6. BAJA
RANK
BY Fociated Pr
e
Ass
AZ,
design for impact LA P ral
Mo
Evo y ree
,
ire fell keep
s
to ea man
mp g
stron ary c
A s his e oved to d
n
lutio lon
nker m a secret, an
s
livia’ ity.
ba d
MiamiHerald.com or
maj po
Op
is frau ey flowing
INTERNATIONAL EDITION MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2009
HOTEL COPIES: A copy of The Miami Herald will be
wi
delivered to your room. A credit of US$0.25 will be
h rales
posted to your account if delivery is declined. 106TH YEAR, NO. 422 I ©2009 THE MIAMI HERALD
on Morales easily powe b
r
the m
Y
BARR cia lly
H AN D ROB ls
LLA om but a
BY llah@
msa
EL SA erald.c
MICHA MiamiH
U.S.
V
res
Islan
irgin sing an
ds
,
holds Bolivia and
econ
d
o
ROIX
,
As his empire fell, agen
ts p re bank
ST. C federal keep is offsho rove up
ith fraud a secret,o h
banker moved to
int and d d s
presidency E
polli
x
— W igation flowing Stanfor s from hi ,
his
indi
BY FRANK BAJAK dently leftist Movement Toward
t the money llen cord f a lush
Associated Press Socialism easily won a major-
ves ire A
LA PAZ, Bolivia — President ity in both the 36-seat Senate and
in e
ling r
Evo Morales appeared headed 130-member lower house.
na o 62
BY MICHAEL SALLAH AND ROB BARRY to easy reelection Sunday, with a The movement secured a two-
billio road, hau the top
msallah@MiamiHerald.com
strong mandate for further revo- thirds majority in the Senate but
clo
ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands lutionary change on behalf of Bo- not the lower house, according to
t o e
a dir uarters t in. nd, th
— With federal agents pressing an livia’s long-suppressed indigenous that exit poll.
investigation into his offshore bank, majority. It would need
e isla a steel
billionaire Allen Stanford drove up Opponents say they fear Mo- two-thirds control
q ta ce
head al moun t over th into
a dirt road, hauling records from his rales will use a consolidation of of both chambers
headquarters to the top of a lush, power not just to eradicate ra- to dictate terms
tropical mountain. cially based economic inequalities of a law on in-
c e p n
tropi the sun s he papers er the to
As the sun set over the island, the but also to trample human rights digenous territo-
banker stuffed the papers into a steel and deepen state control of the rial self-rule, make
drum, poured gasoline over the top economy. key appointments
s t ov ing R
A ffed asoline
and sparked a fire — the flames rising Exit polls by two separate unchallenged and
ris
MORALES
er stu ames
into the sky. polling firms said Bolivia’s first amend the consti-
Months before his businesses ex- indigenous leader won at least tution to allow Morales to seek a
g
bank poured e — the fl
ploded in February in a $7 billion 62 percent of the vote, with the third straight term. The 50-year-
fraud case, Stanford embarked on a closest challenger in a field of nine, old incumbent has been evasive
, ex-
mission to hide his financial records center-right former state gover- on the latter issue.
r
drum arked a fi
while trying to raise money to keep nor and military officer Manfred The exit polls gave presiden-
sses
his banking empire alive. Reyes, winning about 23 percent. tial candidate Samuel Doria Me-
d sp sky. usine billion
He would jet off to Libya to try Voters also were choosing a dina, a centrist cement magnate,
sb
to convince government leaders to new Congress, and the exit poll by
an re hi
invest in his offshore institution.
$7
Equipos-Mori said Morales’ stri- • TURN TO MORALES, 2A
he a
into t nths befo uary in a rked on
He would even buy two Ca-
ribbean islands — flipping the
properties four times to inflate the
a s
ecord Analogies to Iraq
o Febr emb
value of the land and pump up the
M
bank’s assets.
ed in , Stanford nancial r keep
“He was desperate,” said
Jonas Hagg, a longtime
plod case mask Afghan risk
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,
his fi ey to
executive chef who
fraud n to hide raise mon
lived on Stanford’s
yacht. “You never
knew from day
sio ing to .
live a to try
to day what aides say is their best hope that
mis try
BY DAVID E. SANGER
pire a
was going to New York Times Service historians will give them some
happen. He WASHINGTON — President credit when the history of a highly
y
while nking em off to Lib aders to
was flying Barack Obama strongly opposed problematic war is written.
by the seat of his predecessor George W. Bush’s In fact, Iraq analogies have
his pants.” surge in Iraq during his presiden- been flying back and forth so furi-
ba jet le
his ment
Details of the tial campaign, and even now he ously in recent days that Secretary
ould ion.
final days of Stan- has never publicly acknowledged of Defense Robert M. Gates, the
He w ce govern re institut Ca-
ford’s banking net- that it was largely successful. only holdover from the Bush-era
work, from court But in the White House Situ- Cabinet, told Congress, “This is
filings and inter- ation Room a little more than a the second surge I’ve been up here
nvin sho two
views with a dozen month ago, he told his aides, “It defending.”
to co in his off en buy ing the
staff members, of- turned out to be a good thing.” But probe beneath the surface,
fer the most com- And as many of Obama’s own ad- and it becomes clear that Obama is
t v
inves would e — flipp flate the
plete picture so far of visors have recounted in recent heading into his new strategy with
how he plundered his days in interviews, the decision on his ears ringing with warnings —
customers’ accounts, the surge of 30,000 troops to Af- from some of his own aides and
He lands s to i
n
ghanistan by next summer was at
the
least partly inspired by the success
an is four time pump up
• TURN TO STANFORD, 4A • TURN TO STRATEGIES, 2A
of the effort in Iraq, which Bush’s n TROOPS IN IRAQ STAND DOWN, 6A
r ibbe ties
r d and
p ope of h lan
MurderrverdicttineItaly, Obama seeks long-term goals
but thevalue doesn’t .enderate,” said
case assets veiling additional ideas aimed at istration’s efforts to overhaul
’s
BY WILL LESTER
p
bank e was des ngtime
Associated Press accelerating job growth and hir- healthcare, improve education,
BY RACHEL DONADIO ba, whose defense lawyer called WASHINGTON — Presi- ing as we emerge from this eco- invest in a clean energy economy
New York Times Service
lo
her a “little she-devil” in closing ar- dent Barack Obama is seeking nomic storm,” Obama said. “And and deal with mounting federal
“H gg, a
PERUGIA, Italy — Tensions and guments last week. to reassure people frustrated by so that we don’t face another cri- debts.
la.,
cultural misunderstandings are The trial also tapped into long- high unemployment that he’s sis like this again, I’m determined But he acknowledged the pain
as Ha derdale, F o
running high after a U.S. college standing town-and-gown tensions concentrating on jobs, while de- to meet our responsibility to do felt by millions of the unem-
Jon
student was found guilty here of in Perugia, where residents blame fending his administration’s ef- what we know will strengthen ployed. Job losses in the United
wh
murdering her British housemate. foreign students like Knox for help- forts to strengthen the economy our economy in the long run.” States have been the worst since
Lau
Rather than clarifying the saga ing transform the picturesque city on several fronts. Obama said he has no inten- the 1930s, but new statistics
Fort tive chef d’s
of what prosecutors said was a into a pub crawl center. “In the coming days, I’ll be un- tion of backing off his admin- showed a relatively moderate
sex game gone fatally awry, the The Knox family insisted that loss of 11,000 jobs last month.
r
execu on Stanfo r
conviction of Amanda Knox, 22, a the concern with this larger cul- The unemployment rate dipped
Seattle college student, for kill- tural clash and the gossipy details from 10.2 percent in October to
ing her roommate, of Amanda’s personal life obscured 10 percent in November.
e
lived “You nev
Meredith Kercher, the focus on what really happened Obama has faced criticism
21, seemed only on Nov. 2, 2007. for tackling various problems
to heighten the “It appears clear to us that the simultaneously while the unem-
conflicting public
opinions that had
formed about the
t.
yach from da y attacks on Amanda’s character in
much of the media and by the pros-
ecution had a significant impact
ployment rate has been growing.
He said the economy is turning
around, even if slowly.
knew y what
case in two years of on the judges and jurors and ap- U.S. citizens “are in a very dif-
fierce international parently overshadowed the lack of ferent place than we were when
news coverage. evidence in the prosecution’s case 2009 began,” Obama said. He cit-
a
KNOX
to d oing to
As the year-long against her,” the family said in a ed recovery efforts as part of the
trial unfolded in the media as much statement. reason “we’re no longer facing the
as in the courts, Knox was often de- The family vowed to continue potential collapse of our financial
g
was n. He
picted in the United States as an in-
nocent abroad, a fresh-faced young
its campaign to free Knox. Asked if
they would appeal, her father, Curt
system or a second Great Depres-
sion. We’re no longer losing jobs
e
woman caught in the vagaries of Knox, replied, with tears in his at a rate of 700,000 a month. And
happ ying
the Italian justice system. eyes, “Hell, yes.” our economy’s growing for the
Yet in the Italian press, she was Knox was sentenced to 26 years SUSAN WALSH/AP first time in a year.”
s fl at of
a blithe, dope-smoking party girl in prison, and her former Italian SOLACE: President Barack Obama visits job seekers at the
wa
whose only innocence might have boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 25, to Pennsylvania CareerLink of Lehigh Valley in Allentown, Pa. n JOBLESS RATE MAY HAVE HIT PEAK, 3B
e se
been in her belief that she could get 25 years. A third defendant, Rudy
away with murder. She had changed Guede, 22, is serving a 30-year sen-
by th nts.”
her story and at one point accused tence for sexual assault and mur- INDEX
PALIN POKES FUN AT KUWAIT SELLS DOLPHINS RALLY
the
a former boss, Patrick Lumumba, of der. He has admitted to being at the AMERICAS................... 4A
a
HERSELF AT GRIDIRON CITIGROUP STAKE PAST PATRIOTS TO
his p etails of n-
the crime. house the night of the murder, and WORLD NEWS........... 6A
On Saturday, she was also WINTER DINNER, 5A FOR $4.1 BILLION, 1B TIGHTEN AFC EAST, 8B OPINION...................... 7A
COMICS & PUZZLES.. 6B
found guilty of defaming Lumum- • TURN TO TRIAL, 2A
a
D of St
days ing net-
final bank
urt
ford’s from co er-
07PGA01.indd 1 12/7/2009 5:41:20 AM
wor k, d i zennt
s an
filing with a do of-
s ,
view members om-
sta ff os t c of
he m far
fer t icture so d his
p e
plete e plunder unts,
ow h ers’ acco
Oba
h
m
custo A
RD, 4
taly,
NFO
O STA
URN T
I
•T
L LES

7. design for impact
36 EURO 2008 <%W>, <%M> <%d>, <%Y> SUNDAY XPRESS <%W>, <%M> <%d>, <%Y> SUNDAY XPRESS EURO 2008 37
BATTLE ROYALE
,,
SPANISH TEAM
Europe waits for a king as flamboyant
Spain meet resilient Germany in a bid
to end 44 years of stylish failure
A P , Vienna genuine when he wasted no
TOPSCORERS
4 David Villa (ESP)
3 Hakan Yakin (SUI),
Semih Senturk (TUR)
Roman Pavlyuchenko (RUS)
attempt to sow the seeds of a lit-
tle worry.
Spain are the only team at the
16-nation tournament not to
lose a single game and eased in-
to the final by beating a Russian
While Germany can look back
on three World Cups and three
European Championship titles,
Spain’s success at the 1964 Euro
represents their only trophy on
the biggest stage.
“But I know the mentality of the
players. I’ll give my team-mates
a few tips, but it certainly won’t
be anything decisive.’’
Spain have a history of tank-
ing at major championships, and
had even a relatively unheralded
line-up reaching the World Cup
semi-finals two years ago.
“In 2006, something was miss-
ing,’’ defender Torsten Frings
said. “This time we hope to
,,
WE HAVEN’T
DESERVE TO BE G ermany’s team manager
lauds Spain as the best side
time in building up Spain, who
ruthlessly cut apart Russia 3-0
Lukas Podolski (GER) side that appeared rampant in
disposing of the much touted Spain vs
“They know how to win tour-
naments, they know how to play
failure in the final – no matter
the performance – will in-
bring something along, not only
T-shirts with “Danke’’ written
PLAYED AS WE
THE CHAMPIONS at this edition of Euro, but one
of his players suggests he has in-
on Thursday to reach the final.
Still, the team manager went
11 Spain
10 Germany, Netherlands
Netherlands in the quarter-fi-
nals.
German
Vie
y
nna | 1.45
am
these games and we know we
have be careful because they are
evitably lead to fans and media
sighing that the team have just
on them.’’
Germany’s only injury con- INTENDED TO...
BUT THERE’S ONE WE WILL GO
sider knowledge on how to tack- on to remind everyone that 8 Turkey They have racked up 11 goals the favourites,’’ Spain striker reverted to type. cerns are over midfielders
Channel 7,
le it. A Spanish striker says Germany have already shown in five matches even though 9 Fernando Torres said. A poor performance and the Simon Rolfes and Frings. Rolfes
HEADTOHEAD
MORE HURDLE Germany are favourites for the
title, but a team-mate says there
they do not respect status by
disposing of Portugal in the
they had to resort to tough de-
fensive tactics for a 0-0 quarter-
And Germany
Chistoph Metzelder plays
defender players will be likened to rabbits
frozen in a car’s headlights. A
needed six stitches for a cut
above the left eye in a 3-2 win BACK TO BASICS
8:5
is little to choose between the quarter-finals. He probably Of the 19 times final draw with Italy that was re- alongside Iker Casillas and stack of missed chances will over Turkey and is likely to be
line-ups. hoped the Spanish were listen- they have met, solved only by a penalty shoot- Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid. lead to accusations that they replaced by Frings.
Luis Aragones The jostling for a psychologi- ing. Germany won out, with their versatility, attack- “Our scouts have been watch- panic in front of goal. A shoot- Spain striker David Villa, who Joachim Loew
cal edge ahead of today’s final in “We have demonstrated what the most. ing verve and onus on the team ing Spain for some time, and out failure will be called a break scored the only hat-trick at Euro
Vienna has begun, so who capabilities we possess, al- over individual talent raising they certainly know more about under pressure. 2008 on his way to becoming
This is the third final for knows if any of it is what though we should put Spain one hopes that they are about to them than I do,’’ Metzelder said. And Germany’s players are leading scorer with four goals, Record sixth final for
Spain, who won the title in they really think? step above us,’’ Bierhoff said. clinch their first international ti- rightly proud of a pedigree that will have tests on his injured Germany, who have won
1964 and slipped in 1984 Germany’s Oliver “But this was the case against tle in 44 years. right leg before officials decide in 1972, 1980 and 1996
Bierhoff at least Portugal as well and it doesn’t “I don’t know how it worked whether he is fit to play.
sounded have to be to our disadvan- 44 years ago, but having been With both teams in form and
tage.’’ with the boys for a month, the both having concerns, maybe
From the outside, all the group is fantastic,’’ midfielder Alonso came closest to telling
pressure seems to be on Spain, Xabi Alonso said. “We have a the truth on how the players
so Bierhoff ’s words great atmosphere in the chang- see the match.
could be just an ing room. That is one of the keys “There’re no favourites.
to our success at the moment.’’ The teams are pretty
But thinking about the past is close, and anything can
the last thing Spain should be happen in a final.’’
doing.
either Michael Ballack or Iker Casillas – will
OFFSIDE
lift will be heavier by 2kg than the one that
1964 edition. The federation spokesperson Greek skipper Theodoros Zagorakis raised in
Friends, royals and Crown Prince Felipe and Crown Princess The 31-year-old former Arsenal midfielder Loew’s motivational high German team plan to travel to Berlin on did not reveal how much the players the Euro 2004 edition.
countrymen pour in Letizia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was becoming physically too difficult Monday, no matter who wins the final. would receive if they lost. The trophy, which bears the name of
will also be there. Not to be outdone, so to play for both West Ham and the national Germany coach Joachim Loew used a secret Henri Delaunay, former secretary-general of
Alexander McQueen could be kicking it with will Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis team. Ljungberg played his first match for weapon to spur his team on ahead of Fortune awaits Spaniards Trophy a short-term loan the French federation, weighs 8kg and
Henry Kissinger or King Juan Carlos at Rodriguez Zapatero. his country back in 1998. semi-final against Turkey: the ever-reliable measures 60 centimetres.
today’s final, a match that promises plenty There will be plenty of great footballers, “I have decided to concen- 12th man. All the Spanish squad members will receive Whoever wins the trophy today, will only be
of star power. led by Franz Beckenbauer, who led trate on my football with In a creative move, ‘Jogi’ played a three- bonuses of €214,000 each should they beat able to hang on to it until the Euro 2012 Final to be a special ball
McQueen, the British fashion designer, Germany to a World Cup in 1974. West Ham. This is where my minute film for his players, showing scenes Germany, the Spanish Football Federation draw, at which point it will have to be
and Spain’s Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia priority now lies,” Ljungberg of jubilation around Germany after their announced. returned – in pristine condition – to Uefa. The balls set to be used today have been
top the list of celebrities, royals and leaders Ljunberg ends national duty said. quarter-final win again Portugal. The amount had already been decided on The winners will then receive a smaller copy called ‘Europass Gloria’. The 30 balls will be
expected to pack the stands at the Ernst He competed in three Euros and two And it apparently worked: the before the tournament, a federation to keep. Only the team that win five Euros coloured silver and carry the name of the
Happel Stadium. Sweden captain Fredrik Ljungberg has World Cups with the Swedes, before being Mannschaft defeated the Turks 3-2. As a spokesperson said. The Spaniards are Guest performer Enrique Iglesias plays will be given the trophy for good. two finalists with the date and time of the
Other prominent Spaniards include called it quits from international football. named captain after the 2006 World Cup. special thank you to their loyal fans, the seeking their first title since winning the with a ball next to the Euro trophy. The trophy that the victorious captain – match. – Agencies

8. design to brief
NEW NEW
Greener Apple HTC Touch
Apple Inc. has moved up in the ‘Greenpeace Guide to Greener
Electronics’ ratings. This is because of Steve Jobs’ “Greener As with the iPod, the iPhone has
Apple” pledge to phase out PVC and other chemicals from caused quite a stir in the cell phone
their product line. Nokia tops these ratings as it has already market. HTC – one of the leading
phased out toxic materials. Sony, on the other hand, ranks at manufacturers of Windows Mobile
the bottom of the list with LG Electronics. devices – has responded first with
the launch of HTC Touch. The phone
uses iPhone-style finger gestures
and a stylus for input — a
combination that the iPhone
rubbished by using an on-screen
keyboard. The phone has already
been launched in Europe, and will be
available in North America in the
second half of 2007. Approximate
current price $594.
Blackberry Curve
RIM gave a taste of forthcoming offerings with the Pearl, but they
have really outdone themselves with the Curve. The design of
RIM’s latest offering packs in enough pluck to make Pearl and
8800 owners go green. Its the smallest Blackberry ever made with
a full QWERTY keyboard. Other important features include a
trackball, good battery life, a music player, a 2 MP camera and the
usual Blackberry mail. Available, starting at $499.
Sansa Express
A bevy of features with a price tag to shame
the Shuffle and the coveted ability to just
plug and play – we aren’t talking of a dream
MP3 player but the 1GB flash-based Sansa
Express. A direct-connect USB MP3 player,
it supports a microSD expansion slot,
protected WMAs and drag and drop. Also
sports a digital FM tuner-recorder, a
microphone and an OLED to display the
menu and song information. The 3-inch
long, half-inch thick Express can be yours
for just $59.99.
10

9. design to wow!
www.gulfnews.com/explore | August 9, 2008, Saturday
4 ADVENTURE
It’s rock ‘n’ roll time!
Rock jumping,
an extreme sport
of leaping across a
gaping crevasse, is
becoming a religion
for those seeking an
adrenalin-charged life
BY MARKETA HULPACHOVA tops of the Eesky Raj na-
ture preserve in the cen-
Exactly a decade has tral Czech Republic.
passed since a man called There, they pioneered
Oxygen first hurled him- countless jumps, some-
self across Amerika. times without the safety
Known for his jumping of a rope.
ability, Oxygen, a lanky “Back then, there were
Czech, catapulted to leg- several jumpers on the
end status by leaping scene,” Prochazka said.
across a nearly 10ft-wide “This healthy competi-
abyss separating two tion helped the sport
100ft sandstone spires. flourish.”
Today, Petr Kops, 21, is
wearing Oxygen's hand- Oxygen unmatched
me-down pants. While many climbers
“I did not know Oxygen jump out of necessity,
personally but my sister few specialise in the
did,” Kops said. “I wear sport. “A few of the old-
his trousers for good timers say that jumping
luck”. has no place here,” Proc-
Minutes later, Kops was hazka said. “But there is
standing at the edge of a always some lunatic who
70ft chasm called Broken goes crazy for it and be-
Bones. He announced comes the dominant
that he was about to dam- jumper in the region”.
age his ankle — and For years, the alpha-
jumped. jumper title of the
Adrspach — and some
Extreme sport say the world — has be-
While it may seem sui- longed to Oxygen.
cidal, leaping across a By the time he arrived
gaping crevasse is actual- on the scene in the mid-
ly an extreme sport that is 1990s, local jumping afi-
gaining in popularity. cionados had developed a
Called rock jumping, or grading system.
simply jumping, this A Grade 1 jump is an
adrenalin-charged activi- easy crossover from one
ty is taking place in the tower to the next and
Adrspach-Teplice Rocks, may be executed by any
a remote nature preserve reasonably skilled
in the northeast part of climber. As the grades
the Czech Republic. rise, so do the required
Known for its roughly 11 levels of precision. At
square miles of phallic Grade 4, the jump does
sandstone formations, the not offer a flat landing
region has been a breed- surface, forcing the
ing ground for rock leaper to land monkey-
climbers, including style, clutching the When the day was over, he
Jaroslav Houser, 63, the crevices of the opposite nursed his injury with a
purported conqueror of wall. half-litre of beverage at the
more than 1,000 sand- Most of the popular buffet near the entrance to
stone spires. jumps range from Grades the Adrspach rocks.
In their frenzy to sub- 2 to 3 and few jumpers Kops attributed his affin-
due as many unclimbed have successfully landed ity for jumping to “cama-
tower tops as possible, a Grade 4. Until Oxygen raderie and adrenalin”, and
seasoned climbers such came along. while he did not feel confi-
as Houser unwittingly dent enough to try to
gave rise to rock jumping Biggest one ever match Oxygen’s leap, some
in the Adrspach. In 1997, Oxygen, 37, of the old-timers suggested
“The objective is to get made history with Ameri- that the future of rock
to the top of as many tow- ka — the only Grade 5 jumping depended on peo-
ers as possible,” said jump ever recorded. ple such as him.
Vladimir Prochazka, “I don’t know how he “My prediction is that
known as June Bug, a 59- even made it to the other jumping will only live on,
year-old climber and a peak — it seemed so far thanks to a handful of indi-
collector of Czech rock- away,” said Prochazka, viduals,” Prochazka said.
climbing histories. “You who had witnessed the “The only way this would
try to reach the hardest event. change is if a new genera-
summit, sometimes by “Somehow, he managed tion arrived on the scene.
jumping.” to land on the crevice he Their thirst for adrenalin
Because jumping is of- picked out but his body could make it a massive
ten the most logical way was leaned back and it sport”.
to get to a descendible looked like he was in for a — New York Times
tower, almost every nasty fall. Then, he News Service
climber encounters a ba- snatched a protruding
New York Times
sic-level jump at one time pine tree and a victorious
or another, he said. war cry rang through the
valley,” he added.
Czech Republic
Be prepared for pain Not long after his epic
In most cases, climbers leap, Oxygen, whose From the UAE
jump with a rope tied name is Milan Zdvooily,
From Dubai
around their waist. disappeared from the
�
If they miss the landing Adrspach. He is a gun- Air France flies daily via Paris
— which is not uncom- smith in London and says to Hamburg, the closest
the Go
mon — they come plum- he feels no need to repli- airport.
meting into the wall of cate his jumps. Fare: Dh5,190
re..
the base tower. “I wonder if some crazy Lufthansa flies daily via
“Jumping requires fear- person will ever dare to Frankfurt.
lessness, a fair amount of
agility and a high thresh-
make the jump,” he said,
referring to Amerika.
Air France flies daily via
Paris to Hamburg, the
.
old for pain,” Prochazka “People are always look-
closest airport.
said. “Broken ribs and ing for something new, so
damaged spines are fairly maybe it’s possible.” Fare: Dh5,190
common.” Still, there are Contemporary jumping Info courtesy: The Holiday Lounge
those who prefer to spice continues to attract indi- by Dnata. Ph 04-4298576
up their experience by viduals who appear to
jumping without a rope. lack the self-preservation
Among the most well- instinct. Seconds after
known of these adventur- predicting an ankle in-
ers are Petr Prachtel and jury, Kops hollered a war
his wife, Zorka, who cry and threw himself
helped create the sport in across the chasm.
the 1960s and 1970s, a His sandalled feet land-
time rock jumping’s early ed on the opposite tower
practitioners refer to as a with a flat thud and his
golden age. ankle promptly swelled
After meeting in col- to twice its natural size.
lege, the inseparable Kops could barely walk
climbing partners be- but, somehow, this did
came legendary for their not deter him from exe-
escapades on the tower cuting two more jumps. A patron taking, what may seem like to many, a leap of faith