Basejumper.com - archive

 

And vice versa.

If you read the thread in General Skydiving, you can see that there are some pretty offensive things being said about BASE jumpers in general. Basically that we are all criminals who have no consideration for others.

Animosity works both ways, and it's a long hard road to overcome something with 25 years of history.

Yeah, I'm a skydiver AND a BASE jumper and I can't stand myself sometimes

 
Perhaps its abdication of individual thought combined with the blind acceptance of stereotypes and 3rd hand hearsay. Few people have an open mind to scrutinize and evaluate things for themselves, but rather just swallow and assimilate into whatever is told to them by the majority.

edit: this is just my guess. I see it all as parachuting, and enjoy both disciplines.

I've pondered this one, too. It was/is similar to the initial reactions to RW, CRW & VRW before they went mainstream. Although I'm not a real oldtimer, I can definitely feel the changes in attitudes over the years. Skydivers have accepted so much self-regulation in the name of safety and commercialization. It seems we have forgotten that our sport was originally unregulated in any form. In the past, we took up donations and presented untalented folks with a bowling ball and directions to the local alley. Today, we do a rejump. Some states actually banned parachuting of any kind to protect us from ourselves!
IMHO, BASE jumping has become the new outlet for those repressed feelings and desires for freedom from the rules that was embodied by the original skydivers. To quote a popular restaurant's advertising slogan, "No rules, just right." Nowadays, just about any jumper who engages in what is now considered reckless behavior (e.g., low pull, drinking and jumping, etc.) is ostrasized. Thirty-forty years ago, this was normal! Change is or isn't always good.

Just a thought...

 

Nick G. could chime in on some of the early days of base jumpers and skydivers trying to interact...sounded like trying to do a drug deal!

You have been very fortunate. I live on a large popular DZ, and I made the mistake of bringing up BASE in a conversation with other residents. And I got majorally flamed for it.
It got so bad that P.M., the bartender threatened to kick us out.

I've seen a lack of understanding:
toward belly flyers
toward free flyers
toward tandem jumpers
etc.
(you should have seen the belly and free flyers argue about which group should exit first!)

as for the differences between BASE and skydiving...
you can have a long, successful career skydiving and know nothing about gear, just follow the herd.

those traits will lead to a short BASE career.

All of you guys need to leave the RATS alone. hahaha.

I usally don't post much but I had to reply to this one.....Greenmachine has a legit point, I never got the anomosity, I've heard the bit about the different cultures etc.etc.etc that makes two different groups....but I don't buy it........skydivers say basejumpers are crazy......basejumpers say skydivers are pussies.......but to learn to base from experienced basejumpers you should have 200 or more skydives so your a skydiver before a basejumper and most skydivers that mouth off about base, aren't in skydiving except to tell people, Hey I'm a skydiver. So after all that rambling, I think technically, (even though I Hate the word) no matter how you look at it we are all Parachutists, we just jump from different things

Not true

Sometimes I'll skydive a tracking suit alone all day to get current on it for the night's BASE jump. Not once have I ever started to climb and thought, "Man, I've been such a pussy all day!"

not to pick on you mate.. but look at your posts a few years back

r.e. BASE Jumpers V Skydivers - it is both ways.

And it sucks. Both sports are great. They are different, There are similarities. They are what they are.

Why the arguments?

People!!!!

Insecurity, Ego, ignorance, narrowmindedness, brainwashed, fitting in with the crowd, opinionated without fact/reasoning/information, don't understand the other sport, they heard something they did not like and overreacted (Even though it was their fault), selfish, wanted to appear better and could only use the mouth to acheive that goal, etc.

Basically, because some people's attitudes in both sports stinks!!!!!!.

Sadly, the angst is about difference, it is not just about BASE v Skydiving. i.e RW v CRW, tandem v sports, etc.

Mac and Faber I apologize, that was the wrong thing to say......I've been called crazy by more than just skydivers, but I have to admit I've never been called a pussie or anything else by a basejumper, should have edited that line....

in reply to "Animosity .... Why?"

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I get the strong feeling that a large proportion of people who exhibit irrational hostility are the victims of abuse themselves and simply passing it on.

They don't know any better is my guess.