By Darlene “Scoop” McCoy | Staff Reporter · Local Desk
FAYETTEVILLE, WV — Thousands of spectators left Bridge Day on Saturday completely convinced they could successfully leap from the New River Gorge Bridge despite having no training, no parachute and difficulty climbing the stairs to the scenic overlook.
Witnesses said confidence levels increased steadily throughout the afternoon as spectators watched experienced BASE jumpers step from the bridge and descend into the gorge below.
“Honestly, the jumping part doesn’t look that hard,” said local resident Kenny Mullins while holding a funnel cake and standing several feet behind a safety barrier. “You just kind of step off. It’s all that parachute stuff afterward that seems complicated.”
Mullins said he would have demonstrated his natural ability but had left his jumping shoes at home.
He also cited a bad knee, a heavy lunch and a promise made to his wife approximately four minutes earlier.
Other spectators expressed similar confidence.
“I could do it,” said 48-year-old Travis Coleman. “I just don’t want to.”
Coleman then spent 20 minutes explaining the precise body position he would use despite acknowledging that he had never worn a parachute, jumped from anything taller than a pickup bed or willingly looked over the edge of the bridge.
“I’d probably wait until the wind died down,” he said. “Then I’d just send it.”
His wife shook her head continuously throughout the interview.
Bridge Day officials confirmed that the phenomenon occurs every year.
“People watch trained athletes make something extremely dangerous look controlled,” one organizer said. “Within ten minutes, a man holding a smoked turkey leg begins explaining how he could probably do it better.”
Medical personnel reported no injuries among the imaginary jumpers, although several spectators experienced shortness of breath while walking uphill toward their vehicles.
One man who had loudly criticized a jumper’s landing technique was later seen resting beside a shuttle stop with both hands on his knees.
“He came in too fast,” the man said between breaths. “You’ve got to know how to control your descent.”
When asked whether he had ever parachuted, the man replied that he had once fallen from a deer stand and “landed pretty good considering.”
Several younger spectators announced plans to return next year as registered jumpers.
Most abandoned those plans after learning that BASE jumping requires training, specialized equipment and significantly more preparation than owning a GoPro.
Others remained determined.
“I’ve watched a bunch of videos,” said one attendee. “That’s basically training.”
Officials also reminded visitors that possessing a camouflage hoodie, owning a four-wheeler and having previously jumped from Summersville Lake do not automatically qualify someone to leap from one of the highest bridges in the country.
As the event ended, spectators continued debating whether fear, gravity or their spouses represented the greatest obstacle to participating.
Mullins ultimately admitted that he might need additional preparation before attempting a jump.
“I’d start with something smaller,” he said. “Maybe the porch.”
At press time, his wife had prohibited that as well.
The Holler Herald — West Virginia’s Least Reliable News Source
If it happens in the hills, we’ll probably report it. If it didn’t, give us about twenty minutes.
