Katie
Hansen
United States
·
Skydiving
Date of birth | January 19, 1986 |
|---|---|
Age | 40 |
Nationality | United States |
Disciplines | Wingsuit Flying / Outdoor Skydiving / B.A.S.E. Jumping |
From a dream to a lifestyle to a career
Katie Hansen knew she wanted to skydive when she was 14. “I didn't know anyone who had done it or seen it in person,” she admits. “The initial draw wasn't adrenaline; I thought the trust skydivers have in themselves to jump out of a plane and be self-reliant and have fun was so cool.” Hansen took her first leap the day before her high school graduation. “I fell in love right away,” she says. Soon she was jumping every weekend.
Hansen earned a degree in nursing and worked in hospitals, but the pull of skydiving was too great. “I feel happy and in tune with myself when I’m skydiving,” she says, now a full-time air-sport athlete.
A versatile flyer with a central passion
Hansen is skilled in multiple disciplines—skydiving, base jumping and wingsuit base jumping. “Each discipline is very technical and requires a ton of dedication, so they never get old,” she says. “Flying is very freeing. I’m not doing it for the money; I’m doing it because I love it.”
Though elite skydiving is a male-dominated sport, Hansen feels women generally have a level playing field. “In some sports, women can’t complete because we’re not as strong as men, but in skydiving, that doesn't matter,” she says. “In general, women are more limber. We take feedback well and we excel at skydiving.”
A Hollywood career takes off
Hansen got a key role in the film “The Thunderbirds,” jumping off the world’s second tallest building in Malaysia. “Getting to participate in the Marvel Universe was a dream job for me,” she says. Her audacious leap earned three nominations in the prestigious Taurus World Stunt Awards. Hansen also scored a key role in “From the Edge,” an immersive documentary shot by Oscar winners Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi about extreme sports athletes that also features surfer Kai Lenny and climber Alex Honnold. “Film projects are not like competition,” Hansen says. “We're just creating something that is art.”
Reaching new heights with the Red Bull Air Force
After looking up to the Red Bull Air Force for years, Hansen is on the team. “Each individual has such so much experience,” she says. “I'm absolutely charging at a few things right now—wingsuit base jumping, free flying, canopy flight, flocking and team landings. I'm excited to bring new perspectives to the team and do big projects,”
Hansen is stoked to see what’s next. “This is exactly where I want to be,” she says. “This is something that I've been working towards for a long time. My experience proves that things that you dream of can actually happen.”
Career Highlights:
- World records for 164-way Head-Down Formation Skydive and 72-way Head-Up Formation Skydive
- Career Jumps: Over 9,300 skydives and 1,500 BASE jumps
- Gold medal, artistic freeflying, 2019 U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships
- Gold medal, canopy piloting, 2014 U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships