MALIBU—On Thursday, October 1, Johnny Strange, 23, also known as Daredevil, crashed while filming a wingsuit proximity video in the Swiss Alps.
Wingsuit base jumping is a sport where a person flies through the air while wearing a wingsuit; a type of suit that adds surface area to the human body with flaps of fabric between the arms and legs, creating lift. Wingsuit proximity is when the same person flying through the air in a wingsuit flies closer to objects such as trees, mountains, rocks, etc.
Authorities have not yet commented on the cause of the crash, but they have mentioned that there was a report of high winds in the area on the day of the crash. Authorities stated that Strange crashed shortly after jumping off Mt. Gitschen around noon on October 1.
Strange was known for being a young adventurer. Besides base jumping, he also participated in activities like mountain climbing, surfing, skydiving, and many other extreme sports. He gained fame when he became the youngest person to scale the tallest peaks on each of the world’s seven continents, also known as the Seven Summits. He was 17 years old at the time.
He continued to defy the odds when, at the age of 20, he gained the title of being the youngest person in history to reach the North and South Poles, as well as Mt. Everest.
Strange was a native to Malibu county and he graduated from Malibu High School. He recently returned to his hometown in order to give a speech for the Malibu Library Speaker Series where he discussed his adventures with wingsuit jumping.
On Sunday, October 4, a paddle out will be held by friends of Strange at Zuma Beach, in honor of his memory. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. and it is open to the public.