No Limits

BASE jumping is not a sport for the faint of heart. Athletes who practice this extreme sport climb to the top of tall buildings, canyons, or other structures; jump off; enjoy a period of free falling; then open a parachute and coast to the ground.

The acronym BASE stands for building, antennae, span, and earth; which make up a comprehensive list of what kinds of fixed objects BASE jumpers plummet from. Span is a term that includes all sorts of bridges, or any other structures that span over a valley or chasm. Earth means anything from cliffs to mountains to canyons.

BASE jumping is very dangerous for a variety of reasons, but the most common causes of injury and death have to do with failure to maintain a clear area around the athlete during the jump and/or the landing. If the wind is against them or if they make a mistake during the launch of their jump, athletes sometimes collide with the object that they have jumped from. Because BASE jumping areas are usually not designated for this guerilla-style sport, the makeshift landing targets that jumpers aim for are rarely large enough to allow for a safe jump. As a result many BASE enthusiasts meet with serious and sometimes fatal injuries because they haven’t been able to steer themselves to the landing area in time.

Many people compare BASE jumping to bungee jumping without a bungee cord, but it is actually much closer to skydiving without an airplane. Jumpers practice many of the same techniques that divers use to maintain stability and altitude awareness while they are in the air. Before becoming a BASE jumper, an athlete must complete a full course of skydiver training. Once they have their full skydiving certification, the next step for anyone interested in BASE is to find a mentor in the jumping community who can teach them how to take on these ambitious freefalls. Only experienced divers can even contemplate a BASE jump because this kind of unguided and somewhat unpredictable activity requires razor sharp awareness of altitude, along with stellar free fall technique.

Skydiving Magazine. first published in 1979. is the principal leader in skydiving news. training. and equipment. Unrivaled by competition. this magazine has survived the test of time. continuously providing up-to-date. unprecedented information to avid skydive fans. Boasting that it is a magazine “published by jumpers and for jumpers”. this has become the handbook for skydiving safety and technique.

Often compared to Parachutist. the only other magazine for skydivers. Skydiving Magazine offers more regional news. safety and performance articles. Since Parachutist is published by United States Parachute Association (USPA). the agency which governs skydiving in the United States. it tends to focus more on USPA events and news. technical articles. and regulations. Skydiving tends to cover competitions more fully and also provides information on non-regulation subjects. The coverage of nonconformist skydiving techniques has created a following of enthusiasts that enjoy other versions of this extreme sport.

One major advantage of Skydiving Magazine is it is the only widely distributed source of information on BASE jumping and BASE events as USPA does not recognize BASE jumping. BASE is an acronym for Building. Antennae. Span. and Earth and represents fixed objects from which jumps are made. Because BASE jumping is very dangerous and often illegal. it is not only disparaged in general. but frowned upon by USPA. This makes Skydiving Magazine a leader in this area of the sport.

The primary distinguishing characteristic of Skydiving Magazine is its print style. Skydiving is printed on enlarged tabloid style paper with a non-slick finish. More like a newspaper than a magazine. Skydiving is often criticized as having inferior picture quality and inadequate color due to this type of printing. However. many prefer this style as it maintains a traditional design and. because of its shorter production cycle. remains the most current in news and equipment information. Either way. if the publishing style is objectionable. it is not apparent in the record number of magazines that are sold every month to ardent readers.