05 Dec Drone Wakeskating in Dubai | Brian Grubb
World First: Drone Wakeskating on Dubai Skyscraper’s Infinity Pool, Then BASE Jumping Over the Edge
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – December 4, 2023: Brian Grubb, the American Wakeskating pioneer and three-time world champion, has accomplished an unprecedented feat in an innovative project that merged drone Wakeskating and BASE jumping. Perched atop the sky bridge at Dubai’s Address Beach Resort, the Guinness World Record-holding infinity pool sits an astonishing 294 meters above sea level.
Grubb’s audacious journey commenced with a 94-meter wakeskating glide across the rooftop pool, towed by a drone, followed by a leap over the pool’s edge. This seamlessly transitioned into a thrilling 77-story BASE jump, culminating in a successful landing at the beach below. This groundbreaking achievement, known as “WakeBASE,” brought Grubb’s seven-year-old dream to fruition, marking a historic milestone. Here’s a comprehensive overview:
- Unparalleled Challenge: The WakeBASE project presented an unparalleled challenge for Brian Grubb, renowned for wakeskating in unique locations worldwide, including Jordan’s Wadi al-Hidan canyon, Cape Cod’s icebergs, and Türkiye’s Cleopatra Pool. The combination of Wakeskating and BASE jumping had never been attempted before, and Grubb was determined to be the pioneer.
- Seven-Year Dream: Grubb expressed his motivation, stating, “I wanted to be the first person to do a combination of Wakeskating switch into BASE jump and push myself to the highest level in my sports. I’ve had this idea for seven years, and not a day goes by when I’m not thinking about it.”
- Meticulous Preparation: Grubb enlisted the expertise of Miles Daisher, a renowned BASE jump legend, to design a rigorous training program. With over 4,500 BASE jumps to his name, Daisher focused on building Grubb’s skills, recognizing the need for extensive training due to Grubb’s limited 26 BASE jumps by December 2022.
- Training Locations: The duo trained at Daisher’s facility in Idaho, USA, mastering exit points ranging from 106m to 121m. Subsequently, they moved to Lauterbrunen, Switzerland, known for being a BASE jump haven, tackling exit points, including the challenging High Ultimate at 305m. Grubb accrued 106 BASE jumps under Daisher’s guidance.
- Partnership with Prada: In collaboration with Prada, Grubb donned custom Prada Linea Rossa performance gear, specially optimized for both Wakeskating and BASE jumping. The gear included shoes designed for optimal grip on the custom Prada Linea Rossa Wake Skate.
- Drone Development: Drone developer Sebastian Stare and his team custom-engineered a drone tailored for WakeBASE. Stare explained that the drone’s unique features, from hardware components to software, were designed to enhance flight behavior for Wakeskate moves, with insights from Brian himself.
- Culmination of Passion: Grubb’s WakeBASE project represents the culmination of over 20 years of Wakeskating and 15 years of skydiving, blending his two greatest passions seamlessly.
- Ideal Location: Grubb highlighted the significance of the chosen location, the Address Beach Resort in Dubai, with the world’s highest invisible edge pool. The building’s setup, pool curvature, and expansive beach landing area perfectly suited the unique requirements of the project.
– On the unique location, Grubb concluded: “When we got this idea we looked for high water and there’s not much out there. Then we saw the Address Beach Resort in Dubai with the highest invisible edge pool in the world and we had to come take a look at it. The building is set up for us, the way the pool curves is perfect for me as I’m right foot forward and the shape is what we needed for the ramp and then there’s this nice big landing area on the beach. As soon as we got eyes on it in person, we knew it was on and that’s when the real mission started.”
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