Friday, Jan. 8, 2010 | 2:56 p.m.
The Stratosphere hotel-casino in Las Vegas today unveiled details about previously-reported plans to install a "SkyJump," allowing thrill-seekers to dive 855 feet off its tower while tethered to a metal cable.
Stratosphere said the attraction is expected to open in April and is currently priced at $100 per jump.
The Stratosphere’s three existing rides — Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity, the Ride — cost $30 for an all-day pass.
SkyJump Las Vegas will become one of the top tourist attractions in North America and the experience is described as a "controlled freefall" similar to skydiving and base jumping in which riders will hit speeds up to 40 mph, the company said.
"This will not only be North America's only skyjump, but, also the highest skyjump in the world," said Frank Riolo, chief executive of Stratosphere owner American Casino & Entertainment Properties LLC.
Riders will be given a safety lesson and then get in custom jump suits. They will then be connected to a "descender machine."
After jumping off the tower, riders will be guided by wires to stay on course during the 108-story descent facing the Las Vegas Strip before the descender slows the rider down for a controlled landing.
Stratosphere called the ride "an incredibly safe, yet audacious adventure."
American Casino & Entertainment said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last month that $3.6 million of its $22 million 2010 capital expenditure budget would be allocated for the SkyJump.
Stratosphere said Friday it expects to accommodate six to 10 jumpers per hour and that the attraction will be open 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.






That is crazy. I've done all of the extreme rides on the top of the Stratosphere. I appreciate a good thrill. There's no way in heaven or the other place that I would do this.
i've done them all, but no way would i do this. i don't trust the $9.00/hr. worker to keep me alive.
Comment removed by moderator. Comment was off-topic.
WOW!!!
You know, prior to this, the latest attraction was gamble your life savings away, then jump off the Stratosphere. I guess the metal safety cable eliminates the finality of the previous version!
This doesn't make any sense! All of the hotels had to remove their high diving platforms over their swimming pools because of insurance issues, how does Stratosphere Hotel pull this type of ride off..
Just sent this promo to my sister "the adventure seeker".
: p
Must admit this is impressive. I did the New Zealand Sky Jump in 2004. It was 192 meters, about 600 feet or so. 800 feet here will be amazing. It cost about 140 US Bucks in NZ back then.
Hope they do what they did in NZ-the cable stops in front of an inside viewing platform-you wave to your friends, and then you plummet down. You are long gone. Amazing rush. Better than a roller coaster. Better than...well, you know.
This makes me feel that Las Vegas is back.
Sounds interesting and exciting.
A "Tea Bagger"
Anything to bring money into Vegas, but please make it safe!!
the should call it the "high rise condo market drop".
tourists could get the experience of watching their re-sale value of their condo drop.
If you really want to risk your life-all you have to do is eat at The Stratosphere Buffet.
Good luck getting anyone in the Strat with $100 on them.
why not jump without the ride - its cheaper
I'd hate to be the first one the metal line breaks on!
The ride itself sounds a bit staged - wouldn't you reach speeds higher than 40 MPH if you just jumped off? I think the cable must lower you down in a way so that you never are actually free falling but gives off the appearance you are. If that is the case then the ride is no more dangerous than riding the elevator up to the top of the Strat.
i'm laughing at the "retail space available" banner ad up there. american nevada is a greenspun company. lol...what's wrong guys? having a hard time renting out the space in your failed green valley ranch shopping district?
lynusun raises a good point. The jump in NZ only reaches 53 mph. Seemed faster to me. Terminal velocity (free fall)is 116 mph or so.
So it will be interesting to see how fast the Strat's drop will be. Remember, American's are much, much fatter than Kiwi's, so maybe aunt Bertha and hubby Bubba should refrain from this ride.
You people are idiots... It is not bungee jumping were there is a recoil to prevent injury... It is a controlled drop you are attached to wires... That picture is Fake read the caption (the words under the pictures... Do You Read or just skim?
To the teabagger comment... You are not clever... My middle school son thinks that word is played out... Quit watching so much MSNBC...
You must fear the backlash at the gov't... Look at all the Dems quitting rather than becoming losers in the next election cycle... We also see this in Ben Nelson is back tracking on Health Care...
Think before you comment...
I know one thing that keeps dropping and that is MSNBC Ratings.
nednougat,
you must have flunked science, it doesnt matter how heavy an object is, the speed is the same.
stevem
Actually it says "Medical Space Available", may wanna get those eyes checked buddy
Hey, manabouttown, you must have flunked jr high school.
"It is estimated that the human body reaches 99% of its low-level terminal velocity after falling 573m 1880ft which takes 13-14 sec. This is 117-125mph at normal atmospheric pressure and in a random posture".
You're just another Clark County dope. I said that the NZ jump is much slower because they restrain a person from reaching terminal velocity. The Strat will do the same thing, too.
Bet you voted for George W. Idiot, too.
Cool, I like it.
TheU - perhaps you should get a tutor for your son.
The term "teabagger" was started by the teabaggers themselves.
Don't blame me, that's what they called themselves.
http://www.ajc.com/homefinder/content/pr...
Good luck getting anyone in the Strat with $100 on them. - Mike123
Gold. Comedy gold.
Stevem....Get a life! You troll the message boards and bash everything you read about. Your a typical internet "poster" You have NO knowledge of ANYTHING AND BASE all of your opinions on nothing other than your own personal f-ed up attitude. DO the world a favor and get lost. Or at least stop posting until you EDUCATE YOURSELF
Ummm,no....
A person could make some serious money selling clean underwear to the jumpers.
They could just gamble the $100 and jump off the dam... Wouldnt that be special...Then some of you physic experts can rely your theory of freefalling to that of anything else that falls from the sky...It goes down and in a hurry... Like you would really care when you got to the bottom of the dam...
NeedleGuy...
The term was first coined by MSNBC, the so called PC police. Sense you probably only skim and do not read here it is: (Full article on below Link)
David Shuster, filling in for MSNBC loose-cannon Keith Olbermann on his April 13 broadcast, and his writers probably thought they were pretty clever when they pieced an item denigrating the tax protests by using the sexual term "teabagging." Urbandictionary.com, cited multiple times by one MSNBC guest, describes it as when a man places his testicles "onto someone's face, or into their mouth."
Check it Out:
http://businessandmedia.org/articles/200...
Chalk 1 up for the Good Guy
The U = 1 and NeedleGuy = 0
MSNBC is nothing more than the White House organ.
Keith Olberman is the chief water carrier for the Democrats and Maddow is his (female?) counterpart.
Perhaps the jumpers shouldn't wear underwear at all.
OH. HELL. YEAH. I've always wanted to do this in New Zealand. Now I can do a higher version in Vegas.
And for a true daredevil experience, walk outside the Strat at night.
Many may WANT to try this....but how many are willing to part with 100 to do it?
I bet it will be available for $30 after the initial hype.
Is there much business at the balloon on the South end of the Strip?
Too bad Stupak never put up the King Kong ride.
Perhaps the jumpers shouldn't wear underwear at all. - Burrittobandit2
-------
Have you not seen the average Vegas buffet eater?
Fatso city.
Please, the more clothing used to cover up these fatties, the better.
Here's the one they have in New Zealand. Very cool. http://www.skyjump.co.nz/
you got to have BIG NUT. hey maybe travis patrana will be the first to do it.
I totally agree with the "$9/hour worker" comment.
I WENT ON THE BIG SHOT WHEN THE STRATOSPHERE FIRST OPENED. UM, WOULDN'T DO IT AGAIN, SO KUDOS TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE DESIRE AND GUTS TO TRY SOMETHING NEW! HAVE A BLAST GUYS! I'LL BE WATCHING FROM THE OBSERVATION DECK!
well, if i'm so uneducated and stupid, how come nobody can ever prove me wrong?
oh, and actually it DOES say "retail" space, NOT "medical".
idiot.