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Best Skydive Stunts

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For most of us, the rush of a normal, “parachute pack and gusto only” skydive is enough, and no additional gear is required. Everything gets old if you do it enough, however, even propelling yourself out of a plane thousands of feet in the air. Avid divers have a tendency to up the ante. Out of their need to spice up the already-smoldering sport, some of the most creative skydives we’ve ever seen are born. Take a look and let us know if you can think of any other airborne originals. If you can, maybe it’s time to chute up.

BMX Dive

Matt Hoffman has always been something of a pioneer. He was the youngest rider to join the BMX freestyle circuit at the age of 15 and, over the course of his storied career, has come to define top-tier vert riding. He’s won scores of awards, appeared in Olympic ceremonies, produced stunt shows and been re-created as an avatar in numerous video games. Because of this, it’s really no surprise Hoffman, nicknamed “The Condor,” wanted to take his sport in another exciting direction and live up to his avian moniker. Maybe next time he’ll jump with a mini vert ramp and really go to work.

Kayak Dive

Anyone who looked to the skies in Sebastian, Florida on the day daredevil and noted “skyaker,” Miles Daisher, pulled this move must have been very confused. Seeing a parachute pop open overhead is reason enough for a stir, but a man paddling through the air in a kayak, well that’s Superman-sighting unusual. 13,000 feet above ground, Daisher awes us as he spins and flips with reckless beauty, but the real show starts with his 50 mph picture-perfect aqua landing. We wonder if Daisher’s started doing this every time he fancies a kayak ride. Now, who’s in the mood of a quick skayak?

Ski Dive

It’s never a surprise to see skydiving great, Oliver Furrer, doing something innovative. He’s spent all 20+ years of his pro career doing just that. A two-time FAI World Champion and a double World Record holder (one for being the first person ever to skysurf, one for crossing the Swiss Alps with a skyglider), Furrer decided to add one more notch to his belt with this marvelous effort over the Swiss Alps. If you like what you see and think you might like to learn a thing or two from this wildman, Furrer’s begun training amateur skydivers in his native Switzerland. Visit OliverFurrer.com and maybe bring your skis, or a bike or something. The dude obviously likes to think outside the box.

Car Dive

Our inner monologues went a buzz the first time time we saw this promotional clip of the Chevrolet Aveo being dumped out of a plane and into the clouds high above the Arizona desert. Guess what? It’s definitely real, and we’re still pretty blown away by the whole thing. The stunt’s incredible, but the risk is what’s really applause worthy. It’s terrifying to think of what could’ve happened if that shoot didn’t open. There’d be some seriously flat cacti at the very least. Kudos, Chevy. Keep throwing stuff out of planes.

Chute-less Dive

Kayaks, cars, BMX bikes, each of the stunts we’ve chronicled has been out of the ordinary in its own way. They have all, however, had one thing in common: every jumper donned a parachute on his back. Until now, that is. As covered by TheAdrenalist a couple of months back, British stuntman, Gary Connery, jumped out of a helicopter 2,400 feet above the ground and did a little wingsuiting without a parachute. Gliding into almost 19,000 cardboard boxes tied together to form a landing strip, Connery walked away from the first-of-its-kind trick completely unharmed and probably feeling pretty great about himself and his obviously solid handle on physics. Bravo, Mr. Connery. Bravo.

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