Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Jumper touches BASE yearly in Malaysia

Leap of faith: Conningham who jumped from Menara Pelita on Sunday says Malaysia is a great place for BASE jumping.

STAR
Tuesday August 5, 2008
By JACK WONG

KUCHING: Australian BASE jumper Gary Conningham returns to Malaysia every year not just for the KL Tower International Jump but also to take part in other adventure events.

Today, the 36-year-old electronic engineer is climbing Mount Kinabalu in Sabah.

“Last year, I joined a rafting event in Sabah,” Conningham told The Star after a jump from the 24-storey Menara Pelita in Petra Jaya here on Sunday.

BASE jumping involves jumping off buildings or other fixed objects with the parachute unopened at the start of the jump.

State Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Datuk William Mawan Ikom launched the annual five-city circuit event, which also featured a youth carnival and a mini concert by popular group OAG and other local artistes.

Conningham, who is also Australian BASE Jump Association president, set a new world BASE jump record by making 133 continuous jumps from the KL Tower within 24 hours on Jan 1, 2005.

“I love Malaysia because it is a great place for BASE jumping. I have made more than 700 jumps from buildings in Malaysia.

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