Wingsuit Flying: Pure Awesomeness
Wingsuit Flying has been described as “the most fun you can have on this planet” and, more succinctly, “pure awesomeness.” This short video features some stunning shots of wingsuit flying clipped together with wingsuit flyers talking about how much they love their extreme sport, and why they do it. Perhaps nothing makes for more exciting video than wingsuit flying, with nothing between the viewer and the experience but the camera and a thin, expanded suit. Many people can see themselves doing traditional skydiving, with the comfort of a parachute to guide them gently to the Earth, but wingsuit flying is too extreme for all but the most gung-ho air sport enthusiasts.
- + Who
This video features extreme athletes Mike Wilson, Miles Daisher, Suzanne Graham, Carson Klein, and Andreas Matischak talking about their favorite sport. The video was compiled as part of Intel’s “A Momentary Lapse” photo and video contest, and includes the athletes speaking frankly about their enthusiasm for wingsuit flying and about the dangers involved in the sport. Mike, miles, suzanne, Carson and Andreas are among wingsuit flyers that appear regularly in popular videos about the sport, many of which have gone viral. One of their most popular videos features a wingsuit “race” in Hawaii. The Intel contest was created to celebrate creativity and technology, and this video certainly accomplishes that.
- + Where
Neither the video nor its description say exactly where the footage for this video was filmed, but the scenes on the ground all appear to be in a lightly wooded area. Most of the exciting footage is pure, crystal-clear, blue sky, of course. The other shots present in the video are close-ups of the extreme athletes giving their testimony to the power of wingsuit flying.
- + What
The video begins with a bang: the athletes in their wingsuits jump out of a small plane into the blue sky. Carson Klein is the first to talk about wingsuiting (0:08). Suzanne Graham (0:11) talks about the excitement of the sport. The athletes pile back into the plane (0:12) and then (0:18) Mike Wilson talks about wingsuiting. Andreas Matischak chimes in at (0:19). More quick hits of description are followed by Miles Daisher (0:33) talking about the “pure awesomeness” of wingsuit flying. Breathtaking shots of the wingsuit flyers zipping through the air (0:45) are interspersed with more description and at (0:49) we get a point of view shot. At (1:09) there is another shot from the air, more description, and back to the air at (1:14). The rest of the video follows like this, with talking and then shots of flying, until (1:34) where they come in for the landing. At (1:40) we return to the descriptions, and at (2:09) there is more of the landing followed by more of the athletes talking about the sport they love.
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