British Open Champion Crowned After
World's First ‘legal’ Wind Turbine Base Jump

September 29th 2008

The first ever British Open Base Jumping Championship was decided this weekend with spectacular jumps from the Ecotricity Turbine in Swaffham – the only wind turbine in the world with a viewing platform open to the public, owned and operated by leading green energy company Ecotricity.

Thirty of the world’s best BASE jumpers competed in the final leg of the aptly named “Who’s the daddy” competition.

BASE jumping is the adrenaline sport of parachuting from fixed objects and is an acronym that contains the major groups of objects these jumpers generally use: Building, Antenna, Span (bridge), and Earth. It has historically been a clandestine sport, carried out furtively by a closed set of radical enthusiasts. But it has evolved into a highly technical, cutting-edge modern sport, no longer worthy of its reputation as the reserve of loonies.

Only jumpers who have over 100 BASE jumps were allowed to enter the championships. A “bullseye” the size of a tennis-ball tested their accurate landing skills after a very short parachute ride (8-10 seconds), marks were also awarded for presentation and style. The title was claimed by Christopher 'Dougs' McDougal, leading Australian BASE Jumper.

Dale Vince, MD of Ecotricity, said "There won't be any parachutes or soft landings when the global energy crisis bites! The UK needs to harness more of its natural wind energy and it needs to do it now."

Dave Moores, Director of UK Pro BASE said, "Unlike sky jumpers us BASE jumpers don't burn fossil fuels to get our fun, so a partnership with Ecotricity is natural and green - the future of energy!"