South African skydiver Jean-Jacques “JJ” Wallis not only conquered his native country with his adventures, but his expertise has now captured the attention of the entire world, including the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. This adventurer spends most of his time searching for the next intense thrill in his homeland, but adventure often seems to find him first. Wallis is not only a professional skydiver, but also a BASE jumper and accomplished wingman.
In 2017, Wallis founded BASE Jump Africa, an online community where adrenaline junkies and air sports professionals from around the world connect with him to learn from his experience. “It’s a pleasure to share as much information as I can,” Wallis modestly told CNN. “Sharing information freely is a really good thing because it can save more people and bring everyone up to the level of efficiency.”
He hopes that his knowledge and experience will inspire others to enter the world of air sports with confidence and competence. “Humans have always been fascinated by seeing the world from a different perspective,” Wallis says. “A lot of people think we’re crazy for doing these things, but we actually think most people are crazy for not trying these things.”
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Combining the sports and film industry
He was introduced to air sports at an early age and obtained his skydiving license immediately after high school. He then continued his career in the film and television industry, where he not only performed his own stunts but also participated in shooting shots for commercials. This combination of adventure sports and film work has led Wallis to document some of these stunts, not only for his own enjoyment, but also for the entertainment of the audience.
His experience has recently paid off in the entertainment industry. For example, he helped prepare parachutes for the production of “Mission: Impossible,” starring Tom Cruise. It was an unforgettable experience for Wallis, who says: “It was very cool, and definitely an upgrade on my film CV.” But it was a bit stressful too, especially making sure the parachutes were packed perfectly every time.
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