Primer salto BASE en Cuba!!

El saltador BASE cubano Albrecht Carrazana, residente en España y conocido como "el comandante" se ha convertido en el primero de realizar un salto BASE en su pais natal. El objeto que habia elegido es el puente "Bacunayagua" que reune las ciudades cubanas de La Havanna y Camaguey. El puente tiene una altura de 120 metros y escasa de una zona de atterizaje. El comandante, alumno de la ACADEMIA DE SALTO BASE consiguio un sueño desde que empiezo con este deporte tan adrenalitico. Siempre habia sonado con realizar un salto en su pais natal y lo ha conseguido.
El reto era extremamente duro y deficil por las circumstancias de la poitica del pais caribeño, y por el hecho que el salto desde este puente no tiene una zona para atterizar. Tenia que ir a los arboles y por suerte no me lisione nos cuenta Albrecht, para subir otra vez ariba me costa casi media mañana.
Asi Cuba no mas es una virgen, por lo menos con respeto al Salto BASE!!!

Victory at Nissan Outdoor Games 2010

The Outdoor Games is one of the greatest extremsports events of the year and every athlete who participates always comes back with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment, joy and satisfaction. In its 6th year it looks like the event is here to stay and to showcase the kinds of sporting activities that usually are not featured in the mass media. The event is also growing, bringing new people, new teams, new contributors and colaborators every year and especially more media coverage and wider exposure of the films produced there.
Our Team this year participated for the 4th time, although there were only 2 people form the original crew left. We ourselves grew every year as well, getting better organized, bringing the right people into the mix both amongst the athletes as well as amongst the crew, cutters, camera operators and support team. Compared to our first participation and our first film, we are lightyears ahead. Location scouting is done a few days before the competition starts, when everyone arrives we got a storyboard and a shot list ready, everyone knows what is needed and what part he has to play. Accomodation is sorted, transport is organized and as soon as shooting starts we can attack with a plan.
There are of course always hold ups or unforeseen obstacles to be overcome. But even then we have learned how to deal with those special situations and adapt as quickly as possible. The team members are flexible and ready to help out where help is needed. The BASE jumpers spent a day this year building a dam in a river to shoot a scene where the water rises rapidly. It was a days work, but it contributed to the end product. The next day almost the entire crew came along to shoot a flyby in a Wingsuit on an inaccesible ledge. A whole day was spent on one little shot, a lot of effort and planning went into it, but what matters is that in the end the product benefitted from it and the film became better because of it.
In any case, it was once again a huge experience, a great time with awesome people, great fun and we also won the main prize!!!!
The golden peak is a prestigious award and we are very proud of it. It shows that we have learned to handle the format of shooting a 5 minute film in only 5 days, produce it, edit it, and finish it almost to perfection!
A big thanks to our producer, Seppi for the great organization, to Bani, our director for the great idea and the vision it required to realise it and to all the rest of the crew and the athletes for their contribution to this amazing event and to our TEAM!!

Nissan Oudoor Games 2010 day 1 to 3

Arrived in Geneva on wednesday, early afternoon. Had to wait a few hours to be picked up by our Team leader and then cruised over to Chamonix along with Mirko who had flown in from Norway. We arrived in Chamonix to find thaty teh tream had set us up in this amazing apartment complex with all possible comfort, a BIG step up from last year! We met the team, some new faces, many old ones and watched Spain beat Germany in the Semis of the Football World Cup.
After dinner we held the official TEAM meeting the script of our film project was introduced and all the athletes got an idea of what was needed from them in order to make it all come together. We can't of course reveal any details of the project yet, but let me just say that its an absolutely rad idea that will ROCK Chamonix next thursday.
The next day we had an official meeting at the ODG headquarters in Chamonix centre and in the afternoon we could start shooting. Everyone immediatly shot off in different directions to start working, scout locations or check availability of certain spots. Mirko and I hooked up with a local french jumper to check a spot we had in mind and I did a test flight from it. The place rocks and has endless possibilities!!!
Since it was a late jump we returned to our quarters SUPER late and had a well deservbed rest before we attacked the place for real today. The hike was treeacherous in 30 degree heat but the place held what it promised, teh results are stunning. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to change and there might not be any arial activity, but lets enjoy the awesome flight from today and see what happens. Stay tuned for our next update!!!

ProBASE at Nissan Outdoor Games 2010

On wednesday its on again!!! Off we go to chamonix, france to participate for the 3rd time in a row at the Nissan Outdoor Games, the worlds most prestigious extremsport video event. Mirko and el amarillo will be the BASE jumpers for Team Argon, which is made up of mostly austrians and a few Krauts. The Team consists of 5 or 6 athletes, a camera crew as well as a film editor and loads of equipment plus a photographer. The goal is to make the best 5 min video possible in 5 days including one sequence of each extremsport Paragliding, BASE jumping, Kayaking, Climbing and Mountain biking. Often times all the team members have to help out when shooting someone else´s scene and thats what makes up a great team. Its furthermore great cause you get to work with professionals from all sorts of areas, photographers, camerapeople, directors, editors and every one learns from everyone else. Last year at the winter edition, which we won by the way, (I love being modest!) we all had to act as well, which was sooooo much fun. We all had a small part in the film and it was a huge contribution that made all the difference in the end.
Team Golgoth from Finland is there for the 4th or 5th time, the only team that hasparticipated more then us. there are also the russians from Team Gravity Rebels who were there last summer and a new swedish and french team. Its a great event where you always pump into familiar faces and get together with friends from all over the world. I am looking forward to it and will keep you posted boys and girls, so stay tuuuuuned!!!!!

Exhibition Jumps at Paragliding championships

Last saturday was a busy day here in Spain for the BASE jumpers. We first had a film crew following the Spain BASE Team from the ASBA, (spanish BASE Asociation) in order to shoot a documentary on our sport. When that was done we moved down the valley to the campground of a small town called Ager where the national paragliding championships were taking place. It was teh final day and the organizers had hired us to do a few display jumps from an ultralight plane to contribute to the final ceremony. There was 6 of us and that ultralite didn't stop for a minute. We all got a few jumps in and the spectators were amazed, especially a few lo passes in the V3 got them off their feet. I even signed my first autograph as a BASE jumper!! amazing!!
Good times, and this week we're up there again, for the finals of the hanggliders, so watch out for us!!

Spain BASE Tour

After 3 days at the Bali Hotel in Benidorm, the spanish BASE jump Tour kicked off on Monday, 14th of June at the Seagul cliff in Calpe. Our group, consisting of 7 jumpers did an early morning jump at this impressiv 300 meter sea cliff before heading off north to the mythical mountains of Riglos. The place is pretty amazing with its red towering conglomerate rocks that reach up 250 meters into the sky. We did a jump the next day, Tuesday in near perfect conditions and then headed east to jump catalonia wall the next morning. Again a perfect day for this wingsuitable cliff!!
A few WS 2 ways later we were tired and worn out so we decided to not go for the 2nd jump in the area and opted for a BBQ at the ProBASE Academy HQ instead.
Vanija proved a fantastic grill man and we an amzing dinner with some of spains best wines which grow right in the area. What an evening!!
The next day would bring the highlight of the trip, a jump from the "Arial Wall" in Montserrat. The morning was a tad windy so we waited til early afternoon by when it had quieted down. The hike is brutal but well worth it and we all got an amazing flight from this great cliff. For some of them it was not only the best jump of the trip but also the best jump in their careers this far!!!
Can´t wait to do it again and c ya all very very soooooooon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uli Emanuele wins Spain BASE 2010 competition!

After a great day of jumping, the final round was being held on Saturday evening and it brought a few surprises. Stig Knudsen who was in front through out the 3 quali rounds didn't get a standup landing in the final and thus openend the door for his competitors. Vanja Siljak, the dalmatian imitation, who had also had 3 solid quali jumps, overshot the target in the final and ended up in the pool. Thats when the Italians, observing from the exit point, saw their chance. Uli Emanuele, the last jumper on the ramp, and having improved round after round in qualifying, kept his cool, took a perfect 2 sec delay and hit the target. That was enough to take home the win and crown himself SpainBASE 2010 champion. The podium was completed by consistent performer Miklos Marcos, a 3rd time contender from Hungary as well as surprise man Robert Moschella from Australia. Congrats to the winners and Cya at the next ProBASE competition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!