October 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm
BASE (Building, Antenna, Span, Earth) jumpers all around the world were given another opportunity recently to come together and do the one thing that they love most – jumping off dizzying heights with only a parachute to delay their fall as gravity takes over. This prestigious event organised by the Kuala Lumpur Tower took place from the 28th September till 2nd October 2011.
All jumpers posing for a group photo during the opening ceremony on 28th September 2011
This time, the tower became the ‘leaping point’ as 93 jumpers from all over the world including Malaysia participated in this exciting event. Considering the high risk involved in this extreme sport, it is not uncommon for many to assume that women are not into extreme sports. It was therefore surprising to hear that out of the 93 people who participated, five were women jumpers. The participants who joined this event came from countries like Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Switzerland, Finland, United States, India, Malaysia, Canada, Japan, Oslo, Chile, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, France and Poland. The five women participants were from India, the United States, Hungary, Germany and South Africa. The event was also made open to members of the public who were keen to come and watch the jumpers in action. Tickets were sold at a premier rate of RM 100.00 to RM 150.00 for day jumps and RM 150.00 to RM 200.00 for Night Jumps, which took place on 30th September and 1st October 2011.
One of the jumpers on his way to the landing area
It is amazing to see these jumpers leaping off the platform at the heights of 300 metres!
Some jumpers practise the way to leap off the building before actually jumping off with their friends
The closing ceremony for the Kuala Lumpur Tower International Jump Malaysia 2011, which took place on 2nd October 2011, coincided with the tower’s 15th years anniversary, hence it was a double celebration for both the jumpers and the tower’s management. The tower was officially launched by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on 1st October 1996, who was the current Prime Minister of Malaysia at that time. The event was held at the Megaview Banquet Hall at Menara Kuala Lumpur. It was attended by YB Datuk M. Saravanan, Deputy Minister Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing, Yg Bhg Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Muhammad Radzi Mansor, Chairman of Menara Kuala Lumpur and Pn. Zuraidah Mohd Said, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Menara Kuala Lumpur.
YB Datuk M. Saravanan, Deputy Minister Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing presenting a Certificate of Participation to Mr Gary Cunningham
The closing event also proved to be a memorable day for 21 youths who shared the same birthday as Menara Kuala Lumpur. Their presence made the ceremony even more merrier as these youths joined in during the cake-cutting ceremony. A gift was also presented to all the birthday boys and girls, much to their delight. It definitely was a memorable birthday for them. After the cultural performances, the jumpers were all invited to the stage to receive their certificates from Kuala Lumpur Tower. Pn. Zuraidah also announced the dates for next year’s Kuala Lumpur Tower International Jump Malaysia, which will be taking place from the 26th till 30th September 2012. This is truly a great opportunity for most jumpers to break their own records as next year they will have five whole days to jump to their hearts’ delight!
The cake cutting ceremony to celebrate Menara Kuala Lumpur’s anniversary together with the birthday of Menara Kuala Lumpur Youths
There were also five special prizes prepared by Menara Kuala Lumpur together with one of its main sponsors, World of Watches II for five of the jumpers. The winners each received a watch from World of Watches II worth RM5, 000 each. The categories were:-
The Overall Jump
Most Jumps of the Day
Most Creative Jump
WWII Jumper (International Ambassador), and
WWII Jumper (Local Ambassador).
The winners were:
The Overall Jump – Jean-Phillipe Teffaud
Most Jumps for the Day – Adam Gardner
Most Creative Jump – Rob Heron from Canada
WWII Jumper (International Ambassador) – Brandon J Chance AND
WWII Jumper (Local Ambassador) – Hizam Sahibudeen
Winner of Most Creative Jumper, Mr Rob Heron from Canada
Winner of Most Jumps of the Day Category, Mr Adam Gardner
Winner of Overall Jumps Category, Mr Jean-Phillipe Teffaud
Winner of WWII Jumper Local Ambassador, Mr Hizam Sahibudeen
Winner of WWII Jumper International Ambassador, Mr Brandon J Chance
As the closing ceremony came to an end, many of the jumpers took the opportunity to mingle around with each other. Some even joined in the cultural dancers’ performance. All in all, the KL Tower International Jump Malaysia 2011 had a good start and ended with a great bang.
Tags: BASE Jump Event, Extreme Sports, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Tower International Jump Malaysia 2011, Malaysia, Menara Kuala Lumpur
