Twin Falls has become a Mecca for BASE jumpers - people who parachute off bridges, buildings and cliffs. The city's Perrine Bridge is one of few places where people can jump any time without paying or getting a permit.
A recent Associated Press article highlighted the dangers of the sport following a BASE jumper's death, but Twin Falls’ city council member and chamber of commerce president Shawn Barigar says the city continues to embrace the sport despite its risky nature. Though he admits that acceptance wasn’t immediate.
“When we sort of got on the radar for BASE jumping more than a decade ago, there was some initial hesitation by some of the citizens here [about] having this be something that’s allowed,” Barigar says.
Twin Falls couldn’t have banned jumping even if it had wanted to because the state owns the bridge. The city, though, could do things like restrict access. Instead, Twin Falls does all it can to make jumpers feel welcome.
“Over time people have, one, gotten used to it,” Barigar says. “But two, [Twin Falls residents] have gotten to know members of the BASE jumping community and understand that they are athletes who have a sport that, while some individuals may not chose to participate in that sport, they’re not going to suggest that others shouldn’t.”
He says people in southern Idaho are used to adventure tourists like skiers and white water rafters. He acknowledges BASE jumping is more risky than those other sports but says fewer than 1 percent of Twin Falls jumps lead to calls to emergency services.
Hundreds of jumpers visit Twin Falls each year and spend a lot of money. Barigar says the city hopes to do a study in the near future to figure out just how much. But he says the old doubts sometimes resurface.
“When we have accidents that cause injury, or unfortunately fatalities from time to time, there tends to be a swell of, ‘now why is it we allow this again?’” Barigar says.
But Barigar thinks that being a BASE jumping destination has become an important part of local identity. Nowadays, images of base jumpers are nearly as common in marketing Twin Falls as the waterfalls that give the city its name.
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