CHRIS BUFFALINO has been adventurous since a child being a fan of all sports and having a desire to be outdoors on an adventure whenever he could. 

Currently an active skydiver and BASE jumper Chris attributes earning his BASE number as one of his biggest accomplishments so far.

Despite being relatively new on the scene of BASE jumping and skydiving Chris speaks with clarity and enthusiasm about the sports giving encouraging words to all those who want to give either a go.

What age were you when you realised you had a passion for the outdoors and were there any early influences in terms of sports and extreme sports?

Growing up in the Catskill Region of Upstate New York as a kid, we were always outside. We were rambunctious kids who played in the woods, camped outdoors, and wandered off into the unknown. This type of environment kept excitement really close from the earliest moments. You’re figuring out your limits, seeing new things and competing to see who could climb the tree higher.

My early influences in sports were pretty typical – Michael Jordan, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth etc – the legends. Extreme sports in the ’80s and early ’90s, when we were becoming aware that the world existed outside of our town, didn’t really exist. The first time I remember being awed by a new sport was when snowboards became a thing. It was a big to-do that these non-purists were carving up the local ski sites and all of a sudden there was public discussion about whether a half-pipe and this new equipment was in the spirit of the sport. They were the rebels.

What extreme sports are you involved in and how often do you get the chance to participate in them?

Currently I am in skydiving and BASE jumping. I practice as often as I can – currently at least once a week in one or both sports.

Where do you live and do your surroundings give you good opportunities to pursue your passions?

I recently moved to Los Angeles, California from New York. California has been amazing so far. Easy access to great hiking, climbing and jumping. I’m located smack in the middle of three great drop zones (Skydive Perris, Skydive Elsinore and Skydive Taft), tons of amazing hikes in the various mountain ranges and if you’re into urban jumping – check out the skyline.

What have some of your biggest successes in extreme sports been?

I’m still pretty fresh on the scene really. Even though it’s sometimes difficult to achieve what you want, you learn to take the small accomplishments as big successes. For me I’d say the biggest success has been earning my BASE number as that was my main goal when I started skydiving. But truly, it has been the mental transformation. Working with great and highly knowledgeable people, gathering information and learning to keep an open mind and practice things safely while still pushing your boundaries is a great achievement not everyone accomplishes in this type of sport.

Who are you most inspired by in the world of extreme sports?

I’m inspired by anybody I meet who makes the decision to take a trip down the rabbit hole – even once. There are some amazingly talented people to mention, Felix Baumgartner, Johnny Florez, Carl Boenish, Espen Fadnes, Ludo van Woreth, Sean Chuma, Tony Uragallo – the list goes on and on. For me it’s that person on their tenth jump, or on their first and last. They keep the sport going, they open themselves up to the unknown, they’re the ones experiencing it for the first time and there is no athlete that can capture the amount of inspiration you can glean from a first experience. That’s the point of genesis that eventually evolves to be one of those great figures.

Could you tell us more about being a sponsored amateur athlete and what does this involve?

Currently I’m sponsored by LifeProof who make amazing mobile phone cases and had been by the LiquidImage camera company who make consumer friendly POV cameras and other action sports innovations for my two previous seasons. Because I’m still new and developing my level of sponsorship is to mainly help promote those brands in exchange for having my footage or photographs published and of course their product. I’m more than happy with that but would love to be involved with either of those companies on a deeper level to do some promotional events where our sport is showcased alongside their products. I just want to have a good time, so if there’s an opportunity somewhere to do that and help out and be helped out, I’m in.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to give an extreme sport a go for the first time?

Take it slow. Learn a lot, read a lot. Dig deep. But mostly take it slow. There are people who charge at it and are naturals, but most of us are ordinary people trying to do extraordinary things. Keep focus, stay passionate, arm yourself with information, don’t be afraid to fail and every failure and success has a lesson so be open to what that might be because it could save your life one day.

Do you have any exciting plans or challenges set for the rest of the year?

Now that I have earned my BASE number, which for me was huge, I plan to continue developing so I can hit a few sites and events that are bucket list items. I really would love to work with some other motivated people to do something bigger with this whole jumping off of things business. It would be great to pair up with a charity organisation, or do some community events to raise awareness for some of today’s pressing social issues while also helping to cast my sport in a better light. There’s a lot of good that can be done out there and I think BASE jumpers in general don’t always get cast in the best light, but are some of the most passionate people I know. It’s an amazing community and I think given the chance most of them would love to do something great for the world while also getting to jump and push our sport closer to acceptance.