Take A Flying Leap On Bridge Day

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If your best friend tells you to jump off a bridge there is definitely one time where it would be okay to do it… with a few hundred of your best friends. Ever heard of Bridge Day? No? Then you’ve never been in Fayette County, West Virginia.


The annual Bridge Day Festival started in 1980. It takes place on the third Saturday in October to commemorate the 1977 completion of the New River Gorge Bridge. This year, on October 19, BASE jumpers from around the world will wow nearly 80,000 spectators as they soar off the Bridge- all day long. Last year, they added the Human Catapult to the list of extreme activities.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-FY3aHO6Cw&w=420&h=315]

But if you’re not quite ready to go that big, that’s okay. You can still be part of one of the largest extreme sports events in the world. The town shuts out traffic one day a year to allow pedestrians to legally strut the 876-foot tall steel arch bridge- the world’s third longest and the U.S.’ third highest. There are hundreds of vendor booths and a zipline and rappel line for the general public. No experience necessary for the 700-foot ride over the gorge that stretches from the beams of the bridge. Those experienced in rappelling entered a lottery back in June to be one of the privileged teams to drop up to 850-feet into the Gorge.

There’s still time to win your own tandem BASE jump on Bridge Day. Create a three-minute video showing why you deserve the jump.  Submit your video through Facebook beginning next Friday, August 30 through September 6. Bridge Day fans will then vote. If you’re picked, a charity of your choice will also receive a $1,000 donation, courtesy of Subaru. You do need to be over 18 and weigh less than 200 pounds.


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