Fifteen daredevils hurled themselves off Shanghai's landmark Jinmao Tower yesterday as tens of thousands of spectators watched in awe while they drifted to Earth under colorful parachutes. It was the first-ever BASE jump show on China's mainland.

Norwegian terje Harlvorsen free-fell 200 meters before pulling his ripcord and unfolded a Chinese national flag.

Harlvorsen's fellow jumpers, from five different countries, followed, diving individually or in pairs.

The weather conditions, however, somewhat marred the show.

Several jumpers were blown off course and failed to land on the designated landing area on a patch of grass next to the skyscraper. Lisa Denise Boger of Canada and American Denise Williams, the only two women jumpers in the show, landed way off the mark in a nearby street.

"The wind today really troubled the jumpers a bit," said Shen Jiachun, the head of the Shanghai Air Sports School and a technical official on the event's organizing committee. "There's palpable wind at high altitude, but almost no air currents at low level, which makes it difficult for the jumpers to steer their parachutes."

The jumpers, however, still enjoyed the dive.

"It was an amazing view when I saw in the air the huge crowd gathered to cheer our jump," said Harry Parker from United States.

More than 2,000 spectators paid 200 yuan to get into an outdoor square across the street of the landing lawn. Tens of thousands more craned their necks outside the cordoned-off area. The show was estimated to reach more than 500,000,000 viewers through live broadcast by CCTV, the country's largest TV network.

The jumpers wrapped up the one-hour show with a group-jump and sailed in the air with their national flags attached to the parachutes.

Base is an acronym for the four objects from which a jump can be made: buildings, antennae, spans and Earth (especially cliff). BASE jumping is an extremely dangerous sport and was de facto non-existent in China before.

But the organizers of the event yesterday are thinking of establishing it into an annual event in Shanghai - a Chinese version of the famous yearly Petronas Tower BASE jump show in Kuala Lumper, Malaysia.

"I fell like it was a come-true today," said the 35-year-old Haarlvorsen after landing. "I've dreamt of this moment in the past four-and-half years."

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