Basejumper.com - archive

My name is Ryan Clough i moved down to florida about 3 months ago from Atlanta i have about 1700+ jumps skydiving.I have about 20+ base jumps i want some one to jump with so if you are in Florida and you are a base jumper give me a call i don`t jump by myself i like to jump with other people it is safe and more fun that way so give me a call i am jumping this weekend.
#770-900-2521

I just couldn't let the above pass without some mention. While it seems "normal" and the right thing to do, and while Ryan sounds like a great fellow who'd be fun to jump with, I swear I thought the last line was going to be, "And I like movies and skydiving on the weekends."

I'm sure Ryan will find a partner in crime and all will be well, but it's kind of remarkable (in hindsight) that BASE has come this far . . . It used to be there was one "go to guy" in each state. You'd roll into town and bang on his door. And that assured him he could do the same to you. It was harder for newbies. There were more jumpers than that in each state, but most were underground types, and the term "mentor" is not invented yet, so there were even fewer willing to help or guide beginners.

In fact there was a time when I recall thinking about someone, "Man, this fellow should be teaching BASE, and he isn't." But, more times it was, "Man, this fellow shouldn't be teaching BASE, and he is." In the mid-80s instructing BASE was a ballsy thing to do. Even then, ten or so years into the sport's existence, we knew how much we didn't know. Today people walk down from objects due to winds or other practical factors. In yesteryear it was perfectly acceptable to come down in perfect conditions with, "I don't know why I walked down, there was just something."

I think most who survived the early days had this "danger sense" and I can only guess it was we knew sub-consciously we were lacking, especially on the equipment side. Maybe you had a pack job that seriously needed a tailgate, but tailgates were still years away. Or maybe this was to be your first 180 and object strike and in about 4-seconds you're going to be wishing hard for the vents that weren't yet available. But, in either case, you knew something was wrong.

There will always be a need for that danger sense, no matter how good we get at BASE, but nowadays, I only walk down when it’s too windy or I just plain chicken out . . .

NickD
BASE 194

Its not called chickening out in my book. It takes a bigger "man" to climb down. We all know deep down inside when we each need to listen to that little dude in our heads and come down. It is the "man" inside that helps helps or hinders us.

I am not scared to climb down i have done it many of times.I had friends that helped me out like noah Bahnson,miles dasher,johnny utah,jimmy halliday.I went to the Perrine and did 14 jumps with johnny and miles D.They helped me alout.I just moved down here and i just want someone to call up a say hay there is a bad ass tower ,or a nice crane to jump and then hook up and jump the shit out of it.Because i don't jump alone.I just want to jump more.I have one friend down here visiting me we are jumping saterday then he is leaveing for Itily next week so there goes my jumping budy.I want someone to jump with and probly help me in a few things that is all.