Wear Protection...
Hey, Abbie and I owe Skyflyingbecca an apology. Her post in isolation was not a bad post perse. The reason we overreacted was because it was the umptieth time we see BASE jumpers make poor decisions when it comes to protection.
I don't care if somebody with several hundred BASE jumps and a double digit number of objects decides to jump without a helmet. They have paid their dues...
However, as low-timers we have a duty to try and stay injury free for as long as possible. Remember that when you're just starting out in the sport (like I am today) we're only guests in territory of the long time jumpers that have gone before us. We owe it to them to play the game as safe as we can.
Every time one of us gets hurt, the image of the sport gets hurt. We complain that our family members don't understand. We bitch that we can't jump illegally in the National Parks. We weep when our brethren break a leg of fracture a skull. We bring it on ourselves. Protection is no silver bullet, but it does help. And it doesn't just help you, it helps the sport.
And; when somebody ends up breaking his leg or hurting his face despite wearing protection, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. When somebody doesn't break his leg or doesn't hurt his face despite wearing protection, you just don't hear about it!
This bridge day I was standing in line for my first jump. I was wearing my shin- and knee-guards, body-armor and full-face helmet. Several people started laughing at me in a joking kind of way; asking if I was headed to a jousting contest later.
I was about to do my 76th BASE jump of my 15th object. They were about to do their first. Who can laugh now?
Skyflyingbecca; sorry for being a jerk. I hope you'll get some proper boots, and I'm looking forward to jumping with you some day...
