DEFYING DEATH AT 300KMH
Toowoomba daredevil to smash world records
TOOWOOMBA man Chris Byrnes is set to break his own world record by travelling at more than 300kmh during a wingsuit base jump.
In August, the 31-year-old daredevil will leap from the north face of the Eiger, one of Switzerland’s tallest mountains.
It has a sheer drop of more than 3000m.
Mr Byrnes plans to set three records during the jump.
They include the longest distance travelled in 30 seconds, fastest speed for a BASE jump and highest altitude gain.
Other humans have travelled faster than 300kmh, such as skydivers, astronauts and fighter pilots, but Mr Byrnes differs in that he is self-powered.
“When I fly, it is only powered by gravity,” he said.
TO MOST people, jumping head first off a cliff seems like an act of madness, but for Chris Byrnes it is just another day at work.
The 31-year-old Toowoomba man is a professional wingsuit BASE jumper, and for six years he has travelled the world leaping from cliffs and out of aircraft.
He is a two-time Wingsuit BASE World Champion and holds the record as the fastest human alive, hurtling more than 300km/h using self-powered flight.
“I enjoy pushing the boundaries of human flight and the human experience as I fly faster than ever before,” he said.
Mr Byrnes was born in Toowoomba and graduated from Centenary Heights State High School.
In 2007 he watched a wingsuit racing clip and it changed his life.
“I instantly knew that it was what I wanted to do,” he said.
“I did some research and found out that the way to begin is to do a skydiving course and progress from there.”
In the past six years, Mr Byrnes has jumped from more than 1250 planes and completed 600 cliff-top BASE jumps.
“I have jumped off more than 100 cliffs in the US, Australia, Thailand, New Zealand, Portugal, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland and Norway,” he said.
“A dream of mine is to wingsuit BASE jump all seven continents, so Ulvetanna Peak in Antarctica would be the ultimate dream.”
In August, Mr Byrnes will attempt to break three world records during a jump from the Eiger, in Switzerland.
BASE jumping is a dangerous way to make a living, but Mr Byrnes said it was his attention to detail that kept him safe.
“Every accident that happens is ultimately a result of human error,” he said.
“I am focused on progressing, but also staying vigilant to be safe and prevent accidents before they happen.”
In 2016 Mr Byrnes missed a landing and collided with a rock, fracturing both ankles.
“This was a good experience,” he said.
“It reinforced the seriousness of the sport without getting more seriously hurt.
“To progress in any sport requires building experience and skills over time and injuries are part of that process.”