First base jumping in M'sia

First base jumping in M'sia

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): The world's tallest buildings will play host to at least 40 daredevil skydivers from the United States, Europe and the Middle East in the first international base jumping tournament, Malaysian organizers said Monday.

The Malaysian International Championship of Extreme Skydivers 2001 is scheduled to be held Aug. 27 through Sept. 2 -- nearly eight months after 15 Western and Asian jumpers bailed off the Petronas Twin Towers in New Year's Eve festivities watched by 100,000 spectators.

The Southeast Asian country is becoming a haven for a sport shunned in much of the rest of the world, where divers often have to practice while looking over their shoulder for police.

"The New Year's Eve event was just a preview of what we can expect for the competition," said Dann Lee, chief executive director of Skyventure Productions.