In 1912, Frederick Law sparked the fire by maneuvering the earliest recorded base jump off the Statue of Liberty.  Cliffs in Yosemite were triumphed by Brian Schubert and Michael Pelkey in 1966. James Bond himself jumped off Mt. Asgard in Canada 10 years later.

Although base jumping comes with many unpredictable dangers, it is the passion of countless adrenaline-seeking addicts.

Unlike skydiving, base jumps are made at a much lower altitude, giving much smaller margin for error, and a unique appeal of inherent danger.

“We fly next to mountains at 150 mph,” said JT Holmes, a professional base jumper and skier from Lake Tahoe, Calif.  “If you mess up and crash you will die, but the thing is, it is pretty easy to do what we do, if you are prepared and mentally collected.”

Base jumping is a sport that requires one hundred percent confidence, explained Holmes.

The actual process of base jumping entails packing a rig, choosing a safe mountain or location, hiking, jumping and enjoying the airtime.

Base is an acronym standing for four different categories of objects you can jump off; buildings, antennas, spans (bridges) and earth (normally cliffs).

Holmes and other base jumpers also enjoy wingsuit flying, using a special jumpsuit equipped with foil wings that create lift.

“One of my favorite spots to base jump is Norway because the cliffs are huge, safe and the terrain to fly with a wingsuit is super cool,” Holmes said. “On one jump we fly next to the mountain for the first 25 seconds, pass a switchback on the road, freefall in the wingsuit, fly away from the mountain, open the parachute and land in a parking lot.”

Base jumping has become a worldwide sport, and a World Base race is hosted each year in Norway in search of the “world’s fastest flying human being.”

Although base jumping is legal, it is illegal to jump in areas where permission is not granted, including most national parks.

Utah is the home to many well-known places to jump.

“Rock Canyon provides a very popular 330 foot cliff, as well as a higher alternative farther up the canyon known as Squaw Peak,” Holmes said. “The lower, more popular exit is frequented by local jumpers because of its simple 20-minute approach.”

Although this sport may seem thrilling and exciting, it sometimes leads to horrific consequences.

“I lost my best friend Shane McConkey to this stuff in March. He widowed his wife and his kid won’t have a daddy,” Holmes said.

LeRoy Buckley, of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., was recently found dead near Notch Peak in Millard County, after a 10-day search.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Buckley and a friend were hoping to base jump off Notch Peak when Buckley disappeared while walking on the ledge.

It takes mental strength to do extreme things, and one must know unconditionally that they have the strength and ability, explained Holmes.

“It is a really fun sport to get into. I do it because it feels just like you would imagine when you dream about flying,” Holmes said.