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Does anyone know anything about this patch?

I think it was designed (redesigned?) by an old friend, Steve Ball.

are they still made?

Max Dereta designed that patch in the early 80s and Carl, and then Jean Boenish, used it as the insignia for the World BASE Association.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~mdereta/

There've been all kinds of design competitions to update it, but it has
stood the test of time . . .

NickD

Steve was a very talented artist and BASE jumper and he showed me some of his designs in the early 90's. He mentioned to me that he had something to do with the design. Might have been another logo? I dunno, but I haven't seen Steve for many years (he's the guy who did the 63' cliff jump).

If he still has any, you can get them from Rick H. Do a search in this forum--he posted when he got them from Jean B.

That patch (and yes, I do mean that one, as I posted that pic) is proudly displayed on my GTi...It was given to me by one of the "old school" jumpers here in the Carolinaz...I've also been told that there is a bit more history to that particular patch than I will go into here. From what I've been told, these patches were initially issued when you got your base number, instead of the USBA cards that are used today. Also, the Harrisons managed to get a batch from Jean B. roughly a year and a half ago, and they, in turn made them available to us...

Hey, I've got one of those
~J

All,

Rick Harrison asked me to post this....it sounds like we all have different versions of the origin/purpose of the logo, but here's the real deal.....
-------
RICK: I seem to recall that Max Dereta is his name. He drew the design for Carl in about 1982. Carl and Jean told me this story years ago, (and Jean and I had a similar discussion when we got most of the patches from her nearly 2 years ago), When he gave them the design, he told them they could only use it to promote BASE jumping. I think he was brought into the issue a couple years later when he saw someone with the logo on a shirt. As I recall, he complained to Jean but she assured him the USBA had nothing to do with it. Someone copied it and did shirts. Anyway, when we all showed up as staff at B Day 83, Carl and Jean had nice yellow polo type shirts for all of us, about 8 guys, that had our names embroidered on them below the BASE patch, so the patch was designed long before the 90's. The patches we have are from the original batch. I think she had about 500 at first and had less than 200 when she gave us 125. We still have under 100 left and Jean charges $15.00 each. We send her the money because her and Carl paid for them to be constructed by a very quality patch maker. I do think that giving them out only to BASE jumpers serves the interests of BASE and we've never made any profit off of these. They are a cool patch, however, contrary to the last post by 704 on BASE Zone, the patches were never issued in lieu of a card. All it takes to qualify to buy one is to have made one BASE jump. I wish it were for BASE numbers, but Joy and I won't change the original intent. Not sure what we'll do when they run out. They went like hot cakes for about a month after we posted on the Board, but then it slowed down. I suspect this new thread will stimulate a little interest. Take care.
Rick and Joy

Sorry 428, but Nick is right. The patches we have are from the original batch that was designed in 82 or early 83. When about 8 or 10 of us were the only staff in 83, Carl and Jean had yellow polo type shirts for us with the patch on each shirt. They even embroidered our first names on them so we would be easy to spot for the new BASE jumpers that needed help with gear etc. I think Nick is right on the name, but Carl and Jean told me in 83 that he designed the patch for Carl to use to promote BASE jumping. Carl and Jean then bought the first and, so far only batch, from a real quality manufacturer. We posted the patches nearly 2 years ago after we visited Jean in LA for a couple days and came home with about 125. We figured some folks may want them. Unfortunately, contrary to the post by 704, they were never given in lieu of a card, since it only takes ONE BASE jump to qualify for the patch. I sort of wish it would have required a BASE number, but Joy and I simply refuse to change the original tradition. We still have about 80 left and Jean has at least 25. She charges $15. each, but they are a cool well made patch. We don't support anyone using the design to sell T shirts etc. We only sell them if you have made a BASE jump, so we feel like that is promoting the sport. Anyway, let us know if anyone is interested. I'm sure most of you know we issue the BASE numbers and our e-mail is:
Rick Cliffleaper@aol.com
Joy Joyhgc1@aol.com

Drive Fast Take Chances.
Rick Harrison
BASE 38

Further to Rick's post. Here's a picture of some of the staff wearing Jean's staff shirts after Bridge Day 85 (?).
The previous year Jean had given us all yellow bandanas to wear so we could be identified by jumpers needing help and advice. They were cool shirts.



(back l-r) Libby and Greg Gates, Jean Boenish, J.D. Walker, Robin Heid, Kevin Venell
(front l-r) (Phil?), Phil Smith, Phil Mayfield, Nigel Slee.
Pic by Chris Ivin.

Was there a Ned Flanders convention going on at the time ?

Anyone read the "from what I've been told" part?

Gimps (even) on Staff . . .

The "yellow shirt" lasted into the early nineties. Jean yelled at me in '89, because I ditched the "polo shirt" for something with long sleeves. No one talked about it much, but I was probably the first to wonder why we held the BASE jumping part of Bridge Day in the freaking winter time.

The yellow shirts are beacons to new jumpers. Jean would drum into first timers to find a yellow shirt if unsure of how it all worked. The shirts were used to combat the problem of skydivers coming to the launch point and saying to the staff jumpmaster, "Hi, okay, what do I do now?"

There aren't "First Bridge Jump Courses" back then. Even the experts didn't feel expert enough to stand up in front of a bunch of people and say here's how it all works. We individually passed secrets from jumper to jumper, things we learned from jumping off buildings and other things in the middle of the night. but always with the caveat, that they shouldn't be doing this, if they weren't ready.

I don't think we need the yellow shirt kind of thing anymore. The caliber of jumper that comes to Bridge Day today is very different . . .

NickD
BASE 194

Old days...

J.D. Walker (and Dead Steve Morrell not shown, RIP) put me off on my first jump, a 600 foot cliff. And Rick and I managed to get Kevin V. out on a jump recently, with his gut duct-taped since he had his spleen recently removed after a car accident.

Like Nick said, it was somewhat scary being 'instructors' back in those early days.

I'll never forget the time when one of the 'Dangerous Sports Club' bungee jumpers (Mark Chamberlin?) asked if he could make his first free fall off the bridge.

He had made a previous BASE jump s/l a round from a small crane (over hard ground) but had no skydives or square experience. What made me laugh was the other staff passed the buck onto me as a fellow Brit to say yes or no.

With the long delay bungee jumps he was making I knew could fall flat and stable. His companion 'Conrad Freeman' was a skydiver / BASE jumper and was lending him his rig. After talking with them I gave him the OK.

After some kerb hops, briefing (flight plan for a water landing) he was ready. Mark was really fired up for it. I missed the jump but it went fine. When I caught up with him he still had eyes like saucers (but that might not have just been the jump). lol


( in earlier post tried to do an inline img. It worked on preview but seems to have failed. Any tips via PM?)

Inline images have been disabled in these forums for a while now.

>>kerb hops<< . . . that took a moment, LOL

The Most Dangerous Sports Club did many wacky stunts (not all involving parachutes) and I recall for a while they were going around saying they invented BASE jumping. But they said that about everything they did. I do remember when they invented that other great sport, seven guys in top hats and tails riding down a ski slope on a piano.

They also did a lot of bungee jumping. I went looking because I thought they still had a web site up, but instead I found this, no kidding, the Bungee Fatality List . . .

http://www.bungeezone.com/disasters/club.shtml

NickD
BASE 194

bungy fatality list: fuck relying on others hey..........

in addition: just curious, is this the same dangerous sports club that Martin Lyster was a member?

Doh! Yes, lol.

To be fair some of the delay was due to my 'exit point paranoia'. Remember that mysterious car that chose to park alongside our van in the otherwise empty car park / LZ? I thought it was the police.

When you finally left, me and the other fellow (anon) followed pretty sharpish and we all landed within seconds of each other in front of the vehicles.

A shock for the mystery car guy (and gal - when her head popped up into view).

Do you remember how my 5 cell Kestral looked in flight?

I had one of your 52 inch Aschuto pilot chutes on it. It made so much drag that the canopy was bent like a bow-tie. I'm glad my legs were like spring steel back then.

Memorable!

Rick And Joy's letter with the patch came in today. It is a very impressive patch. Like has been stated, it is very well made. A great patch with a great history.

thanks Rick and Joy!

btw: have you gotten many requests for the patch?

http://www.dropzone.com/...orum.cgi?post=783615