Born with wings

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

Valery Rozov, the 47-year-old BASE jumper and skydiving legend should have been born with wings as he holds over 10,000 jumps to his name. The double world champion visited Sri Lanka to demonstrate a wing suit flying stunt at the launch of the Sky Club in Colombo.

His talents also include snowboarding, diving, and video shooting – in line with Rozov’s philosophy of life of having a dream and working towards it. The down to earth BASE jumper spoke to the Daily FT during his recent trip to Sri Lanka on his career. Following are excerpts from the interview:  

Q: When and how did you get into BASE jumping?

A: BASE jumping is a skydiving activity and I have been leaping off heights for the past 20 years or so. Prior to that, I was a professional climber and for me, it was quite obvious that I wanted to move towards BASE jumping. It is less a sport and more of an extreme activity and it was a logical step for me to follow this path.

Q: How did the first leap feel? Before and after.

A: The first leap taken is an amazing and unique feeling for those who do BASE jumping. It is not the same as jumping off an airplane so it’s quite scary before you actually jump. The feeling after the jump is quite relaxing because you have survived.

Q: When you jumped for the first time, did you think you would continue? What brought about the commitment?

A: I was into extreme activity from my childhood itself. I used to engage in mountaineering, skydiving, rock climbing and other activities that involved heights so I was quite used to the feeling. Sometimes I can be scared but I’m used to the feeling now. That is probably the reason why I continue to jump. I can manage the fear.

Q: To date, how many jumps have you performed?

A: Including BASE jumping and skydiving, I have performed about 10,000 jumps so far.

Q: What would you say is your greatest achievement?

A: The greatest achievement for me is that I am still alive. I take great risks and despite that, I am still here aren’t I? This is the biggest achievement for me to date.

Q:  Which jump will you never forget?

A: I can never forget the jumps I have performed in competitions. When I first won the world championship in 1999, it was an amazing feeling. I have won the same championship a couple of times now, but even after 15 years, I still feel the emotion, pride and pulse that I felt after my first victory.

Q: What are the most picturesque places that stand out in your mind?

A: That would be very difficult to choose as for me, all the places I have jumped at are beautiful in their own different way.

Q:  You were also the first person to skydive into a volcano crater in Russia. What was that like?

A: It was a completely different feeling. I jumped from a helicopter and the idea was to jump directly into the active crater rim. The problem I faced at that instance was that from the top, the volcano looks like just another mountain. At the time of my jump, no fumaroles were visible and it was difficult for me to find the ideal spot that was safe for me to leap onto. Trusting my instincts, I jumped onto the rim. However, I must admit that I was nervous at that moment because I didn’t know what I was going to plant my feet on after I actually dived.

Q: Who is your role model?

A: For me, it is my older brother for sure. Also a person with interest in heights, he was the one who was there for my first jump and encouraged me further into the activity. He is my role model and inspiration.

Q: How has your experience in BASE jumping in Sri Lanka been so far?

A: This is my third visit to Sri Lanka. My first visit here was for a location check. During my second visit, I did a few demo jumps for the competitions held here. I jumped at the opening ceremony of the car racing tournament where I had the privilege of shaking hands with the First Lady. My experience in BASE jumping in Sri Lanka has been quite interesting so far.

Q: You were present at the Sky Club launch which is a first in Sri Lanka. What do you think about the initiative?

A: It felt great to be invited for the event. I demonstrated a wing suit flying stunt at the launch as well and I hope the local skydivers found it interesting and learn few techniques from it. I am happy that there is a passion for BASE jumping and skydiving activities in Sri Lanka and I hope more people will try it out.

Q: What is your take on Sri Lankans and their attitude towards BASE jumping?

A: I feel that they are positive towards the extreme activity. During my last visit to Sri Lanka, I met with a military person who was into BASE jumping and he was very passionate about it. There aren’t many but there a few who have a strong attitude towards BASE jumping.

Q: How could we get more people to engage with BASE jumping in Sri Lanka?

A: It is better to promote skydiving as it is a real sport, a competitive one, and most importantly, it is much safer. BASE jumping should not be promoted since it is a high risk activity and I think people should decide for themselves if they want practice it.

Q: A few words of advice for those who want to start BASE jumping?

A: The ultimate advice I would give for those who want to get into BASE jumping is to be responsible and think carefully before taking the decision.

You also have to cautions about the conditions you jump in as no one can advise you on what should be done when you are in a tight situation. You are the best judge, so be responsible is all I can say.

 – Pic by Lasantha Kumara