'Dream come true' to jump from Burj Khalifa, world's best Base jumpers say

Burj Khalifa was the iconic stage for 31 of the world's best Base jumpers to record more than 400 heart-stopping jumps as they hurtled down and then ‘flew’ before opening up parachutes to land safely.

Yoga handstands, running starts, free falls and somersaults were how the athletes launched themselves from a specially constructed 12-metre platform on the 139th floor of the world's tallest building.

Athletes from more than 15 countries worked solo or in pairs to deliver 437 "dream jumps" over two days as part of a sporting event called Exit139 this week.

“It was amazing to jump with a group of friends from a ramp on the terrace of the highest building in the world,” Fred Fugen, 45, a French skydiver who set a world record in 2014 for the first Base jump from the Burj Khalifa, told The National.

He explained how, unlike skydiving, where people jump from a plane, in a Base jump divers accelerate towards the ground and use that airspeed to fly away from the building. “This was very, very intense because you have the feeling of falling that is very impressive,” he said. “It's different than skydiving where you jump out of a plane. Base jumping is a feeling of completely falling for the first three seconds. After three seconds you start to have some pressure on the air, you are able to fly, move in the air, and use your body to do different tricks.”

Dream jump

Video footage shows some athletes take a running start before they fall, some as straight as an arrow, others spread-eagled after they push off from the 828-metre steel and glass tower.

In dizzying visuals, divers hold hands or curve into a cannon ball with the Dubai landscape stretched out below. It’s seconds before they tug open parachutes, glide past skyscrapers and land safely on a nearby jetty.

Described as one of the most daring extreme sport spectacles, Exit139 was held by XDubai, along with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Skydive Dubai and Emaar. It follows meticulous planning to establish the emirate's position on the global stage for high-adrenalin sport.

“Events like Exit139 exemplify Dubai’s dynamic and innovative spirit, reinforcing the city’s status as a global hub for world-class experiences and adrenalin-fuelled adventures,” said Issam Kazim, chief executive of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. “By continuously pushing boundaries in extreme sports and entertainment, Dubai strengthens its position as the ultimate destination to visit, live, and work in.”

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, added to the curiosity by posting a video earlier this week on Instagram teasing the event, before posting a reel on Friday showing off a selection of the dazzling stunts.

For Emirati athlete Ahmed Al Shehhi, 36, it was an honour to be part of a defining moment in the country’s aerial sports adventure. “This is one of my dreams to jump from Burj Khalifa,” said the XDubai athlete and the first Emirati jet suit pilot. “I have been training and preparing and finally I’m here at Exit139 Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the most beautiful city in the world.”

The UAE athlete began skydiving 13 years ago and said being part of a professional community was vital. “Don’t do it like you want to be a show off, do this because this is your passion,” he said.

'Nothing like it'

After conquering their nerves in the initial jumps, the athletes soon added their own individual stamp to each leap.

“Every one of my jumps has been just like a dream,” said Katie Hansen, 40, who left a nursing job in a Utah hospital to take up full-time skydiving and Base jumping. “On the first few, my heart was beating so fast. Once you get up on the ramp and up to the exit, you are calm, collected and it keeps getting more fun and comfortable.”

Along with her husband Matt LaJeunesse, the couple soon added multiple layers of stunts to an already hair-raising sport.

“We did some fun things where you hold hands and then flip towards the building,” she said. “There was a jump where he was holding my hands behind me, my toes were over the edge and you keep a nice, straight body and he leans you more and more forward. So you're leaning way out over the edge, then he lets go and you go into a free fall. There is nothing like it.”

Simon Whittle, 39, a Skydive Dubai instructor who has glided past Burj Khalifa and Dubai Marina in wingsuits, said it took years of precision training to ensure each jump is safe.

“It feels like flying, to have that slight weightlessness when you jump, like the kind of empty stomach feeling,” he said. “You can actually use the air to fly your body away from the building, kind of look between your legs and see the building going by.”

He spoke of growing interest with people coming to Dubai for adventure sport. “It’s happening more now because there are two drop zones, one mainly for tourists in the Marina and another one in the desert for people who want to learn to sky dive,” he said. “The one in the desert has got really busy in the last few years. We get such nice weather in the winter and have a big influx of European and Western skydivers who come to learn.”