Base Jumping the Burj

Two UAE men smash base jumping world record, say it's 'better than Everest'

Two men who smashed the world record for the highest base jump by leaping from the world’s tallest building, said it was ‘better than Everest.’

Nasser Al Neyadi and Omar Al Hegelan made a vertical jump of 672 metres (2,205 ft) from Dubai’s $2bn, 828m (2,718 ft) Burj Khalifa building, a day after its opening on January 5th.

The UAE citizens flung themselves through the sky for 90 seconds at a speed of 136 miles per hour in a record breaking base jump for ‘the world’s highest jump from a man-made structure.’

The skydiving and base jumping professionals, representing Fazza Sky Team, previously broke the world record for first ever Everest sky dive at 8,990 metres (29,500 ft).

Al Neyadi told gulfnews.com: “When we were at the top of the building, I was thinking ‘this is crazy.’ I was a little nervous but I wanted to jump from the highest tower in the world to record an achievement for my family and for my country.”

The Accuracy Skiving UAE Champion of 2007, Al Neyadi has performed over 2700 skydives but claims this jump beats Everest as ‘the best experience ever.’

Al Neyadi’s base jumping and skydiving trainer, Al Hegelan, began base jumping – leaping from a fixed surface and free-falling before opening the parachute at the end – in 1997 and has made over 15,000 skydives.

It is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, and the two men free-fell 200 floors for over 10 seconds before deploying parachutes. They had obtained permission from Dubai authorities and Emaar Properties, the building’s developers, for the jump, insisting it was a safe enterprise.

After landing safely on Burj Park Island, Al Hegelan told SkyNews: “We did it legally, we did it safely and we set a new world record. It took months of preparation... but we showed that safe legal base jumps are possible from the Burj Khalifa.”

Just a week after opening, Burj Khalifa has proved in more than one way man’s ambition for breaking records and pushing boundaries.

They have flown from the tallest natural peak and jumped the highest man-made structure but it  remains to be seen what daredevil record Al Neyadi and Al Hegelan can break next.