Basejumper.com - archive

Just wondering - how do you get a BASE number? Is it one jump of each object, or is it more? Where do you apply for it?

Look here.

Cheers !! for those too lazy to click ......

My wife Joy and I have now received the BASE number lists from Jean Boenish and we are issuing the numbers for BASE, Night BASE, and El Cap. You need to send us a real letter listing your 4 qualifying objects and the dates and times of each, especially the last one. If your qualifying jump is less than 4 weeks old, we will wait until it is about that old and issue you a number. We wait just to make sure someone didn't beat you by a few days but is slower in getting the information to us.
We ask for a $10. donation (not mandatory), and a self addressed stamped envelope if all you want is a paper card and the number. If you want a plastic credit card sized official card, it is a required fee of $5.00.
Send the stuff to Rick and Joy Harrison
7316 Houston Drive
Hitchcock, TX. 77563
If your qualifying jump is over 4 weeks old when we get your info, we will send you your number within 2 to 3 days. GOOD LUCK
Rick Harrison
Night Base 13

based upon these criteria wouldn't it be easy for someone to fabricate their jumps!

No harder than putting false data in your skydiving logbook. Anyone who does either is only harming themselves, bad karma is not a desirable thing.

What would be the point of fabricating your BASE numbers? So you can get your "D-license" for BASE quicker? Or so you can seem like the dumbass that claims he has 100 BASE jumps in something so inherently dangerous and not take advantage of the experienced BASE jumpers that would otherwise be willing to help you? Here is an idea, if you have 50 skydives, pencil-whip your skydive logbook so it says that you have 500+, and then try to impress everyone at the DZ with your Sabre 210, lack of swooping, no RW or freefly skills, and non-understanding of simple skydiving principals (even offer to help people with 50 jumps), but show them your "D-license" number!!!

Hello

My old base patch is getting frayed.

Are new ones availible?

Hutch base140

Try contacting Rick Harrison at Cliffleaper@aol.com.

He's the official BASE number keeper, and has plastic cards and such--I'm not sure about patches.

my point really wasn't about the fabrication issue. it was more alligned towards the fact that i thought it would be a more stringent process to acquire a base number than what it really is. i guess i had envisioned something more not that i was going to try and aquire my own base number without any experience whatsoever!

BASE is so much more a personal sport than skydiving that logging jumps you have not done and getting a BASE number you have not earned is only in fact cheating yourself..(i do not yet have a BASE number - so im in fact just a A S & O jumper)....... in fact the people who lie about their BASE experience are normally skydiving wannabes!

Be Safe Be Low

M

A lot of the process of getting a BASE number is historical. In 1980, when they started the whole thing, it was a huge deal to jump all four objects, even if they were your only four BASE jumps. Jumping a 400 foot building on a Racer with a round reserve was thought to be stringent enough.

Just listening to some of the old timers tell stories about those days makes me marvel that any of them actually survived long enough to get all four objects ("count to two, then pitch, and keep counting--when you get to six, fire the reserve, when you get to seven make sure your ground crew is there to carry you to the hospital.")

Thanx to those "psycho" pioneers, we're able to do what we do today "somewhat safely"...
Might this be the patch that was mentioned?
I personally started jumping too late to have received one from Jean Boenish, and got the "card" instead...The patch was given to me by one of the aforementioned "psychos" that was fortunate enough to have survived those days too...

By the way...
I didn't mean to sound ungrateful for the card...
Receiving that card, along with my BASE number was one of the greatest highlights of my life so far...The feeling of accomplishment in completing BASE far outshines most anything else that I've experienced. I must also add that every jump for me is an incredible experience in both a mental and physical way that I've never found skydiving.
A big thanx goes out to the Harrisons for all that they do and have done for BASE...your work is greatly appreciated, and should not go unmentioned.

Speaking of old timers...

How are you doing Hutch?

Spence

One of the above quotes is from the forum on BLiNC that Rick and Joy moderate:
http://www.blincmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forum/dcboard.cgi?az=list&forum=base_numbers&conf=blinc

There are dozens of different questions/answers that they have clarified over the past few years since they took over issuing BASE numbers.

They are both awsome people!

Hey Mick...
Thanx for givin' me credit for the "BASE patch" photo you posted on Blinc...

even 100 BASE jumps is not a lot. For that matter, 3-400 BASE jumps is not really a lot. Think of it this way; In skydiving, where you have 40+ seconds PER JUMP to hone your skills, after 3-400 jumps you are just REALLY starting to get it. Why would that learning curve be any different for BASE? Especially seeing as the majority of BASE jumps (excluding wingsuits) fall in the 0-6 second range. A false sense of security is NOT better than none at all. Please err on the conservative side. Maybe we can keep the fatalities in 2003 to 1.
In addition, I'd just like to point out a good general rule; Even if you have more than 1000 BASE jumps, don't ever be afraid to learn from someone with 5 jumps. Quite often you might find that even non-jumpers sometimes have vauable insight on your jumping.

Broadly speaking, I find that the more jumps folks have, the more open to other's BASE experience and wisdom they seem to be. I know very few 500+ jumpers who think they know it all. . . maybe it's just that BASE often reminds us of our knowledge shortcomings in brutal manner.

Peace,

D-d0g
ddog@wrinko.com
http://www.wrinko.com

Point taken...although I have met "high" (and low) numbered BASE jumpers who, judging by their actions and attitudes, had learned all there is to learn about BASE, and wouldn't even concieve that "their way" might not be the best.

Also, I was trying to point out that there are BASE jumpers out there who have "high" jump numbers, who don't realize how many times LUCK has kept them alive. The tendancy in BASE seems to be that when someone survives a jump, they did so because of skill. In all honesty, due mainly to technical advances in the sport with regards to equipment, packing methods, etc., most jumpers rarely get to use/practice their "skills." Your real BASE skills are the ones you use at a split second's notice, when you have to act or be smeared. Yeah, aerials and flying your canopy take skills, But I'm oversimplifying to make my point; You're (we're) not as good as we think we are, and when you do think you are that good, you're probably gonna get fucked up when your time comes.

.02 [but I'm willing to change ;)]

I agree...
I feel the same way about riding a street bike for any length of time, and feel that the following applies to BASE as well...as soon as you think you've got the bike (base) beat/mastered, it's gonna bite ya...

-704 aka; El Victimus Maximus

Good metaphor!

Though, again, I don't know any experienced (200+) BASE folks who really think all of their "close saves" has been skill and no luck. Maybe it's just my limited sample set, though I hope not. There aree plenty of times in BASE where the cards either go for or against us, and where skill is only margially relevant in determining eventual outcome. Anyone who has jumped a few hundred times (off enough different objects) surely must know that - I'd hope.

Note that this is not to downplay sharp skills. For every time in my BASE career (short as it is) that I feel luck has saved by fat ass, I can point to a time where good training (and good advice from my mentors and friends) and sharp responses saved my fat ass. I guess they go hand-in-glove: skill and luck. Though, as the old adage goes, I'll take luck over skill any day

I'd say all the above is true with street bikes. Anyone who has really played that game for a while surely must have had enough close calls to show the importance of blind luck. I mean, no matter how quick one's reflexes are, a raccoon in the road at 160+ mph is a death certificate. I once came so close to a deer at that speed that I felt the brush of hair on my leg. . .

Peace,

D-d0g
ddog@wrinko.com
http://www.wrinko.com

<sigh> my 2001 R1 was the only vice I had that I honestly feel was more dangerous than BASE. I gave it up as I started jumping alot, since statistically I just couldn't see surviving both simultaneously for any length of time. Though, taking the R1 out for a quick trip to our local A and back sure was a fun way to while away a couple of hours

Hey BASE Jumpers. This is Rick and Joy and we trust you. I doubt if very few people lie about getting a BASE number. That is one reason I like the letters, if something is really out of whack, we have e-mailed or written back for more info, but the numbers always have been on the honor system.
I like Tom's remarks about the old survival days. He is right, each jump seemed to be about survival more than worrying about a good landing. Glad things change.
Rick and Joy

Thanks Mick for the nice compliment. We keep the BASE numbers because it's important to us to keep it original. Thanks also for keeping a link on Blinc Magazine for people looking for the original BASE numbers. Your site has been great for BASE jumping. All you guys keep it up.
Rick and Joy Harrison
Cliffleaper@aol.com
Joyhgc1@aol.com

Hi Spense

I have not 'bee' here for a bit.

I am health and well, new kidney and all.

More important Iam a DaD

Sara katherine was born in december!

Hutch

hehe... pucker facktor?