Basejumper.com - archive

I jumped on the soap box again…another night where BASE fills my head.

What I truly believe it that BASE is on the brink of something really big – a powerful phase within it’s evolution. I think in not so long from now, the public will begin to accept seeing people jumping off cliffs and high places everywhere and landing softly on the ground and will actually enjoy watching it spite of our innate human fear – they’ll end up wanting more – demand will go up – people in the sport will get noticed – money is going to pour in – more recognition and respect – more money to make better equipment – more permits to jump more places – etc.

In my opinion, advertisers have yet to really catch onto the enormous power that BASE jumping has with evoking so many different powerful feelings /good feelings/ within their audience with both live footage and still shots – what they need to get people connected with their product in a way that sticks with them. Advertisers are trying to wake up their audiences – imagine what the total experience of the first time BASE viewer would be watching footage that begins on a mountain top with a shot of a person legs/feet running/ and running and running and then leaping off something/ and then silence and then all the rush that comes after that/and then landing softly on grass near the water’s edge/the canopy slowing falls to the ground, the sun is setting/a face shot capturing the jumpers expression moments after he lands, a close up of that captivating smile/sparkling eyes/and of course an SUV waiting with cool chicks around in bathing suits drinking water out of a bottle with someone on their cell phone taking a picture. (Norway would make a beautiful shot – They would have to photo shop the truck on the landing area I think – plenty of water and beautiful women)

Before I did my first tandem I never knew what was happening in the sky or off high things around the world. I first experienced the amazing unfolding of something as incredible as BASE and skydiving four years ago when I had the opportunity to see my first thirty minute compilation of sky footage titled “Lodi Daze” by – here it is/a title in my opinion not up for debate – “World Famous” Aussie Pete. My life was never the same from that moment forward. Just the other day thanks to this forum, I saw Aussie Pete on 60 minutes – I love 60 minutes! The segment got their biggest rating I hear… – it looks like he’s still living his life with passion for the sport. Good on him. He will always be my idol. Being in freefall myself makes me feel a totally different way than the feelings I get when I see footage or photographs of BASE or skydiving – both incredible, but distinctively different. You see something magical in the eyes and smiles of the athletes who’s hearts beat for BASE and it feels good to see. I am just an ordinary person who pays attention to what feels good, but you know what? I got money to spend ,and I want to see more footage!

Everyone seems to love extreme everything these days. People want to feel something different – to be moved. People are getting bored and inventing all kinds of extreme activities and seeking out more stimulating adventures – either to try themselves or to watch someone else do. People that are already in the “spot light” of BASE as dim as it might be to some, are in a good place – they are the ones who have managed to benefit from the evolution of the sport and in fact seem to always be ahead of the change. They are the ones who are going to help get the funds to get the exposure and acceptance of BASE for it’s first proper introduction into the marketplace. There is this guy who’s an amazing skier and has so much enthusiasm for the sport of BASE, and I believe his creativity and talent will help start/keep the ball rolling. Everyone knows that just one person can make a difference. In my opinion he is an invaluable spokesperson. He’s a good guy with a good heart and he’s in love with BASE. He’s already has the public’s eye with his skies, and now he’s adding the element of BASE into extreme skiing. It’s so beautiful to watch. Absolutely stunning on film. The public will already be comfortable with the first bit and then…BASE happens..!! – then they’re going to want to see more. It’s also the guys who are putting out tight videos showcasing all of the top athletes who are “going off” and doing things never thought of before. Those videos are getting out to the public as I sit here and type away. The word is out – it might just be a whisper right now. They’ve see it all…they think…until BASE finds them. The “new” generation will want more, my generation will want more. The buzz has began. As far as the ones that are already ahead of the game with being experienced in BASE – I believe if the right people with enough money (businesses, entrepreneurs) hook up with the people that are adapting to the changes within the sport and are making themselves seen and heard – this sport will be forever different and a lot of people will be able to make a good living doing it. Some will protest the change and other people will give it all they’ve got. I believe that there is a lot more young and open minded people out there that have grown up in the world of extreme t.v./movies/video games that are ready for BASE than there are closed minded people that wouldn’t be supportive of the sport. We can change the laws. Big companies can change the laws even easier. I think it is just about to happen.

BASE is no longer a secret. It’s a good thing to share with the world. The public is ready to see it in it’s right light. Change is on the horizon. Be respectful and be nice to those who love BASE and let people express themselves as they have the right to. Every BASE jumper has something in common – to keep BASEing and landing safely.

Being yourself and doing what you love and getting to do more of it is a great thing. Being adaptable as well as being smart is really where it is all at. Always be safe and always stay inspired.

Safe landings to all…

Corporate sponsorship of sports tends to require a large pool of participants. It would appear that corporates require people interested in the activity because they are participants, not just outsiders going "that looks cool!" BASE obviously does not qualify here (yet).

and plenty cell phones too (Norway, not so far from Finland, home of NOKIA)

NOKIA is from Finland.

I think that would be Finland actually, or does this reply make me humor impaired?

Ramon

Edit: dang, how fast does a guy have to type around here to get the first answer in? And don't even get me started on the last answer

Can you explain why you think this?

Not everyone loves extreme stuff. There is still a substantial part of the population which is just waiting for things to go wrong so they can be validated in their non-participation. In response to the recent fatality of a jumper at a famous Paris landmark, the response here was quite positive. The response at a forum with a much broader base of readers was not as positive:

http://forums.fark.com/...ts.pl?IDLink=1489332

There are 6.5 billion people out there, and most of them aren't as philosophical as you are about BASE jumping. Maybe some of them are musing that the world is on the brink of embracing lawn bowling.

Michael

im pretty sure i dont agree with this... one of the greatest appeals to me in base is the fact that it ISNT mainstream..( yet... atleast not to the same degree as skydiving or the skateboarding boom..) im so sick and fkin tired of seeing and hearing how "extreme" this is or that is yeah dude spike your hair its cool to be punk rok now... look at me im so extreme... put me on tv... masybe i can get chicks now... corprate america says "x"product is cool, and extreme, and made for young cool exterem people just like me so buy buy buy... no thanx nokia or nike or coca cola keep that shit elsewhere.
if this is why anyone is into base, have fun "being cool" because the corporation says you are.. but i think there are way more people in the sport for deeper reasons than that..maybe it helps you cope with the stresses of your daily life, maybe that exit point is your little trap door into your own "perfect" realm of existence .. those precious few seconds where nothing else matteres.. not your ecodestroy suv or your new nokia cell phone not your job, your debt, your bitchy girl/boyfriend, your amazing girl/boyfriend (unless the happen to be in freefall right next to you..) not the cameras on the ground and definiatley not corprate america... all that exisits in these particular moments of your rapidly ending life is your conciousness and that lttle parachute tied to that bigger parachute... and where the fuck am i gonna land?

keep it real. pura vida ladies and gentlemen

With those new exploding bowling balls, that might get pretty extreme though.


Just out of curiousity, have you done any base jumps? Obviously you don't have to share this if you don't want to.

After I had made some jumps beyond the Potato bridge I changed some of my opinions and thoughts on base, including the ones on how to deal with the public.

Oh man

that sounds so cool......do you think once the marketing men with the vision and the money really catch on, we'll be as revered as like....skateboarders. Do you think MTV will have like basejumpers showing us their cribs and like:

"doooood, this is my own personal 300ft Pepsi crane in the yard where i train for 6 hours a day, and there's like my crew just chillin and trying out nu shit. Yo bro's"

How about "Extreme Baseover" - where we take an average jaw jutting redneck and transform them over a few weeks into a cool extreme basejumper.

Maybe "America's next top BASE model" where average flat and stable Joes get put through the works and are dismissed by a panel of judges until only one EXtreme dude remains.

Then of course i'll tune in to watch "Queer eye for the BASE guy" where Marty from Asylum gets told that black is sooooooo last year and what he needs is a new hip and cool image. They trundle him out with that spikey hair look like all the young studs wear, with his baggy jeans barely hanging onto his hips.

Other suggestions could be "Pimp my Bridle" and "Hop and Pop Idol".

This vision of the future (and i agree we're so close, i can taste it) is truly inspiring.

Thanks for sharing.

ian

ps. I saw the 60minutes documentary too. It made me feel soooooo proud to be a BASEjumper when Miles explained how jumping was "like being born". I've struggled to articulate that view for so long now.

I truly hope this never happens to BASE jumping or skydiving. The mainstream are cattle and they will go right over the edge blindly while reading their bible and drinking a mountain dew (or bud light), Fuck the masses.

I hope BASE is never reduced to just another way to sell energy drinks.



Mine too. I spend a lot of my time and energy trying to help people who are learning BASE to do so safely, and well. One of the big reasons I do this is because Pete did the same for me.

..lol

However much advertising and MTV may suck, let's not diminish the incredible things that some sponsored riders accomplish in the other "extreme" sports.

He may even have his own video-game, that doesn't mean that Tony Hawk isn't a great skateboarder.

If advertising means that people can put more time and energy into the things they love, so be it. I don't think it has hurt skateboarding, snowboarding, or any other sport for that matter.

Base is different in many ways. Parts of it are still illegal. Doing competitions is nearly impossible. The fatality rate is a lot higher. And let's face it, to most whuffos all basejumps look the same. You jump, you chill, you pull.

I'm just as confused. This is a complicated topic and something that our community is going to have to deal with increasingly.

I don't think there's a clear cut answer. I admit that there's a certain romantic notion to the fact that base is fairly underground. At the same time, if a person would get sponsored and as a result thereof advance the state of the sport, ultimately the sport would benefit.

Sponsorship can come in many ways. Some are good for the sport, some are good for an individual, some are good for the company, and some are good for nobody and end up hurting us all.


My comment applied to most other sports. I'm less sure about base for the reasons mentioned in the previous post.


From a strictly analytical point of view I would say there is zero harm. Even if McDonalds were to film some jumps and use them in commercials. Of course it would look ridiculuous and I doubt any base jumper would ever consider it.

Edit for spelling.

And look, I'm sponsored by Amazon!

 

well as much as everyone loves to rip mr.d lets not forget he and crew are pulling off some pretty sick-ass shit... sicker than most.. maybe the equivilent of the whuffo writing off basers as "suicidal maniacs" even tho deep down he wishes he was the maniac in question...

Next week's episode: Jeb Corliss.

"Black jeans and tennis shoes? What is this the 80's?"

"Are you going BASE jumping, or to a funeral?!"

The future is coming...

Hey, I'd do it...instead of supersize, they could upsize me, haha. ok that was bad, hahahaha

From a strictly analytical point of view I would say there is zero harm. Even if McDonalds were to film some jumps and use them in commericals. Of course it would look ridiculuous and I doubt any base jumper would ever consider it.
We'll agree to disagree then. For me, McDonalds - or MTV; or Pepsi; or Redbull for that matter - slapping a 'fun face' on BASE and pitching it as 'cool' with a capital C; conveniently wallpapering over the slightly nastier issues of injury and death and fear and sadness, well, for me that's harmful. It's harmful in many ways, not least because it's a selective lie. It's not the FULL picture. It's a distortion of reality; a misrepresentation. It shows just one facade, the marketable one, the one people want to buy into.

Sponsorship IS advertising. It's about brand awareness, it's about linking things which don't necessarily belong together, it's about image placement and association. Associating yourself with a lifestyle, or a philosophy or a stereotype.

Pitching BASE jumping as some highly marketable and ultimately desirable cool lifestyle is just an illlusion, aimed at the deluded.

Look at the queues for the reality shows. People with zero talent and even less intelligence, all scrambling to catch a slice of fame and fortune at any cost. That's your generation of gonna-be basejumpers right there. That's what BIG money brings in. A sea of greedy, selfish, cut-throat wannabes. But hey, among them we might have the next BASE version of Tony Hawk.

Like they say "you can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs!"

It's got to be worth it, don't cha think?

Two questions:

1) Is BASE really a quest to pull off the most "sick-ass shit"?

2) What is your basis for comparison, that has led you to conclude that any particular group of jumpers is "sicker" than any other? How many different groups have you jumped with and/or observed before making this conclusion?

Just so we're clear, if McDonalds wants to pay the bills, I'm not too proud to wear a clown outfit and jump a Happy Meal canopy.

Michael

respeck mike

I don't think we disagree that much. We might lay the blame elsewhere though.

I am very worried about what the media is doing in our world and how their misrepresentations, illusions, one-sidedness, lack-of-impartiality and subjectivity are causing the general population to lose their ability to think and increase their fear of doubt.

I don't have television for this exact reason.

However, I don't blame the media. They're just providing what the people ask for. In a capitalist world (which I think is the least harmful economic system, sans too much Laisez Faire) providing what the customer wants is the only way to stay alive.

What really needs to change is how the public consumes media output and their level of skeptisism and doubt toward it. For that to happen, we need to invest more in education and change our opinions about those who teach.

Is there a more noble thing than to share knowledge?

Maybe the media is evil. But they can be only because the people is stupid. Change the people, and the media will follow.

I have a dream... wanders off in offtopic rambling soapbox style

To bring it back on topic; is the media image of base really that far from reality? I'm not sure. The public believes it is dangerous. The public believes it is mostly illegal. The public realizes that it is a sport and not a lunatic's passion. The public thinks lots of people die doing it, and that it causes a lot of grief.

If anything, the people think it is more dangerous than we think it is.

Ha! I'd like to see that! Forget about the canopy, just dress up as a clown. I'd like to see a come-back of the adventures of Boozy the Clown. Back when Whiskey was cool, and MTV hadn't stolen the idea and turned it into Jackass yet.

1) absolutley not, and i dont belive i implied that either....
2) opinions are like assholes in the vein that everyone has one, and belives that only thiers is the one that does not stink...
-b

and anyone with balls enough to pack a rig, commit suicide, and subvert that fate with an inflatable wing shortly thereafter, is pretty "sick-ass" in my opinion...ymmv

Well when you get on a plane do they show crash pictures of planes that went down and bodies of passengers..... or when you go diving ...do they show you people who ran out of air or drowned... how about when you go surfing..how about a person with there limb gone after a shark took them for a snack.... I could go on but It's fruitless.... They are not lying...they are telling you what you want to hear..All the products you see sponsored on race cars are highly visible on TV. I doubt that you will see a Chicken Micknugget sticker on Tom A's rig in the near futue. Even know he is jumping allot and Highly visible in base does not mean he will sell Micknuggets...


Not that i ever watch these lame ass shows....well my kids do....its just entertainment...and ratings dont lie...and sells advertising. It's hard to tell if they have no talent because most of the stuff they do is thought up by the show producers so it would be hard to practice for. As for any of them base jumping i highly doubt it...All the stunts they have to do are run by stunt people so they are safe.... "Most Deadly Season" is a reality show and they are some crazy ass people...they do this for a living not for fun.... You could not get me out there for a Million bucks.....You should check the Darwin #'s for thoes guys...And for big money....dont knock people trying to take a shot and a few dollars....This is America ya know...

whoooosssshhhhh

"What was that?"

"That was the point!!!!.....and you just missed it."

ian

I was just saying that they dont wallpaper over the black side, they just dont show it... Thats not a bad thing...They do that in everything..... Sorry if i did not completly understand....

for instance...check this out as it is a msn advertising flyer on msn's home page. Millions see this

http://www.expedia.com/daily/deals/Daredevil-Adventures/default.asp?eapid=7208-1

And yes base did not make the cut....

"wallpapering over" - "they just don't show it" - semantics. Two metaphors for the same thing: Hiding aspects of the truth.

This is BASE jumping. An activity where every option really, really ,really needs to be considered. Knowledge and harsh reality checks are our only weapons against certain injury and death....everytime; i repeat, every single time we jump. It's not the environment to be deluded. Knowing the facts, examining the evidence is what keeps us alive, so i disagree, not facing up to the grim realities is a bad thing. Painting a sanitized face on an intrinsically risky persuit is insanity. It displays a complete lack of understanding of the people who do it, and it utterly mis-sells to those who might consider doing it.

Skyglider. Are you a BASE jumper? I think it's important for us to understand where you're approaching this from.

Yes it is base jumping...Even a certified moron knows if you jump off of something 1200 ft high there is surely a risk of death. Just as someone who freedives...look at thoes fatality numbers...but you still see more of that on TV than you will base. Not because it is safer but because of the sheer numbers who partisipate..

As for facing the grim realities of stepping out side your front door....just stepping out is a grim reality...

I am a crappy painter....i hate painting...It's boring..

Your to funny....I just watched that OLN thing on TV last night.. Actually 2 of my kids and the wife watched it and i was surprised to see they really enjoyed it. Only one of my kids can make it threw continuum 1 and 2.....I said the same thing ..that was this the 80's but the kids thought it was cool....

So tell me what do you see in the future?

Dont tell me all white..........

I was actually being a bit sarcastic when talking about the over kill of a marketing image hence the suv and picture phone – it’s just that’s the way t.v. seems to be – I thought I was rolling every commercial into one. I don't watch t.v. All I really watch is footage of BASE jumps and skydiving. I really don’t shop either. Although I still think that advertisers are going to love what BASE will offer them and that it will change the way people everywhere view the sport which will bring changes to the sport itself. I think it’s the people who are already putting together videos and the true BASE athletes that are going to be able to best portray what BASE is really all about. Through those modes of exposure, I think advertisers will capture the beauty in the reality of the sport making the viewer feel like they’re somehow a part of the jump/the experience – it could easily revolve around feelings of accomplishment, risk and reward, being successful, concentrated efforts, meticulous planning, setting goals and achieving them, dedication, motivation, capturing moments of life second by second. Besides I hate clowns.

The main reason I care about the marketing potential of BASE is because I want to see those people who are passionate about this sport make a good living doing what they are dedicating their life to. I think they will. My post was to support the BASE jumpers who only want to see the sport succeed. They are the ones making sacrifices to live their dream and to protect the sport. You have to be dedicated to BASE. You can’t just throw in a BASE jump here and there and expect to get good or stay alive or portray what the sport is all about. The BASE jumpers that spend all their time thinking about the sport and spend all of their time and save every penny that they have to put into the sport of BASE deserve to profit from it – probably most BASE jumpers don’t want or need to make money doing it – that they do it because it’s already offering them other things that they value beside supporting themselves – my post never touched upon that side of it – that’s an entirely different topic in my head. I get excited thinking about the potential growth and reward for the dedicated athletes. I also think that the right exposure can help bring changes to laws that will make our “world” more pro-BASE than not as well as supply funds for more research for better BASE stuff. That’s where I was coming from last night. I think the reason BASE is a good thing to share with the world **in it’s right light** is because it’s never been shown in it’s true glory. Has it? I think it can be a life changing experience to go from never knowing about BASE to knowing about it and then craving more.

I truly believe that the sport of BASE is a very sacred thing, and it’s fragileness (concerns with dazeblazing, site naming, burning a site, harming the environment, etc.) is taken very seriously by most experienced jumpers as it needs to be at this stage of it’s life. With that said, there are all types of BASE jumpers out there and no real designated authority within the entire scope of the sport when you take into account of all the B, A, S, and E on this planet. Some do it in the night, others do it in the day. Some do it from the rails, and some do it from where they are told to do it. Some do it illegally or should I say stealth, and some do it like robots. Some keep it undercover, and some shout from the exit points. Some are stupid, and some are smart. Some climb, and some ride. Some do it solo, and some don’t. Some are reserved, and some are more vibrant in their expressions. Who is anyone to say that one person’s experience with BASE should be like the next person’s? BASE jumpers are distinct individuals with all sorts of different personalities. It shows in their various styles. Who is anyone to say that they are better than the next? I once read – “if you compare yourself to others you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”

The BASE community seems to be at odds all the time when it comes to the evolution of the sport and how it really should be evolving. I just gave my thoughts on the subject. Change is an inevitable part of life. Being adaptable is the only way to survive. There are professionals out there already in the sport of BASE that are making a positive impact with what they’re doing for the sport and that’s really exciting to a lot of people – including myself. There are those who would love to make a good living BASE jumping – not for the ego part of it at all, just so they could do more BASE off more high things around the world. They’re inspired to do more than just follow and I think that’s a good thing.

I dreamed all night about jumping and had a great time reading your posts when I got home tonight. I'm sure I've once again said something that someone doesn't agree with, but that's what a forum is all about right? - discussing thoughts and ideas with a variety of different people and considering the opinions of others.

"Shut up and jump!"

Slightly off topic, but where the hell do you see freediving on TV? Hardly anyone I know even knows the meaning of the word "freediving". I explain it to skydivers (and "normal" people ) all the time, and one thing I consider interesting is that people are much more "whuffo" about freediving than they are about parachuting. As much as the general public ridicules skydiving, many people want to try it at least once. But not many people I talk to understand why I want to go underwater and hold my breath for a few minutes, nor do they have any desire to try for themselves.

I'm also not sure about the "sheer number who participate". One of the reasons I rarely dive anymore is because I got sick of going alone (not to mention how dangerous some would consider that).

Ok, I'm trying to understand this idealized marketing dream you have for BASE and I have to ask myself why. Why market BASE? When you have so few BASE Jumpers in the world and fewer people interested in what many consider a suicidal mission. The bottom line is...there is NO MARKET for BASE. If some guy can't make money off it, he's not going to invest in it. The world is just not ready for it. The best way to get BASE out in the mainstream is through documentaries like Adrenaline Rush. You have to have a viable market to target before you start marketing to it. BASE is too small, it's not financially smart to throw money at it on a big scale.

The day I can walk into a sporting goods store and buy a pilot chute for my skydiving rig will be the day the mainstream is ready to be exposed to BASE on a bigger scale.

You don't my any chance work in marketing?

I'm going to stick my neck out here and guess that you're not a BASE jumper. I'm basing this on many, many things you have written, but a subtle example being:

I think the reason BASE is a good thing to share with the world **in it’s right light** is because it’s never been shown in it’s true glory. Has it?

I don't know why, i just think that if you were a BASE jumper, you'd know (in your mind) one way or the other if video was ever capable of capturing what it is to jump. If I'm wrong, then I apologise.

What does it matter whether you are a jumper or not? Well it kind of does and it kind of doesn't? You are certainly right that you're entitled to your views (jumper or not), and equally correct that a discussion forum is the venue to air them.

For me, reading your posts, i feel a need to know if you are; a BASE jumper who has the fire, and who has a vision for where they see BASE taking them and indirectly maybe me; or a non BASE jumper who is fired up having viewed some footage, thinks they understand the motivations of jumpers in general, and wants to try to market it and deliver it to a mass audience, making a bit of money in the process.

The former i would say is deluded , the latter over excited and arrogant. Either way, you seem to only be able to value BASE in terms of it's broader appeal or marketability. In Short, how can we make money from this. You said so yourself.

To distill BASE down into this, to me, SCREAMS!!!!! out that you haven't even come close to understanding what it is that drives most people to do this.

You're no doubt a very nice person, and i hope you appreciate this isn't an attack on you, but a criticism of what i believe are yout really misguided dreams.

Sure, these things aren't as obvious in the real world as they are inside your head, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. You need to look for them, because it's not as easy as the stuff in your head. It all looks different. It's somehow messier than the crystalline visions of one person. But the real world is surprisingly versatile and adaptable. I speak from experience when I say, if you think the world is playing catch-up with your grand vision, you need to look a little more at the world around you, and a little less at the world as it exists inside your head.

Michael

 
Two questions:

1) Is BASE really a quest to pull off the most "sick-ass shit"?

Well, since you asked, definately NOT in my world.

BASE, to me, is about;in no particualr order
feeling peace on the exit point.
satisfaction
confidence
relationships
exercise
being in the "great outdoors"
solitude
messing with gear
beautiful sunrises
and more...................................

be safe

kleggo

Kleggo,

I dig your list. It reminds me of the diversity of reasons people do this.

Michael

This saterday/sunday...Holland wil be hosting this countries first legal base-jumping 'contest'..

I think acceptence is going up a bit....but still...one false step and it's back to the stone-age...I think...

Hey Guys,
Getty, the worlds largest stock photo agency just picked up three of my BASE jumping images for potential advertising shots.

I get 50% of whatever they sell them for. They have access to a huge market of potential advertisers. One of the images is a beautiful shot of JT and Karina Hollekim holding hands while doing a gainer in Norway. I doubt they would have gone to the trouble to find me and ask for model releases if they didn't think the shot has potential as an advertising image.

Like it says on my website...For those who don't already know, BASE jumping is the next "big Thing."

I just didn't know that it was other BASE jumpers who didn't know that.

What's the harm in thinking big?

-jimmy

I think you guys are totally misinterpreting skyglider's vision.

littlestranger, skyglider is not talking about marketing to BASE and the BASE community. It's about using the excitement of BASE jumping in advertisements for other goods to catch people's interest.

sabre210 and many others, it's not about selling out hopes and dreams, it's about accomplishing something that a number of people are putting a great deal of effort into which is improving the public's perception of BASE and possibly regaining access to many of the best exit points in the US and elsewhere.

I would love to go to Yosemite and make some jumps without the risk of getting arrested. If companies using BASE jumping footage to attract customers' attention enables non-jumpers to see the beauty of a jump gone well and thereby get behind the legalization effort, all the better.

The person who jumped for the video is no different than most of the video out today. A single commercial would surely pay a great deal more than all the revenue from all the Triax videos combined. I don't see that as a bad thing.

I don't think the release of Radix, Continuum, Thread the Needle, etc. has taken from BASE. It may have made it less underground which may remove some of the aura of the endeavor, but I'm not in it for the aura.

Publicity probably makes it look easier and less dangerous than it really is, but perception and facts often vary greatly.

WORD.

I understand this, I guess what I was trying to say (apparently not very successfully ) was that before a marketing firm is going to use a BASE image in a commercial...BASE will have to become more universally accepted by the masses (the BASE community itself just isn't big enough).

Skydiving is only now bridging that gap, I see more skydiving images today than ever, just don't think BASE is there yet.

 

As with every sport there have always been those who participate in the capacity as hobbyists and those who manage to support themselves.

My lifestyle doesn't require much, but if I can get what I need to survive through participation in the sports that I love: skydiving and BASE jumping, then I'm gonna go for it.

If Visa wants a shot of BASE jumping bewcause it'll look great in an outdoor magazine and will generate cash flow, then absolutely they can liscence a picture from me.

I personally don't sell any products other than $20 videos, but shot of BASE jumping, I believe, have huge potential in the advertising world.

Without changing the subject tree, tell me what's wrong with that?

I think that the divide is this:

Those who see themselves as "professionals" feel that they have to make money in the sport, and so they have to commercialize it to whatever extent.

Those who make their money in other ways (the folks Jimmy refers to as "hobbyists") view BASE as a much larger, and potentially more spiritual, experience. To them, commercialization of any extent smacks of prostituting the experience for short term gain.

I think that each of these groups probably sees themselves as the "real" BASE jumpers, and the others as "not committed" enough, or some such.

The first group is thinking "if you really cared about BASE as much as I do, you'd quit your day job and jump all the time."

The second group is thinking "if you really cared about BASE as much as I do, you'd do whatever it took--even getting a job--to maintain the spirituality of the experience."

 

Tree,
you didn't change the subject, but you didn't answer my question either.

Tom,
I've never said anything about a separation between real, or spiritual BASE jumpers or anything like that. We're all real people and we're all real BASE jumpers.

In my opinion, you guys are the ones splitting us up into groups:

Those who are "doing something good" for BASE and those who are trying to defile your virgin duaghter.

Here's the split as I see it. People who know what BASE jumping is and those who don't.

Five years ago, I never heard a word about BASE jumping from non-jumper customers coming to the DZ, now at least ten times a day on a Saturday while doing tandems, I hear, "have you ever done a BASE jump?" How is it that the general public is becoming increasingly aware that there is such a sport as BASE jumping? Because they are seeing it through the media. The other day, I was at Fry's checking out HD tv's. All the tv sets in the store were playing a constant loop of all kinds of "extreme sports" footage. Every tenth shot or so was a BASE jumper filmed in HD by a professional camera crew. Who would have thought anyone would ever pay a crew with $90,000 cameras to shoot BASE jumping in order to sell television sets?

And when it comes to Lodi, there's those of us who spend large amounts of time in dumpsters and those who don't. Those who don't are hobbyists.

Tree, when I sent you free copies of RADIX and Standard Issue, I was hoping to begin to build a relationship based on mutual respect if not identical ideas on the future of the sport or philosophies on how to pursue it. Silly me.

I'm really not trying to be confrontational here, and I am actually interested in discussing this. Please try to understand my thoughts and questions in that spirit.


I apologize then. I think I read something into what you said that wasn't there. I saw this sentence:

As drawing a dividing line.



Do you see an increase in the first group (people who know what BASE is) as a positive or a negative? Can you explain why you feel whichever way you do?


I think it was almost exactly seven years ago that I was a non-jumper customer coming to that DZ and asking about BASE...

 

Let's try to remind ourselves about how utterly irrelevant this forum becomes as soon as we're at the exit point, doing our countdown, ready to jump.

Three...
Two...
One...

CYA!

Isn't that what it's all about?

Competitions, marketing, media exposure, objects being burned, accidents, laws, getting busted, politics, the NPS, MTV and Ronald McDonald...

They all fade away. In the end it's all about hanging out with your friends.

Then again, I'm known for a having a little hippie inside me.

Come on, Tree, that's a cheap shot. I realize that Jimmy sort of started it, but I think Jaap has a point that a certain amount of calming down would be good for the discussion. Let's not let this degenerate into name calling.

For the record, I thought Radix was an excellent video. I showed it in my First Jump Course, and will likely continue to do so. Even if I don't have time to show the whole thing, Johnny Starter will definitely get fairly high billing.

I agree Tom,
this is an awesome subject, one very dear to me, and that's why I'm into it.

You're right the Hobbiest/Professional line was divisional, but not in the Real jumper vs. some other kind of jumper way. Just in the sense that I have a vested interest in the potential of BASE especially in the advertising market. Can you imagine a better job than that? I can't. In a nut shell that's why I want BASE jumping to become a well known and respected sport. With my college education, I'm not qualified to do much else than try to squeeze a living out of what I love.

But just let it be known that I will never accuse anyone of not being a real jumper or some such cuz that doesn't make sense.

I don't think this is a confrontational thread, it's positive.

Tree, remember, I'm in Nor Cal. One of the BASE meccas of the world and yes 10 people a day on a Saturday here ask me about BASE jumping. But that might be because I have a huge poster of a BASE jump above the couches where tandem passengers fill out the waivers. They stare at it and go "wow." I see the reaction the shot gets and I know the feeling it invokes. It's that reaction, from non-jumpers, that makes me believe in the future of BASE. How people get into the sport... that's a discussion for people who want to teach like Tom or Miles. I will never have an opinion on what's the "right" or "wrong" way to learn. Not my business.

So very true, I agree.


Didnt someone post a pic that said, "jump more bitch less?"

The first group is thinking "if you really cared about BASE as much as I do, you'd quit your day job and jump all the time."

My post actually wasn't about with what drives most people to do the sport. That is an entirely different post with an entirely different mode of expression. That sure would be a great post to write about.

My post was actually written with a select group of jumpers in mind now that I think about the BASE audience that I was focusing on the other night - the top BASE athletes and BASE photographers and those who’s passion in life is BASE. It was written with the thought that I strongly believe they can make a good living doing what they love because there will be a market for it. In so many other areas of life, there are so many people that are already taking up slots – there is so much competition in everything. The sport of BASE is so small and the number of dedicated athletes within the sport is even smaller. What a great place to be in when the on-slot of demand begins. How exciting to get the call from some adventure movie producer saying – “I hear you’re one of the best in the sport. How about helping me get a shot of…..” Talking about a commercial on my first post was saying that one day, it will could easily turn into that. But really I’m not talking about product placement, branding, or sponsorships. I think the exposure of the sport could easily begin with opportunities like, adventure video segments on cable and t.v., movie segments on the big screen, magazines articles, IMAX movies, NG,…. If James Cameron were to put millions of dollars into an adventure film and wanted to get a shot of BASE off Half Dome, he would stand a better chance to get a permit than the whole entire BASE community put together. Who do you think will get the call to do the jump? Would it be you? Would you want it to be you? Some jumpers would say “Hell yes!” - some wouldn’t. My post was written with the jumpers who immediately shout “HELL YES!!” Things like that are possible. Opportunities like that could bring more opportunities for more permits, more acceptance, more respect, and maybe even more changes in the laws. Unfortunately it seems to be the people with the money that usually make the biggest influences in the laws or within the local jurisdictions. If we can better the sport through that avenue, I see that as a good thing. I wasn’t supporting any sort of sell out of the sport. That by far was not what I was alluding to. It’s not about having more people join the sport - I want to see those already in the sport succeed and get a piece of the sky.

As far as my number of jumps, TheStump and Sewer210 – Trying to prove that my ideas are so far off because my BASE experience doesn’t likely compare to yours is kind of like me asking how short you guys are or how small your feet are to explain why you guys seem to know it all and carry such a poor attitude about other people. Is this forum really a court room where you two are the lawyers deciding who is the most credible witness on an opinion that has to do with BASE and you get to condemn those that don’t respond to your over-criticizing questions and comments? I wouldn’t want you to re-read the posts that I wrote given the fact that your time is valuable – and my posts are more like essays than posts - and you already “know” the intricacies of what I was trying to say at first glance, but with a different frame of reference - maybe even an open mind - you might interpret what I wrote a little differently at second glance….and then again maybe not.

I still say...stay inspired and stay safe.

edited to make post shorter and to add a face

 "still say...stay inspired and stay safe."

and we will.

the Vampire Bows...

Hi Skyglider,

I think most of us realize your posts are well-intentioned. In fact, myself being somebody that talks way too much, I quite enjoy reading your posts. It seems you've put thought into it.

That said, please try to understand that most people who have experienced the essence of base have a different opinion on some of the subjects you touch. What is the essence of base you wonder? In the words of the late Hunter S. Thompson:


That's why some of us think it matters whether or not you have done any base jumps. It may not sound fair, but it puts your thoughts in a different background.

Speaking for myself, I have definitely changed my opinion on a few things now that I have made some base jumps. Things I thought I was pretty sure of before I started.

And when some of us sound a little harsh when we ask whether or not you have made any base jumps, that's just because not everybody has the time to put his thoughts down as eloquently as yourself.

Some of us have jobs...

Speaking of which; I should really start shutting up more. Thanks Skyglider. Don't stop posting. You did start a thread that had some interesting discussion in it.

Wow, very mature. Perhaps if you'd seen sabre210 (Ian) toughing it out hiking out with a fractured ankle you'd think twice. This is a small community, if you were part of it you'd know better.

In the meantime maybe you and Jaap can have an extreme essay writing contest.

Oh dear, we've reached the name-calling a bit sooner than i expected.

You still evade the question. It's not an attack, it's not rude, it's not unfair, it's not pious, it's not condescending. It's a simple little question. Do you BASE jump?

I've tried to explain why I think it's relevent. I'm trying to get a grip on where you're coming from. Your feet analogy is just silly. It isn't the same at all and, deep down, you know it.

If i piped up in a thread that i thought BASE jumping should be punishable by a minimum 5 years imprisonment, you would want to know where i was approaching this from. To discover i was a building owner would throw a certain light onto my opinions. To discover i was the parent of a dead jumper might throw an entriely different, and I assume more sympathetic, light on the post. If you discovered I was an active jumper then you would no doubt be dumbfounded; Why would I hold such a view?

Surely you can see that your beliefs, your visions, your dreams make more sense when we understand the context in which they are set, and the mindset/personal experience of the person who makes them.

I know very little about the sport of Caving/pot-holing/spelunking. I could find a forum for the people who participate and start expounding my theories on where they should be taking their sport, and how I think they should advance their sport from being underground (forgive the pun), to an extreme youth driven, marketable and highly profitable leasure pursuit.
If i did so, i would expect them to ask me if i was a caver. That's not unfair. That's not them feeling superior. That's just a natural question to ask when you want to understand the context.

Would I place more value on your opinions if i found out you were a jumper? No! JimmyH seems to agree with you and if i'm honest i really don't completely agree with him on this matter - he's a BASE jumper - way way way more experienced than me. I respect that, but i don't have to agree with him, i don't have to see eye-to-eye on every issue with him. Did it stop me ordering his DVD. No! I bought it, i watched it, i thought there was some great stuff on it. Do i agree that flat and stable is dull? No. Do i agree that aerials are dull, no, and do i think jumps need to now be stunts to push the envelope. No. That's me, Jimmy's him, you're you. Fill yer boots. Go for it.

You state that your post is aimed at the top athletes, the photographers, the people with the passion for BASE, implying that this group would want to make a living - get something back from the sport financially. Well i'm no top athlete, I'm no top photographer but i have a passion for BASE which i think would be hard to top but easy to equal. I eat, breathe and shit BASE (forgive the cliche), from the moment i awake through to the moment i go back to bed. If i'm not jumping, i'm planning jumps, and if i'm not typing this shit, i'm checking weather forecasts and looking for new objects.

That's what i'm trying to tell you. For many.....in fact, for all the jumpers i know....the life consuming passion that is BASE isn't about getting it out there to a bigger audience. It isn't about jumping up and down and demanding people take note. In fact, the lower the profile of BASE, the better for most of us. The less people know, the more likelihood we'll get to sneak onto our objects and jump them. I don't care if people don't really understand why i do what i do. I have no desire to have my face on a kids packlunch box. I couldn't give a fuck if i never see an advert or an article on BASE in a mainstream programme on TV. I really hope I won't be able to walk into Urban Outfitters and see a t-shirt with "shut up and basejump" on it.

The more people become aware about what we do, the more they worry we'll sue them, the more they realise, "hey if basejumpers got onto my building then a terrorist/burglar/sniper/pervert could too, better install security cameras and put locks on doors".

That's why i think mainstreaming BASE isn't a great idea. That's why I disagree with you. That's why I asked you if you jumped. Because maybe - not definitely - just maybe, if you were a jumper; were someone who spent hours planning a jump off an object, or looking for objects to jump from , you'd appreciate that public awareness of what we do is actually one of the last things we want.

Money and the backing of a brand/corporation could buy you access to sites we could never get to jump as bandits. I understand that, but legal access isn't the be-all and end-all of BASE. Jumping is though, and on the whole we need LESS publicity to continue to do so, not MORE.

Nowhere in my posts have i resorted to name calling or flaming. I just diasgree on this issue. I have tried to articulate my open and honest views on why i feel the way i do.

Now, i must go. This is going nowhere fast and i feel i need to step aside and give you the last say. This thread has been a lot more interesting (for me anyway) than most which is why i responded. Your views are certainly your own, and i bow to that.

Call me cynical, but this guy doesn't BASE, and I'm starting to think he may not even skydive...sounds like a marketing guy conducting market research.

Anyone can fill out a profile.

Skyglider...why avoid the question? I haven't done my first BASE jump yet, but I've never felt any less a part of this group because of it...really it's OK.

They did not asked you about jump numbers, they (and some others as well) only want to know if you are a BASE Jumper or not. Why don't you want to answer this question?

How are you defining "top BASE jumpers/photographers" and "passion in life is BASE?"

It seems like you are assuming that the people who want to be on TV, do stunts for Red Bull, and sell photos to magazines are the "top" because they do this.

This is not the case.

Ever see Dwain Weston do an ad for Nike? So, you're saying he wasn't a "top BASE athlete"?

What about Jamie Boutwell abandoning everything in his life to move cross country so he could jump every day? His passion in life isn't BASE?

You are presuming your definition, I think.

This is not true. Not being a jumper would make it more likely that someone would have a skewed view of BASE. Their views would be more formed by what they saw on TV or in videos, and less by what's really going on in the BASE world.

I see this from new jumpers all the time. "But person XXX must be the best jumper on earth--I see him in all the videos." It's a bit like saying "but my friend brought home a video of his tandem jump--they must have thought he was a great skydiver."

A smiley does not make a personal attack less insulting.

Consider this your only warning.

this is pure GOLD.......

I think it is clearly there. However, my perceptions are scewed. I'm very interested in BASE and therefore when I catch a glimpse of something pertaining to BASE I notice it.

I don't know if the rest of the masses do the same. It's clear the extreme sports following is rather large, but I'm not sure most people consider BASE a sport. The usual response I hear is "CRAZY". That's not always the best impression to leave an audience with from a marketing perspective.

Sometimes when I have friends over or go to my favorite pub for a beer I'll through in one of my skydiving/BASE videos and people are almost always enthralled. I was checking into a hotel yesterday and the bell hop saw my camera and asked if I had any footage. I pulled it out, turned it on, and the next thing I knew there were four people looking over my shoulder. So I believe the demand is there, but now the question is what to do with it; if anything.

There are people I see that I think are doing it wrong, ones that I think are doing it right, ones I think aren't doing anything, and ones I think don't want anything done. But what activities in your life do we not have these judgements about?

I'm not interested in making money from skydiving or BASE jumping. If someone asked me to jump off or out of something so they could get some footage for a commercial, and they would pay me to do it, I pretty sure I'd say yes. I don't run around with my latest video trying to get people to accept it or buy it, but that's just because I'm not interested in that, nothing more - nothing less. I also have no issues with people who are interested in that.

Some go a little overboard, but I'd bet that they go overboard with many things in their lives. It's just part of their personality. Who am I to judge them?

>>I have a huge poster of a BASE jump above the couches where tandem passengers fill out the waivers. <<

"Don't BASE jump at the Drop Zone . . ."

Another tried and true BASE saying going by the wayside?

NickD
BASE 194

 

Yup.

I can vouch for that....Look at Kenyon in Continuum...he looks like a very good base jumper but whats up with the line twists at every object in Europe....Thats some scary stuff...

Not saying anything bad about Kenyon, He is awsome on film and inspires me to do what he is doing sometime in the near future...but thats my opinion..and i have never done a base jump so there you go skyglider...it s a outside opinion...

I am quite disgusted at what I have read.

It appears that while I've been away enjoying the aftermath of my lobotomy that the BASE community has turned tail away from the renegade path of the bunch I once knew and loved and turned into a collection of 8th grade essay writers.

I hope I'm misreading the vibe and that the reason your half-assed attempts at reactive diatribe are so absolutely, utterly and, quite honestly, intolerably dull is because you are hopelessly, uncontrollably, completely and happily stoned on high grade smack.

I've recently had time to reflect on this, our (and that's a selective "our" I'm using. You know if you're not included. You know because you don't feel BASE. You don't feel it cus you ain't done it. You're full of shit and you know it. There's a word for you. It's troll. You lurk and catch the lingo and then, in between bouts of squeezing adolescent acne from above the line of your dark, almost pubic unibrow you find amusement in unloading mid-term quality intellectual assertions in the hope that the high-end laptop that your dismally inadequate parents bought you as a surrogate for a first sexual experience will bring you a step closer to genuine human interaction. Who knows...you may even meet a real chick on line and get to slap nasties some time before you lose sight of that pathetic attempt to grow a reproductive organ which, to this day you could swear looks like Billy Joel munching his way out of a ripe pumpkin. When you piss, you still get your pubes wet. Shouldn't it have cleared them by now? It's not like they're really long it's just that without looking at a picture of Rosey O'Donnell it seems to point more sideways than outwards!!!) sacred and hallowed art and it's exponents. My conclusion was a happy one. You're all nuts. It's that simple.

Now, imagine a world where that condition is considered virtuous. Oh sorry. I forgot. You already are. You think this is rad and hip and EXTREME and groovy and swell and fuck me...what is life like on your planet?

When everyone else thinks differently YOU are the freak. That's not a good thing. You need to be locked up before you hurt someone. I heard of a guy who once trod on a cactus and got it stuck on his shoe. It didn't hurt him but it stuck in and in a attempt to remove it he tried to kick it off and flipped it up into his face where it pierced his lower lip. The cactus was about 2 feet long so he ran around the desert like a bipedal pachyderm (that's a two footed elephant you ignorant cunt) wailing and pissing and whining and generally looking pretty odd. There's no moral behind that. It's just a cool story that I like to tell people.

Anyway...If you take a serious look at BASE jumpers (real BASE jumpers) they are not about jumping off things. Things can be jumped off of without a parachute and you can do it much closer to home than TF and Moab. They are about human experiences. They are the ones among the population that truely value the feeling that being really alive and conscious brings. They have figured out their smack / coke / MDMA / Rosey O'Donnell pictures and (other than smack / coke / Rosey going ass to ass with Oprah Winfrey) their values are extremely pure and well defined in their own minds. Perhaps not clearly articulated in words but felt internally with laser precision.

There has always been much bull around BASE. There always will be. High fatality rate activities will promote consumer items as well as athletes sporting reefer (remember poor Jeff Emig?). I know we like it. I know you'd like to like it (but you've never tried it. You want it like Gary Coleman would like to rub chicken fat into the buttocks of the Reverend Jessie Jackson while he systematically licks the residues of Renne Zelweger's tractions from Donald Trumps hair) I know it must seem cool. It just isn't. It's spiritual, personal and frankly kinda odd. It's just falling off stuff. It don't make any more sense than that.

Are you feelin' me? Of course not...you're a twat.

I know I replied to Tree's post but this isn't directed at him. I may be high and have had part of my brain removed to allow me to continue to function in this limited incarcerated society but I'm not so stupid to as to insult a man who is 11' 4" and has to deal with the pain of emasculation with each passing day.

In summary, this is getting boring. When the entertainment is gone there's nothing more than Bloggin going on here. Computer geekedness.
If you wanna learn then ask questions. Technical questions. Knowing how a market will react to this phenomenon will not stop your asshole exiting your cranium when you get it wrong. There's little pride when things get elemental.

Be a man. Wise up. 'Fess up or fuck off.

I will now log in as Tom Aiello and delete this post.

Skinflicka,

I've searched for a bit, but I completely miss the sarcasm, the bitterness and the joke that your usual posts contain. Please, just to humour us, write another post with a snappy one-liner. Otherwise some of us might begin to think you're occasionally making sense.

And it scares the hell out of me...

Damn that was a good post Skin!!!



Just reading along and then oh gee, whats this load of crap asserted as if its true.
No. What a ridiculous thing to say. BASE jumpers who make a living in the sport of BASE do so because they love it that much. There is no divide there.
If there is a divide, surely it is between people who think like that and those who dont.

And then once in a while you get someone who hasnt even BASE jumped posting his opinion in every thread about how things should be in BASE.

Sometimes you just wanna puke.

Now that is how you write an 8th grade essay.

Michael

My reality is very small, but this is where I was coming from as lame as it may be -
The only reason I started posting on this forum is truly because I miss my best friend who is no longer around to talk with about something that he was always so passionate about which in turn became a passion of mine through his enthusiasm, love, and dedication to the sport. Over the last three years my connection to the BASE world was through him and those people that he jumped with on a regular basis. His experience with BASE spanned a decade - lots of stories, lots of dreams, lots of losses, lots of lawsuits, lots of characters, lots of sites, lots of blood, lots of friends, lots of beer, lots of laughter, and lots of love. In my heart of hearts I didn’t want to say that I never BASE jumped because to me it made me feel even more disconnected. I know that the sport still has a big part of my heart even without him here to share it. I guess I wanted to connect with the BASE community – the people that we used to talk about – to get some laughs and learn new things and to find out anything new about BASE. I wanted to read about the latest and greatest in the BASE world. I can’t talk about a lot of things about BASE, but the things I did talk about I thought were okay to put out there. My level of experience begins and ends with ground crew. I’ve never done a BASE jump. I know that my experience with BASE is unlike all of yours. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I don’t understand the heart of a BASE jumper, because I did.

Ian and Tree, I apologize for the ridiculous ending of my last point. Of course anyone named Tree isn’t going to be short and as much crap as you guys give people you would likely have to have a lot of experience behind you.

All in all, I wasn’t trying to piss anyone off, I was just trying to say something close to - if live your dream and you put your heart, mind, and soul into something that you love – there will always be a reward – whether or not it’s finding peace at the exit point or finding a way to make a living – just so you find happiness doing what you love - to believe in big things because big things are possible.

Skinflica – I first stopped reading your post when you called me a troll – I went back and read more until you called me an ignorant cunt – and just now I did go back to it one last time to finish what you had to say. My reply to your post it that I would never want to be a man especially when guys can be as cruel as you. You could have stopped reading what I wrote after the first sentence.

Although fun at first, I can see how ignorant I was to reach out in the way that I did. I'm a bit tired and a bit embarassed, so goodnight.

To those of you that sent me kind PM's and replies - your words made this worth it. It reminded me like I was with old friends again.

This still holds true in what I wish for all of you….Stay safe and stay inspired.

Ah shit. Now you're making me feel bad.

None of that post was supposed to be focused on any individual. It was an attack at the caricature of the lurking troll.

Please don't take my posts (too) seriously unless I mean it (hee hee).

Skyglider, please accept my sincere apology as I grovel on bended-knee with genuine humility in front of my peers. The burdon of that post was not intended to be shouldered by you alone. The name-calling is de rigeur for my work but had I realized the deflating effect it would have on you I would certainly have refrained. Had I been smart enough to realize you were a lady before my drunken rantings took over I would certainly not have afforded my scribblings the opportunity to associate you or any other lady with the 'C' word ('cept O'Donnell).
I feel wretched. I deserve to be taken asside and have my nether regions fettled with a blunt instrument.

Sorry.

skyglider,
Just so you know, my post was not directed at you at all. I read Skins post as being directed at the general state of affair around here lately.

Also, I had no problem with your original post.

 

Have you considered jumping as a way to feel closer to him?

It's not because of a BASE tragedy that my best friend isn't here with me. To me it doesn’t change the fact that he’s not here. I wasn’t sure if it mattered, but I didn’t want anyone to misunderstand. I did not intend to bring up anything personal on this forum. I actually was pretty excited thinking about BASE jumping. It’s been on my mind a lot lately for some reason – probably the nice weather.

Thank you for all of your kind words. Thank you for sharing your perspective on what I was thinking about. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the variety of posts on this thread and seeing how many talented BASE jumpers responded. It was very interesting - every post shedding a new light. It helped pass some time too which is cool and I learned more about BASE.

Great falls and soft landings….and to all…a goodnight...


*edited for spelling*

For what it is worth, there are many Base jumpers that don't even come near the board....

Please know that I see the ignorance in my original post. I shouldn't have talked about the public exposure of a such a personal experience that you hold so dear to your heart, especially when exposure would take away what you love most about the sport. There are a lot of things out there that people don't know about and really don't need to know - secret societies and such - just because something's incredible and magical - it doesn't necessarily mean that the world should be included and if they were it would be a "good thing". I do understand that. At the time of my first post, I was planning my trip to So Cal this summer where I'll be staying with a girlfriend who lives at the ranch of a well known movie producer. Although he's mostly into underwater shots, I bet he'd love seeing some footage of BASE....dreaming again. I have yet to meet him.

It won't happen again.

There's alot of love in this forum

Did you do a search for the key word: "love" and this popped up? /no pun intented/

No - just giving Skin some grief for showing that he may actually have a soft side

No-one does sarcasm like the BASE Zone

OK, so i'm in major "I don't wanna study, let's procrastinate mode"

The BASE Zone has 1.735% of all DZ.com posts but only 1.271% of all the references to "love". So, in an objective sense, there may not be that much "love" in the BASE Zone after all.

Nope, not him. It was just a ploy to get a free whipping.