Video: Wingsuit flyers leap from mountain in China

Published on 19/10/2012 10:48

IS IT a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a flying man.

In the inaugural Wingsuit Flying World Championship, contestants leapt from the peak of Tianmen Mountain in China’s Hunan Province.

16 flyers flew from 1,400 metres above sea level attempting a loop-like manoeuvre and then gliding to the finish on the mountain road below with the goal of completing the course in the shortest time.

Participants included Jeb Corliss, an American who has previously performed in the air around the Eiffel Tower and the Cristo Redentor statue, and Anthony Stepney, a 59-year-old British man who was the event’s oldest competitor.

South African Julian Boulle was victorious, reaching the ground in a time of 23:41 seconds.