Guest Speaker - January 24, 2017

 
 
 
What do an emergency Room Doctor at Kaiser Medical in Sacramento, a bright green squirrel suit and the word BASE all have in common?  The answer is Tuesday’s speaker, Dr. Charley Kurlinkus.
 
Known in some circles as “Doctor Daredevil”, Dr. Kurlinkus has made over 2,100 jumps off of “stuff”. The technical term for such stuff is B.A.S.E.  Written another way, "BASE" is an acronym standing for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth (cliff).
 
Due to the lower altitudes of the jumps, BASE jumping is significantly more dangerous than skydiving from a plane. In the U.S., BASE jumping is currently regarded by many as a fringe extreme sport.
 
Wearing only a $1,200 nylon suit that fills with air and is shaped like stubby wings, hence the name “squirrel suit”, our speaker has leaped from Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world, free falling for 8-10 seconds, then opens his parachute to safely land.
 
His videos will amaze you as he ‘flys’ down a canyon over 100mph and only 4-6 feet above the rocky terrain. They also are majestic to watch as you see a human speck glide along rugged rocky mountain cliff faces appreciating the beauty of nature. One also realizes the legacy the mankind’s very inquisitive mind seeking to fly unaided since the time of Icarus in Greek mythology.
 
So bring your Dramamine, find a steady chair and dine with one of the World’s Top 10 BASE jumpers this week.
 
  • Dr. Charles Kurlinkus, MD is a board certified emergency medicine physician in Sacramento, California. He is currently licensed to practice medicine in California. He is affiliated with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center.
Education & Training
University of California Davis School of Medicine Medical School
Certifications & Licensure
  • CA State Medical License 2011 - 2017
  • American Board of Emergency Medicine Emergency Medicine