HIS TORY

JARI KUOSMA

 

Jari Kuosma is professional skydiver, innovator and designer. He is known as the pioneer of wingsuit flying, the owner and founder of BIRDMAN® International, ltd. and chief designer of the products that carry his U.S. and EU registered brand name BIRDMAN®. 

 

 

Jari Markku Henrik Kuosma was born March 3rd 1969 in Helsinki, Finland. After high school he studied international business and leadership in Helsinki and Groningen but dropped out for starting his own business BIRDMAN International, ltd. in 1999. 

 

 

SKYDIVING, B.A.S.E. JUMPING & WINGSUITS

 

Jari got first bitten by flying at the age of three when his father took him flying with his Cessna 172. Flying was a hobby for all family and seeing skydiver's drop at eye level above Helsinki-Malmi International Airport was probably the reason for starting skydiving at the Parachuting Club of Finland 1991. The hobby soon baceme a passion and by 1997 Jari had his international Free Fall Instructors rating (AFF) and he was the first Finn to get a B.A.S.E. number, # 585. 

 

During 1997 - 1998 Jari was working in Florida as an AFF Instructor at Skydive DeLand and B.A.S.E. jumped in Europe and USA. His travels took him B.A.S.E. jumping to now famous cliff in Arco, Italy where he heard about Patric DeGayardon's wingsuit and his flight from the cliff. Wingsuits were comercially non-existent at the time and Patric, who had been last pioneer to develope modern type of wingsuit had sadly died during his test flight a year earlier. The only way to get one was to build one for yourself but there was no one (known) alive to ask how. It didn't stop Jari to pursue the dream of flight and together with Robert Pecknic and Stane Kranjc they made a plan to make one. First test flights from the same cliff were done one year later and a month later Jari decided to quit his job, sell everything he had and started a company to develope and build wingsuits. Jari made a contract with small Slovenian clothing factory and hired Robert to work for him, BIRDMAN® was born. 

 

Jari invested literally all his money for the project and the first commercial wingsuit, called BIRDMAN s.u.i.t. was reality in the summer of 1999. The deal was to make 100 wingsuits but 72 were ready when it was time to introduce them for the public. The huge problem at the time was the absolutely notorious reputation wingsuits had. Nearly all (90% +) of the early skydiving pioneers who had build wingsuits had died in accidents developing the wings since the beginning of skydiving and many countries had banned the use of them. Including Finland. Luckily, not all countries had the law in effect, probably because nobody dared to jump them anyway, including France, Norway and USA which were among the first stops. Since there was no money left to pay import and custoim duties Jari and Robert smuggled the suits across the EU border in a back of a van and took them to Vichy Boogie in France. The French skydivers had a long history in pioneering wingsuit builders so the athmosphere was friendly and curious for the two, a Finn and a Croat. Jari had written a seven page  "user manual" which became to know as the first "First Flight Course" for wingsuits. The system worked and we earned the respect of the local skydivers to teach newbies. Nobody died and 17 wingsuits we sold at the boogie. The trip continued to Norway Extremesports Veko and the World Free Fall Convention in Quincy, USA, where almost all the remaining wingsuits from the original 72 were sold. The word went around quickly and the world of skydiving was never the same after that.

 

 

Jari is the author of the Wingsuit First Flight Course and the BIRDMAN Wingsuit Instructor Course; methods to teach skydivers how to fly safely with wingsuits and eventually become certified wingsuit pilots, BirdMan Instructors and BirdMan Chief Instrtuctors. Over the years other manufacturers and national skydiving associations adapted the program with slight changes to their curriculum and the BMI program was discontinued 2009. 

 

Jari has over 5000 parachute jumps of which 4000 are with wingsuits. He has designed 15 commercial wingsuits for skydivers, a premium watch collection and co-designed two skydiving and B.A.S.E. jumping inspired clothing collections to date. 

 

Jari has International Skydivers FAI-0013 D - licence, USPA D-Licence, USPA PRO-Rating and BirdMan Chief Instructor # 1 rating. He was the first Finn to earn a B.A.S.E. jumpers number (B.A.S.E. 585). B.A.S.E. is an acronym and stands for Buildings, Antennas, Spans and Earth. 

 

 

MEDIA

 

Jari has appeared in hundreds of different magazines, newspapers and internet media, TV & Documentary films and performed as a stunt jumper for live shows as well as for film.    

 

 

 

 

RECOGNITION

 

Jari has earned a SKYDIVER OF THE YEAR price in Finland for his pioneering work in skydiving and Venezuelan Special Forces "Medal of Honor" for saving two paratroopers during training. 

 

 

SPEAKER

 

Jari has given lectures and speaches for live and TV audiences all over the wolrd. His speaking CV includes anything from small targeted audiences to mixed public. His most notable public speaking was an honor to be invited for participating The Oxford Union, "This house would live fast and die young" debate.