BASE jumping off the tallest building in the world
Base jumping is an intense and adrenalin filled sport and the World Champion Soul Flyers Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen take this craft to a new level leaping from the world’s tallest building in Dubai. The pair gear up and are sponsored by Skydive Dubai to accomplish the goal of free falling from the pinnacle of Burj Khalifa setting a new world record. There are several excellent and up close shots from both a third base jumper and a helicopter that helps give you the full experience of leaping off the building and having the ground rushing up to meet you. With bright yellow jump suits and a red smoke, the video provides a very thrilling and eye-catching sight of the record setting moment. The Dubai Film Production brought the video to life and the music is licensed by The Rights Workshop.
This video, uploaded just one month ago by Skydive Dubai, already has almost 6.8 million views and over 22,000 likes. It is available to view in youtube’s new 2160p 4k high definition. In the video you see Soul Flyers World Champions Vince effete and Fred Fugen break the world record for BASE jumping by jumping off of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building at 828 meters (2,2716 ft, 6 inches). BASE jumping has been pursued by action sports enthusiasts since the late 70s. BASE is an acronym for four commonly jumped from objects: building, antenna, span and Earth (cliff).
- + Who
This video was put together by the Dubai Film Production in partnership with Skydive Dubai and features the base jumping skills of Soul Flyers Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen. These two world champions take the sport of base jumping to a new level by taking on the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa. Vince and Fred leap from the pinnacle of the tower setting a new world record of 828 meters. Vince first saw the building three years before attempting the jump and he knew it would be a dream to take it on. The pair of French skydiving veterans trained for a week to prepare for this record setting event.
The video was sponsored by Skydive Dubai, who offer skydives over the extraordinary sights in Dubai. They also sponsor skydiving teams and athletes, including Soul Flyers World Champions Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen. Reffet and Fugen are French skydivers who have been diving and jumping for over a decade. Their parents of both were seasoned parachutists. They joined together on the French national Freefly team in 2004 and then soon after both joined the Skydive Empuria parachute club in Spain, the most prestigious skydiving school in Europe. They won World Championships in Freefly in 2004, 2006 and 2008. In addition to freefly and BASE jump, they are enthusiasts of canopy piloting, extreme landings, wind tunnel skydiving, wing suit flying and speed riding.
- + Where
The Burj Khalifa, or Khalifa Tower, is the world’s tallest building and located in Dubai. It is the tallest man-made structure in the world and was completed in 2009 and opened in 2010. The tower was designed and built by the firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill from Chicago. The building was designed to be the centerpiece of a huge development in Dubai to diversify the country’s economy from oil to tourism. It also holds the record for the tallest skyscraper, the building with the most floors (163) and the world’s highest elevator. Dubai is an emirate in the UAE, located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf. It is home to over 2 million people.
From the adrenalin pumping leap off the 828 meter building to the ground this whole video takes place as a base jump off the world’s tallest building in Dubai, Burj Khalifa. The Skydive Dubai helps set up this location for the pair of extreme skydivers Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen to set a new world record.
- + What
The video starts off by giving you a good idea of just how tall and immense the Burj Khalifa building is peaking with a orange tinted sunset shot of the platform at the pinnacle (0:23) where Vince and Fred will begin the leap. A little bit of dramatic lead up comes when the pair are standing on the edge of the platform (0:29) geared up and ready to go with a helicopter flying overhead in slow motion. It totally sets the scene and gets you on the edge of your chair waiting for what will happen next. The wide shot of Dubai in the background and this pinnacle stretching up into the sky (0:31) again let’s you experience just how high the 828 meters is above the ground. The jump begins with Vince and Fred having red smoke trailing off their feet as they lean over and leave the platform (0:37). The duo glides through the air taking your breath away (0:50) as they plummet toward the ground as they circle around the building. We get up close and personal with a point of view shot (1:04) as the two come together and grab hands to perform a little mid-air acrobatics twirling and spinning together. A shot from a third jumper (1:10) lets you see the two spin with Dubai in the background before they separate (1:13) and prepare to land back on Earth. The parachutes both deploy (1:17) and the intense journey is nearly complete. Both are safely on the ground (1:26) celebrating their triumph in the new record with the realization of a dream come true.
This post is also available in: Spanish