Bridge Day Blog

In the USA, it’s common to assume that other people are ensuring your safety and well-being. For example, when you see a serious car accident, most of us assume that someone has already called 911. When you ride a roller coaster, you assume that the manufacturer has accounted for worst-case conditions with generous safety factors. And when you walk out onto the New River Gorge Bridge on Bridge Day, you assume that the WV Department of Highways has performed the appropriate calculations to insure the safety of all spectators.

While it’s unknown exactly how many spectators have been on the bridge at one time, my best guess would put the number at 20,000. BASE jumpers alone total more than 500 people near the jumper exit point at the center of the bridge. With 20,000 spectators mainly concentrated near the center of the bridge on the Northbound lanes, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that this is a unique asymmetrical load on the 31 year-old bridge. Before 9/11, spectators and motorists shared the bridge as four lanes of vehicular traffic became two for approximately ten hours. This arrangement permitted a more balanced weight distribution.

However, cars and trucks weigh quite a bit more than pedestrians. For example, a fully loaded semi-truck can max out at 80,000 lbs while a typical person weighs less than 175 lbs. Assuming that all spectators weigh 3,500,000 lbs (20,000 spectators times 175 lbs each), it would take only 44 fully loaded semi-trucks to equal this amount. With the New River Gorge Bridge at 3030′ long, I don’t believe it would be unreasonable to see this amount of loading. Of course, as a mechanical engineer, it’s in my blood to ponder things such as this.  At the next Bridge Day Commission meeting, I’ll speak with the DOH to see what calculations have been performed.  Nonetheless, having attended every Bridge Day since 1992, I’m confident and comfortable on top of the bridge (and you should be as well).  Just as long as we all don’t jump up and down at the same time…..

As a BASE jumping videographer and photographer since 1993, I often risk my life to capture amazing images in freefall. Some of my photos and videos have appeared on Good Morning America, ESPN, Stuff magazine, numerous books , and other media. Needless to say, it’s disappointing to see West Virginia newspapers, websites, and brochures use my photos without permission (numerous times). Even worse, some of them gave photo credit to other photographers.

In the spirit of Bridge Day, I didn’t make a big deal of the situation. However, it’s all too common to see photo pirates attempting to justify the theft of a photographer’s hard work. Unauthorized users often report the incident as a “mistake” or a “mixup” of photos. With the proliferation of images posted on the internet and the ease of digitally transferring them, it’s become too easy for publishers to find the perfect unauthorized photo.

I have a simple solution to this problem that some people often overlook. It’s called “asking permission”. You’ll find that I’m very accommodating when people go through the proper channels and simply ask for permission before using my photos. After all, I’m here to promote Bridge Day and insure that the event is around for future generations to enjoy. If you see a photo on my website that would fit nicely on your new webpage or brochure, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Most people think BASE jumpers are “crazy”. Deep down inside, I’ll assume they’re simply jealous. BASE jumpers realize their dreams by exploring human flight while the naysayers watch life pass them by, sinking deeper and deeper into the safety of their couch and remote control.

My name is Jason Bell (no relation to the guy on your left) and I’m a 36 year-old BASE jumper from Bridgeport, West Virginia. I was the 428th person in the world to make parachute jumps from a Bridge, Antenna, Span (bridge), and Earth (cliff), earning me BASE #428. I’m also the “Bridge Day BASE Jumping Coordinator” since 2002, a BASE jumper since 1993, a mechanical engineer, and father of two small children. This blog serves as an easier method for me to post my thoughts on the Bridge Day event, details of Bridge Day Commission (BDC) meetings, rants and raves about the media, details on the sport of BASE jumping, and anything else that I’d like to chat about. Perhaps you’ll find some interesting information here that wouldn’t normally be found elsewhere?

BASE jumping is a complex sport that is commonly misunderstood by the masses. Most people are taught that BASE jumping is dangerous by what they’ve seen on TV. How many times have you seen a story on all the successful BASE jumps we’ve made around the world? Fortunately, a few good people in Fayetteville, West Virginia realized that the excitement of seeing people jump off a perfectly good bridge can bring nearly 200,000 spectators to the area for the largest BASE jumping event in the world. BASE jumpers travel from all over the world for a small six hour jumping window, but the sport is very weather-dependent. Most jumpers would prefer a three-day weekend of BASE jumping from the hidden catwalk below the road deck. Jumpers can’t be seen my motorists and more money would be brought into the Fayetteville community. Did I mention that the nearly 1000 BASE jumpers and family members spend an estimated $500,000 dollars to attend Bridge Day each year?

I’ll leave you with the following quote from whitewater pioneer Jon Dragan, who said “why do they invite 200,000 spectators to Fayetteville and then wave goodbye to them six hours later?”