European Province Bans Base Jumping After Tragic Skydiving Accident
The community of European jumpers has been deprived of its favorite bungee platform. No one will be able to parachute from the Becco dell’Aquila anymore. It is difficult to see events like “Boogie Brenta 2000” again — the international meeting that three weeks ago claimed the life of Andrea Quarisa, a 34-year-old skydiver from Rome who had come to Pietramurata specifically to “fly” for those cursed twelve seconds along the Zebrata Wall.
Yesterday afternoon, the provincial council approved a resolution proposed by the sports and environment assessor Iva Berasi, which explicitly bans the practice of Base Jumping throughout the provincial territory. The vagueness should not be misleading. In practice, only Monte Brente is frequented by enthusiasts of this risky sport.
Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, the document drafted by Lorenzo Dellai’s council also includes a ban on generic fixed bases, mountain peaks, buildings, bridges, and cranes from which jumps are made, opening parachutes at low altitude. This measure was anticipated and is certainly linked to the tragic end of Andrea Quarisa.
The measure and causes of the accident
His parachute opened with a delay of a few tenths of a second, causing the young man to crash against the rock face. An investigation into the cause of death was immediately closed. The colleagues involved in the tragic flight provided the Carabinieri of Dro and Prosecutor Marco Gallina with all the necessary details on the same day to understand the incident’s dynamics.
Quarisa was flying with his back to the ground to record a video of the jump. He did not notice that the moment to open his parachute had already passed. The ban is sure to provoke controversy and differing opinions.
On one side, the increasingly widespread movement that practices or supports extreme sports, definitely advocates for the freedom to jump from a mountain and open the parachute whenever one chooses.
Reactions and safety measures
On the other hand, public opinion remains surprised by the leniency granted to practitioners of a sports objectively considered dangerous. “In the face of such risks,” reads the resolution, “self-regulation by enthusiasts — which they tend to adopt voluntarily — does not seem sufficient. The danger inherent in this sport, which involves the entire community of practitioners, demands a safety assessment by public authorities.”
In practice, the provincial council is taking time and, to prevent further incidents like the one on May 7, has instituted a temporary ban. Meanwhile — acknowledging that this practice, as enthusiasts admit, is high-risk — the council will evaluate whether the risk can be reduced through specific regulation of jumping techniques, such as setting minimum and maximum heights for jumps, delimiting suitable sites, and prohibiting jumps in rain or strong wind conditions that could endanger athletes.
The council goes further, considering — after completing a thorough review — the possibility of specific bans for those who want to take aerial photographs or shoot videos during jumps, referencing the Brente incident, and potentially introducing safety devices if BaseJumping becomes feasible again.
A commission of experts will assess the danger and practicality of this sport, with their work concluding before the approval of the new provincial law dedicated specifically to sports. “It’s the risk that makes this sport exciting,” commented Iva Berasi yesterday evening, “and it’s up to us to evaluate its scope. A new phenomenon, unregulated by any legislation. We were taken aback. Now we have time to address it.”
