Malaysia Jumps Into Extreme Sports
Something that will almost surely land you in jail almost anywhere else can win you prizes and glory in Malaysia. The country has created a travel niche for itself by permitting tourists to leap from tall buildings in competition. Kuala Lumpur hosted the Malaysia International Championship Extreme Skydive and World Base Cup last week. A total of 54 competitors from all over the world leapt from the Petronas Twin Towers and Menara Kuala Lumpur. The results of Monday’s finals still haven’t been posted.
Something that will almost surely land you in jail almost anywhere else can win you prizes and glory in Malaysia. The country has created a travel niche for itself by permitting tourists to leap from tall buildings in competition. Kuala Lumpur hosted the Malaysia International Championship Extreme Skydive and World Base Cup last week. A total of 54 competitors from all over the world leapt from the Petronas Twin Towers and Menara Kuala Lumpur. The results of Monday's finals still haven't been posted. The contestants were judged on their short freefalls and descents to the streets below over a series of 10 rounds. Base jumpers occasionally hit the headlines in other parts of the world and are generally seen being carted off by the local police but the Malaysians, home to some of the world's tallest buildings, decided to capitalize on the trend instead. Base jumping is considered more hazardous than regular skydiving because there's no time to deploy a backup chute if the main canopy fails.