Our Lead Staff

Jason Bell

BASE Jumping Co-Organizer
Exit Point Coordinator

Jason made his first BASE jump at Bridge Day 1993 and has 500+ BASE jumps. He's traveled the world, often bringing his video or still cameras along to capture the action. Jason (BASE #428) was part of the May 2003 record 19-way BASE jump from a 486' bridge in Idaho and has appeared on numerous videos and television programs. He helped organize Bridge Day 2002 and his company, Vertical Visions, began organizing Bridge Day the following year. Despite working more than 700 hours a year on Bridge Day during evenings and weekends, Jason maintains a full-time day job as a mechanical engineer. In his spare time, he enjoys skydiving (D-16725), paragliding, electric vehicles, computers, and working on his smart home located in Bridgeport, West Virginia.

 

Jennifer Bell

BASE Jumping Co-Organizer

Jennifer has attended every Bridge Day since 1994 and assisted Bill Bird in the LZ for many years. In recent years, she has become a familiar face to jumpers at Bridge Day. In the months prior to Bridge Day, Jennifer contributes many hours to the organization and preparation for the big day. Jennifer has one skydive and enjoys taking care of daughter Mallory and son Ashton, traveling, and getting a good nights sleep. She also has her "BASE Groundcrew" number, having groundcrewed for everything from New York City building jumps to leaps from Switzerland's Eiger.

 

 

 

Bill Bird

BASE Jumping Co-Organizer
Landing Zone Coordinator

Bill has attended Bridge Day since the early 1980's and has been the landing zone staff leader for many, many years. Bill is a longtime skydiver (instructor since 1979 and pro-rated) and BASE jumper from the Canton, Ohio area. He made his first base jump in 1982 from the New River Gorge Bridge and has done many more since. In his spare time, he runs his own business and also owns a Class 3 friendly shooting range. Bill met Jason and Jennifer years ago when Jason was in college, and helped their skydiving club "get off of the ground". "All of the folks I've worked with over the years have been very nice, and I wouldn't trade these times for anything", says Bill. "It makes me feel good to see people that I have worked with go from young adults to worldclass jumpers. Thanks to all the staffers that have helped over the years!"

 

Mark Krasinski

Exit Point Staff Leader

Mark first attended Bridge day in 1990 and has been BASE jumping around the world ever since (BASE #680). He has been skydiving for 23 years and has over 2,400 skydives. Mark holds a senior riggers ticket, is a private pilot, and has been working the Bridge Day exit point for the last few years. He works for a military parachute company designing, fabricating, and jump testing parachute systems. He travels internationally to demonstrate and train military groups in rigging, maintaining, and use of parachute systems, both personal and cargo.

 

 

Mick Knutson

Exit Point Staff Leader

Mick is best known for creating and managing the longest running BASE jumping forum on the internet - Blinc Magazine. He's been BASE jumping since the 1990's and will be an asset to our team.

 

 

 

 

Bruce Kramer

Exit Point and Logistics

Bruce has been working at the Bridge Day exit point for decades and is one of the most friendly jumpers you'll ever meet. He's been BASE jumping since the early 1990's and holds BASE #509. You'll likely see him constructing the exit point, assisting new jumpers, or helping us load/unload a tractor trailer full of Bridge Day gear. Bruce is a solid jumper, a great leader, and now a wonderful father to son Lucas (future BASE jumper, of course). If you see him, be sure to tease him about the time he blew a toggle on the last 450' cliff jump of the 1998 IPBC BASE jumping competition, subsequently dropping his "come-from-behind no-name dream-team" from first place to third.

 

 

Tony DiCola (aka "Donk")

BASE Video Festival, Audio, Video

Donk is a veteran skydiver and BASE jumper. He has made thousands of skydives and hundreds of BASE-jumps since his first BASE jump at Bridge Day 2000. His most memorable BASE jumps include the Eiger in Switzerland, 2003 record 19-way at the Perrine Bridge in Idaho, the Cave of the Swallows in Mexico, 11-way Birdman flock at Kjerag Norway, the Kuala Lumpur Tower Malaysia and many other "undisclosed" jumps domestically and around the world. Donk is a former USAF ROMAD and is where he got his first taste of adrenaline-induced adventure. Currently, Tony is an senior engineer for one of America's largest telecommunications companies but really lives for the adventure and travel BASE offers as well as building new friendships with some of the most colorful personalities in the world. Since BASE has very limited formal training and progression, he views welcoming and mentoring new BASE jumpers to the sport as the most rewarding aspect. Donk has been credited with several written publications and video productions; most notably the 2003 BANFF Mountain Film Festival finalist "Cinclus Vision".

JJ Schuster

BASE Video Festival, Audio, Video

JJ made his first skydive in 1994 and has 950 to date (mostly freeflying and swooping). He made his first BASE jump at Bridge Day 2002 with Donk as his mentor. He's been to every Bridge Day since - often working with Donk as a BASE VideoFest staff member (a.k.a Donk's helper monkey). JJ (BASE #864) has also jumped in Moab, Twin Falls, KL, and at numerous other undisclosed locations. His parents tease him often with "if all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?" humor. JJ works in the corporate world as an IT tech/system support for a large packaging company. So far, he's sired three kids (two boys and a girl) and is married to Anna, who also also skydives. He enjoys time with family and friends, motorcycles, home maintenance, hunting, and shooting.

 

Nate Varns

Shuttles, Packing Areas, Etc.

Nate is a world-class BASE jumper and Bridge Day veteran from Ohio. He made his first skydive in 1997 and has been jumping ever since. With 3300 jumps (D-25378) he is a static line, tandem, and AFF instructor and senior rigger. His first BASE jump was on Bridge Day in 1999 (BASE #889.) His most memorable jumps include jumping with his Dad, who recently earned his BASE number. An early BASE accident (jump #4) led to his original nickname Crater Nate, but years of self-awareness and helping others has earned him his new name, Safety Nate. Nate has mentored many new jumpers and helped revive the BASE scene in Northeast Ohio. You'll likely see him setting up the packing areas, working in the landing zone, or managing the shuttles that haul jumpers back to the top of the bridge.