Mike Basich - Self Portrait We wanted to give everyone a little background on this photo. Mikey B's been planning this for a while. He's been searching for just the right horseshoe shaped ridgeline. One that could make a self-portrait like this possible. He also wanted a landing zone that was steep, but not so steep that it wouldn't hold enough snow. He found the perfect location outside Haines, Alaska. His original plan was to jump when the helicopter was about 50 feet above the ground. The wind was unpredictable the day this went off; leaving Mike more focused on spotting his landing, than checking his height. When he jumped, he instantly realized he was much higher than planned. Being the rock star that he is, he grabbed his rail and started snapping pictures with the remote in his other hand. Based on his landing spot we've estimated this jump to be 120 feet high. Snowboard UK, which published the shot on its cover, called it at 132 feet. You be the judge. Mike landed this thing tail down and probably would have ridden it out had his speed not driven him into a hole. Nevertheless, he immediately dug himself out and rode away. One other thing, Mike said that when he jumped he could feel the air pressure coming off the blades actually pushing him down. This was more than gravity fed. Ya Mike, you sick !#@&. For those of you who find this photo hard to believe - check out Scott Sullivan's independent photo, of this same nutty moment, in the January issue (Photo Annual) of Snowboarder, or in Snowboarder's current poster book. Thanks Snowboarder for your independent testament to the fact that this photo is REAL and undoctored! Take care, have a good season, and don't try this at home. ARBOR |
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