2025-08-22T07:22:00Z

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Imagine soaring through the skies at a breathtaking speed of 230 km/h (143 mph), where the world below blurs into a beautiful mosaic of colors and adrenaline pulses through your veins. This is the thrilling life of South African adventurer Jean-Jacques Wallis, a man who is not just challenging the limits of human flight but is also placing South Africa firmly on the global map of extreme aerial sports.

At just 35 years old, Wallis has spent over two decades mastering the art of wingsuit flying, a pursuit that blends the excitement of skydiving with the elegant grace of gliding. As he prepares for the prestigious 11th WWL Grand Prix in mid-September at Zhangjiajie’s Tianmen Mountain in China, the stakes couldn’t be higher. He will face fierce competition in two heart-pounding formats: the slalom speed race, which tests both precision and velocity as pilots navigate through sharply defined turns, and the target punch competition, which requires pilots to accurately hit a designated mark in mid-air while soaring at extraordinary speeds.

“I’ve pushed the sport of wingsuiting and base jumping to quite a high level, and some jumps are a lot more technical than others. I have to put in a lot of training to do them,” Wallis shared with a sense of determination and pride. Yet, as exhilarating as wingsuit flying is, it comes with its fair share of risks. According to global data, injury rates hover between 1% and 3%, while fatalities are estimated to occur in approximately 0.25% to 0.5% of jumps.

“Skydiving is a very diverse sport. It has a lot of variety. I think there’s a bit of a misconception that it’s very dangerous or extreme,” he explains, shedding light on the nuances of this thrilling activity. His recent jaw-dropping jumps over the iconic Table Mountain, captured on video in July 2025, showcase his incredible skill as he glides perilously close to the ground before deploying his parachute, landing gracefully at dusk.

Wallis's breathtaking flights not only highlight his exceptional talent but also emphasize South Africa's emerging status as a hub for wingsuit flying, inspiring a new generation of thrill-seekers to take to the skies.