With the accumulation of experience, “flying people” try themselves in several types of parachute variety, while units are fond of base jumping. Rumor has it that every second of them dies without completing the flight. Rozov Valery is a legendary man who overcoming and surpassing himself a thousand times, has gone a long way ... No, it has flown! Bright, fast, starry! And flew into another space.
What kind of guy was he
The master of sports in two extreme types - mountaineering and parachuting, multiple champion of Russia, Europe, the planet, a participant in the world record of formatsovt - Valery Rozov went through so many steps that his staircase was almost the steepest.
Of the 15 parachute disciplines cultivated in the country, I chose one that has not yet been regulated by official rules - a base jump, which has been on the first line of the list of the most dangerous and extreme ones since the 80s of the last century.
He knew how to fly and crawl perfectly
Mountains first appeared. At 18, the guy undertook to master climbing equipment and conquer the walls. He was not attracted to the communities where you just need to go, experiencing hypoxia. He chose the technically difficult - sheer cliffs. For over ten years, he hung over the abyss, crawling from half a meter per hour.
Behind the back more than 50 ascents of the fifth and sixth difficulty categories. But he did not conquer Elbrus longed for by many as a climber. The skydiver started from him like a wingsuit jumper, there he had another record exit.
In 1991, a young climber became the winner of the 42nd, the last USSR mountaineering championship in the technical class. The maximum number of ascents in two weeks is 5. The RSFSR team from Sverdlovsk surpassed the silver medalists by 20 points. Then there was the gold of the Russian championships, the project "Seven Peaks" (Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc). The “Russian Extreme Project” was implemented - risky actions and expeditions, he visited five continents of the planet.
Hooks, zhumar, harness, ice ax - the usual equipment of a climber. Below the abyss, above the sky, between them sees Valery a pink fog and clouds - another impassable obstacle course. Born to crawl can not fly? Honored MS in mountaineering did not agree. And once again refuted this proverb.
Higher than clouds
Nebonyra, charapoutists, flying squirrels, like birds - so jokingly call themselves those who connected life with a parachute. Experienced and tough are called celestials, they seem to be in the air longer than on earth. In 1993, the career of an athlete-skydiver began. And here Rozov walked up the steps, as if the wings were behind him. Not just fell out - threw a jellyfish, twisted and swoop showed - became the best sky-surfing on the planet.
Artistic surfing on a surfboard is such a romance. In fact, it is a technically most complicated hobby. Valery is a constant leader, champion, instructor, MC, head coach of the Russian team of Artvids. As a collective person, he did not pass by group aerial acrobatics either: large formations are the task of gathering a figure in a team of 20-40-100 people. The current record holder is 400-way. And, of course, base jumping - from low heights.
When the number of jumps exceeded five thousand, a new hobby appeared. As Andrei Volkov, a friend and ally, recalled, in 2004 they decided to "master the inhuman horror with beauty - wingsuit base." And again it turned out, the base jumper Valery Rozov! In addition, at this point two of his main hobbies finally converged - heaven and mountains. So the leader and a new direction in sport extreme appeared in the country - base climbing. The climber began to land from the mountain slopes, which he himself went periodically according to the rules of ascent.
Exclusive height
The master has unique projects that will not be repeated for a long time. In 2009, the world was surprised by the jump of Valery Rozov into the crater of an active volcano in Kamchatka. In the next - Ulvetann in Antarctica, a year later he obeyed the Himalayan Shivling (6540 m). The world record in 2013, when the climber-paratrooper surrendered the highest mountain of the planet - Everest. For four days I walked to a point on the northern slope (7220 m) in order to fly over the icy cliffs for one minute.
Further Africa with the volcano Kibo (5895 m). The next worldwide - the highest base jump from Cho-Oyu (7700 m), where he climbed on his own for three weeks. Then in 90 seconds it flew 3.5 km. Fulfilled his old dream.
Those who understand
Sergey Tsvetkov, the Russian champion in freefly, shared his memories with reporters: “We met in Stupino at the drop zone. He loved parachuting. I completely abandoned my career outside the aerodrome, most of them combined. ”
Strelnikova Tatyana, MS, eight-time record holder in the BF class: “Valera was a man of the world. In 2008, she first participated in the 135-way. In the figure, I took his hand. Before the decisive jump, he set his mind so positive that the shake disappeared, we went and set a record! ”
Andrei Alexandrovich, free fly since 2011: “We flew together in Pushchino. Valera and Gleb flatly refused to teach me a bass. They argued that they no longer wanted to prepare suicide bombers. ”
Lazarev Semyon, wingsuit base, 2000 - skydive, 1100 - base (since 2008): “We jumped from one exit site with an interval of several minutes. He did not show any arrogance or stardom, which earned me my sincere respect. ”
Elena Kan (Mazaeva), 19 years old at the FPS, MSMK, record holder and prize-winner of the championships of the Russian Federation, Europe, and the world: “We met in 2000. I was engaged in FS 4-way, Valerika - sky-surfing. He flew very beautifully! In large formations met, worldwide in Thailand. Very hard ... ".
Ivan Kuznetsov, group acrobatics: “Five years ago, when Rozov broadcast on television, I participated in the competition. I sent a photo where we go through a waterfall on kayaks - we fall down. As a silver medalist, he received an autographed photo. I keep it carefully as an artifact. ”
a swan song
From 1981 to mid-2018, 338 deaths were recorded on the base jumping site. Valery Rozov is listed under number 330. Did he understand that he was not eternal? Felt that a baser would live less than a mountain climber? Probably, yes, because to his sons he closed the road to the clouds.
Shortly before leaving in an interview with Dmitry Zimin (Sports Day after Day correspondent), he said:
- I like it when they call me a living legend ...
Here the main thing for him is not the level of coolness, but the word “alive”. But the stairs to the sky have no paths to the side. And Valery conquered new mountain and heavenly heights, each time raising the bar. He analyzed each BSBD with his friends and associates (“blue sky, black death” - with this abbreviation paratroopers report the tragedy) and even more carefully checked the calculations and equipment.
Parachutists, birds, truly loyal to the sky, do not part with it. Even the final jump is called extreme. The edge came on November 11, 20017 in Nepal, on the rock of Ama Dablam in the Himalayas, when he decided to make a double with six thousand. And died. “Valery Rozov crashed,” shouted news feeds. BSBD and black squares instead of faces appeared on Facebook friends profiles. It was an extreme flight. To immortality.