Love for heights brings basejumper to Oman

Muscat: Canadian Graham Dickinson claims to be the first person to wingsuit base jump in Oman, and he keeps returning thanks to the welcome he always receives.
Adrenaline junkies, better known as extreme sports athletes, have started discovering different countries in search of new heights - and highs. The Sultanate now has 275 new jumping points, all thanks to Dickinson.
“I was researching all the mountains in the area and Oman has some great mountains. On the topographical map, it showed a very good height for wingsuit base jumping. The mountains are definitely what called me there,” Dickinson said.
The Canadian flying man has been touring the world for new jumping spots for the last five years. He visited Oman in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and completely fell in love. In 2015, he jumped off Jabel Shams with just a wingsuit and parachute. He spent lots of his childhood hiking, exploring and enjoying the outdoors.
“Being in Oman was amazing. It gave me a reminder of that (childhood). It’s not very populated so you can go and find very quiet and very beautiful areas. The stars at night are gorgeous.
“The people were so nice to me. Every time I was hiking out from a jump, they would ask me to come have lunch or dinner with them, come have some tea, talk with them. They are very very welcoming,” he said.
According to Dickinson, the people of Oman actually celebrated his choice in sports and him as an individual.
“I’ve travelled across the world and to see such a culture and group of people being so welcoming and nice is a reason many people travel. That’s the reason I want to come back there again and again. It’s because of how sweet and welcoming people can be. It makes you want to call that place home. You feel accepted. In a way, Oman felt like a home to me. It reminded me of Canada, very beautiful.”