More security measures likely after BASE jumper leaps from Whistler gondola

A man who vandalized a gondola in Whistler, B.C., before BASE jumping more than 430 feet to the ground is being sought by police and may be required to pay back as much as $10,000 in damages.

The incident was recorded on video by the unidentified person and was posted to YouTube on Feb. 11. In the video, a woman can be seen holding the door of the gondola open with her foot as the man prepares for his jump.

The videographer then pushes and jimmies the gondola door open before climbing onto the exterior and jumping off and floating to the ground.

"I did it," he shouts after deploying his parachute. "That's for you, McConkey."

McConkey refers to extreme skier and BASE jumper Shane McConkey, who died in 2009 after jumping off a cliff in Italy. The Vancouver native is considered to be the first person to BASE jump off Whistler's Peak 2 Peak Gondola when it opened in 2008.

[ Related: Illegal BASE jump from Whistler Peak 2 Peak Gondola probed ]

When McConkey jumped, with Miles Daisher, the event was approved by Whistler Blackcomb and sponsored by Red Bull. This latest tribute, however, caused a reported $10,000 in damages to the gondola, caused delays to other visitors and appears to have prompted an unsuccessful ground search for the man.

BASE jumping is the act of flinging oneself off a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or gondola and parachuting to the ground. When it is not done under controlled circumstances it can be dangerous (obviously) and the circumstances illegal.

In December, one person was arrested in Edmonton after jumping off of a 36-storey downtown condo. He was charged with trespassing, while another suspected BASE jumper fled.

The highest point of the Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride in Whistler, B.C., is 436 metres above the ground, at the point where it crosses Fitzsimmons Creek.

Whistler Blackcomb officials said in a statement that it was at this point the man is believed to have jumped from the lift. The statement added that the man appears to have used brute force to pry open the door.

"Whistler Blackcomb takes tampering a lift system very seriously and is working with the RCMP to press charges and recoup damages to the Peak 2 Peak Gondola," the statement reads, according to CBC News.

It is a shame when one persona puts their personal joy above the law. Whistler officials will now be forced to establish stricter gondola protocol and employ more safety features to stop copycats from doing this again.

But at least one rad dude got his 15 minutes of fame.