South African skydiver Jean Jacques “JJ” Wallis has not only conquered his native country with his adventures, but his expertise has now captured the attention of the entire world, including the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. This adventurer spends most of his time looking for his next extreme thrill in his homeland, but it seems adventure often finds him first. Wallis is not only a professional skydiver, but also an accomplished BASE jumper and wing flyer.
In 2017, Wallis founded BASE Jump Africa, an online community where adrenaline junkies and air sports professionals from around the world connect with him to learn from his expertise. “It is my pleasure to share as much information as possible,” Wallis modestly told ‘CNN’. “Sharing information freely is really good because it can save more people and bring everyone to a competent level.”
He hopes his knowledge and expertise will inspire others to enter the air sports world with confidence and competence. “Man has always been intrigued by seeing the world from a different perspective,” notes Wallis. “A lot of people think we’re crazy for doing these things, but actually we think most people are crazy for not trying these things.”
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Combining sports and film industry
He was introduced to air sports at an early age and obtained his skydiving license immediately after high school. He then continued his career in the film and TV industry, where he not only performed his own stunts but was also involved in capturing footage for commercials. This combination of adventure sports and film work led Wallis to document some of these stunts, not only for his own enjoyment, but also to entertain the public.
His expertise has recently paid off in the entertainment industry. For example, he helped prepare the parachutes for the film production of ‘Mission: Impossible’, starring none other than actor Tom Cruise. It was an unforgettable experience for Wallis, who says: “It was super cool, definitely an upgrade for my film resume. But it was also a bit stressful, especially making sure the parachutes were packed perfectly every time.”
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