Fly (2024) Movie Script

1
[wind howling]
[light jazzy music]

[narrator] Paris, February 4, 1912.
Hundreds gather to watch
French tailor and inventor
Franz Reichelt attempts
to leap off the Eiffel Tower
to test his latest invention.

[birds singing]
[insects buzzing]
[whooshing]
[cowbells chiming]
Wow.
[laughs]
Wow.
Unbelievable.
Look at him.
Look at him.
[all speaking German]
Dad!
[indistinct chatter]
It's unbelievable
to see something like that
in our mountains.
You know, we feel sorry
because just in a short time,
they were dying,
three of them, you know?
And that was a big discussion
in our hometown.
[soft music]

Some say it's okay.
And some, they say,
"We feel sorry, you know?
"So many young people are dying.
That's a stupid thing
they do."
[indistinct chatter]
Yeah, they're crazy.
But it looks like
a lot of fun, actually.
When I was younger,
I wanted to do it once.
But I never did it.
And now, when I have a baby,
I wouldn't dare.
They are very different.
And when I meet them, I feel
they are sort of
foreign species.
[laughs]
I shouldn't say that.
But we are so dedicated to live.
And they are a bit dedicated
to cheat death.

[whooping]
Yeah, buddy!
Whoa!
Give me a hug, buddy!
- Whoo!
- That was so nice.
That was money, dude.
[laughs]
Hell yeah, dude.
I want to do it again.
Good morning.
[chuckles]
Look at this.
All right.
Now, here's the thing.
Once you come out of line two,
the ground will just look like
it's getting closer and closer
and closer and closer.
Yeah.
And then we'll go
into the crack.
And then as long...
And then you can
traverse, like, the left side.
I'm gonna go right.
And then it'll just be like,
tree, tree, tree, tree,
tree, tree, tree,
tree, tree, tree, tree, tree.
Yeah. Yeah.
This is stressful.
Let's just go fly it.
[laughter]
BASE jumpers would not
jump off a mountain
if there was zero risk.
I wouldn't do it.
Our community of risk-takers
would choose another path.
We are deliberately putting
ourselves in a lethal situation.
And then we try to solve it.
And when we elegantly,
within the plan, solve it,
we feel enormous joy
and mastery.
And it becomes
meaningful for us.
We are dreamers.
There's a value in that,
to go out
and follow your dreams.
[suspenseful music]

My entire family are pilots.
I got the opportunity
to go to jump school.
The second my feet left
an aircraft the first time,
it was love at first jump,
for sure.
Unfortunately, in the military,
they have a way of ruining
anything that's kind of fun.
So I've jumped every week
over the last, like, nine years.
[exhales sharply]
For me, it's been
really good for me.
It's therapeutic.
Three, two, one, let's go.

If you're not around
when this movie comes out,
what do you want
people's takeaway to be?
I'm not gonna answer that one,
'cause I'll be around, so...
Another day in paradise.
Sometimes you wonder,
"Why am I doing this?
"Should I be doing this?
I think I should be
doing this."
It's funny how the mind
is just always so busy.
And then once you're ready
to actually go,
then you just go
into focus mode.
It's like, okay.
But up till you commit,
you're just like, "Oh, shit."
And you always have
the questions.
It's like, is this really
gonna be worth it?
[soft dramatic music]

A lot of people, they have said
that BASE jumping has
saved their life.

There's this feeling...
When you left the object,
there's nothing else
that exists in the world.
Stay. Stay.
[clears throat]
It's a form
of just absolute bliss.
Yeah.
And so you want it again
and you want it again.
Yee!
Yee-hoo!

[dog whimpers]
Hi, Bala.
What are you doing?
Is it time to wake up?
Is it time for you
to eat breakfast?
Okay. Okay.
Okay, okay.
I'm up, I'm up.
I could be the only person
on planet Earth
who has actually been taught
to BASE jump by their wife.
Hi, I'm Marta Empinotti.
And this is Jimmy Pouchert.
We own Vertigo BASE Outfitters.
[laughter]
You know, Marta taught me
how to BASE jump.
And then she taught me
how to teach BASE jumping.
Okay.
Three, two, one, throw.
Take a deep breath.
Take a deep breath.
[screaming]
[laughs]
We knew we weren't...
You know, we weren't gonna
get rich doing this.
But we knew we were
gonna be happy.
Three, two, one, see ya!
Yes, beautiful.
Looking good back here.
Remember to pick your point.
Mmhmm.
- Eyes up higher.
- Nice and relaxed.
- Higher?
- There you go. Uh-huh.
Three, two, one, see ya.
Ooh! [laughter]
We have to practice
a little more.
You're getting it now.
This is why we practice,
because usually
what you do in practice
is what you actually do
in real life.
Yeah.
When you don't have an option,
and let's say you know
you're gonna land on a tree,
choose a lower tree then
instead of the tallest tree.
You're going to be hanging
there instead of just falling
through the branches
and possibly
hit something and break a leg.
That's kind of common, you know?
I mean, it's truly dangerous
and scary.
And you need to know that
because that's...
Some people think that
because it's gotten so popular
that it's actually safer.
It's just as dangerous.
And you just have to be
a very realist about that.
And I think a lot of people
who jump crazy and take
crazy chances are
not actually thinking
that it can happen to them.
And you can do it safely.
I mean, Marta's been jumping
for 25 years
and never been injured, so...
all right, you want to try
it on, see how it fits?
Yeah.
We're all gonna have
nightmares tonight now.
Yeah, join the club.
[laughter]
Remember, relax.
And I got you, okay?
So remember to pick your point.
Look up and out.
Take your time.
I got you here.
Whenever you're ready.
And have fun.
- Eyes up. Eyes up.
- Three, two, one, see ya.
- Whoo-hoo!
- Nice!
Whoo!
[all cheering]
[soft dramatic music]
As they make the first jump,
it's like they were my kids.
Who is going to be next?
You are giving them all
you have to be safe in life.

You can't help
but get nervous for them.
There's nothing you can do
for them after they leave.
So it's just
what you can do before.
Whoo!
Oh, my God.
[laughs]
That was wild.
Whoo!
Yeah, Eddie, you madman!
[screams] [laughs]
Everybody lived!
Nice.
[laughter]
Have a great jump, babes.
All right.
Three...
[screams]
Hi, lovey.
Ah, great day.
It's hard to find
a jumping partner.
And we got so lucky
to find each other.
Yeah.
In the beginning... and I don't
know how many years that was...
It was horrible.
I think it's 20 so far.
No, no, no.
Oh, no, I'm much...
- It's a little better now.
- I think I've accepted.
- Mm-hmm.
- You know?
For once when he started,
being always a joker
and too much of a joker,
it didn't give me
the confidence of knowledge.
You know, it's cool to be funny.
But then there is a time
that you need to show me
you know, that you can handle
a problem.
She doesn't want
to lose me, I think,
is what it comes down to.
Yeah, I definitely don't
want to lose you.
Yeah.
I don't want to lose me.
[both growling]
But then with the years,
I think I just came to accept
that that is part
of his personality.
And if something
were to happen...
At least I'd die laughing.
Yeah, exactly.
It's December 31, '98,
Jimmy's first Earth jump.
I'll admit it.
I'm a little scared.
I'm gonna do it anyway, though.
[breathing heavily]
Yee-hoo!
Oh, my lover.
Yee-haw!
Nice.
- Yee-hoo!
- Whoo-hoo!
[laughs]
Right on!
[laughs]
Congratulations.
- Yeah!
- [chuckles]
[growls]
Come on, babe.
Hurry up.
Okay, you're good to go.
- Bye, lover.
- Bye-bye now.
When Jimmy and I
started jumping,
BASE jumpers were outlaws.
There is a crane up there.
Let's go. Let's go.
The guy was walking down
after us.
Yeah, it was not a sport.
We were criminals.
[cheering] [sirens wailing]
Let's go.
Let's go. Let's go.
Let's go.
When I started,
we only had skydiving gear.
So we were pioneering
in figuring out
what worked and what didn't.
You okay, Marta?
- Never a dull moment.
- [laughs]
- Whoo!
- Whoa!
Whoa!
Malfunction.
- We got the malfunction.
- Line over.
- Jesus, man.
- Oh.
[tense music]
I didn't want it
to be that dangerous.
So, you know,
we started testing things.
If Jimmy's reserve parachute
does not open,
this could be
his last BASE jump.

Nice.
[chuckles]
As you make the sport safer,
that's when the turn came about.
We're here at Reliant Stadium.
We're just about maybe to do
the first parachute jump
into it
for the pregame Super Bowl.
- All right.
- I'm excited.
[rock music playing]
So we went from being criminals
to actually being athletes.
Within our lifetimes, like,
the sport has progressed
so much.
Jesus Christ. Wow.
The big thing now,
everybody asks you,
if they find out
you're a BASE jumper,
"Do you wingsuit BASE jump?"
[sweeping music]
"Do you fly
the flying squirrel suits?
Do you... you know, do you
fly those body wings?"
Whatever, you know?
There's a lot of Batsuits,
you know?
People have different names
for it.
And it captures people's
attention more than anything
in BASE jumping has ever done.

And people see that,
and they want to do that.
Of course, the risks are huge
when you start
to get closer to the ground.
And it's like closer,
closer, closer.
How close can you come?
And I've decided,
you know, over the years,
I kind of went out
in that direction.
Yeah, baby.
[laughs] Yeah.
We're back with the suits
this time.
- [chuckles]
- We're back in business.
That's right.
But the risk just goes so high.
Now I've actually started
to dial it back a bit.
But it's like, I've never done
a jump that was worth my life.
Have fun, man.
- Cheer, boys.
- Yeah.
- Have a nice one.
- Thanks, brother.
[exhales]
Yeah?
Three, two, one, love you.
[soft ambient music]

Scotty and me, we were part
of that whole beginning
and invention
of proximity flying,
where you really start to fly
wingsuits close to terrain.
Are you ready?
Let's do this thing.
Let's do it.
All right.
Ready in three, two, one.
Let's go.
And we realized
that this sport don't have
a Tiger Woods
or a Michael Jordan.
This sport is just us.
Whoa!
And that was a rush.
It was like an insane feeling
to realize that we are
a part of this pioneer sport.
Yoo-hoo!
You motherfucker!
You motherfucker!
Whoo!
[laughter]
Yeah!
That line is sick!
Let's go do it again.
Dude.
It was so... I was so on to you.
And it was like...
Wait.
I was like, it's Espen.
He's got it.
Go for the tree gate.
Recording.
- Three, two, one.
- Three, two...
And let's go.
[soft dramatic music]
Dude, the scariest
is being the follow guy
because somebody's shadow
just appears right...
As you get closer to the ground
and just gets closer
and closer and closer
and going like, "Ah!"
Name of the game, bro.
Don't touch your shadow.

In wingsuit BASE jumping and
specifically proximity flying,
you're making terminal decisions
every second many times.
And it's happening very quickly.
Every turn that you make,
every body adjustment,
every movement of your wrist
can be a terminal decision.
That's a decision
that could kill you.
Whoo!
That was close.
When I met Scotty and I saw him,
I could just see
that there is this thing
pushing him forward,
this devil he's escaping.
Whether it is massive ego,
post-traumatic stress syndrome,
there is something that is
making him leave no margins.
And that has made him
one of the best.
And I think he is the best.
And we were all thinking, like,
Scotty is not gonna grow old.
There is no way
he's gonna grow old.
He is out maybe in a year,
maybe in a month,
maybe tomorrow.

Most of the people
that charge as hard as him,
they are no longer here.
They're dead, all of them.
The amount of damage that
we've done with our sport,
just in accidents,
is irreparable.
And it'll always be seen
as one of the most risky,
dangerous things
that you can do.
I live with that stigma
on a daily basis.
I know, you know,
friends of my mom and dad,
you know,
constantly ask them, like,
"How can you let him do that?"
Or, "How can you support him
doing that?"
[gentle music]
People ask me that question.
They say, "How can you
stand it," you know?
"He's doing something
so dangerous.
How do you stand it?"
I said, "Well, I don't think"
Scott would be happy
if he couldn't fly."

But how do you try to talk
somebody out of their dream
or their passion for life?
And I look back at my life,
and I'm like,
"Huh, what have I done
that's really made me
so happy?"
You do look at them and be
a little jealous and like,
"You know, I'd like
a little piece of that."

[cell phone alarm ringing]
[yawns]
[groans]
[groans]
I don't regret
not having a place.
Just this idea of paying rent
just seems kind of asinine
to me.
The last place,
I had a mattress on a floor.
The last six months
I was, like, there
three days a month.
- Yeah.
- Maybe.
As I got more and more
into jumping,
then I slowly started
realizing that, like, I'm not
gonna find a girl,
get married, have kids,
and, like, you know, get
a normal job and work that,
you know, 9:00 to 5:00 life.
That reality would never
be my reality.
I remember my mom
telling me that.
She's like, you know,
"You're getting
out of the Marine Corps
"and you're going
straight into this.
You're gonna
be addicted to it."
And I'm like, well, I mean,
you're 22, 23 years old.
And you're like,
what the hell do I do now?
[laughs]
That's everybody's
kind of mission
when they get into this,
is to figure out
why they're willing to do this.
I stay in it because of
the people that I've met.
Have fun, buddy.
All right.
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
I got back
from two deployments in Iraq,
got into BASE jumping
pretty hard.
That's when I met Mat.
He'd just done, like,
his first 20 or 30 BASE jumps.
And he was looking
for a guy to jump with.

Three, two, one, see ya.
And then a bunch of crazy
shit happened in my life.
Like, I broke my back.
And, you know,
I got in some legal problems.
And then, like,
my life just went...
Took a nosedive real bad.
I basically moved in with him.
And we kind of just became
inseparable buddies.
Scotty!
And this is a point in time
we were jumping a lot.
[both laugh]
Three, two, one.
Muppet.
Like, I got him wingsuiting.
And he started
wingsuit BASE jumping.
Goddamn, dude.
[laughs]
You know, people started
paying us for footage.
And that was a motivating
factor to be like,
what's the next
craziest project?
Like, what hole
can I fly through?
What gnarly thing to shock
and wow the world
can I put on the internet?
It was getting really about,
like, sponsorships and money.
And, you know, he was
a really good focus for me.
Like, he always would bring
things back down to reality,
you know, because we'd known
each other for so long.
And we planned
a trip to Arizona.
And he ended up
dying on that trip.
Three, two, one.
Muppet.
[grunts]
Scotty!
Where's Mat?
No, no, no. No, no, no.
No, no, no.
He's fine.
He's totally fine.
Where did you see him?
Did he go into the crack
with me?
Where is he?
[somber music]

My first mentor was Mat Kenney.
He'd introduced me to Scotty.
We hadn't spent a whole bunch
of time together.
But after Mat went in,
Scotty and I started
hanging out a lot more.
Maybe in the early days,
Scotty felt somewhat obliged
to pick up
where Mat had left off
and help me out.

You know, in the end,
we both had that talk
numerous, numerous times.
Like, oh, if you go in,
I'll quit.
Or if you go in, I'll quit
and, you know,
that type of shit.
And after it actually
happened, where I'm like...
Had that moment
of realization of like,
well, I can't really quit.
So it's entirely
a part of me now.

I still have a small sense
of guilt over it.
Any way you slice it,
he was following me into there.
It's just the way it is.
I really like mentoring.
I make myself accountable.
But when it comes
to those first times,
especially the very first
BASE jump, you never know.
And it's gone bad many times.
Yeah, Amber, you look very good.
[tense music]

I'm looking at people
on top of an exit point
that are beginners.
You too.
I just need to smile
and give it a thumbs-up
and wish them good luck and hide
that I'm truly worried
they're gonna die.
Huh?
Yeah.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Yeah, Amber.
Have a nice one.
Okay.
Three, two, one.
[whooping]
And then in the second their
canopy opens and it's good,
I'm like... [exhale]
Okay. Yep.
That went well. Cool.
[chuckling]
[soft music]

Growing up, I was always
hanging out with the boys.
I didn't, like, do anything
fancy with my hair.
And I wore my brother's
old clothes and shoes
that were too big for me
because I really wanted
to look cool.
But I never actually
wanted to be a boy.
It was more like I just wanted
to be able to do
what the boys could do.
[laughs]
Put your goggles on.
It looked warm,
but it's fucking cold.
You're not that cold.
Come on.
Shut the fuck up.
[laughs] Get in.
From the moment I met Espen,
it was like
everything just started
happening really quickly.
And I was, like, gradually
letting go of the job
that I had in the wind tunnel
and kind of, like,
being drawn more into this,
like, connected life
with Espen,
training and traveling
and teaching and learning.
And it just got faster
and faster and faster.
It's a 24/7 life together.
It's a life
where there is no "no."
There's only yes,
yes to projects,
yes to journeys,
yes to getting up in the morning,
yes to going late to bed.
Amber.
- [mumbling]
- You gotta get up.
What?
We're gonna go BASE jumping.
It consumes you completely
when you're gonna,
like, take this next step.
- Amber.
- Whoo!
I always found wingsuiting
a bit scary.
It's like to be trapped
inside a suit.
Then when I met Espen,
seeing how inspired
he was and the way
he spoke about, like,
what was possible
in a wingsuit...
[sweeping music]

You jump and you fall.
But when you jump
with a wingsuit,
you jump and you fly.
You're actually flying
for a long time.
It quite quickly, like,
sparked something in me.
I'm going to do my first
wingsuit BASE jump.
And that's really scary.
It feels a little tight
on the arms.
Oh. Huh?
It feels a little tight
on the arm.
I would take my hands back
and be like, damn.
Like, grab the whole rig.
A little tight, isn't it?
Like, really grab the whole rig.
Like, bam.
For Amber to do wingsuit
BASE jumping is something
that we talked about
for a long time.
This is a huge step.
It's scary and tempting.
And I am nervous.
Be careful.
The exit is a technical moment.
And she's never done it before.
Uh-huh.
[gentle music]

Okay, we're ready.
[exhales sharply]
You're ready for this, Amber.
- Fuck, I'm nervous.
- Yeah.
You ready?
Yeah.
All right.
Three, two, one.
[dramatic music]

Whoo-hoo!
Yeah!
Oh, my God.
Fuck.
[laughs]
Holy shit.
That was intense.
How was that?
The exit was scary.
I went a bit head low.
Yeah.
It was nice to see you there.
- Yeah.
- [laughs]
Oh, fuck.
I'm shaking.
[laughs]
And that's when I understood
that she had found something
she would truly love.
I just looked at her,
thinking...
That was cool.
"You're home.
We're gonna do
a lot of this."
[chuckles]
Okay.
Three, two, one.

That was better, hey?
Oh, it was really hard
to keep up with you.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Yeah!
I can't keep up with my girl!
[both laugh]
I was brought up in
the mountains from year one.
Let's keep going.
I was out there
before I turned one year old.
And it actually turned me
into a person
that found
more safety and comfort
in high, exposed areas
than I did in society itself.
[speaking Norwegian]
When I grew up, my dad was
always climbing in the States
or in the Himalayas.
And I was dreaming so much
of being part of his journeys.
And I remember the first time
he was like, "All right",
you really want to join me?"
And from that moment,
I was the climbing partner
of my dad.
[speaking Norwegian]
When I started skydiving
and BASE jumping,
that wasn't for him.
For him, his skill was
to stay in connection
with the mountain,
while my technique was
the ability to actually take
the leap.
Flower power.
[laughs]
So he understood me
when I started BASE jumping.
And I think he was pretty
scared and worried for me.
But he taught me
from a very young age
that it is okay to risk for fun.
When I met Espen,
he encouraged me to unleash
all the potential that I had.
But there is one thing
that I'm a bit cautious of.
I find him a bit risk-willing.
He's more risk-willing
than I am.
Amber got freaked out.
I've been standing here.
I don't know why.
I'm scared.

For me, the least, like,
appealing side of BASE jumping
is the fact that it is
dangerous and scary.
Like, I hate the feeling
of standing on a mountain
and being super scared.
It's not about the fear
or the danger or the risk.
It's about the love of flying.
Three, two, one, go!
Check, check,
check, check, check.
Hey, good morning, everybody.
So we're almost there.
And so if we can just move
quickly down to the exit point
as soon as you geared up
and ready to go,
just let Marta know.
She's going to be working
the exit point.
So gear check each other.
Be safe.
Please... you know,
for the most part,
we're going to go flat
and stable for the first one.
And then we can talk about
starting to up it up
a little bit.
But always within
the whole event,
please jump a little bit below
your personal limits
for the sake of everybody else.
Yes?
Yes.
- Thank you!
- Yes!
Love you!
[clapping]
I haven't had time
to think about the jump.
And just now,
I got that little, "Whoo!"
thinking about you know,
doing a gainer.
And I was like, "Whoo!"
[chuckles]
You want me to go
flat and stable?
Set a good example?
Right, I know.
Do as I say, not as I do.
Point taken, though.
You can't tell BASE jumpers
not to do something.
You have to ask them
not to do it.
And if they like you,
then they might.
But there's no guarantees.
Whoa, it's starting
to get real now, isn't it?
Hmm. Not bad.
Winds are from left to right.
We've jumped in stronger winds.
Where's Marta?
Did you check your three rings?
You checked it? It's good?
[laughs]
He's fine.
If somebody gets hurt,
it's your event.
If everyone's safe, it's mine.
[all cheering]
Nice.
[all cheering]
Talk about butt naked.
[all cheering]
Marta, Jimmy,
it's a real gift, man.
It's a real gift.
- Thanks.
- Nothing like being home.
Funny how home is
where we all end up
hanging out with each other.
Hold.
Hold. Hold. Hold.
Yeah!
Clear!
[indistinct chatter]
- Yeah.
- [laughs]
He was about... his end cell was
about this far from the cliff.
[indistinct chatter]
All right, baby.
Have a great jump.
Not goodbye.
Just, "We'll see you
down there."
Very nice.
Whoo!
That's your girl, huh?
Yeah, I'm more nervous when
she jumps than when I jump.
Can I get a gear check
before we go?
Just a quick little go around.
Just a quick.
Just a quickie.
Yeah. Looks great.
Thank you.
- [laughs]
- Looks good.
- Oh!
- Oh, no.
No, no, no, no!
- Turn! Turn! Turn!
- Shit! Shit!
Yes!
Holy shit!
Little strike.
Come on, baby.
Come on, baby.
Oh.
[cheers and applause]
[indistinct chatter]
You were in
that little cut there.
- Yeah.
- Jesus.
Wow.
Hey, my elbow has
a little blood.
You okay, bud?
That was excellent.
I saw it coming.
I knew...
You were fighting
the whole time.
I pulled it.
I didn't put my legs out
and try and...
Wow, it could have been so ugly.
- Okay, here we are.
- Thank you, brother.
Thank you.
Thanks, man.
Way to fucking turn it around.
I don't want to ruin this.
I want to be back here
next year.
Ugh! Whoo!
This is the evil eye.
It protects you against
the evil spirits and everything.
Cool.
Thank you.
Expect you'll be back.
- Thank you.
- At the end of the day,
that's the only thing
that matters,
is that everybody comes out
on the other side intact.
Oh, okay.
Boom. Okay.
Now let's activate it.
Oh, thank you, guys.
Okay, you're protected.
Excellent.
Thank you very much.
We've been losing people
from the very beginning.
- All right.
- Whoo-hoo.
Necklace activated.
In '87, I had a boyfriend
who died BASE jumping.
And I remember I spent about
six months or something
very confused,
not wanting to jump.
I would go up to an exit point
and start crying.
And I just...
I just couldn't jump.
It was just like... and then
I would come down.
And then the next week
or whatever,
I would go up again
and couldn't jump.
[somber music]
And then one day,
I said to myself,
"You love the sport."
And I do love it.
It's just... it centers me.
It's something that...
I don't know.
It's kind of like a religious
experience, I think.
And that, I couldn't get
anywhere else.
And then I had to decide
inside of me that
I did love my boyfriend, Steve.
And there's a very special
place still to this date
in my heart for him.
But I must jump.
Mwah.
Okay.
Three, two, one, structure.
- Fire!
- Whoo!
[laughs]
Where is my baby?
Yeah!
I, Jimmy, take you,
Marta, to be my wife.
I commit myself to you.
"In this covenant
of marriage."
In this covenant of marriage.
"This is
my sincere promise."
This is my sincere promise.
Sir, you may kiss your bride.
[all cheering]
The moment
we've been waiting for!
They're here!
[all cheering]
We love you!
[Elvis Presley's
"It's Now or Never"]
Tomorrow will be too late
It's now or never
My love won't wait
When I first saw you
There's definitely
the what we're taught
is the right way to live.
You know, you go to school.
You go to college.
You get a job.
You get a house.
You get a family.
And Marta and myself,
we've always had
a different set of priorities...
[laughs]
Waiting
for the right time
Where we wanted to live
the life of gypsies
and go and travel
and see things
and experience things.
It's now or never
Whoo-hoo!
Come hold me tight
[horn honks]
We're on Route 66,
straight to Moab.
Very pretty.
Be mine tonight
This'll be home for a while.
Tomorrow will be
When we moved to Moab,
I cried of happiness
for a whole month, you know,
because every time
I would take the dogs
for a walk,
I'm, like, so overwhelmed
with this beauty.
Look, he's winning the race!
[laughing]
Three, two, one.
Thank you, life!
[laughs]
Whoo-hoo!
Yeah, baby!
[both laugh]
Moab is so vast.
Once you live in a place,
you have the time
to explore and find new jumps.
Marta Empinotti,
the walking woman.
[soft dramatic music]
Beautiful, honey.
Whoo-hoo!
That's a beautiful honey
right there.
Back in 2000, there were
so few jumps open,
you could just pick a wall
and go and open it.
- Yeah, boo.
- Yeah.
So then Jimmy and I,
we were like,
"Oh, it would be nice to share
these new exit points
with other people."
Basically, what you can see is,
we've got a boogie going here.
And it's crazy.
I mean, Chief is loving it.
I'm loving it.
Marta, are you having
a good time?
I'm having a good time.
Oh, yeah. Ah, oh.
[laughs]
It's not done.
We used to make,
you know, four turkeys.
And everybody would
bring something over
for Thanksgiving.
[chuckles] Hi, kids.
That's how the whole
Turkey Boogie started
in the first place, is we just
wanted to show people
all the treasures
that we had found.
The first one was eight people.
Then the next year,
it was about 25, and then 50.
And then another year of 50
and then 100.
Turkey Boogie 2005.
Good morning, everybody!
[all cheering]
[horn honking]
Any doctors?
I'm ready. You guys ready?
Whoo!
- Oh, my God.
- Dude, we have to see this.
It's nuts.
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
Oh, my God!
That was insane!
The kids in the sport,
they're literally old enough
to be my kids.
All right.
But they're my best friends.
All right, babe, have fun.
[sweeping music]
You know, and you surround
yourself with that energy.
People are there
in the prime of their life.
And it keeps you young.

Cool.
Okay, happy Thanksgiving,
fuckers.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
- Happy Thanksgiving.
- Three, two, one, see you.
Whoo!
Three, two, one.
Shit.
Shit!
Oh, God.
Fuck.
- Ooh!
- Oh! Fuck, fuck, fuck.
- Ooh, spiral. He's hanging.
- Oh, fuck, he's hanging.
He's hanging. Holy shit.
- See anything, Scotty?
- So... yeah, I see him.
That's where he's hung up there.
He's not too far off the ground.
Oh, Jesus.
[breathing heavily]
Oh, God.
There's one every season.
[laughs]
Oh, I love Turkey Boogie.
Anybody need a rescue beer?
Everyone should have
warm clothes.
- Okay.
- It's gonna get cold.
I have not, yeah.
[tense music]
Does anyone know
if he's responsive
or his name?
How are you? Check.
How are you?
What are you doing?
I'm not great.
- Right here?
- He looks like he's hanging.
He's literally suspended
by his canopy.
Oh, yep.
The temperature's gonna
make it life-threatening.

He's not bleeding.
We have broken wrist,
potentially broken ankles.
And we've got a crew
taking him down.
He's only about 20 feet
up the wall.
He's in a climbing harness.
Scotty and I are
gonna pick him up,
move him a couple feet.
Okay.
Real slow.
- Watch it.
- Watch your head.
Put your legs out.
Legs out.
Legs out.
Legs out. Legs out. Legs out.
- There you go.
- We'll get that.
- There you go.
- Keep going.
There's a small rock
about to get...
One, two, three.
- All right.
- Ankles.
But yeah, you're right.
Good work, guys.
Good work.
- Femur?
- Yeah.
- You feel me touching?
- Yeah.
Wiggle them. All right.
- [groans]
- That's all right.
Put your hands... sorry.
So can you confirm there is
a helicopter on the way?
Negative,
unable to confirm helicopter.
Got about an hour
of daylight left.
We have no helicopter.
No helicopter.
We need to start
fucking moving him
because it's gonna take a while.
So he needs to get down
as fast as possible.
And careful with this
right here.
All right, pull.
Let us know
when we can lower him.
Hey, who knows the correct
path down by the lip?
Go down and mark it
so we have a target.
Everybody good?
Everybody looks good?
Guys are good.
Almost out of it.
Can we set him on the other
side over there?
Yep, come around
head first over that way.
Here, let's set him
on the right side of... right.
Just because it's difficult
doesn't mean you can't do it.
Rescues aren't easy.
Be serious about not jumping
at the end of the day.
We got lucky
that it's not way colder
than it is because we've all
been out here
at Turkey Boogies
when it's 0 degrees and stuff.
So anyone want a beer?
- I want a beer.
- I got beers for everyone.
Beers. More beers.
Ha.
Whoo!
I decided to go up and do a jump
that I've been dreaming
about doing.
On my way.
Yeah!
At the same time
as I started hiking,
my dad started hiking.
And he was gonna carry
the ashes
of his climbing mentor.
So he started on his climb.
And I started on my climb.
And I was out of reception.
And I got this phone call
from Espen's brother.
And I just asked him,
"Is everything okay?"
And he just said straight out,
"Dad is dead."
[somber music]
And then I took a deep breath.
And I just said,
"Espen is hiking."
"And he's gonna do
a BASE jump, and..."
"I think we should
leave him to do that."

I thought about
if I was to lose Espen.
And there's this moment
between when you lose him
but you don't know that
you've lost that person yet.
And it's almost like
if you can extend that
as much as humanly possible,
then they get more of that time
with that person.
Okay, going in three, two, one.
I land on the ground
next to two of my friends.
And Amber is arriving.
And I was looking at her.
And her lips were shaking.
And I was thinking, is she
gonna break up with me?
And she tells me, "I'm about
to tell you something"
"that is gonna change your life."
"Your father is dead."
[all speaking Norwegian]

He fell climbing on his way
up to Store Vengetind.

And I have to say
that I have never known
how it feels to lose someone
that is truly close to you.
I had no idea.
Every time I met the mother
and father and sister
and brother and husband
and wife and kids
of BASE jumpers that died,
I've had no clue how it feels.
No idea.
Until now.
All right.
All right, gentlemen.
Let's go make some magic.
[gentle music]

Damien, what's the project here?
What are we thinking
about doing?
Well, what we're
looking at is...
It's kind of hard
to see from here.
If you look really close,
you can see a place
where you might want to exit
up there.
Look at this place.
I mean, this is
a BASE jumper's paradise.
And one day,
we ended up fixing a rope.
We got to the top.
And I realized
that I had just found
one of the coolest jumps
in Moab.
Yeah, baby.
Good one.
Yee-haw!
You're the first one
off of an exit point
is a really cool thing.
You get to name it.
And now anybody
who comes to Moab
wants to do what I call
the Dragon's Nest
because this place
is so primeval.
When we opened it,
I thought about, oh,
I wonder if possibly one day
you could wingsuit it
because the wingsuits weren't...
They weren't starting
fast enough at that time.
And then I found out that
it's now being wingsuited.
It's gonna have
these great updrafts.
And we use the exact same
thing as the birds do.
[dramatic music]
It's super high-risk
because it's 300 feet.
It's a short... it's about as
short a start as you can have.
I mean, you got to start flying.
And if you don't start flying,
if you botch your exit,
you know, a zipper comes open
or any... you know, anything,
you're dead.
You ready?
Fuck yeah, man.
[yells] Here we go!

There's nothing
not technical about it.
Like I, for one, will not
ever wingsuit this, I know.
So yeah, it's not... this one is
not for everybody, by far.
[sighs]
Three, two, one, let's go.

[laughs]
You're always nervous
up there on that.
It's like five seconds
for pushing.
And I'm just sitting here
going like,
"Don't fuck this up.
Do not fuck this up."
That jump is what we call
a jewel in the crown of Moab.
Did you just do it, Jimmy?
No, no.
I opened it, though.
Yeah.
[laughter]
- You opened that?
- I'd like to say that.
You know, I'd just like
to throw that out there.
[upbeat electronic music]

I want a hot chocolate.
- We have some.
- Hot chocolate?
- Mm-hmm.
- For real?
Mm-hmm.
But guess what?
It's in the dreaded cupboard
that you can't reach.
[laughs] I can use a chair.
[laughs]
Hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate.
[groans]
I met him in France,
BASE jumping.
It's kind of hard
if you don't date someone
that it is a BASE jumper.
Otherwise, you just
gonna do your stuff
and you're not gonna
date anybody
because it's kind of a selfish.
You want to just
jump, jump, jump
and be in the mountains, so...
I'm a lawyer.
And a few years ago,
I just was not happy.
I was super unhappy
and decided to quit
and started jumping.
And then I changed
all my life for that,
jumping and climbing.
And I don't regret.
I have less money,
but I'm more...
I'm happier.
[laughs]
- See that?
- Yeah.
Hell yeah.
Oop.
[tools clanging]
I like it.
I think it's fine.
And we're level and all that?
Okay.
[dramatic music]

Yeah.
I'll go first.

Is this you getting nervous?
Uh-huh.
You nervous?
Uh-huh.
What is Daddy doing, huh?
Is he doing
something stupid again?
Is Daddy doing
something stupid again?
Do you not like that?
She probably smells my fear.
There we go.
Now we're getting it.
- Good?
- Boom.
Ready.
Wait, wait, ready, set, go!
Yee-haw!

Is it gonna be here
for, like, the next days?
Yeah, it's gonna be out here.
I see you wanting to try it.
- I want to try.
- Not here.
So where's a good exit
from here without the swing?
Good exit?
Right here is the classic.
It looks good.
You're fine.
Have a nice one.
Whoo-hoo!
It is magical.
It's at the same time
dangerous but...
And then adrenaline
and everything.
And I think that's what
everybody else wants,
like, to share
everything you love
with the person you love.
But at the same time, I know
the risk and the margin.
And I'm afraid of losing him,
of course.
So yeah, so...
Yeah, you scare me.
- No, I don't.
- Mm-hmm.
- I scare you how?
- Yeah, you scare me.
[laughs]
What are you doing?
I'm visualizing the barrel
because things are going
really fast up there, right?
And I need to work
on the visual.
So if you turn around,
I'll show you
how I'm trying to do it.
So I'm here.
I look at you.
I start moving over.
It's like an up and over.
I see your arm.
I see you.
Cool.
Let me try.
Over, starting.
And there, you see me.
And then...
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Okay.
[gentle music]
Laters!
We decided to compete together
in wingsuit acrobatics.

It's kind of like
figure skating.
You have to do
specific movements
and hold hands and make docks.
And each dock, you get a point.

Competing in skydiving
is just like
any kind of competition
in another sport.
The people that win
the World Championships
are expected to be the best.
In Norway, you have to qualify
through doing well
at the Nationals.
[suspenseful music]
It all comes down
to the larger idea of why
we are even flying so much.
And the whole idea is
to find your potential.
Like, how good can actually
human beings be at flying?

And we managed to pull it off
to progress
towards the World Cup.
Fuck yeah!
This has been our dream.
This has been, like,
everything that we've been
working towards with learning
wingsuiting and skydiving
and BASE jumping, all the steps.
Whoo, whoo!
[laughs]
[speaking Norwegian]
Today is our last day
before we are heading
to the World Championships.
So tonight,
we have the ceremony.
And we're gonna do a skydive
into a special location.
I'm saying goodbye
to Amber in the airplane
because we're jumping
one by one.
And I'm putting on bungees
on my flip-flops
so I can jump in flip-flops.
I put beer in my board shorts.
And I jump out.
And I realized, like, man,
this wind is really gnarly.
It gave me this bad feeling.
I had to, like, maneuver quite
rapidly the canopy to land.
I turn around.
And I see Amber's
getting ready to land.
And on her way down,
it's just nightmare opening up.
[groaning]
[all speaking Norwegian]
[groaning]
[speaking Norwegian]
Relax. Relax.
Relax. Try to breathe.
Try to breathe.
Try to breathe.
[groans]
It's... it's like
I go into a shock.
[solemn music]
She's not breathing.
But there are sounds.
Like, there is sound
coming out of her mouth.
But she can't breathe.
I start talking to Amber.
I tell her to breathe.
I pretend to be calm,
but I'm not.
[groaning]
[speaking Norwegian]
Ow. Ow. Ow.
[breathing heavily]
Hold my hand.
Amber? Amber?
[all speaking Norwegian]
Her leg is just totally off.
It's not really
as it's supposed to be.
And I'm looking at...
I'm looking at a severe injury.
I'm looking at something
that could be life-changing.
I'm also looking at someone
that might bleed to death
in 20, 30 minutes.
[indistinct chatter]
[machines beeping]

[speaking Norwegian]
How cool is that?
I can wiggle my toes.
It's tiring?
Yeah, a bit.
I shattered the top half
of my femur
and dislocated my spine.
I'm in so much pain.
This is like,
I don't think it can
get much worse than this.
Yeah. Okay.
It's been a kind of
long night for me.
I look forward to have
more painkillers today
and be not in pain
and hopefully move around
a little bit more
and be a little bit more
active and comfortable
through the day.
Okay. Room 469.
[whispering]
I think she's asleep.
I'm not asleep.
You're not asleep?
Hey, love.
I got surprises for you.
Surprises?
In the free-fly
intermediate, third place.
- Whoo!
- Whoo!
There you go.
Wow.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
And then in wingsuit
performance flying,
second to her boyfriend,
second place...
No!
- Wingsuit...
- Yay!
Amber Forte.
- Whoo!
- Whoo!
Hug.
You get a hug for that one.
Okay, we need
the national anthem for this.
This is Norwegian
national anthem.
Happening now.
[singing in Norwegian]

[indistinct chatter]

I'm a speed demon.
Slow down.
Ta-da!
[both laugh]
- Wah!
- Oi.
You didn't even need legs.
[laughs]
Whoa, that's really far.
Are you actually
going to make this?
I'm getting pretty good.
I think you are.
You did it.
Congratulations.
Yeah.
High five.
Can you do a high five?
Okay, crutches five.
I just got a gift from Tonfly,
which I can't use, sadly,
for quite a long time.
But...
Whoo!
[laughs]
That looks really trippy.
New wingsuit.
- Wingsuit in the hospital.
- [chuckles]
No better place.
Look at it.
This is your beast that's
gonna make you win next week.
Espen is off to the World Cup
in how many days?
- A week.
- A week.
My mom's gonna come
and look after me
while Espen's off just
destroying
the wingsuit community
and flying in like a ninja.
- Sure.
- Yeah.
Are you gonna win?
No, I'm gonna
come in fifth place.
No. What the fuck?
Don't say that.
Maybe sixth.
But I think fifth place, yeah.
Loser.
[laughs]
Come on.
You'll win that shit.
How am I gonna win?
I'm not jumping.
I'm hanging out here.
No, you're not jumping
because it's raining.
No, I'm not jumping
because I'm in the hospital.
Hey, Marta!
- Oh, we're coming!
- Ten-second call!
It's a flurry of action here,
preparty nipple gluing.
- Oh, that's not fun.
- Staff creating.
Oh, my goodness,
look at you guys!
Ready to roll?
Ready.
Jimmy and I,
we got married in Vegas.
Kiss? Yeah.
So we were wanting
to have something
that would bring
the family together.
So we were like,
how fun it would be
to have an event where we're
not worried about jumping...
[soft music]
And just celebrate life
of us who are here
and also of those
who have passed?
All right.
Let's get a picture,
for crying out loud.
The best part of the whole thing
was something
that Jimmy started.
He wanted everybody
who was there
to get a group picture.
[all cheering]
Nice.
There's a lot of value
to group pictures
because virtually every
group photo,
the next time you take one,
there's gonna be
some people who aren't in it
because they're
no longer with us.
All: Five, four,
three, two, one.
[all cheering]
We did it!
[all cheering]
[somber music]

We have survivor's guilt.
So we all have
this coping mechanism,
how we deal with that loss,
that pain.

[all cheering]
Yeah, buddy!
Oh, hello.
If you don't need a hug,
Jimmy, just come on!
You can hug Jimmy!
He's gonna be here
all motherfucking night!
What's up?
Marta and I,
we chose to not have kids.
But we've become kind of
the parents
of this crowd of people.
And for us, it's so important
to spend time
with these amazing people
because we realize
that you could go any day.

The minute I met Julia,
I knew Scotty had finally met
someone who could
not only match his energy
but could one-up him
and keep him on his toes.
[laughter]
This is tight.
[both laugh]
It means it's gonna stay on.
Scotty, do you take Julia
to be your wife?
I do.
And, Julia, do you take
Scotty to be your husband?
I do.
I now pronounce you
husband and wife.
[all cheering]
[gentle music]

[cheers and applause]
I am Scotty Bob's sister,
for those who don't know.
When Scott got out
of the Marine Corps,
we just slowly began to learn
about all of y'all.
And we just became
so comfortable
because you're his family.
And, you know, we're his family.
But you... you are his family.
And we are so happy.
And I'm not gonna cry.
But we're just... we're so happy
to have you all here
and to watch out for him
because, I mean, you know,
we know what you do,
and we know it's...
You know.
[laughter]
We are so happy.
We're so happy that
you all do what you do.
And I'll tell you what.
I show everybody at work
my video.
"Look at what my brother does.
He's so cool."
And everybody is like,
"Oh, my gosh, that's crazy!
All he needs to do is find
a girlfriend and settle down."
I'm like, "Y'all."
[laughter]
So I want to raise
a glass to Julia.
We have been waiting for you.
[laughter]
I drank it all.
[all cheering]
To Julia, we've been waiting
for the one to come along
and to match Scott.
So cheers to you.
Cheers.
[all cheering]
[upbeat guitar music]
All right.
Three, two, one.

[cheering]
Yeah, babe!
[singing in Portuguese]

We got butterflies
around us, babe.
[laughs]
Stop playing.
[laughs]
I would say I make
way healthier decisions
now that she's around.
I mean, there was
a couple good years there
where it really was just
party, party, BASE jump,
BASE jump all the time.
I realized that she was
not the type
that was gonna be okay with
living on some friend's couch.
And then it was
kind of a big step.
Best decision I ever made.
I love you.
Love you, babe.
I don't know.
I don't know.
It's hard to talk about
something that I don't know
how is it gonna be.
I want to have a kid,
and this is...
I know it's gonna be
a lot of different,
like, very different,
big change for me.
And I am actually
more scared of that
than anything else,
not really of dying
and leaving my kid alone.
I'm actually just scared
of the change
that I know I'm gonna have to do
in order to be with my kid.
And I'm not gonna be able,
for example,
to just come and hike
and leave the kid down there,
at least not for the few years.
We know a lot of people
who are like,
"Oh, but you're gonna
stop jumping, right?"
And we're like,
"No, we're not."
But one thing
I asked him is actually, like...
Actually, he's already
kind of doing that...
Be way more conservative.
Three, two, one.
It's been four months now
since my injury.
Still feels like actually
I am in some kind
of horrible dream.
But then you quite quickly
just go into, like,
this doing mode.
And that's all you can do.
It's like to say, "Oh,
I can't do it," it's like,
well, what are you gonna do,
then?
[breathing heavily]
The option is to kill yourself.
And I don't have
enough balls to do that.
[laughs]
[somber music]
It's gonna take
a little bit more time
before I'm able to jump
out of airplanes
and off mountains
and hike mountains
and do all the things
that I'm dreaming of doing.
But I'm not gonna
let that stop me.

It's a weird feeling
to put so much strain
on your back
when you know that it's
just held together by metal.
It's like, is this really
what I should be doing?

So we're going to see
how fast you can run today.
Ready, go!
Good. 12.
So the biggest problem
you're going to face
is not the flying, right,
because your technical level
is so good,
but it's the landing.
How is that?
Scary.
Scary. Yeah.
Okay.
And remember,
as the doctor said,
if the pain increases too much,
that's where your line is.
- So I'm definitely not ready.
- No.
You need to be sure that
you can take a hard landing.

I'm nervous.
Nervous?
All right, we'll go for it.
[soft dramatic music]

What are you doing?
I'm filming you.

I feel like there's nothing...
I don't know
what I'm supposed to do.
It's like,
if I do absolutely nothing,
then I'm just filled
with these feelings of guilt
and like I'm just wasting away
and like everything
I've worked hard for is
just going out the window.
But then every time
I do something,
it's like I do the wrong thing.
And things get worse.

And then I try to act.
And I'm just constantly trying
to do the right thing.
But I'm just constantly in pain.
You want to set up the hammock?

If I can't get back
from this injury,
are we gonna be able
to have a relationship?

If she died,
I would have
eventually continued.
I would have kept on jumping.
I would have learned
to live with the loss.
She would be
a very fond and amazing memory
that would...
would be nice but also haunt me
for the rest of my life.
But I would not stop.
I don't have anything else.
Air sport has become my life.
Hey, Amber.
I'm in Chengdu, China.
And we're all here, everyone.
15 jumpers,
but we should have been 16.
Aw.
It should have been you
here as well.
I wish I was there.
You'll be here.
I just wanted to say I love you.
Love you too.
Mwah.
Goodbye!
[laughs]
[graceful classical music]

[singing in Italian]

Ah, what's the plan, guys?
Going into the unknown.
[laughter]
Into the unknown.

[all cheering]
Yes, Scott!
Welcome to China, baby!
[all cheering]
Yeah! Oh.

We're gonna have a baby, baby.
[laughs]
[groans]
[whistles]
- Are we ready?
- Yeah.
- You sure?
- Yeah. Are you ready?
I am fucking shaking.
[laughter]
Okay, three, two, one.
That's my wife.
- [cheering]
- [chuckles]
Happy mom, happy baby.
But this morning,
I told myself, like, okay,
I'm not gonna jump.
I'm just gonna chill.
But then I get here
and I see everybody
getting ready, I'm like, fuck.
I start itching.
It's like, damn.
Just one jump.
[laughs]
But I can't tell
my family, for sure.
My mom and my sister,
they're like,
"You're done, right?"
I'm like, "Yeah, yeah,
I'm not jumping anymore."
[breathing heavily]
[gentle music]

I actually put it
on Google, like,
oh, what can
a pregnant woman do?
And it's funny
because, "Minigolf."
You can start planning
for your baby shower."
I'm like, that sounds
fucking boring.

It's one of the most
selfish sports out there,
entirely selfish, you know?
But when you decide to create
another life and have a child,
then that's just... that's
another choice and decision.
You have to own it.
Whoo!
If you're not willing
to make that commitment
to something else, then,
you know, BASE jumping's gonna
take everything else, so...
Baby!
Wait for me!
But, I mean,
is one of you gonna have
to stay on the ground?
It kind of sucks
because then we end up
not jumping together anymore.
Maybe you can watch the baby.
[laughter]
Uncle Dicko?
I don't know.
It must be some kind
of turning point
where you're like, all right,
I'm gonna taper down.
When I'm 90, I want to buy a...
Like a camper van,
like a huge trailer,
and just travel around.
I think Jimmy and Marta
have it pretty good.
They just pull up into the...
You calling them old?
[laughs]
In a way,
I think that's what parents...
Like, that's kind of the
traditional role of parents
or, like, elders in the tribe,
trying to pass on enough wisdom
that you make
some sensible decisions,
stay alive.
Where are you going?
I don't know!
I think I'm going to make
a wingsuit BASE jump in Moab!
- Ah!
- For the first time ever!
All right, here we go, baby.
- Yeah, brother. Yeah.
- [laughs]
Yeah.
[exhales heavily]
Excuse me.
[clears throat]
[exhales heavily]
[both breathing heavily]
[camera shutter clicking]
[soft dramatic music building]

[wind rustling]
Oh, my God.
Jimmy?
Hey, Jimmy.
[radio blips]
Jimmy, any chance
you can hear me, buddy?
[radio blips]
[exhales sharply]
Oh, shit.
[exhales heavily]
Jimmy.
I love you, man.
[radio blips]
Fuck.
[helicopter whirring]
[somber music]

I watched him go.
And everything looked
just perfect.
[sighs]
And I heard the sound
before I really knew
what was going on.
So I heard the sound before
I knew the door had closed.
It took a minute to register.
And I picked up the radio
because
Jimmy and I were on radio
together.
And I talked him through it
and told him I love him.
I told him
that we're there for him
and that we were sending a heli
and that I'd call Marta.
Jay called at that moment.
I'm like, "Is it Jimmy?"
"Yes."
"Is he gone?"
"Yes."
So that was...
That was
that unbelievable moment...
[voice breaking]
That you... it's hard to believe.
But, you know, having gone
through many deaths
in the sport and of a boyfriend,
my first boyfriend in the States
who passed BASE jumping as well,
I knew it was true.
So, you know, even though
it's almost... it's surreal,
and you can't believe it.
But there was that finality
of knowing that...
You know, that that's a fact.

Um, how do I ask this...
Not to sound like a jerk,
but if you were not to be here
when this film is done,
what do you want
people's take to be?
Yeah,
and I've thought about that.
It's like, okay, so we've done
all this filming.
And I've seen films like that,
where at the end of the film,
they're like, "This person
died BASE jumping."
It's like, "Oh," you know?
So don't feel too sorry for me.
I have lived my life exactly
how I wanted to live it.

And if I happen to die
BASE jumping,
I realize that that is
one of the consequences.
So don't feel sorry for me.
Just be happy
that I lived my life
how I wanted to live it.
And don't let it keep you
from getting into the sport
or staying in the sport.
I don't want be
responsible for that.
[exhales deeply]
Okay, get rid of the ghosts.
Three, two, one, see ya.

Thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah.
This time last year,
I was in the middle
of a ten-hour surgery
to repair my broken femur
and my spine.
I'm celebrating today,
one year later,
to do my first jump again.
[gentle music]

[beeping]

[exhales sharply]
Okay.
Three, two, one.
[whooshing]
Oh, my God!
Whoo!
[laughs]
What the...
[laughs]
[Lou Reed's "Perfect Day"]

[sighs]
I'm gonna call Espen.
Just a perfect day
Yes, she did it. She did it.
I just wanted to pull.
I just wanted to pull
and know that I can do it.
Okay.
But anyway, I'm alive.
When it gets dark,
we go home
- I'm very alive.
- I love you.
- I love you. Okay?
- I love you, too.

Just a perfect day
You made me forget myself
I thought
I was someone else
Someone good

Oh,
it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spent it
with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me
hanging on
You just
keep me hanging on

You're going to reap
just what you sow

I don't know what to say, Amber.
Happy, happy?
Mmhmm.
Where did miserable go?
So last year.
You're good. All set.
You have this look
where you look at me
like this proud dad
or something.
- Have a nice jump.
- Thank you.
- Remember to fly inland.
- Yeah.
Okay, three, two, one.

A lot of people
getting into the sport
get into it when they don't
have much to lose.
But when... the second you
realize you got a lot to lose,
you're like, shit, maybe
this isn't worth it anymore.
Like, it's... you know?
That's the game.
I have
a out-of-the-blue question.
Did Jimmy dying surprise you?
Very surprised, like,
would be the right word.
It doesn't make much sense.
Like, it doesn't make
really any sense.
So I just kind of reflect that
back on myself to be like,
hey, I mean,
got a lot of commitments.
Going in would
really fuck that up.
And I would be a giant asshole
if that happened.
And for me, personally,
it doesn't matter anything.
Like, nobody should feel bad
for the guy who's dead.
It's for everybody that's left.
Jimmy and I talked about,
what if something happened
to one of us?
I think sometimes, you know,
people say, "Oh, yeah",
"but, you know, we love this.
"It's okay... if I die,
have a party," or blah, blah.
But then when it happens,
it's a different story.
[somber music]

Jimmy was a great jumper
but sometimes a little bit
also not careful.
[laughs]
I remember when he jumped
without a pilot chute.

Oh, my God!
Oh.
Oh, shit, dog!
Wow. I thought I was dead.
I thought that was it.
I thought about Marta
and how pissed
she was gonna be at me.
Oh, my God!
Whoo!
I love you, life.
I love you, wife.
Oh, God damn.
And it took him two years
to let me know.
[laughs] I didn't...
Everybody hid it very well.
And then also, he asked me,
"Do you think I made the right
decision of not telling you?
I wanted to prove to you that
I was a safe BASE jumper."
Hi, love.

This last summer, I saw him
going towards a place
where he and I had
already talked
that we weren't gonna go.
He was starting to push
a little bit more.
Jimmy would always call me
whenever Marta was out of town.
[whispering]
"Hey, what are you doing?
"Marta's gone
for a couple weeks.
Let's go have some fun."
[laughs]
Like, oh, he's up
to no good again.
He wanted to play.
You know?
He's like, "Mom's gone."
"I want to go play.
What do you want to do?
"Let's get out there.
This is our chance."
Unfortunately,
you make one mistake,
and the game ends and you lose.
And from outside, it can be
really easy to judge.
It can be really perceived
as selfish.

Is it selfish
to want to be happy?
For me, freedom is the very
most important thing in life,
and I had to allow him
to be free.
- Yeah!
- Whoo-hoo-hoo!
Yeah!
You can change a little bit
to meet in the middle
so you can grow together.
But then there are things
that you shouldn't change
because it's your soul.

If I start crying,
don't come hug me.
What's that?
If I start crying,
don't come hug me.
I will get...
Yeah.
I will reconnect
and be good, right?
Okay, thanks.
Looking good.
Thank you.
We should start.
This here has always been
one of my favorite views.
[all cheering]
Ten years ago,
Jimmy and I created this event
to celebrate life
of those who are here
and the life of those
who have passed.
- Whoo!
- Yeah!
So this... this is a tough year
for all of us.
We all lost our Jimmy.
[sighs]
We love you, Marta!
I got this, right?
I got this.
[cheers and applause]
You got this!
If it wasn't
for all of you guys,
I wouldn't be able to stand here
and feel as strong as I do.
So thank you so much
for your love.
We love you, Marta!
[cheers and applause]
We're gonna turn
to the family next to us
and give each other a Jimmy hug,
all right?
Thank you, guys.
Come here, buddy.
I wish he was here forever.
But it's like, he's not.
And the family's still here.
And, you know,
we're dropping one by one.
And so just keep charging.
Keep charging the castle
and wait your turn.
All: Eight, seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one!
[all cheering]
[soft music]

[all cheering]
Whoo!
Yeah!
Whoo!

Tuck it out.
Don't move this.
Don't yaw with the shoulders.
- You guys running a course?
- Yep.
Nice! How's it going?
Tag teaming.
Swap the baby.
Sweet.
All right, let's go.

Gonna watch Mommy BASE jump?
Relax. Focus.
Take your time.
Visualize.
Look at yourself,
like, in the future.
All right,
whenever you're ready.
Three, two, one, see ya.
You guys want a baby?
You gonna grow up and be
crazy like your parents?
[laughs]
He likes to come out
and watch Mom BASE jump.
Three, two, one!

What do you think
we're gonna stop doing first,
having sex
or BASE jump together?
If either of them stop,
it's gonna be sad.
Yeah, it is, huh?
I don't want to stop
any of them.
I think it's possible to jump
when you're past 100.
You know what I want to do?
I want to die of age...
- In the landing area.
- In the landing area...
- After a BASE jump.
- Together with you.
After a sick proxy flight...
Yeah.
Just, like, charging
down the mountain,
land, and be like...
[choking]
I think if it happens,
the last thought
I'm gonna have in my head
was, like, "Nailed it."
- Nailed it.
- Like, "Ah, nailed it."
Got a lot of living
to go together.
Yeah, we do.
Love you too.
Off you go.
Okay. Okay.
All right.
Three, two, one.

I want to live every day,
all day, as hard as I can.
And we party hard
and we love hard
and we jump hard because
we're reminded way too often
that it can end like that.
We're very aware
of how precious life is
and what a gift it is.
So we use it.
It's not up on a shelf
still in its bubble wrap.
[chuckles]
Ours is all beat up
and thrown in the corner.
It's good.
It's good.
You should use something
that you cherish.
- Great.
- Thank you very much, Jimmy.
Really beautiful.
[Music plays through credits]