The Craziest Competition Ever? Thrill-Seekers Soar at the World Wingsuit Grand Prix

Yahoo Travel
Updated
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Divers leap from a cliff wearing a specialized inflatable wingsuit. (Photo: World Wingsuit League)

It’s a bird, it’s a plane—it’s a guy in a wingsuit?

Wingsuit diving is one of the world’s most dangerous extreme sports, and from October 10-20, athletes from around the world will gather in China for the World Wing Suit League (WWL) Grand Prix.

In short, the event requires brave (or crazy) athletes to dive off of a cliff wearing inflatable suits. So just how far will they fall? Believe it or not, the jumpers will leap, head first, off of a 900-foot cliff. And it’s not just an easy glide downhill. Athletes have to fly around course markers, before opening their parachutes, and landing at the foot of the mountain.

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Divers will leap off of a 900-foot cliff at the Grand Prix in China. (Photo: World Wingsuit League)

Sixteen of the world’s best wingsuit pilots will race against each other in timed runs to see who is the fastest. Gold, silver, and bronze medals will be awarded to the top finishers, in addition to $20,000, $10,000, and $5,000 respectively.

Despite the thrill, there have been recent reminders of how dangerous this sport really is. Just last month, wingsuiting took the lives of two popular athletes. Record-breaking base jumper Ramón Rojas was practicing for a wingsuit competition when he lost control and crashed.  And just a few weeks earlier, 26-year-old Australian wingsuiter, Alex Duncan, died after losing control during a routine jump.

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Grand Prix contender Jokke Sommer (Photo: World Wingsuit League)

In an live chat with fans, WWL Champion Johnathan Florez addressed the recent wingsuit related fatalities. "It’s really the sad reality of what we do. We are flying and doing something that nature didn’t intend for us to do,” said Florez. “We have to be respectful of the mountain....”

The WWL Grand Prix will be held in a mountain range in the Hunan province near the town of Zhanijiajie. The event will be televised live in China.

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