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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services, May 3 Former San Quentin guard publishes book Photographers capture some lovely blooms in latest Mail Tribune contest Soaring rents, stagnant wages create housing crisis Wimer's Highland Games appeal to both the kilted and kiltless Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, May 3 Dozens of drivers nabbed in Medford pedestrian sting Emergency services, May 2 Gold Hill man torched his foreclosed property No leads on who smashed about 20 windows in Ashland before dawn Thursday Politics and Elections BREAKING: Baltimore prosecutor charges officers in Freddie Gray's death Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) Medford School Board, Position 6: Curt Ankerberg vs. Janet Lightheart Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Gov. Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Education More kindergartners vaccinated in 2015 Elementary students honor local police officers Levy backers eye final push Two seats contested on Central Point School Board Neal Simon: This is a test Environment Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) Residents say armed mine supporters sully Josephine County's reputation Armed protesters gather at Medford BLM office over Sugar Pine Mine dispute Jackson County's wildlife services agent seen as both killer and savior Biomass technology: Creating products out of former waste State News PERS ruling means tough choices for state and local lawmakers US, Canada unveil rules to boost oil train safety Cylvia Hayes public records case goes before Salem judge Fixit tag for Portland's noted Portland Building: $175 million Fee targets rail cars that haul oil, other flammables Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Tim Lawrence Yockey Penelope Catherine (Turner) Martens William "Bill" Geisslinger Alice Irenia (McFall) Calkins Dennis Dean Ekwall Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Ragan, Tornado hit way past Indians Mayweather wins decision in richest fight Timbers, Whitecaps play to 0-0 draw North’s Folsom, South boys shine at GP Rotary Marist halts EP’s winning streak Varsity 541 College Sports Raiders' Abbott breaks 22-year-old record Dodge signs as free agent with Falcons Lockie stands out in Ducks' spring game Raiders go 1-1, advance to today Singler shines in Raider spring game Pro Sports Mayweather wins decision in richest fight Timbers, Whitecaps play to 0-0 draw Clippers oust defending champ Spurs McIlroy, Casey fight until darkness Quarterbacks Petty, Hundley chosen on final day Community Sports Bailey picks up modified win Wilson delivers in return of local boxing Palmer breezes to second straight men’s title Business Latest Stories Blog: Do You Want Cheese with Your Wine? Never enough: New Starbucks proposed on Barnett Road in Medford Comcast deal dropped along with Pac-12 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option Real Estate News Never enough: New Starbucks proposed on Barnett Road in Medford Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option New home in an old house Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house GREEN ACRES: Southern Oregon provides escape from the maddening crowd People In Business Transportation Erickson finds room to work at Medford airport Lithia Motors nets $40.7 million in first quarter Lithia Motors reports second-best quarter ever Business briefs Medford airport's record run continues Agriculture 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house New bosses take charge at Harry & David Dancin Vineyards covers up Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, May 3 Our View: Our picks for Medford School Board Dana Milbank: Clinton's opponents need to smoke her out George Will: The Lusitania's role in history Charles Krauthammer: Men wielding power in hellish times Editorials Our View: Our picks for Medford School Board Other Views: Gun-bill recalls misguided, futile Our View: Bill gives ex-convicts a glimmer of hope Our View: Medical marijuana market not at risk Our View: Don't wait on public records reform Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 3 Letters to the Editor, May 2 Letters to the Editor, May 1 Letters to the Editor, April 30 Letters to the Editor, April 29 Columns Dana Milbank: Clinton's opponents need to smoke her out George Will: The Lusitania's role in history Charles Krauthammer: Men wielding power in hellish times Guest Opinion: Animal-killing program pulls wool over taxpayers' eyes Michael Gerson: A pastor's faith in Baltimore Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Animal-killing program pulls wool over taxpayers' eyes Guest Opinion: Uniting to restore our sovereignty to we, the people Guest Opinion: This Earth Day, we celebrate the Northwest Forest Plan The Medford School Board was wrong: 'American Pageant' is a political agenda, not history The Medford School Board was right: 'American Pageant' is a fine book, and the board did its homework Lifestyle Latest stories Photographers capture some lovely blooms in latest Mail Tribune contest Bright spots in the dark Wedding: Melody Ann Madi and Lyman Martin Stiles Engagement: Anders-Stanley Columnist for a Day: 'When Harry met Shirley,' the story continues Food Andrea Honaker: Mexican-inspired dips for Cinco de Mayo Set a table from your local farmers market Let's do brunch! Page H. Onorato: Enjoying good food just for the fun of it Page H. Onorato: Food items appear in the funnies Home and Garden Heirloom tomatoes bring ageless flavor Betty Montgomery: You can have a variety of ferns in your garden Clean out household chemicals Friday and Saturday Dear Monty: 10 tips to avoid tenant complaints Home Help: Upgrade your entryway with simple DIY projects Health Dr. Murray Feingold: Turn down that noise Health Watch: Pack your pantry with healthy items HealthStyle: It’s all in the family dinner 'Game changer' for heart patients Health Watch: Tips for protecting your eyes Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, May 1 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 24 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 17 Religion briefs: Friday, April 10 Milestones and Achievements Wedding: Melody Ann Madi and Lyman Martin Stiles Engagement: Anders-Stanley ENGAGEMENT: Sellers-James Witham's birthday bash draws hundreds for 1950s prices Charlesworth-Murphy Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories 5 picks for live entertainment Live Music in Local Clubs Master Gardener Spring Fair at The Expo Randall Theatre stages 'Little Shop of Horrors' Camelot Theatre presents 'Arsenic and Old Lace' Theater REVIEW: Carson, Patton shine in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' Some Oregon Shakespeare Festival crew members seek to unionize Randall Theatre stages 'Little Shop of Horrors' 'Much Ado' at SOU Thanks for the Memories stages 'Company' one night only Music Thunder's Edge, Steel Cranes tonight at Club 66 The Farr Side: CMAs do it right, in many ways Live Music in Local Clubs Trio Brasileiro plays Old Siskiyou Barn Interview: Offspring plays hits new and old on tour Community Events Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Master Gardener Spring Fair at The Expo A Taste of Ashland pairs food and wine at galleries Rogue Valley Earth Day 2015 Foreign language film festival set at SOU Movies Movie review: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ has a lot going on Movie review: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ knows how to party Catching up with the Avengers Interview: Sofia Vergara talks ‘Hot Pursuit’ Quick Flicks: ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Insurgent’ and more Dining Restaurant inspections, May 3, 2015 Taqueria Picaro offers casual Mexican cuisine Restaurant inspections: April 26, 2015 Island Grindz serves up Hawaiian specialties Have you wandered down the Bear Creek Wine Trail yet? Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Our picks for Medford School Board ... Bright spots in the dark ... Guest Opinion: Animal-killing program pulls wool over taxpayers' eyes ... Our View: Our picks for Medford School Board ... Bright spots in the dark ... Guest Opinion: Animal-killing program pulls wool over taxpayers' eyes ... OUTDOOR JOURNAL Winging it Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 27, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 27, 2015 at 11:00 AM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 27, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 27, 2015 at 11:00 AM » Social News Blake Burwell arose in Norway one morning last June bent on adding a little spice to the increasingly tedious task of jumping off a 3,000-foot cliff. "I woke up that morning and thought, let's try something new," says Burwell. "Normally, we just, you know, jump. But it just seemed like a good idea to have some friends join in." So he had two friends grab his hands and feet and literally toss him off the edge of a sheer cliff wall called Kjerag, and the ensuing video has transformed the 31-year-old Talent man into the crazy face of BASE jumping on three continents. "I didn't really plan on it happening that way," Burwell says. "They didn't throw me very far. So it turned out to be pretty exciting." The video of that jump, called "Throwing Blake Burwell off a Cliff," has registered 30,000 views on Facebook. Terms like exciting and dangerous are all relative in the world of BASE jumping, perhaps the most dangerous of extreme sports, where daredevils like Burwell don special suits that help them harness gravity and literally soar like superheroes through the sky before parachuting to the ground. The acronym "BASE" stands for Building Antenna Span Earth, encapsulating the tall things from which members of this tiny ultra-niche group of thrill-seekers launch themselves. Calling their pastime death-defying is not an exaggeration. A 2012 University of Colorado study found that 72 percent of wingsuit flyers had witnessed death or serious injury, and 76 percent had experienced a "near miss." BASE jumping websites have chronicled 248 deaths since 1981, a specter that not only comes into play with every jump but also provides a mix of adrenalin and clarity that so far has gotten this 21st-century Icarus safely to earth 75 times. "I'm not thinking about life or death," says Burwell, who has had seven friends die in jumps since he started. "I'm really in the moment, thinking about performing, moving away from the rocks. I hope I don't (die), but I've definitely considered the possibility. If not, you're not being honest with yourself. The best way to survive BASE jumping, other than not trying it, is to be honest with yourself and your abilities." Burwell fell into BASE jumping quite honestly in 2010, when the long-time rock climber was ascending El Capitan, the famous rock face in Yosemite National Park. While sleeping in a bag pegged to the cliff face, Burwell was startled by the roaring sound of something falling from above. "It was not a rock," he says. "It was a human being. Then I saw a parachute open right next to me." It was a rogue BASE jumper illegally launching himself off El Capitan, a no-no in national parks. He might as well have taken Burwell right with him. "It seemed like a natural course of things," he says. "If you're going to climb up these beautiful rocks, you might as well jump off them." But one doesn't just dabble in BASE jumping. He spent the next two years skydiving, with mixed results. He broke a leg and had to take a year off. His first BASE jump came in 2013 when he launched off Idaho's Perrine Bridge 480 feet above a river. "It scared me a ton the first time," he says. "It still scares me a little bit, but that's the fun of it." He's since done 74 other higher BASE jumps off mountains and cliffs that are in the ironic category called "terminal base." Because it's mainly illegal to launch off anything worth jumping off in the United States, Burwell saves the money he makes as a bud-trimming contractor in the medical-marijuana growing business to travel to Norway and Switzerland, because the Alps are where it's at for BASE jumping. In the viral video shot at the BASE-jumping mecca at Kjerag, Burwell is wearing what's called a "tracking suit," a nylon body suit full of pores that fill with air upon descent and swell his profile to that of a flying marshmallow. The design creates more surface area to generate more drag, allowing Burwell to transfer his downward momentum into forward momentum, catapulting him through the air as far as a half-mile before he deploys his parachute. He's since graduated to a "wing suit," which makes him resemble a human flying squirrel hurtling toward a tree that's not there. While the suits are high-tech, calculating how long he can safely fall off a cliff before deploying a parachute can be quite low-brow. "You chuck a rock over the edge and count the seconds before it hits the ground," Burwell says. "It tells you how much time you have to deploy. At 120 mph, the ground comes up rather quickly." Burwell knows BASE jumping ultimately becomes a numbers game. There are no bad old BASE jumpers, but the statistics show as many deaths among newcomers as seasoned jumpers. "It doesn't seem to be super-sustaining in the long term," Burwell says. "If I have children, I'll probably retire from BASE jumping. But I'll still sky-dive. That's way safer." SEE THE VIDEO To see the video "Throw Blake Burwell Off a Cliff," visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL60l7mgfoQ Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 27, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 27, 2015 at 11:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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