After racking up the wingsuit skydives, I turned my eye towards BASE jumping. I practiced fixed exits from a hot air balloon until they were dialed. I traveled to Europe and made my first wingsuit BASE jumps from Monte Brento, near Arco, Italy. I made two flights that first day, then a bridge jump that night. On that bridge jump, a hawk flew into my parachute, causing half of it to collapse. I walked away from the hard landing, but had to spend some time freeing a hawk from my canopy. The nickname, "Birdman Steve", was cemented at that point.