The Helicopter Jump (Spanish: Salto del helicóptero) is a recurring event on Supervivientes and it is considered one of the hallmarks of that version of the show.
At the start of every series since the 2006 revival, the contestants spend the first episode each boarding a helicopter in turn, which flies them a short distance to the camp. They then have to jump out of the helicopter into water and swim to shore,
Much of the fun of the Helicopter Jump comes from the celebrities who are very reluctant to jump, and host Jorge Javier Vázquez (earlier Jesús Vázquez) encouraging them from the studio in Madrid to just do it, as they communicate through headsets. The celebrity removes the headset, then two cameras catch both their jump and leaving the helicopter. To play up the tension while waiting for the jump, some series (notably 2008) have placed a stopwatch in the corner of the screen with the time taken to jump, however more recent series have moved away from it.
Additionally, some contestants like to put their own spin on the jump, such as Laura Matamoros screaming "¡Makoke a la calle!" in reference to a long-running feud she had with another contestant in 2024; and Pedro Oliva being pushed by his partner and doing a frontflip into the water in 2007 when she became fed up with his nervousness. However, a gimmick can go very wrong, such as Leticia Sabater in 2017 when she distracted herself trying to shout the name of her song Salchipapa, falling into the water squatting.[1]
Sometimes the jump itself can be problematic as well, particularly with Tatiana Delgado in 2011 - her jump dislodged a breast implant and she was forced to return to Spain for surgery.[2]
Often the audience will be asked to vote on who did the best jump, with the winner receiving an advantage for the first few days. It's often the ability to decide your first tribe, however not always: in 2025, for example, the winner decided the tribe that Terelu Campos would join instead.
Trivia[]
- The first castaway to do the helicopter jump was Jesús de Manuel in 2006.[3]
- The music played since around 2014 when the celebrity jumps is Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.informacion.es/ocio/tv/2024/03/21/supervivientes-peores-saltos-helicoptero-dv-99768949.html
- ↑ https://www.informacion.es/ocio/tv/2024/03/21/supervivientes-peores-saltos-helicoptero-dv-99768949.html
- ↑ https://www.telecinco.es/unplugged/la-primera-vez/primer-famoso-salto-helicoptero-historia-supervivientes_18_3118770143.html