Behind the Business: Tandem BASE

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Twin Falls is home to the Perrine Bridge, and for BASE jumpers across the world, it is one of their favorite places to be.

For those who are interested in trying it but aren’t qualified to do so, one Twin Falls business can help you. This week’s Behind the Business takes us to Tandem BASE.

For as long as he can remember, Sean Chuma has loved being off the ground.

“I always just wanted to fly, I loved being off the ground. As a kid I had dreams of flying all the time, I wanted to be Superman, every sport I did involved me being off the ground, I was a pole vaulter, I was a gymnast, I was a ski instructor,” said Chuma.

To go BASE jumping, you need to be a current skydiver with at least 200 jumps under your belt.

Chuma began skydiving and after he had 700 skydives under his belt, he wanted to learn about BASE jumping.

That was 17 years ago.

But, for those people who may not have completed 200 skydives, Sean Chuma wanted people to have a way to base jumping, together.

“We meet up and then we talk about how the jump is going to go, we set some things up, and they wear a harness, I have a parachute that is made for two people, it’s pretty big,” said Chuma.

Since starting his business, he has taken 1,500 people tandem BASE jumping. He says each one is so rewarding.

“It’s a cool experience because everybody is always pretty scared which is normal, it’s almost kind of nightmarish for people to be standing on something so high, but once they do it and they land, it’s just an experience they will never forget,” said Chuma.

He has even taken a quadriplegic and a woman with cerebral palsy tandem BASE jumping as well as people from Idaho and all over the world. He says he loves every single one.

“BASE jumpers are super thankful that we have a place like Twin Falls that we have a place to do our passion. It’s amazing to have a place to do it all the time, and this bridge is perfect for it,” said Chuma.

He says the spring, summer, and fall is his busiest season. If you are interested in booking a jump, visit tandembase.com or call 208-546-9873.

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