BASE Jumper Carl Boenish Remembered in ‘Sunshine Superman’

Sandra Miska

Seemingly ordinary people who do extraordinary things always make for fascinating documentary subjects.  Moviegoers will have the chance to learn the story of extreme sportsman Carl Boenish when the film “Sunshine Superman” opens in theaters.

Boenish, who died in 1984 at the age of 43, is considered the father of BASE-jumping.  For those unfamiliar with this extreme sport, BASE-jumping involves parachuting or wingsuit flying from a fixed structure of cliff.  BASE is actually an acronym for the four categories of fixed structures from which one can jump: building, antenna, span and Earth (cliff).

“Sunshine Superman” will start from Boenish’s childhood.  As a boy, he overcame paralyzing childhood polio and went on to become a parachutist.  He fell into cinematography in 1969 when he was hired to oversee an extensive wingsuit-flying sequence in director John Frankenheimer’s skydiving drama “The Gypsy Months.”  From there, he went on to make his own films.  It was at a screening of one of his films that he met his future wife Jean, who also became his partner in diving and business.

It was in the late 1970s that the Boenishes and a select group coined the term BASE-jumping.  These thrill-seekers jumped from an array of starting points, including bridges and antennas.  The BASE jumpers almost found themselves in legal hot water a number of times.  Carl Boenish himself more than once jumped from buildings under construction, thus trespassing on private property.

BASE-jumping soon became a hit among other adrenaline junkies, and it was in 1984 that Carl and Jean Boenish were commissioned to break a world record by doing a double base jump off the Troll Wall in Norway for a television special.  The Boenishes successfully completed the stunt; however, tragedy struck the next day when Carl attempted another jump.

The blog Rama’s Screen recently interviewed Jean Boenish and asked her what she believes young people should take away from “Sunshine Superman.”

“Carl would want them to just be inspired to know what they can attain in their own lives…  It’s the inspiration, being inspired to not only know that you can do what you feel you should do in your life, but that you also shouldn’t let anything inhibit you from making your own decisions about that.”

“Sunshine Superman” opens May 22.