Bridge Day 2016 by the numbers
This year’s Bridge Day was probably the best on record— but you can judge for yourself, ‘cause we’ve got the stats. Check out 2016, by the #s:
BASE jumpers
Some stats are static: the New River Gorge Bridge rises 876 feet above the ground (America’s second highest span), so anyone bold enough to parachute off it enjoys a good 3-4 seconds of freefall.
But here’s how many daredevils actually took that freefall in 2016:
- Grand total: 260 BASE jumpers. We had athletes from 24 different countries and 34 states.
- Total jumps: 587. At Bridge Day, folks can parachute from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. So, it’s not unusual for BASE jumpers to come back for seconds and thirds!
- TandemBASE jumpers: 16. Every year, a few lucky newbies can leap off the bridge with an experienced BASE jumper. Was that you? If not, sign up for next year!
Rappellers
There’s more than 1 way to descend into the New River Gorge. Rappellers flock to Bridge Day, too:
- Total rappels: 924. We also had 47 climbers who ascended the bridge from the gorge!
- Thrills for all ages. Our youngest rappeler was 17, while the oldest was 78.
- Highline riders: 118. Did you know you can get in on the action, and zipline from the bridge catwalk? Riders get to swoop 700 feet down to Fayette Station Road. Reserve your spot for next year fast!
Rescue team
And all day, the safety crew patrolled the New River, helping any jumpers who missed the landing zone. They retrieved 92 BASE jumpers from the water and got them safely to land for another leap!
Spectators
Many thanks to the 90,000-100,000 folks who visited! That’s one of our biggest crowds yet, so let’s keep growing!
Bridge Day 5k runners
Not bad numbers for the first year of the 5k:
- 170 runners jogged across the gorge and raced through Fayetteville.
- Fastest time: 22 minutes. Wow!
- Slowest time: 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Visiting racers: 12 out-of-state runners.