BASE Jumpers Eye Grand Canyon Skywalk

March, 30, 2007 — -- Funny thing about some people. When new tall structures are built, they often feel the need to jump off them. History shows a long list of buildings, bridges and towers, and somewhere in the footnotes, the names of the first to leap from them. So, in the case of the newly opened Grand Canyon Skywalk, it's only natural to wonder who and when?

The much-hyped tourist attraction, which opened to the public this week, will likely draw thousands of visitors each year to the canyon's remote western edge. The design includes a glass-bottomed observation deck that juts 70 feet from the canyon's rim and offers a never-before-seen look at one of America's greatest natural wonders.

But for an elite few, the Grand Canyon Skywalk is more than just another stop on the drive across America. There are people who are certainly eyeing the structure as more of a 4,000-foot-high diving board.

They're called BASE jumpers. BASE stands for Building, Antenna, Span, Earth. The idea being, that participants leap from any earthbound object -- or natural cliff -- not from an airplane, the more common platform for most parachuting activities.

Veteran BASE jumper Chris Pope says "any time you go anywhere as a BASE jumper you are sizing things up, and that skywalk makes an appealing target for sure."

Pope points out a potential fly in the Skywalk's ointment: the would-be landing zone is sacred ground to the Hualapai Indians, who own and operate the attraction on their reservation. "I would have to get the permission of the people who own the land before I would consider a jump at that location," says the 38-year-old Pope. "BASE Jumpers, for the most-part, are a very respectful bunch," which is why at least for now, Pope thinks they'll steer clear of the Skywalk.

But that is not to say there aren't those who would and could pull off a stealthy leap. "There are always a small number in any group who will act out and make things hard on the rest, " says Pope, who sports a resume including at least 600 jumps. He says a green light at the Skywalk would make things a lot safer as well. "It's always better to have the proper permission. It makes planning the jump much more precise and ultimately, safer."