Look Out Below! Bridge Day 2016

BASE jumpers have enjoyed Bridge Day since the New River Gorge Bridge was officially opened.
Picture Courtesy of officialbridgeday.com

On October 15, 2016, BASE jumpers took the leap to drop over 800 feet into the New River Gorge. This is just one activity of many held during West Virginia’s famous Bridge Day. Other activities included rapelling, skydiving, a chili cook-off, a 5K run and more. 

    According to officialbridgeday.com, “BASE stands for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth. BASE jumpers leap from any of these four objects with parachutes designed specifically for rapid deployment. Known around the world as the most extreme of extreme sports, BASE jumpers look forward to Bridge Day every year.” The New River Gorge Bridge is a structure of amazing statistics. 3,030 feet long. 876 feet high. 70 feet wide. 88 million pounds of U.S. steel and American cement. Opened and dedicated on October 22, 1977, the span has since become a symbol of West Virginia. The bridge saw its first BASE jumpers in 1979, just a couple years after the bridge was opened to the public, according to their official site. It goes on to say, “Construction began in 1974 and was completed three years later in 1977. It was opened to the public October of that year.”

    The sport steadily gained popularity, and Bridge Day as a tradition in West Virginia was born. Last year, more than 800 jumps were taken. And more than 80,000 people were expected to attend this year. This year’s events started the day before, on Friday, October 14, with the Taste of Bridge Day at Smokey’s on Ames Heights Road and Bridge Jam at the Cascade Festival grounds. On Saturday, events kicked off with the 5K race, shortly followed by the Bridge Day Car Show at the Gorge Getaway Center.  Then, the Bridge Jam Concert provided attendees with rocking tunes. During that time, there was also a yoga clinic, the Chili Cook-off in downtown Fayetteville. Duffy Boyd bluegrass band also performed.

    According to officialbridgeday.com spectators took in the action from a number of spots within the gorge. In addition to walking out on the bridge, jumpers were watched from hiking trails along the rim, the Fayette Station river access, and the National Park observation deck at the New River Gorge Bridge visitor’s center. Avid Bridge Day fan, Holly Chambers, states, “I’m a huge Bridge Day fan. It’s a tradition in my family. There are always so many great booths. It’s a great place for advertising. Some booths hand out freebies like t shirts. I love watching people jump off the bridge. That’s the best part. It’s so fun to get out and be a part of the crowd. There’s usually tons of people. I love it.”

    When attendees walked out onto The New River Gorge Bridge during Bridge Day, they found themselves standing over one of the oldest river gorges on Earth. By most accounts, the New River Gorge is about 345 million years old. That makes it the top contender for being the first river in North America.  According to officialbridgeday.com, “The New River Gorge in West Virginia averages between 700 and 1300 feet deep. The gorge was formed solely due to erosion; there were no glaciers in the area like those that carved our similar gorges in other parts of the world. In the 85 miles of New River in West Virginia, the river drops a total of 850 feet on average. It’s the drop in elevation that makes for the New River’s outstanding whitewater.”

    Bridge Day has an extensive history as a tradition in this state. Locals as well as visitors enjoyed this richly historical day of events and activities that give attendees a taste of West Virginia.