Episode #46 - Jonathan Cox

Jonathan Cox

[00:00:00] Jonathan Cox

Matt Blank: Welcome to Exit Point, a podcast about the advancement of BASE jumping and the exploration of its culture. I'm Matt Blank, producer and co host. If you'd like to support this independent production, visit our Buy Me A Coffee link in the description and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Matt Blank: In this episode, I interview John Cox, who just set the world record for most BASE jumps in 24 hours. We explore how he achieved this record breaking accomplishment. Some ethics surrounding the developments he's made to the trail and LZ at the Perrine Bridge, and his controversial progression into BASE.

Matt Blank: Before meeting John, I was cautioned to watch out for him by a fair few people, as his reputation for taking a reckless approach to jumping was spreading on the street. But when I first encountered him, and saw him toss a beautiful unpacked jump, followed by a Smooth helicopter and a dead on accurate swoop, I was left questioning if this was the same guy people had been warning me about, because his [00:01:00] dubious reputation didn't fit his actual personality or skill set at all.

Matt Blank: Even he'll say he feels like a fraud of sorts, and as an educator, I was skeptical that showcasing his progression would offer any value to our community, or worse, would validate an unsustainable path to BASE. However After speaking with him, I'm confident that this episode offers not only a great story about an incredible accomplishment, but some important lessons about BASE jumping.

Matt Blank: As an aside, during the episode we cover what it means to be a BASE jumper, with John and I casually agreeing that he doesn't qualify as one. But I'd like to clarify my position by saying there is a difference between someone who BASE jumps, someone who is a BASE jumper, And someone who has a BASE number.

Matt Blank: It's clear that you have to jump all four objects to get a BASE number. And it's easy to say that anyone who is actively jumping off of any fixed object with a parachute is someone who BASE jumps. But I think neither are necessary for someone to be considered a BASE jumper. And if you listen [00:02:00] until the end of the episode, you may find yourself, like me, calling John Cox a BASE jumper, even though he doesn't.

Matt Blank: So without further ado, Let's get Cox on the track.

Matt Blank: All right. first let's start with, dude, where are we at right now? 

Jonathan Cox: what do you mean? Like in the BASE jumping career? 

Matt Blank: No, Like where are 

Jonathan Cox: we physically? Oh, in Jocelyn's 

Matt Blank: BASEment, dude. The Jostle Hostel hosting the interview. Love it. Heck yeah. I got to ask you, have you been getting a lot of props recently out at the bridge for your recent accomplishment?

Jonathan Cox: yeah, there's been, quite a few BASE jumpers that I don't even know saying congratulations. And I'm like, Oh, thanks, man. yeah. and then, yeah, some people, some random passerby's they're like, Hey, are you Cox? can I get a picture with you? And they're just from [00:03:00] the community, just civilians, And From around town. 

Matt Blank: yeah. Okay, fill us in, for those that don't know, what did you just do? 

Jonathan Cox: So I did the world record for most human powered BASE jumps off the Prime Bridge in 24 hours. 

Matt Blank: And the previous records were set by Miles Dasher and, by, Danny Wayland, and they were both in the sixties, 64, 65, I believe.

Matt Blank: what did you, set down? 

Jonathan Cox: So I got 102. 

Matt Blank: So not so much beat the record, but shattered the record. Yeah. Dang, man. all So let's get into that. first, what, motivated you to go after this record? 

Jonathan Cox: so ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to have a world record. I just always looked at the Guinness Book of World [00:04:00] Records, magazines and stuff.

Jonathan Cox: And, I just always wanted to like, be in there, And, when I was probably eight or nine, I got my headset on doing the world record for most pogo stick jumps. and then. I could only do it for three hours and the record was, like, a lot longer than that. And I gave up on it and then, when I moved here to Twin, before I even started BASE jumping, I, I saw, I saw BASE jumpers and, I've always wanted a BASE jump.

Jonathan Cox: I just didn't think I'd get into it. Anyways, so before I even started, I saw Miles Dasher's world record video, on YouTube. And, I was like, I'm going to do that. I'm going to do that. I think I can do that. 

Matt Blank: So what about, BASEd the BASE jumping world record seemed more [00:05:00] approachable than training for pogo stick jumping?

Matt Blank: Cause like in my head, like training to do more pogo stick jumps would be a lot easier than learning how to BASE jump. Yeah, So that was when I was a kid. and. I don't know. I haven't thought about it in a while. but I just want to do something I loved, and, before I even got into BASE jumping, I knew I'd love it.

Jonathan Cox: but yeah, the training was definitely a lot different. but, but recently, Talked to my wife and I was like, do you think there's any money in seeing how many world records you get? Cause like I was just looking at the pogo stick thing and I was like, I think I could get that.

Jonathan Cox: Like it's only eight hours of consecutive jumping, I'm 

Matt Blank: an adult now. yeah. I feel like, looking back and being like, man, I wish I could play little league now. I'd kick some fucking ass. Yeah. So let's get into, BASE [00:06:00] jumping for a second. why, why BASE jumping? Like you mentioned that you've always wanted to do it.

Matt Blank: What enticed you to become a BASE jumper? 

Jonathan Cox: mostly because I moved here. I never thought that I would. Be a BASE jumper just because, I thought you had to have 200 skydives, before you BASE jump. And it's definitely recommended. I'm not taking, I'm not saying anything contrary to that. but, I got into it with, no skydives.

Jonathan Cox: I had two tandems, but, But yeah, it's definitely recommended, I don't want to say anything contrary to that, but But yeah, I, I just always wanted to, I love the two tandem skydives that I did as well, and I definitely want to get into that further down the road.[00:07:00] 

Matt Blank: tell us about your progression then, if not through skydiving, then what did it look like learning how to BASE jump? Cause I'm assuming that you learned almost all of it here at the bridge. 

Jonathan Cox: Yeah, I did. so basically I got into it alone. I had plenty of mentors, miles show, go Tom, JP.

Jonathan Cox: I had lots of mentors that kind of helped me along. But I basically just bought my own rig and, and yeah, just got going. Like I, do a lot of maintenance, down in the landing area. And, and through that miles, dude, anytime you want help, just let me know, you can sit in on my class.

Jonathan Cox: and [00:08:00] Miles taught me a lot. 

Matt Blank: And so, like most of your education was observational, you're just like hanging out in the zone. You're like that surfer that just like hangs at the break, watching everybody go until it's Yeah. 

Jonathan Cox: Yeah. I actually, so before I even BASE jumped, I would hike down the trail and watch BASE jumpers land for hours on end.

Jonathan Cox: and I watched like when they flared, when they didn't flare, when they hit hard and, I learned through watching all of that, what to do and what not to do. I also watched a bunch of YouTube videos, probably 30 hours of YouTube videos just on Friday freakouts and low turns and all that stuff before I even thought about jumping, obviously.

Jonathan Cox: But, but yeah, going into it, [00:09:00] I, just, I feel like I understood the canopy and how it worked. I guess I just have,

Jonathan Cox: I don't know, an understanding of the canopy before I even jumped. and I feel like a lot of people don't have that. Oh, 

Matt Blank: definitely. And, what's interesting is that, through skydiving, a lot of people's first, exposure to canopy is when they're underneath it. like they have a conceptual understanding of it through their like first jump course, but they don't actually get like that experience until they're underneath the canopy.

Matt Blank: And so the concepts like really don't connect for them. Like they, they think that they're like flying straight across the sky, but actually they're applying, slightly down as well. Yeah. Maybe you can fill us in because this is something that is a real problem for most people in air sports is learning experientially.

Matt Blank: Most people have to learn hard [00:10:00] lessons. And it seems from what you're saying is that you were able to avoid a lot of these mistakes just by observing other people. Is there a secret to like connecting the dots there by is there a secret to looking at somebody, identifying a mistake, and then being able to avoid it personally?

Matt Blank: I don't know about 

Jonathan Cox: a secret. I just feel like when you just actually just sit back and watch and like just observe and and focus on what's happening. like when they were hitting hard, like I didn't understand why they were hitting hard until I had to do a YouTube video.

Jonathan Cox: Like, when you turn low, why does that I don't know. I guess I understood the concept of the canopy diving, when you turn. but I don't know. I don't know if there's a [00:11:00] secret. It's just, I think repetition, Gotcha. So you're like picking up patterns. You're like seeing something happen over and over again.

Matt Blank: And then eventually like trying to get the concept behind it and then observing it over and over again. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. let's fast forward a little bit. Take us through your first jump. Because that's a big leap from complete observation, no personal canopy experience, to BASE jumping. What was that first 

Jonathan Cox: jump like?

Jonathan Cox: it was just a PCA. I, got it pounded into my head, don't turn it. At all. when you're coming in, even a little bit. I was going for the bushes and I didn't turn at all and I landed off the path in the bushes. but it was good. Like I, I landed fine. Like [00:12:00] I stood it up.

Jonathan Cox: and it was fun. It was a letdown, honestly. Really? Yeah. Yeah. I was expecting, a free fall, like a rush, like falling, like super cool, And then the PCA, it opened automatically. And I was like, oh man, I wanted to, Accelerate more. Yeah, I wanted to fall.

Jonathan Cox: I wanted to, I guess I was thinking skydiving or something, but, but yeah, it was still fun. It was super fun. It was just, I was thinking, yeah, more free fall. And then all of a sudden it was open and I didn't even fall that much. And I'm like, Oh, like that was still fun, but I was expecting a lot more, huh. somebody saying that you might be a BASE jumper, that really exemplifies, working. Underneath [00:13:00] your total mental load, a lot of people get to the bridge and that first jump just stepping off the rail is, overloading, to the point where like they can't, really even remember what happened after that.

Matt Blank: now you're sitting here telling me that with no skydiving experience, jumping off the bridge for the first time, you're like, no, I want to take it deeper, man. okay. where from there? Because I met you like at least. Several hundred jumps later, maybe even a thousand jumps later, when I saw you doing tards off the bridge and helicopters and swooping in, like, how did you go from PCA off the bridge to doing what I saw you do?

Jonathan Cox: Basically, I learned how to do unpacks. and that's all, that's not all I do, but basically, I just love the, I love the canopy. I love flying. So [00:14:00] I I did probably 300 tards until I got pretty comfortable with trying to start swooping. and then I know you're supposed to do a 90.

Jonathan Cox: I didn't know this at the time. I didn't know you're supposed to start swooping with a 90 and then a 180. I just saw everybody doing a 180. So I was like, okay, let's do this. So I started. 300 feet high, with a swoop in 180 and I slowly over 200 jumps, probably I slowly over 400 jumps.

Jonathan Cox: No, I think I got my first good swoop around 600 jumps, I think. yeah, so like I basically progressively Lowered down and swooped closer and closer to the ground because I was super scared of going [00:15:00] in, and with good reason, so I slowly just kept going lower and lower until, I was Basically going too low, Chuma was like, Hey, that's a, little too low.

Jonathan Cox: Like you're, punching it at the end and you're supposed to, you need to get to the point where you're leveling out and then you flare and you're flaring to not hit the ground. And I'm like, Oh, okay. and so just with little pointers from Shogo, like everybody around, They taught me, what to do and what not to do, and helped me a lot in, swooping anyways.

Jonathan Cox: And I don't know, helicopters? I just love spinning. I guess all of the skydivers have all that experience underneath the canopy and You probably, 

Matt Blank: you'd think so, you'd think so, but actually not, most people don't do a helicopter until they get to [00:16:00] BASE jumping. and so your progression is, pretty interesting because you've taken two of the major canopy components that people don't usually get in skydiving before they get to BASE jumping and you've just trained them specifically over several hundred jumps in a very specific area, which man, I gotta say that's pretty interesting.

Matt Blank: I think most people hearing this would say wow, this guy, he's learning to swoop on BASE jumping. Like most people learn how to swoop, thousands of feet over the ground, but, you've also learned how to do it. In a very specific place, working your way incrementally down, which most people don't do anywhere else.

Matt Blank: So yeah, most people don't get those two things before they get to BASE. They have to learn them once they're under a BASE canopy. the common suggestion is that they learn to do them in the sky because there's more space and altitude and all [00:17:00] this. but as you might've noticed, it's a lot easier to learn those things when you're flying proximal.

Matt Blank: To objects. Yeah. Otherwise like you'd have no real reference points. And so like where you're building all those checkpoints and markers like where the trees look how all this stuff looks, you know in the skydiving Environment is just two dimensional And so like you're literally just looking at the ground getting bigger and trying to time all this stuff BASEd on altitudes Maybe like some scientific tools, but all that's a little Slow.

Matt Blank: Anyway. so you learn these two things, fast forward a little bit, how many jumps do you have now? 

Jonathan Cox: 1, 412. 

Matt Blank: And in the span of how long? 

Jonathan Cox: a year and five months. 

Matt Blank: Okay. So I gotta say that might also be another record. We'd have to double check and if anyone has any, idea. if like [00:18:00] anyone's done more jumps than that in a year, please hit us up because like at this point, I'm willing to say that is the most amount of jumps that anyone's done in that amount of time.

Jonathan Cox: Yeah. So I talked to Miles, and he said that to his knowledge, he had the most in a year. And this was last year when I was starting just cause I was like, Oh, if you have a record of a year, like I'd like to beat that too. no, it's not like that, but, no, I, just love jumping. Like I, I love climbing, honestly, climbing up.

Jonathan Cox: The Canyon is, not as fun as jumping, but that's why I got so many jumps is cause I love it. so miles told me he had 736, I believe. I'm not sure. in a year. and so a year from today, I have about 1, 100. 

Matt Blank: Damn. Okay. So before we move on from your [00:19:00] initial skydive or your initial BASE jumping progression, and one thing seems to be painfully obvious at this point that currency is.

Matt Blank: A large factor in your survival, right? Like you were jumping every single day. why would you not recommend your progression? Cause when we started this, you said ah, 200 skydives is definitely recommended. And, also recommending that was there something that happened along the way that, led you to believe that maybe, that was the correct path or a better path.

Jonathan Cox: Just in my experience at the bridge, seeing lots and lots of, lots and lots of BASE jumpers, there's a lot of low turns. there's a lot of just things that just, oh, make me cringe and I don't want to see it. not that I don't want to see it. I just, it hurts to watch it happen. [00:20:00] and I don't know if it's exactly like the understanding of the canopy or just, I don't know what it is, but that's that skydiving experience that, that wing experience of flying, in something.

Jonathan Cox: I don't want to say skydiving or paragliding or whatever is less dangerous, but is, but having that experience and flying away from the pressure of being a few hundred feet off the ground, to be able to land safely. a lot of people freeze up. they don't know what to do. it's just a certain mindset.

Jonathan Cox: I feel like to, do it safely the way that, that I did it. [00:21:00] so you're noticing a lot of panic in the other people that you're watching over the years or over the year of anybody. I could say pretty confidently that You spent the most amount of time in the last year at the bridge. Like not even the instructors are out there every day.

Matt Blank: So arguably through your progression, you saw more jumpers in that timespan than anybody else. Possibly, yeah, probably. Okay, and so I would have, I gotta be honest, I was thinking that you were gonna say something like, Oh, like initially I thought this was, gonna be easy, and then there was some mistakes that I made personally that led me to believe that like maybe skydiving was the thing, but 

Jonathan Cox: No, so I actually haven't, like so going back to when I was swooping, I got really comfortable, and I kept going deeper and deeper than I should have because [00:22:00] nobody told me, I didn't ask, like how deep and I didn't understand that you needed to. So I heard people say you need to level out without touching anything, like that's the sweet spot. But I kept. But I kept seeing people drag their feet, and and leveling out. I wasn't getting 

Matt Blank: to the ground.

Matt Blank: Yeah, dude. Yeah, I know what you're talking about. Drag my feet. Let's get that. 

Jonathan Cox: And so, I wanted to get low enough to drag my feet. And so I was getting too low. and there was one specific time that I, didn't hit that hard, but I definitely hit and then pop back up. but I hit my butt and so, just that, one time, I'm like, oh, let's take it back.

Jonathan Cox: so I need to like, listen more and but that was the one [00:23:00] thing just in swooping that I learned the hard way. I guess it wasn't even that bad. I haven't broken any bones or 

Matt Blank: anything. Sprained anything? No. Dang. 1, 400 jumps. not a scratch. Nope. Wow. All right. flex move on anybody that's Hey, this guy's doing it wrong.

Matt Blank: No, 

Jonathan Cox: honestly, like I, I don't know how to say this. I feel like almost like a fraud because I just do unpacked, I don't have any other objects except for this bridge and one bridge in Mexico that I did last week. So I'm not even technically a real BASE jumper, so I feel, I don't know, What 

Matt Blank: would technically make you a BASE jumper?

Jonathan Cox: I don't know. You have to have all the objects, right? That's 

Matt Blank: true, yeah. You get all the objects that, gives you the BASE number, though I bet a lot of people identify as BASE jumpers who never get there. Yeah. there's a ton of European [00:24:00] jumpers that only do cliffs. Oh, okay. There's a ton of people that, when they get into the sport, they'd rather not take the risk of some of the solid objects.

Matt Blank: And so all they do is the bridge. Okay. but yeah, I guess technically you're correct. Like in order to, be a quote unquote, BASE jumper, you need to do all the objects. 

Jonathan Cox: And, I'm, like, I'm, I'm getting there. Like I just. I feel, I don't know if conservative is the right word. I just heard so many stories and so many bad stories of people going in and people getting hurt and cliff strikes and all that stuff.

Jonathan Cox: I had a close friend, cliff strike and broke his leg and stuff. And so Like just hearing all the stories, I'm like, I don't want to do that. I want to get like a solid 300 jumps, like on heading before I do a cliff and then [00:25:00] show goes Hey, you can do a cliff that has enough overhang.

Jonathan Cox: Even if you do have a 180, you're fine. I'm like, okay, like I can do that. and so I'm just, I don't want to get hurt. And I don't want to die, obviously, nobody does, but, but yeah, like this year, I think I'm gonna go to Moab and, but yeah. 

Matt Blank: Okay. if, if I'm learning anything from your progression, I'm picking up two major pieces.

Matt Blank: one of them is focus on one task at a time. And that's something that a lot of people, don't do because there are so many fun things to do in airsports. So you got a little wingsuiting here, a little free flying there, a little swooping here, a little, whatever here, and then you try and put all those pieces together versus like you focused on one particular aspect.

Matt Blank: Of BASE jumping alone, which was the canopy flight. And the other thing that I'm picking up from your progression is incremental. Like I know very, I know [00:26:00] nobody, I don't think anybody in history has done that many unpacks off the bridge to learn a canopy flight, pattern. And so I can say that even though like your progression objectively, violates a lot of the quote unquote rules that we like put down for, this progression, there are still some really good points in there that I think people can take home, which is incremental progression focus on one aspect at a time.

Matt Blank: Yeah. 

Jonathan Cox: Sick. Yeah, when I, started, that first year that I started in, May of last year, and, so like that November, you gonna come to the Turkey Boogie? come to Moab! And I'm like, no, I'm not, ready for that. I'm gonna do, At least a thousand jumps, get my canopy time, my canopy skills, honed before I [00:27:00] go jump a cliff where I don't know what's going on, And this certain person's that's stupid, man. a thousand jumps before you do a cliff? that's unheard of. And I was like, I just, I just want to be like, I just want to, yeah, hone that one skill, like the canopy. And I still don't have it figured out. better than a lot, But I was just realizing there's still a lot to learn. but yeah, and on your front, man, dude, your, entire career in BASE jumping is unheard of every single aspect of this. all So let's, let's get back into the record. Okay. get us into the training methodology for the record.

Jonathan Cox: Okay. so I run, marathons. I guess I'm just done four or five marathons, [00:28:00] but. so I have that background of running marathons. so I know how to, so I've trained in stuff and I know how to like peak and how to like train and how to fuel fueling is key, especially with something like this.

Jonathan Cox: but. Basically, I just started training and when I started jumping, honestly, climbing out every single time, I think I rode the boat out maybe five times. And that was after I got a thousand 

Matt Blank: jumps. So were you running marathons alongside the BASE jumping or was there a specific numbers that you're trying to hit day over day to try and get to a point where this record was approachable?

Jonathan Cox: Yeah. Yeah. I talked to Miles beforehand and I was like, Hey, like, how many jumps were you doing? Like, how did you train for this? and he was like, I hit the gym and I was jumping every day. And, [00:29:00] I'm like, cool. okay. and so then I just put together a training plan, on paper that looks similar to a training plan for say, a hundred miler, running.

Jonathan Cox: So every mile would be a one jump. So basically. I started, I started just getting a BASE. A BASE is when you're just, comfortable running say 50 miles a week, 40 miles a week. just having that BASE and jumping, I did, I don't know, maybe at least 30 or 40 jumps a week.

Jonathan Cox: and that was like a solid BASE, And were you 

Matt Blank: doing those in blocks or were you doing those parsed out over the week? 

Jonathan Cox: so last year. Last year I was just like, I wasn't [00:30:00] working on actually training, I didn't have a training program set up yet. I was just trying to get in numbers.

Jonathan Cox: So I was just trying to get as many Not as many. I was working as well, so I'd come out and do three or four jumps in the morning, and then after work, I'd come and do a few more, maybe, but, maybe five a day was like, on average, and then some weekend, I'd do 20, and then I thought, oh, that was a lot, 20 jumps, and then, I did, I had to have done 20 jumps in a day, at least 15, 20 times, training for the world record, but, so I got my BASE basically, and then I started, I wrote out a training program, of say 40 jumps a week, then 50 jumps a week, [00:31:00] and then 35 jumps a week, and then jump back up to 60, and then 70 jumps a week, and then I got up to 80 jumps, 80 jumps.

Jonathan Cox: in a week to where I felt like comfortable, that I was going to reach a hundred anyways. 

Matt Blank: but 80 jumps a week and a hundred jumps in a day is still a huge gap. What made you confident that you could do that? 

Jonathan Cox: So in training for, and I don't want to sound experienced in any way of training, for running.

Jonathan Cox: But in running, usually, you do at least the miles in a week that you'd want to do for a race or any day. So just knowing that my body could do 80 jumps in a week, semi comfortably, I figured that I could push my body enough to get [00:32:00] that hundred. Gotcha. but yeah, basically I got up to a hundred and then, not a hundred, sorry, 80, and then I worked down like 60, 40, 30, and then the week of I did five jumps, So rest week. Yeah, I had, so it was a month before when I started tapering, but yeah, like I rested a lot and that first, hike out, like I felt like I was floating cause I had never hiked out without a rig. And so I was like, this is cheating, dude. It's I don't have any rig on, I don't have anything.

Jonathan Cox: I'm just hiking. 

Matt Blank: So on that front, let's get into the rules of this because a lot of people, have heard about the record, but they don't actually know what's entailed. So you mentioned that you don't have to hike your rig out. What do you have to do to qualify for the record? What do you not have to do?

Jonathan Cox: Basically, all you have to do is hike out every time human [00:33:00] powered, so it doesn't matter about your rigs it doesn't matter how your rigs get out. It doesn't matter how Yeah, how anything else happens you have to climb out human powered every time to jump so So yeah, basically I had a boat going and taking my rigs out and shuttling them up and packing them.

Jonathan Cox: and then, yeah, I just grab a snack down at the bottom and hike out and jump again and just same thing over and over again while eating. Yeah. Yeah. So I had a tent right, on the South side of the bridge, like the, I guess the little footbridge right across the bridge, I had a little, I had a tent set up with food.

Jonathan Cox: And drinks and, my wife would be like, what do you want? And I was like, [00:34:00] I grabbed a PB and J or whatever, just like we had a table full of, a bunch of food just so I could choose what I wanted. Cause a lot of the time when you're doing exercise like that, you don't want to eat anything.

Jonathan Cox: And so there are times I was like, I don't want anything. just give me a goo, like a gel, like for running. they're just, and then, yeah, yeah, fueling is key, is definitely key to someone like this, because your body has to have all of the nutrients it needs to be able to, because you can push your body further than you'd think, but without that food, the first time I ever did 20 jumps in a day, I didn't eat anything at all, the whole day, I just drank a ton of water, and you By the time I got to 20 [00:35:00] jumps, I was like passing out, like my body couldn't do it.

Jonathan Cox: Cause like I was passing out because of the fatigue and the lack of nutrients. and so I learned that day, I was like, Hey, like nutrients is like, you have to eat your body needs, fuel, for this type of. 

Matt Blank: Okay, so I'm picking up a little bit of the flow here. boats are taking your rigs out.

Matt Blank: You got to climb out every single time, grab a little fuel at the bottom. what about getting back to the bridge and jumping? I know that Miles, I think, rode a bicycle across. 

Jonathan Cox: Yeah. Yeah. I think miles is the, guy who started this whole thing, this whole, how many times can we jump off in a day?

Jonathan Cox: and that's awesome. Like just pushing yourself is most people don't want to [00:36:00] do that, but, it's super cool. anyways, so yeah, the, so he had a bike, and then Danny Whelan had a bike as well. I, to my knowledge, I'm pretty sure he did as well. Anyways, so yeah, gets the top of the bridge.

Jonathan Cox: Gear up and then I hiked up those stairs and then rode a bike out to the middle and, and jumped, yeah. and then Nicole Seneca, she has the world, had the world record for most in 12 hours, and she did that as well with the bike. 

Matt Blank: Gotcha. Okay. So it is human powered across the board, but you get, foot human power up the 

Jonathan Cox: Yeah, when Nicole did it, she didn't know that basically she submitted all the evidence and the Guinness Book of World Records was like, Hey, [00:37:00] you can't do that. You can't ride a bike. That's not human power. And then she went back and forth. She was like, yes, it is human powered. Like riding a bike is human power.

Jonathan Cox: There's no engine on a bike. And so they, they were like, okay, that's fine. cause she just, I'm allowed to do it. And I'm assuming anyways, So yeah, so I like checked in with Guinness and I was like, Hey, can I ride a bike out to the middle and they're like, yeah, that's fine. And yeah.

Matt Blank: What was it like dealing with the Guinness people? Did they have to come out to actually evaluate every bit of the flow? 

Jonathan Cox: no, so it was either pay them twelve hundred or twelve thousand, sorry, twelve thousand. to have one person come out or a couple people come out and witness the whole thing and watch.

Jonathan Cox: Or to collect all the evidence myself, and so that's the route that I took, is collecting all of it myself. So I had to have, and I still haven't submitted everything, just cause it's a pain in [00:38:00] the butt. Because they want, they want separate videos sent in, A gigabyte at a time, but it's been super long because I submitted the request, like the over a year before I attempted it, of Hey, I'm going to do this for Eckerd, and they've been good, it takes them a while to respond, But other than that, like it takes a while because I didn't pay for the upgraded fast response.

Jonathan Cox: Fast track. yeah. Yeah, 

Matt Blank: but yeah. Yeah. We didn't pay for that for any of our airsports things either. We're like, dude, we're spending enough money on this already. I don't care. Next year's fine. Yep. Okay. let's get back to the flow. Can you take us through maybe like the beginning, middle and end for this?

Matt Blank: what did it feel like as you [00:39:00] were starting? What did it feel like towards jump number 50 and then like at the, 22, 23 hour mark, how are you feeling then? 

Jonathan Cox: When I first started, I was feeling super anxious, super nervous, freaking out honestly. Cause I woke up that morning. at seven in the morning, I couldn't sleep.

Jonathan Cox: I'm like so anxious and so excited, to do this, that I couldn't sleep. and then even nights prior, I couldn't sleep. So I was already running on not much sleep. but I was super nervous to begin with, freaking out. once I actually jumped though, then I okay, I'm doing it, all I gotta do is hike up.

Jonathan Cox: and jump, hike up and jump. that's all I got to do. I don't have to worry about anything else. [00:40:00] the first 20 jumps probably were just like amazing. I was like, yeah, like flying up the mountain. Like my first lap time was nine minutes, something seconds. And my wife was like, slow down. And I'm like, I'm going slow.

Jonathan Cox: Like I'm purposely. Let it holding back. Like I'm not going fast and they're like, you're going way too fast. I'm not going to slow down. Feel good. And so yeah, I was hitting 11, 12 minute laps for a while. and that's from jump to jump. yeah. Jump to jump. yeah, that time is like when I jump off, not when I land, but as I jump, anyways, so yeah, around, I remember the first two or three times I climbed up.

Jonathan Cox: I'm [00:41:00] like climbing up the, crack, to the left of where mostly everybody goes. I was climbing up that and I just felt like weightless, like I, it's like a runner's high kind of, I think just cause I hadn't jumped in so long. I hadn't climbed out in so long. My legs were as fresh as could be.

Jonathan Cox: I didn't have a pack on. so I was feeling like amazing. just. Floating up the wall. Like I was like, this is so cool. anyways, so probably around 30 jumps. I started, feeling it a little, getting tired. and then 

Matt Blank: on that note, as you get tired. Is anybody double checking the safety, when you're gearing up, getting ready, there's a lot that goes into a BASE jump, right?

Matt Blank: Like making sure that your equipment is dialed, making sure the [00:42:00] conditions are right and making sure like all that is in line is, was there anyone like double checking you as you started to 

Jonathan Cox: fatigue? Yeah, I had like gear checks and then anybody packing, when they had a break, they would check all of their eggs lined up for me to jump.

Jonathan Cox: the gear is continuously being checked, and then, so it was checked before it got laid down, for me to step it in, step into it, so I didn't do a gear check like, right after I put it on, but before, every time, and then after quite a few times as well. But, yeah, so I got tired, I was still like, mentally there, And I would still like every jump, I think I'd like, look at my leg straps, feel my chest strap, just to know everything's like they're, but, [00:43:00] but yeah, like I had people checking, and yeah, it went really smoothly. 

Matt Blank: you mentioned packing, though, before you said that, most of your jumps are unpacked.

Matt Blank: Did you still stick with that deployment methodology throughout or did you switch it up a little bit? 

Jonathan Cox: So going into it, that was the hardest, that was the thing I was most worried about is the openings because, I just, have an OSP. I have several rigs, but basically all of my rigs open hard.

Jonathan Cox: and even if it's just a second and a half, it was a, if it was handheld, right away, then it wasn't too bad. Anyways, so just the openings, I dreaded. I was like, there's no way my body can take that many openings. I, don't want to either. And from the beginning, I was like, [00:44:00] I'm just gonna do PCAs.

Jonathan Cox: And that's what I did, the entire time I had my brother. Michael and then Sam from a good, my best friend from Florida, PCA'd me the entire time. two guys did 102 PCA's I was like, dude, you got a world record by yourself. nobody's ever done that many PCA's and, anyways, so they were there like the entire time they had gloves on and yeah, My, my goal, my plan going into it was do like, I don't know, do 80 jumps or so, like PCA, and then do quite a few, stowed, but then by that point I was so tired, so wasted, my body was just Like I was struggling, that I was like, [00:45:00] screw that. I'm, just gonna just keep doing PCS.

Jonathan Cox: And yeah, I did PCS for every single jump. 

Matt Blank: So from a 30, when you started to get tired to 80, when you were struggling, what was happening mentally, physically to you? was it the hikes? Was it the openings? Was it just the stress of having to do that many BASE jumps in a row? What was going on?

Jonathan Cox: So it's called like blowing up, like in the running world. Like when you blow up, you, you hit a wall and like your body doesn't want to keep going. so I think I blew up around 40 or 50. And it went, it was a struggle to get, there, I think, around 50 or 60 jumps, I did a 16 minute lap and I'm like, dude, that is unacceptable, I was like, that is way too slow, I can't be doing that, and I was like, [00:46:00] struggling, and I was like, nervous that I wasn't gonna get a hundred.

Jonathan Cox: but basically, my body's telling me I, I shouldn't do anymore. and I'm like just pushing through and, and so I hit yeah, like basically to 60 was, it was really hard. Like I'm from 50, 40 to 60. Like it was rough. Like I was like struggling. then, 65. I, stopped for a 30, 40 minute break and got an infusion, Jim state infusion.

Jonathan Cox: they're sponsoring me. Millie is her name. She actually was down below and, Hooking me up with an infusion in both arms, and I was getting a [00:47:00] massage at the same time, and Anyways, got a massage, got an infusion, and then I kept going. I was just, I was eager to just, It was hard just to sit there, but that was the plan, so I like stuck to it, but, Anyways, so yeah, I got hydrated through that and I was staying hydrated really the whole time just 

Matt Blank: out of a pure Like I have to ask this because so many people are gonna be like hearing that and being like, all right What else did he put in his body?

Matt Blank: Was there anything other than like solid Food that you could buy from a grocery store and, elements that are like available, over the counter that got in there. 

Jonathan Cox: No. So no, the infusion was like, I asked Guinness book of world records about, I was like, can I get an infusion?

Jonathan Cox: They were like, as long as it's legal, as long as it's legal, like you can. And no, I never took any substances or anything. It was [00:48:00] all, Yeah, just supplements. And I guess I had an energy drink toward the end. but, anyways, so yeah, it was all, there was nothing in there. Okay. Okay.

Jonathan Cox: I had plenty of people. If you need some crack, you need some cocaine. 

Matt Blank: I know, right? Dude, this community, holy shit. 

Jonathan Cox: And, I'm like, thanks man. But I think I'm good. it was super funny though. It was just. Anyways, yeah, 65 jumps, after that, got the massage, got the infusion, kept going, right after that, my legs were so cold.

Jonathan Cox: They were warmed up, and so I was like fresh and then my legs got so cold, like laying there and getting a massage that like it took me two jumps to actually get going again. Like I was, I couldn't walk. I could barely [00:49:00] walk after that, like 65th jump after the break. I was like struggling. and then once I did two jumps, then I like.

Jonathan Cox: My, legs got warmed up, and then got back into the groove and then, from 70, 70 jumps to 90, maybe. I don't know if that's accurate, but somewhere around there, is when I was feeling great. Like I was like, I could do this for days. Cause you already beat the 

Matt Blank: record, right? Yeah. Yeah. So you're on the downhill at that point.

Jonathan Cox: I was telling people, I was like, I could do this for days. I'm just cause at the beginning I was purposely mentally like putting my hands on my knees, trying to save my legs. Because, I [00:50:00] wanted my upper body to be as sore as my lower body, because I wanted to use my arms as much as I could because I knew my legs were what was taking it.

Jonathan Cox: And, around 70 or 80 jumps, I realized that I wasn't using my hands anymore. And my legs were just like, just going and I was like, this is awesome. it was still rough. I was still like, I kept telling myself I am a machine. I feel no pain. I'm a machine. I feel no pain. I said that probably a hundred times.

Jonathan Cox: I just kept saying it over and over again. And, 

Matt Blank: did you have any other mantras along the way? 

Jonathan Cox: quite a few times. I said todo lo que puedo hacer en Cristo que me fortalece, which is I can do everything in everything. Through Christ who strengthens me. Mostly it was just like, I am a machine.

Jonathan Cox: I feel no pain. said that so many [00:51:00] times. And I kept telling people, I was like, I just keep saying that. I just keep telling myself that. I just gotta keep going. anyways. So yeah, it was rough. It was, Like I've never put myself through that much pain and that much like agony.

Jonathan Cox: I don't know how to explain it. It was just, like hours and hours on end of just, going I'm, I guess I'm like pretty,

Jonathan Cox: I'm pretty good at pushing myself. we had this, saying growing up in, wrestling. I wrestled in high school and every single practice we would say this quote. As a team, we would say most men go until they begin to tire. [00:52:00] Good men go until they think they're going to collapse. But the very best knows that the mind tires before the body and push themselves further and further beyond all limits.

Jonathan Cox: And only when these limits are shattered can the attainable be reached. And I said that so many times through wrestling that, it stuck with me. you can push yourself so much further than you think you can. yeah. Mentally, your mind tires so fast, everybody's mind does, but just knowing that you could push through it, even if you don't want to, that you can, gave me like the strength and the willpower, to just keep going.

Jonathan Cox: yeah, cause I told people, I was like, I am not going to [00:53:00] stop. I'm not going to stop it, whatever. I'm not going to stop at a hundred. if I can walk, if I can crawl up that mountain, like I'm going to do it. Like the thing I was worried about most is passing out on the cliff. That was the thing I was worried about most going into it is because, they're around.

Jonathan Cox: 80, 90 jumps, was where my body was getting dizzy. I was getting so dizzy that I didn't know where I was. I was hiking with Tom one time and, he's dude, it's this way, go this way. And I'm like, oh freak, cause I was going off the trail. there are multiple times where I looked, down and I didn't know where I was.

Jonathan Cox: Like I've climbed that thing a thousand times. Like I know where I am. Like I always go the same trail and, there were times I looked down and I didn't know where I was and I'm like, crap, and so I had to like, look up and [00:54:00] look around and I'm like, Oh, there's the trail. Let's talk about 

Matt Blank: this trail for a second.

Matt Blank: Yeah. Okay. just to give some background here, the trail is a marked trail for everybody, BASE jumpers and other folks alike. So it's not just a BASE jumper trail. It's, something that, is like listed. but wait, we talking about the same trail? Yeah. We're talking about the, the, the climb out.

Matt Blank: Yeah. Yeah. It's listed. Yeah, for sure. For sure. the hike out is also listed, but the climb out is also on. Google maps and all these other things. but it's seen a lot of change over the years. Initially, there was ropes over that cliff section. but then, in recent years, I think some kids threw some fireworks in there and burned down the trees.

Jonathan Cox: Yeah. Yeah. So to my knowledge, there [00:55:00] was a rope from the tree and then the tree got so old and dead, I think. yeah, so old and dead that like people didn't trust it anymore. So I think somebody cut it down. Okay. 

Matt Blank: but there was a fire there too. Yeah, there was a fire as well. Okay. So like that whole area got completely changed.

Matt Blank: At which point. somebody decided to put like a cable in, was, that you? Yeah, that was me. So you put the cable in place of the 

Jonathan Cox: rope. yeah. So I like, I talked to a lot of people before I did it. Cause I didn't want to like upset anybody. so I, talked to Miles and Jogo and Juma and everybody around, before I did it.

Jonathan Cox: anyways, I put the cable in, it got taken down. I put it up again, it got taken down. So I was like, okay, I'm going to leave it down, And so for the record itself, you didn't have the advantage of having that [00:56:00] rope line or that cable to like shepherd you through that, climb section.

Matt Blank: Yeah. Yeah. I didn't have that. Okay. So let's talk about this for a second. Cause I think, it's, a matter of, of, importance and some like debate, what do you think about the ethics of having that cable there? So 

Jonathan Cox: me. Personally, are we talking about just in general? Yeah. In general. So me personally, like I don't need it.

Jonathan Cox: I don't think anyone really, there are some old timers that like, like I couldn't get up without that thing. That was awesome. thank you. But, I know a lot of people saying don't put anchors in like, you're littering, I don't know that much about BASE, but I feel like there's a lot of anchors and metal exit points, that are built and I feel like this is no [00:57:00] different, I feel like it's just adds safety, especially to that part where there's a lot of exposure, it has safety and some security, to anybody using it and I know a lot of people that just loved it, a lot of people said, thank you, that's so awesome that you did that.

Jonathan Cox: and some people like old timers, like I've been jumping for 15 years. We don't need that. I'm like, yeah, we don't need it. Like we don't need to mow the beach. We don't need to mow the landing area. We don't need this bridge above our heads. but it, it, makes every, it makes life easier. that's my outlook on it.

Jonathan Cox: Like it makes the climb easier. It makes it a little safer. 

Matt Blank: Yeah. a couple of points in there that I'd like to pick at first, like it's littering, is this exactly pristine rock out here that we're trying to protect for its natural beauty? [00:58:00] no, not really. there's the, thousand ton steel bridge across the canyon right below it.

Matt Blank: So like adding a couple of bolts and a piece of cable doesn't seem like it's even scratching the 

Jonathan Cox: surface. Yeah, And and I, when I put that cable in, I tried to make it out of the way to where it wouldn't be in anybody's way, because I told everybody, if it's in your way, tell me, I don't want it to be in anybody's way.

Jonathan Cox: If you don't want to use it, that's great. don't use it. But if it's in your way, tell me, I'll move it. I'll move an anchor. I'll move whatever to make it so it's not in your way. Because I don't want it to be in anybody's way. And so I feel like if you don't want to use it, then don't use it. but I purposely made it sturdy and strong so it wouldn't break.

Matt Blank: Then secondarily, like we're looking at the argument of we don't [00:59:00] need it. And really what that person is saying is I don't need it, which could be said of so many things out there, like some of us are comfortable climbing in the 513 grade. And so yeah, dude, we don't need the via ferrata out like in Switzerland, but.

Matt Blank: Without that via ferrata, probably like 90 percent of the community wouldn't get to that exit point. And man, those exist all over Europe, all over everywhere. Like the Eiger, for instance, probably not jumpable by 90 percent of the people without the cable that connects the cliff face to the mushroom formation.

Matt Blank: And so like for somebody to come through and say we don't need that. It's like, all right, man, like, where are you drawing the line? Are you going around the world and taking out every single cable, every single ladder, every single, because like we're BASE jumpers and we don't need that. Like it almost seems ridiculous to me.

Matt Blank: Yeah. Especially like when we look at the bridge as [01:00:00] the prime learning environment in the world, it's like. How hard do you want to make it on people who are just trying to be in a, an educational environment to try and focus on this one task? Yeah, 

Jonathan Cox: for sure. I had a lot of students, like Miles and Chuma and a lot of students, just say, Hey, thank you like so much for.

Jonathan Cox: Putting that cable up like we love it like it's so nice to be able to just hold on to something when you're at that exposure like I see the argument like Had somebody tell me it gives people a false sense of a false sense of security Climbing up that part and then the right the part right above It's a little sketchy too, and so they're like, if they get up that part, then they get stuck at that part, and like what?

Jonathan Cox: Yeah. [01:01:00] So I understand, but I don't agree with it, but I've come to the point where I'm just like. Okay. The cable is just not going to exist. Like it's, it 

Matt Blank: just can't. it could, if, we maybe get the greater community to keep an eye out for this, let's deal with these last two arguments too.

Matt Blank: Cause I think they're hilarious. First of all, like that thing was solid as hell, right? Like false sense of security. I disagree. That was actual security. yeah, how, what gauge cable was that? 

Jonathan Cox: honestly, I don't know. I actually found it. Down in the canyon by the other 

Matt Blank: bridge. So you recycled it?

Matt Blank: Yeah. Get out of here. Yeah. So like back to the original argument of littering. so you picked up trash from another area. Yeah. Repurposed it in something useful. And as I recall, it was like half inch. 

Jonathan Cox: Yeah, it was. Half an inch or bigger is, thick, super 

Matt Blank: thick. and through eye bolts that you [01:02:00] like drilled into the rock drilled and glued.

Matt Blank: Yeah. So now we're talking about in the anchor points themselves, like 3000 pounds, plus the cable itself is like upwards of 10. Like I'd say that's pretty secure. Yeah. Yeah. the 

Jonathan Cox: cable, even 50, 

Matt Blank: Yeah. And the last argument that I always hear from people that are like taking stuff down like this is they, want to, they want to maintain the wildness, this isn't Disneyland, bro.

Matt Blank: And I'm talking specifically about one person that I'm not going to call out on this podcast, but if cause they posted it on social media. And I guess to retort to that, man, we've got. A visitor center with like BASE jumping merchandise. We've got like BASE jumping memorabilia and photos in the local restaurants.

Matt Blank: Like the hotels give BASE jumper discounts. There are [01:03:00] tour buses that come up. To let people out specifically to take pictures of BASE jumpers. There is not one time that you can be here on a weekend packing your stuff and not have at least three tourists come up to you and ask you a hundred questions about what's going on.

Matt Blank: There are people all over the bridge lining the bridge. if this were ever an argument for this is Disneyland. that would be it. Like, the, cats out of the bag on that one. if you're going to come out to Moab and then like nail in rebar to something that like people have been climbing for years without it, then all right, I, you got yourself a point, but like out here.

Matt Blank: Come on, right? Yeah. All right. capping this one off. if the cable goes up, it's the opinion of this person here, Matt Blank, that like y'all should just take a step back and ask yourself, what do you, what are you really trying to accomplish [01:04:00] taking it down? furthermore, what does it cost to put it back up?

Jonathan Cox: it depends. if I were to buy that cable, it would be a lot like that cable, super expensive if I were to buy it. but just for all the parts and stuff, probably a hundred bucks or so. to put it up with bolts and like glue and drill bits. And I actually bought a drill just for that. So that was a bit more, but, 

Matt Blank: a hundred bucks is what you're looking for like that. Yeah. If I were 

Jonathan Cox: put up 

Matt Blank: again. Okay. So we're posting a link on this, particular, podcast.

Matt Blank: We'll have a, buy me a coffee link that you can. Get to any time. And if you just put in the notes, this is for the cable, then we'll appropriate it that way. And we'll also put a go fund me link here, [01:05:00] just for this kind of maintenance. And I got to tell you I've witnessed Cox doing way more than just this.

Matt Blank: dude, I've seen you like mowing the landing area and like keeping things nice out there just out of curiosity. Why do you give a fuck? 

Jonathan Cox: So ever since forever, I've always wanted to make places better. like whatever I can do to make it better, make it easier, make it funner, make it like I made a rope swing.

Jonathan Cox: No, I made a diving board. at a lake out in Idaho packs out a lake, I don't like Driggs, Idaho. just because I wanted to make it better. I wanted to give people a diving board. there's no lake with a diving board. The forest service took it down a couple of years later, but I just like to make places better.

Jonathan Cox: Like when I first started jumping, [01:06:00] like I was landing in five feet of grass. I don't want to land in five feet of grass. if I can make it nice, like I'd love to, like the beach. I love having a mode. Cause it's like nice. It's like your backyard, like right there on the beach.

Jonathan Cox: It's so nice. but yeah, I just. I just like making places better, Miles has had a dream for the longest time like to, make the whole landing area into like actual grass, and I think that would be legit and I've been like trying to plan it, but I don't know. I don't know if it'll ever happen just because.

Jonathan Cox: Some people don't like making it into an LZ. Like they don't I don't know, they don't like doing that sort of thing, And I don't know. So it's just tough. [01:07:00] I would definitely want to do the grass. I've been wanting to do it for a while. yeah, there's just certain variables that come into play, make it

Jonathan Cox: unlikely, just because BASE jumpers, there are some that. Don't want improvement. They don't want ruin nature. Like it's just natural, they want it that way. And I don't know, it's just 

Matt Blank: tough. Yeah. But the same ones are still packing on the grass up top. Yeah. Yeah. taking advantage of the roads.

Matt Blank: It's dude, like just understand where you are, like this is it. This is a manicured cityscape. This isn't the wilderness and it can be improved while maintaining all of the natural beauty around it. It's not like we're like, putting down packing mats at the bottom or something like that would be ugly as hell, but like a nice grass.

Matt Blank: Oh God, that'd be sick. Okay. [01:08:00] heard on that front. Thank you for what you do. Let's get back to the record and the end of it. Yeah. We stopped at about 80 90 jumps. What happens at 100 102? Okay. 

Jonathan Cox: I might get a little emotional here. I'll try to hold it together. just thinking about it, Brings me back. Okay. around, 95 or so, I think, I was like struggling hardcore. I was, barely able to make it up the mountain. and then around 97, 98, 99, 100. I was, yeah, like gonna pass out. so I had to [01:09:00] I had to slow down. With the speed of how fast I was hiking at that point, I had, one of my best friends, Chance Lund.

Jonathan Cox: He's an ultra marathoner. He's super fast. He's a coach. he, trains, running like he, he actually helped me out a lot in, training for the world record. He was hiking with me every time. okay. he had my back if I did pass out. I was on the cliff, so dizzy, I was on the verge of passing out the entire time, I'd get up, stumble across the wall, I'm like stumbling, I get suited up, and then the bike right out to the middle is [01:10:00] like, relaxing, I got to rest, and then the jump as well, like I got to just rest for 30 seconds when I flew down, but That's it.

Jonathan Cox: That 99, I think, I think it was 99. The climb out was where I was struggling the most. Like I was, it took me 40 minutes, I think, or 50 minutes, I think 40 minutes to do that one, one loop because I was so dizzy, on the verge of passing out the entire time. once I, once I got to the top on that 99 jump, I suited up and then I was riding the bike out to the middle and I started hyperventilating.

Jonathan Cox: I was like hyperventilating. I couldn't breathe. I was [01:11:00] trying to, I was trying to relax and take deep breaths and, but I couldn't breathe. I was like, seriously, like, just couldn't breathe. And, so I stopped on the bridge and I'm just like holding onto the railing. so I don't hit the ground.

Jonathan Cox: and it took, I don't know, probably five minutes or something, maybe just sitting there just to, just to be able to ride the bike out to the middle. They're like, you want to walk? I'm like, no, the bike's easier. I just do one pedal and I can go a super long way. that's all. Keep people off the bridge.

Jonathan Cox: I don't want to talk to anybody. anyways, get out to the, bridge. Get on the platform. And I'm still dizzy, I'm like, I just about sat down on the platform because I was like, too dizzy to jump. that's the [01:12:00] thing I was worried about most, passing out when I'm in the air. Or passing out on the cliff.

Jonathan Cox: So I was like, I can't jump until I'm like, with it enough To land, And I waited and waited a while, and then I'm like, waited long enough to where I was like, okay, I'm ready, and that was jump 99. That jump right there, and I was like, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to make it back up, Anyways, I jumped, and then, on the ground, I'm like, I don't know if I can do it again, I don't know if I can keep going,

Jonathan Cox: just cause I didn't know if I could. I didn't know if I could actually make it up in time. I had, I think, 40 minutes left. and I didn't know if I could hold it together and, actually get to the top of the mountain hyperventilating [01:13:00] and, falling apart like that. And, I get to the bottom and I'm like, I need something. I need something to take this edge off and, Pepsi sponsored me and I had a bunch of energy drinks. It's like energy drink like right now so I downed an energy drink and and I downed like most of it and then on the hike out somebody was carrying it and right then I started feeling a lot better Like I was still struggling. but it took me back to jump 98, where I was still able to get up the mountain. I was still dizzy, but I could breathe again. And I could, I could get up the mountain. and [01:14:00] so that climb out, I started feeling a lot better. And then I'm like, dude, we still got time for Yeah.

Jonathan Cox: For two more like I was like, let's do this and they're like, okay, like whatever and so I Geared up and I was like on top. They were like this one. This is your prime man. Prime man press sponsored me. bought me a parachute Shout out to them there. He is awesome. anyways, so So yeah, they wanted to give me that parachute because that was my last jump, 100.

Jonathan Cox: And, I'm like, no, not that parachute. I'm not done yet. give me any other one. And so I put on a different one. You go jump, I get up to 101. They're like trying to hand me that parachute. I'm like, I don't want that one. I'm not done yet. I still got time for one more. I still got 20 minutes. I can do this.

Jonathan Cox: And, [01:15:00] Yeah, by that time, Miles showed up, around the 1 100 and I was like, dude, so good to see you. I gave him a hug. I was like, thanks for coming, man. He's yeah, heck yeah, man. And, it was so good to just, see him there supporting me. it was awesome. but, Anyways, I got to,

Jonathan Cox: as I came up for 101, everybody was going out on the bridge. There were, I don't know, 300, maybe not 300, maybe 150. I don't know. It's hard to count, but the bridge is just full of people. And everybody was shoved over and like cheering me on. And, and I rode out and then jumped and then, I was thinking I was done and I like took it off and [01:16:00] ran and got up for one more and like it was cool.

Jonathan Cox: I waited for my best friend, Sam to gear up and get ready. I actually helped him with his, tard, like getting it prepped so we can jump at the same time. cause he flew in from Florida just for this and he was the one PCA ing me. but yeah, so I jumped with Sam at the very last jump and it was just, it was awesome.

Jonathan Cox: I waited to almost the very last second, after I landed the horn for the end of the 7pm came on and, it was just so cool. just having all the BASE jumpers, all my friends, there at the bottom. Like it was just a party. everybody just swore at me and it was so emotional.

Jonathan Cox: Like I, right as I landed before I jumped Tom was like. Can [01:17:00] I come with you? I was like, no, dude, I want you at the bottom. I want you to be there when I land. And he's okay. So he gets out of the bottom. He's I'm going to, catch John. I'm going to catch John. Like he wants me to catch him. And I was like, I didn't say that, but that's fine.

Jonathan Cox: Like I just wanted him down at the bottom to celebrate. Anyways, so Tom's how I'm standing there and I come in and then I like pounce off the ground and I jump into his arms And it was like, I don't know if you've seen that video. Yeah. Yeah, it was super cool video. I love it like and then he sees my wife and he like hands me to my wife and then I just cry and just go around and give everybody hugs and it was just, it was super cool.

Jonathan Cox: It was super emotional and super, like something I'm never going to remember, never going to forget. and like family, like my whole family is there. friends, multiple people that stayed up for 24 [01:18:00] hours. My mother in law, she stayed up for 24 hours. 24 hours, just helping, being there, my mom, she couldn't miss a jump, she had to watch every single jump.

Jonathan Cox: my wife was like, go up on the boat, and look at the packing, packing area, look at how they're packing, look at how careful they are, and she's no, I'll miss a jump, and she couldn't do that, she stayed up every, all night, just watching in a lawn chair, just filming every jump, 98, 99, just, Anyways, so just, thanks to, my family and friends that were there.

Jonathan Cox: Mason was another one that just was there through whatever I needed. he was, he was right there. he was like, dude, whatever you need, I got you. if you need me to pack 24 hours, I will. whatever you need. I'm there and I'm like, sweet, man. Thanks. Like it was just, there's so many, people like that, [01:19:00] that just, we're there like regardless, if you need help, just tell me, tell me when to be there.

Jonathan Cox: Tell me like what you need and I'll do it. And just having the support of BASE jumpers and friends and family, with me the entire time, it was awesome. it's so cool to have all those people have your back. going through one of the hardest times in my life, Yeah. Takes a village, right?

Matt Blank: Yeah. And, I also know that there was a separate mission for the jumps themselves. Like you collected funds. For not only the operation of the event, but also, to donate to other elements, right? 

Jonathan Cox: Yeah. the whole mission from the very beginning was to, [01:20:00] I was thinking, I was like, what should I raise money for?

Jonathan Cox: And I was like, do it for kids. kids is always the best thing, And, my wife was like, do it for, Idaho Search and Rescue and the, sort team. And I was like the sort team. I was like, yeah, like they're always saving us. I read a Facebook post a while back when Jester was, on the cliff side and, it was a picture of him on the cliff and then like it was from the sheriff's office or whatever of, rescuing him.

Jonathan Cox: And, I saw all these comments like, who's paying for this? does he pay for that? who pays for this? Like BASE jumpers are like. Giving us a bad name or I guess giving BASE jumpers a bad name. Anyways, so I was like I just wanted to give back like I was like, Idaho Search and Rescue saves us so many times When we're stuck underneath the bridge or [01:21:00] whatever Hanging by the canopy on a bolt And I just wanted to give back to the community.

Jonathan Cox: So the fundraiser in general was for them Idaho Search and Rescue and the SORT team and Yeah. So that was the mission. I am not, I'm not good at paperwork. I'm not good at fundraising. Apparently, I'm not cause, I did everything, mostly by myself, like all of the fundraising, all the planning.

Jonathan Cox: there's my help. My wife helped me and my, my, my brother helped me a lot. But, but with the fundraising aspect, like I did most of it by myself. And so I didn't do super well, just cause. People didn't want to donate and that's fine. let's [01:22:00] say this, dude, that's a pretty solid, place to put our money, along with the other links that we're gonna put in here.

Matt Blank: Let's, if you can send us a link for, the donation to the church and rescue, and we'll see if we can do this after the 

Jonathan Cox: fact. Yeah. Yeah. So basically, I put into it like 4, 500 bucks of my own money. I got in donations around two grand, actually 45 was before the actual event started. So it was more like 55, 000 probably.

Jonathan Cox: and then I raised two grand. so I'm still planning on donating that two grand that I raised, even though. The, main goal was to all the proceeds go to them, but I was like, I didn't make anything like, I suck at I'm not going to do a fundraiser and not give them anything. So basically I'm, yeah.[01:23:00] 

Jonathan Cox: But, yeah, that'd be 

Matt Blank: awesome. Okay, sweet. So we'll have a link for, beautification and improvements to the Perrine bridge and landing area. And we'll also have a link so that you can support, the local search and rescue, which has. done wonders for us in other areas. For instance, like a lot of Brunon Valley would definitely, we would definitely not have the relationship that we do with that area without supporting the search and rescue.

Matt Blank: And same with Moab every year, we support search and rescue and they continue to support us. And the town sees that we're trying to offset the cost, of our rescues. And believe it or not, like there are a lot of rescues in, the Perrine bridge area. Helicopters, sheriffs, boats, and you might not hear about him because it's just people, getting broken up on.

Matt Blank: usually those don't make the news. So we'll definitely put those links. So if anyone's feeling the urge to like, give our [01:24:00] community a little boost, they can. I also know, and I just want to poke at this story to that you were recognized by the search and rescue team in the prime area.

Matt Blank: Thank you. for something that you did. Can you fill us in on that story? Yeah. Yeah. 

Jonathan Cox: it was back when I was just. I think I was the only jumper that day. I think it was pretty cold. I don't remember exactly when it was, but, I was jumping all day. I was just doing reps and there were quite a few, tourists watching.

Jonathan Cox: And, I'm like walking out on the bridge and I see somebody climb over the rail. I'm like, I don't see a helmet. And then she jumps and I'm like, that's not flat and stable. I was like. And then I hit the water, and then I yelled at the tourist, call 911. I run out there and I jump. I don't know what I, wasn't really thinking.

Jonathan Cox: I was just naturally, [01:25:00] instinctively getting them, so I jump, landed on the beach, got the, rescue boat, paddle it out there and drug her into the boat. So sad to, to witness that firsthand. anyways, I was checking up, a couple of weeks probably just, thinking about closing her eyes, just but yeah, I pulled her out, I, waited for search and rescue to show up and take her, but, that was.

Jonathan Cox: Definitely, a crazy experience. Somebody was like, dude, that's crazy. I would've just called 911 and I wouldn't have even jumped, And, I was like, I didn't, I wasn't thinking. I was just instinctively, I was thinking I could save her or something. she was done, [01:26:00] but yeah.

Matt Blank: And so Search and Rescue, gave you a commendation for, recovering 

Jonathan Cox: the body. Yeah, They, they, so I rode the boat out with them, actually. That was the only time I actually rode the boat out, rode the boat out with them to talk to them about the world record and about, me. trying to raise money for them.

Jonathan Cox: And they were like, yeah, that's a great idea. And so I got contact info and then they messaged me and they're like, we want to recognize you for doing what you did. And I'm like, yeah, that's fine. and so they gave me a certificate or whatever, recognizing me for pulling the body out. 

Matt Blank: So just to, give some context here, and I think it's important for us to cover this topic.

Matt Blank: suicide has become much, much more prevalent. at the bridge in these, like recent years, I think the statistic I heard recently was to a [01:27:00] week. and that puts a lot of us in the position of, watching this happen. I think first and foremost, if you see somebody that's climbing over the rail and they don't have a rig on.

Matt Blank: Say anything, it's hard to find the words at that time, but say anything. And if you give that person just a moment of pause, sometimes you'll be able to reach them. Yeah. Secondarily, like a lot of people would say why do you, jump down? But here's another important aspect that I've witnessed.

Matt Blank: If no one recovers the body in time, then it can get dragged under and never recovered. And I've seen the fallout from that and the family distraught because they can't find their person. Yeah. And so I'm not saying that it's worth risking your life. There's no reason to go like quicker than you would normally.

Matt Blank: But if you can jump down there, you're usually the first person that can [01:28:00] get to that, to that body. And, Also worth mentioning that telling people to call 9 1 1 is the correct move that way like the sheriff's boat's in route while you're, trying to get to them. not saying that anyone needs to go out of their way that wouldn't normally, I know it's really traumatic, just to witness something like this, but if you've got the capacity, you've got the skills, then please try and help.

Jonathan Cox: yeah, for sure. that was, I tell my family, I was like, that's one of the worst parts about BASE jumping, honestly, is, I've witnessed two suicides just in the year and a half that I've been jumping, and it's not cool, I just, it sucks to be. To know that somebody is in that position, like that state of mind to where that's the only option.

Jonathan Cox: yeah, it's rough. 

Matt Blank: Yeah. [01:29:00] also a good reminder to talk to your friends and family, the life you could save would be, might be right, really close to you. Yeah. let's, let's move on to a couple of other things that I'd like to ask you. One is if anyone's looking at trying to break this record or any other type of record in the Guinness Book of World Records, do you have any advice for them?

Jonathan Cox: if you're trying to break this one specifically, come talk to me. Like I'll walk you through it. Like I'll help you out. Like you can use my rigs. it is, mentally it's, tough. It's super tough. going to a place that you've never been before. pushing your body. Harder than you've ever pushed it before, finding your own [01:30:00] limits, whatever those may be.

Jonathan Cox: but just, there's a lot of world records I think that are probably pretty easy to break. Honestly, the pogo stick thing, I don't think it's super easy. but But yeah, training, do training, I'm like, do your homework, on anything. do, yeah, do your homework and do training, like train to where you're comfortable enough to where, you can like, have a chance, Okay, moving on. Do you have any advice for anyone that's getting into BASE jumping? You've witnessed and observed quite a lot over the last year. my only advice that I can think of right off the top of my head is [01:31:00] if you're not good under pressure, if you freeze up in, difficult places, if, you freeze up, making choices when you're in a sketchy position or whatever, BASE jumping just isn't for you, just don't do it, please, because I've seen firsthand, like people freeze and nothing good can come of that.

Jonathan Cox: if you're not mentally there, mentally well, like able to make tough decisions in an instant, just don't do it. I don't know. I, that's the only thing I can really think of, 

Matt Blank: honestly. I think that's a really actually important one. and I, totally [01:32:00] agree. there are other things that can be done to try and train that mentality and BASE jumping is definitely not one of them because the cost is just way too high, like I, I can, I was one of those people, I was indecisive, definitely had trouble with, making decisions under pressure.

Matt Blank: and. I got into sports and extreme sports to try and rewire that side. But, I started with, playing team sports, where the worst that could happen is you get tackled and then moving on to sports where, you're in a closed loop so that a bad decision only results in you falling off the climb and that's okay.

Matt Blank: but man, I, totally agree with you by the time you get to BASE jumping. it should not be a problem to make. A calculated, educated, aggressive decision with your life on the line. Yeah, for sure. Sweet. [01:33:00] closing things out is there anything that we haven't covered about, yourself, the BASE jumping progression that you'd taken the world record, that you want to chat about before we Tie this thing up. 

Jonathan Cox: no, I don't think so. I think that's, I think that's about 

Matt Blank: it. All right, then I got to close out by asking you this, man, what does it feel like to have a dream? As a kid and then finally accomplish it. Cause that is a long range goal that you finally ticked off the list. huh.

Jonathan Cox: Yeah. Yeah. it feels good. especially this one in particular, having, I can't count how many, There were two or three that flat out said I was stupid for even trying. that's not possible. A hundred jumps in a day. That is not [01:34:00] possible. Like the world record is 64. Like, why would you even say that you're going for a hundred?

Jonathan Cox: that's stupid. and it's not possible. Like, I just. having people like that just made me wanna do it even more. there were a few people that said it's not possible, dude. and I'm like, okay. like you, do you like, I didn't know if it was possible, honestly, going into it, I didn't know if I could actually do it.

Jonathan Cox: and that's what I told people. I was like, I'm going for a hundred. I don't know if it's possible. I don't know if I'll do it, but that's what I'm going for. and, Yeah. it just feels fulfilling. great. honestly, I want to do it again, but for 48 hours instead of 24, I know it sounds stupid, but I want to, push my body to like new [01:35:00] limits and I want to see I don't know what my body can actually do.

Jonathan Cox: Cause I think if I was given more time, I think I could have kept going. I don't know how much further, but. Yeah. it would be cool to find out. 

Matt Blank: And oftentimes, a lot of these goals seem strange or crazy to people. But from my perspective where I'm sitting, I wouldn't have thought it was possible either.

Matt Blank: And so I think like regardless of what context or what, activity you're doing, if, you take something that is regarded as impossible and prove that it's possible, that has value just across the board. Yeah, for sure. thank you very much for telling the story. Thanks for joining us.

Matt Blank: I really appreciate you taking the time. 

Jonathan Cox: Heck yeah, man. I appreciate it as well.

Matt Blank: We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you have any thoughts about what you've just heard, please [01:36:00] don't hesitate to reach out to us. Big shout out to Mark Stockwell, our sound engineer and co producer. We love you, and we couldn't do this without you. If you'd like to learn more about this podcast, visit our website, exitpointpodcast.

Matt Blank: com. Until next time, take care and for everyone jumping out there, remember best practices have less to do with how you did your first jump than how you plan on doing your last. To close this episode, John Cox would like us to thank the following folks who are not mentioned in the podcast for supporting him in becoming a world record holder.

Matt Blank: Please forgive me if I mess up the pronunciation of a name or two. Mark Ortiz, Brayden Butler, Natalie Eckstein, Marissa Astille, Drew Garcia, O'Shea Abney, Tom Dustin Griffith, Josie Hanson, Jim McGovern, Kyle Miller, The Blackburns, Carl Dandleton, Mike Truck, Aubriel Clement, Rich Cravens. Kathy Marchant, Deanna and Alex Sutter, Mike Telford, Teresa Vaughn, [01:37:00] Jay Geiger, Mike Chuma, Mason Barth, Jeremy Crawford, Christian Schwendeman, Nathan Olmsted, Chance Lund, Hunter Ostler, Idaho Milk Products, and Premier Auto Group.

Matt Blank: Thank you. Good night.