Bridge Day is the longest lasting BASE event on the planet, it is also the biggest BASE jumping festival in the world. Once per year the National Park allows BASE jumpers to leap from the New River Gorge Bridge. The bridge is 876 feet tall which allows jumpers to free fall for nearly 7 seconds before deploying their parachutes. The event is fun for jumpers and spectators alike. Some years the crowd has been over 200,000 people. Being a part of such a rich tradition in BASE jumping is an honor. While any qualified BASE jumper can sign up for Bridge Day, only our team is permitted to do Tandem BASE jumps.
Doing Tandem BASE jumps at such a big festival is extremely chaotic and requires the utmost discipline and qualifications. Sean Chuma, the founder of our team has been doing Tandems and Bridge Day for 14 years. Ryan Katchmar joined him this year. It was Ryan’s first time at Bridge day and he loved it. He was able to take 8 people for Tandem BASE jumps while also making 2 solo BASE jumps. In order to Tandem BASE jumps at Bridge Day we have to go through extensive background checks with the national parks and state police. If our resumes and references are already not enough for you, maybe it will help you know that we have to have a background check with the National Parks and West Virginia State police in order to attend. Bridge Day also includes many other outdoor activities like; rafting, repelling, climbing, hiking, running, food, music, and more.
The West Virginia leaves all begin to change during this weekend which is almost enough reason to visit the area alone. Bridge Day is a must see event whether you want to make a BASE jump, Tandem BASE jump, or simply watch a festival like no other. If doing a tandem BASE jump at Bridge Day interests you, contact us early. These jumps are limited to 16 per year and sometimes sell out a year in advance. This is only one of the many events that we travel to around the world. In West Virginia we jump from a bridge, but in other areas we leap from cliffs and buildings. Be sure to follow “Tandem BASE Moab” on social media to keep up with all of the events we have. We are pretty excited about what we have to share with you in the not so distant future!