KL Tower Jump - Kuching

KL Tower Jump At Menara Pelita Kuching



The KL Tower Jump is in Sarawak. As in previous years its venue will be at Menara Pelita at Petra Jaya in Kuching. The jump will take place on the 21st floor of the building which would mean that the drop will be about 280 feet high.

Global Unity and Harmony is the theme of this year's KL Tower Jump. The miniature flags are placed on the jump venues around the world

This is Menara Pelita - the height looks awesome from the ground. And from above I believe. Lets see from that perspective later. But this is the shortest building of all the other's in the Merdeka Circuit.


The view of the top from ground zero of Menara Pelita. That's high man!

So since Menara Pelita is on the world map now its easy to locate on the Google Map. I managed to grab it from Google Map's point of view.


Google Map location of Menara Pelita: geo:lat=1.5773741265904162 geo:lon=110.35066545009613 and the lovely Pustaka Sarawak building is at the top left corner (with the big ake)


The view of Pustaka from the top of the 21st Floor - try to locate that on the Google Map.



"Mr. Duke" from Australia makes his leap....it takes less than a minute to reach the ground


Nik Khalid - Malaysian jumper looks at ground zero from above - DBKU building can be seen at the background


The jumpers go through the lines/strings of their gliding chute carefully


There were more than ten jumpers on the 21st floor. I noticed them arranging the strings of their parachutes or gliders meticulously, string by string, line by line. This I believe is for safety purpose. They have to do this everytime before the jump. And the crowd on the crowd wants some more jumps - which is the challenging part because after one jump, they have to come up again, arrange their equipment and if everythin is ready, wait for the right wind speed and direction then jump again. This can be seen in the next Youtube video.



The pre jump pose by Paul Smerset from Ireland - this is how they would stand on the "take-off" platform

The pre jump pose also needs practising. Holding the chute with one hand and making that final minute decision to jump - it takes a lot of experience and I believe it takes guts also. Probably 90% is guts because no matter how experienced one is, that final step to go for it is crucial. I remember doing the flying fox in one of the motivation camp. The decision to go for it sometimes can break your nerve. Here you are dangling on top of some high structure and the only thing that you rely on is the functionalibility of the safety gear that you have.....and lots of prayers.




Paul Somerset making his jump with Gary Ratnam doing some commentaries on this jump. The shorter the building the higher the risk.

Stars on Menara Pelita

There were a few well known personalities on the 21st floor and I managed to meet Traxx FM's Scam Boy. He was having a hell of a time on top of Menara Pelita doing television commentaries:


Nadai Name gets to meet the famous Traxx FM Scam Boy aka Gary Ratnam

The event gets exciting with all the KL Tower star jumpers in Kuching. One is none other than Scam Boy - Gary of Traxx FM. He was his usual self - which is why he is a natural be it when he is on the air or off the air. Only that I would like to see him try to take to the air - and that is to try jumping from our Menara Pelita.

Another person who caught everyone's attention (including mine) is Ms. Amanda from Califiornia USA. Which lady would want to risk jumping off the 21st floor and compete with the other guys here..... scary man.

Amanda making sure the equipment is in perfect condition

So I wonder what is it about this 'jump' activity that makes her enjoy this sport? She could have gone for some beauty contest and win it hands down. I guess my perception is like the majority of guys and that is - "This can't be a woman's sport." I get butterflies in my stomach even at jumping from the first floor. And here we have Amanda. Hmmmm.....

Amanda also likes to take pictures - on top of a 21st floor and sitting on the ledge (with safety straps on of course). Well we do have our fair share of outstanding Malaysian ladies out there who can try this sport (I hope I am wrong). But don't look at me ladies....I won't do it (but that does not make less of a man...hehehe). I can give you encouragement though.


Those high leaps and risks Amanda take does not mean that she is less of a lady

My conversation with Amanda as I got to know her showed that she is as ladylike as any ladies. Nothing like those ladies in the wrestling shows you see on television. One would have thought that you need that toughness in you to be able to enjoy this sports. But she was 'tough' in every sense of the word coz she is into a sport that I would not want to try. Sure my ancestors were headhunters at one time but they got their adrenaline rush from hunting heads and not from jumping tall buildings. But if any of the guys out there feel its 'kacang' join the KL Tower Jump event coming soon in Sabah, Penang and finally Kuala Lumpur. Amanda will be there to show you how its done.

Comments

Uchu Keling said…
Yo! Brother... If only you can cover more function, I might as well subscribe to your blog, then having to read it online at the other media ;) Excellent job!
Thanks - need the mental jog :) or jump
Sri Kebakat said…
nice blog. interesting event you have covered.
satuengkilili said…
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