Meet Drew Garcia: parachute rigger and skydiving/base jumping coach in California. Give him a follow on Instagram @Baseadilla for amazing skydiving and base jumping content.Â
“My passion is flying my body! Being untethered from the earth is what sets my soul on fire, the most intense feeling of freedom one can experience. Specifically, leaping off of an huge thing and plummeting from 0 initial speed all the way to terminal velocity is magic and like nothing else in the world
BASE is an acronym for:
Building
Antenna
Span (bridge)
Earth
Each of the 4 objects have their own appeal, with their own sets of challenges and rewards. A BASE jumper is not considered a true BASE jumper until they have leaped at least one time from each type of object.”
What drew you to BASE Jumping?
“Like many others, seeing videos of the original BASE jumpers doing their thing is what drew me to the sport. Then the progression itself to do the sport safely is in an of itself an amazing process to take part in. Through that process I’ve found my closest friends in the world, and i’ve had the most amazing experiences.”
What do you love most about BASE jumping?
“BASE jumping is so intense and dangerous that every single jump makes it the only thing you can think about for the moment you’re doing it. Even just standing on the exit point before the jump brings this intense sense of presence that can’t be matched. The stillness of mind while performing the most dangerous thing in the world is the sensation I believe all jumpers feel & love.Â
My favorite part about BASE has always been the feeling of freedom from earthly attachment, both literally and figuratively. You take such a huge risk that you have to be willing to lose everything and make that decision for every jump. And the actual freedom felt from flying and floating above the earth for the few seconds of freefall is an experience few in the world get to feel.”
Have you any close calls?
“To be honest every jump is a close call. Some are closer than others, but your life is always on the line and within a hair’s breadth of being lost.”
What lessons has BASE jumping taught you about yourself?
“One of the thing I love most about BASE is the fact that every jump you go on has a lesson for you to learn about jumping and about life. I’ve internalized so many lessons from my ~200 jumps that I’m a better person now than I ever was. Here are a few examples:
-Things should always feel natural and right. If something feels wrong don’t do it!
-Rushing and being efficient are two different things. It is only the latter that benefits you.
-Life isn’t about being happy. Life is about living life.
-High risk doesn’t necessarily equal high reward. PERCEIVED risk equals PERCEIVED reward.
-You don’t know what you don’t know
What’s a message you feel could empower others to live more fulfilling lives?
My message to empower others would be: If you think you can’t, you’re right. If you think you can, you’re also right.