Indian summer.”

As he landed on the New River’s banks, Wengel’s hands were shaking. Even after 250 jumps, he explained he still gets nervous — but he was ready to jump off the bridge again.

“Oh yes, baby! I am!” he yelled — with his hands still somewhat shaky.

London resident Alastair MacArtney has BASE jumped for 10 years, but he also made his first Bridge Day jump Saturday.

“It’s a world-famous event,” he said. “...It has been fantastic. The local people are really nice. When you walk past them, they’ll stop and talk to you.”

BASE jumpers at Bridge Day — no matter from where they came — were friendly and sociable, willing to welcome a new friend into the fold, MacArtney said. While BASE jumpers are a close-knit group, he noted they are not closed off to anyone else socializing with them.

MacArtney believes Bridge Day should not just be once a year. Other locations, he said, allow BASE jumping year-round — and this benefits the towns allowing it financially.

“It would bring in a lot of people, and that would be good for business,” he said. “...When you have elections, if anyone’s agenda includes this being done every day, whoever stands for that manifesto should be elected.”

— E-mail:

apridemore@register-herald.com

     

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.