Basejumper.com - archive

I always here people say they quit BASE because they weren't sure if they were doing it for the "right reasons". (<--- or something to that effect)

So...what are the "right reasons" for it?!

Thank you.

BASE is fun. It's quiet and pure , mentally stimulating, each jump will challenge you and if it doesn't it's time to find a new object. Also getting to the exit point can be a good workout as well.

Hey...Kramer your profile sounds like you don't have any BASE jumps.
People jump for so many reasons probably the same for skydiving.

Take that 12.000 ft. skydive. All the excitement, adrenalin, skill, fun and
cram it all down to a few hundred feet.
Then while all that is going on at the same time. There is monster waiting quietly behind
your back that wants to eat you alive and spit you out if it all screws up.
.......Makes You Wonder ?....Why anyone would want to Do It.......

BASE is pure and simple also it can extremely challenging to you individually.
It can be Oh..Soooooo...Beautiful and satisfying or brutal and ugly and rob you.
Forces you to work with other jumpers as a team to make it all happen sometimes..
Also sometimes your on the edge all by yourself and the biggest conquest with
that is with your own fears.

To tell you the truth. I dont know if there are any right reason.
.
.
edit; for bade spealng

Correct. I don't have any BASE jumps. Yet. I want to wait until I am out of college (one year), have more skydives, and know more about BASE (which is why I'm trying to learn as much as I can); before I get into it.

Thank you for the insightful reply.

Cause the chicks dig it.

Do people need a reason for everything they do?

As long as you feel the need to do something then do it.

Jul.

I agree with Ray. Or perhaps there is a different "right" reason for each person.

Your "right" reason just has to be something that's important enough to you to pay the price.

When a friend of mine got into BASE, another friend told him to get ready for some very high highs, and some very low lows. BASE can (obviously, I think) be very dangerous, so from time to time many jumpers feel that they need to sort out the benefits, to be weighted against the cost.

The right reasons are the ones that you look at, when you're doing that weighing, and say, "Yeah. This is all good."

This is my response from years ago. Don't forget, Its tongue in cheek.



Why B.A.S.E. Jump?
By Tom Begic
The following was extracted from the B.A.S.E. Board Internet site:
Skydiving Whuffo: "Why would anyone want to jump from a small building or antenna, when you get a lot more freefall jumping at 14K ?"
Reply by Tom:

WHY?


Because we can.

Because we want to.

Because we choose to.

Just to annoy whuffo's have them ask silly questions like "Why for you jumping off them perfectly good cliffs?".

So we can have more fun than 99.9999% of the worlds population.

So we can incorporate other activities like exercise, hiking and seeing the outdoors.

Because everyone can jump from 14K but only a few thousand can jump from 0.14K.

Because sometimes in life a few seconds of absolute pleasure is better than a minute of good pleasure.

Because we need something more challenging and visually stimulating than skydiving.

To pad out the resume.

To pick up chicks.

To promote world peace.

To keep Annie, Todd, Adam, et al employed.

Because we can't afford jump tickets.

Because some of us probably broke rules in skydiving and aren't allowed to jump out of planes anymore.

To keep park rangers employed and busy.

So we don't have to set up scaffolding to do external multi story building inspections or to suss out climbing routes on cliffs.

It was a failed suicide attempt, damned parachute saves me everytime (so far) - do other jumpers have this same problem?

Because it annoys the hell out of loved ones.

Due to undersupply and addiction to encephalins and endorphins.

Because we're too lazy to walk both up and down an object.

University studies have proven that B.A.S.E. jumping improves libido, helps in weight loss, speeds up the metabolism, cures sexual problems such as premature ejaculation, prevents hair loss, adds body and bounce to your hair, makes your skin supple and smooth, gives you shining white teeth, cures cancer (unless you jump from antennas), cures AIDS etc, etc.....

They do? Cool

Like many have said here, there are plenty of right reasons.

I think maybe a better way of phrasing it is "Make sure you're not getting into it for the WRONG reasons."

 
Nicely put Zennie.

And what's "wrong reason"?

 
- Just to have bragging rights
- Because being a BASE jumper makes you "cool" and more hardcore than others

Those immediately come to mind.

It's kind of like pornography... I can't tell you exactly what it is, but I know it when I see it.

Ones that come to mind, at least in my opinion are...

"Chicks dig it." (News to me)
"People will think I'm cool." (Wrong reason to do just about anything... and in any event, no, they'll just think you're nuts)
"I want to be 'extreme'." (Again, wrong reason to do just about anything, but if you REALLY want to be extreme, take up bull riding)

Basically if you're doing this for any sort of external admiration or approval, you're doing it for the wrong reason. You won't get either anyway.

I'd also point out that what may be a "right" reason for one person may be totally the wrong reason for another. It really does depend on the person.

hahaha... Nicely put!

Ahh come on Ted, you know that's why I jump! For the chicks! Yeah!
Jen

Hey Jen...

Yeah, me too! There's nothing like impressing a girl by doing a BASE jump, then getting to snuggle down in the back of Don's boat with her on the way to the park to pack!

I see you're BASE 974, CONGRATULATIONS! You came in way under 1000!

Peace,
K

Well... there are -other- reasons... I suppose...

OK I have officially changed the name of this thread to something more appropriate....

Kick ass avatar ;-)

hehehehe...
Thanks!

Yeah! Is that kinda like a man-wich?
WoOhOo!

I like it!

>>So...what are the "right reasons" for it?! <<

I thought, and hoped, we were passed this, but the newest generation is still asking the same questions over and over, so it must be normal.

BASE jumping is nothing less than the natural dreams we've all had, the dreams that are inbreed in us, and it's the same feeling our ancestors had concerning pure foot launched flight and how to go about it. We are now the closest we've ever come to this concept of flying. If you disregard all the baloney, and are brave enough, and if you agree there are other places to fly besides the drop zone, you can be privy to a generation of people that can, and truly do, fly free.

And there's no righter reason than that . . .

NickD
BASE 194

 
Beautifully said.

Curiosity.
Education.
Anticipation.
Effort.

Then as you stand on the edge for the first time,
you peek over, fear rushes right up at you, gently taps you on the shoulder, "You're it".

I continue jumping for a reason different than the one in which I started. I asked myself A LOT if I thought I was jumping for the right reasons, whether I did the manuever I was doing becasue I wanted to or because everyone thought it was cool. Then one day I was thinking about jumping, or something I had done, and caught myself smiling for no reason...

I don't know about you guys, but after seeing girlfalldowns new avatar, I'm going to start jumping because the chicks dig it.

Word up Mr. D... you said it perfectly. I had this dream when I was a kid. I couldn't pinpoint it, but when I saw the cartoon of Wile E Coyote falling off a cliff with only a trash bag (that worked, by the way), I just had to try it off my roof. It didn't come out exactly as planned but I had fun trying. BASE fulfills that ultimate curiousity, and I love it.

>>Curiosity.
Education.
Anticipation.
Effort.<<

That's a Nugget.

NickD
BASE 194