SIBU: The warm Sarawakian hospitality and the town’s uniqueness have formed the magnetic draw for more and more participants to the Sibu BASE Jump each year.
(Seated second row from right) Aziz, Cunningham, Rudy and Maria in a group photo with the jumpers after the media conference.
Australian BASE Association president Gary Cunningham said the big landing space for BASE jumpers at Sibu Town Square and the state’s tallest building — the 126-metre Wisma Sanyan — were two other reasons.
“It is a kind of hospitality that we cannot get anywhere else in the world,” he told a media conference to announce the arrival of 45 jumpers from 11 countries participating in this year’s jump.
Participating countries include Australia, Finland, France, Ireland, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, USA, Poland, Austria, the Netherlands, New Zealand, UK, Sweden, Ukraine, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Switzerland.
The jumpers, including Cunningham, will be taking the leap from Sept 19 to 21 from 8am to 9pm.
Cunningham, who is the technical advisor for the event, said they expect to do about 500 jumps.
The jumpers also will perform night jumps on Sept 19 and 20, weather permitting.
Last year, 37 BASE jumpers from 14 countries completed 684 jumps.
They also created a world record when Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) Sibu executive Rudy Anoi became the first tandem BASE jumper in the world to leap from a building held by another jumper on parachute.
BASE Jump was first held here in 2009 with 11 jumpers.
In 2010, there were 10 jumpers and the number increased to 23 in 2011, 28 in 2012 and 37 last year.
Meanwhile, Rudy said the jumpers would visit Rumah Catherine Tamoh in Sungai Aup here on Sept 21.
“We want them to experience longhouse culture and lifestyle,” he said.
Malaysian BASE Association president Captain Aziz Ahmad and the state’s Administrative Officer Maria Jimmy Jalil were also present.
at the press conference.