Reno, NV - 11/12/07
This Saturday, Oakley’s Shane McConkey along with friends JT Holmes, Miles Daisher and Jesse Hall plan to make history with a first-ever Ski BASE jump off a building to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“Skiing off a building has always been something I’ve wanted to do,” says McConkey. “There is something unique and kind of weird about putting skiing, snow and base jumping in the urban environment.”
With 730 BASE jumps under his belt, 38-year-old McConkey plans to ski BASE jump from the roof of the 38-story Silver Legacy Resort Casino.
“For some great reason the city of Reno and the Silver Legacy are very receptive to the idea of organized, legal base jumps. We’re lucky they share this outlook.”
The Olympic Valley, Calif. will ski off a ramp packed with more than 1,000 pounds of ice from the roof of the Silver Legacy. The ramp, custom-designed by Reno resident Matt Knesek, will project the athletes over Fourth Street and into the surface parking lot of the Eldorado Hotel Casino.
“We’ve never hit the ramp before and won't have a chance to before Saturday. “It will be our first time clicking into our skis since last year.”
Billed as “Shane McConkey’s Jump of Joy,” the BASE jumps are a part of BoboFest OhSeven – a full day of ski-themed events benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“I think it’s kinda cool to do the stunt as a charity thing because doing a jump like this one is pretty much as "hey, look at me!" as it gets,” says McConkey. It’s fun and all, but why not do that to benefit something good?”
What’s next?
“I really want to ski off some classic, famous buildings like the Chrysler or the Empire State Building or
the Sears tower or the Statue of liberty or the Trans America building…”