Basejumper.com - archive

Hunting, ATV riding, bull fighting, rock climbing, and countless other sports are also highly dangerous. So why do BASE jumpers feel the need to proclaim things like:

BASE jumping is a highly dangerous sport that can easily injure and kill participants. Think long and hard before making a BASE jump. We do not recommend BASE jumping to anybody.

The above text is located on the front page of basejumper.com. I don't think BASE jumping is as dangerous as everyone believes. Are BASE jumpers simply trying to pump up their egos by telling themselves that BASE is the most dangerous sport in the world? Or are BASE jumpers trying to scare away some of the untalented newbies that might be considering a jump? Perhaps it's just a legal disclaimer?

I was watching ESPN's E:60 on Tuesday night when Tom's "Death Camp" episode aired. The segment started out with a discussion about BASE jumping by approximately six of the show's hosts. Several of the hosts were questioning our "sanity" and talking about how extremely dangerous BASE jumping is. To be honest, I felt a bit uncomfortable about myself after listening to their misconceptions. I also wondered if my family secretly shared some of their negative viewpoints about jumpers. Do many people really think we're nuts? After questioning why so many people think BASE jumping is extremely dangerous, I came up with the following factors:

1) People fear what they do not know
2) People equate falling with death
3) People know only what they see on TV (negative BASE stories, accidents, rescues)
4) BASE jumpers also feed the fire through the overuse of the word "death", as well as proclaiming the sport to be "highly dangerous".

For those who'd like to jump at more legal sites in the future, I can only surmise that it would benefit us to focus on the above factors. If we close the door on the black death mentality, we'll probably find that many new doors will be opened to us.

I still think it is a highly dangerous sport.

The waves have to be real big before I think about death on the paddle out, yet I am nervous before every BASE jump.

I am dreading the day my daughter asks me to help her get into BASE jumping, yet I am doing every thing I can to get her into surfing.

I don't think we should bullshit ourselves into thinking anything else. To me it is highly dangerous and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody... If you are a jumper on the other hand, hell, wanna do a 2 way?

I Made my first jump for 20 years ago! Since then 28 jumpers I have met, or I was friends with, are dead! I dont find that natural for other activities!

Base jumping can be made safe, but the nature of the jumpers without rules and regulation, make it easy to push the limit to far to often.

When that is said, It should also be selfregulated in areas there is no harm to the site or comunity!

I would say that BASE jumping is every bit as dangerous as WE make it out to be.

I would say it is MUCH safer than what whuffos make it out to be.

I agree with you that the ESPN E:60 segment was a little on the dark side - but then again I believe we have a dark side to speak of. The commentator who "represented" us at the table wasn't even present during the week long filming. Michael Abrams, who did the online story, was the man with us for 12 hours a day / 7 days a week. He took an active interest and I believe represented us well. Sure, I would've like to have seen them talk about how this is a bonafide sport and the enlightenment an individual gains when they're pushing their own comfort levels doing something they love. But that would've required a lot more work and wouldn't been the "fast and easy route" of what they chose to discuss. As for the possibility of BASE Jumpers boosting their egos by touting how dangerous their sport is - I find this to be a highly unfair statement. I believe these BASE Jumpers are jumping on BASE Jumping's terms and not trying to create their own softer illusion just so they can have the nerve to jump. I see this a lot when jumpers minimize or rationalize why a BASE Jumper died or got broken. I don't know - is it fair to say that these jumpers don't possess the mental toughness to jump on BASE Jumping's terms? I don't know, just a thought.

Jamie

Most people think ya'll are wacked out. Definitely. Of course, most people can't imagine a life beyond a job, or the "american dream", and they probably dream about being naked at a corporate meeting or eating a squid sandwich.

Most people are also morons. Not to say jumpers can't be morons, just saying...don't take what other people say to heart. Most of them are too focused on living long, boring, dull-gray lives to even contemplate doing something extraordinary.

P.S. If BASE were safe, it would be figure skating.

A few thoughts on mass media portrayals of BASE

Recent Media Portrayals of my Courses

I am saddened by the number of people who’ve seen some report in the mass media and then decided that I am all about death. Please remember that we are talking about perhaps 30 or 45 minutes worth of discussion and exercise out of something like 48 to 75 hours of course time.

Do I wish that some of the media portrayals I’ve seen in the past few months had come out differently? Sure.

I’d rather not have seen the word “die” headlining the ESPN.com article. I thought the “parachuting death” graphic on E:60 was comic in it’s horribleness (in fact, I actually laughed aloud at how ridiculous it was, the first time I saw it). I thought the Washington Post’s description of ribs puncturing lungs was both absurdly sensationalist and totally irresponsible.

I wish that someone, somewhere, had picked up on the fact that there was a real training progression going on and reported on the step-by-step methodical nature of it, rather than keying in on the flashy bits they wanted to talk about.

Unfortunately, I’m not in control of those media expressions. The professionals in the media do that. All I can do is talk to them and express my views, and try to convey what I think is important.




My Priorities

Please know where I am coming from, and how my priorities may differ from those of other jumpers.

My personal priority is the training and preparation of new BASE jumpers. Expanding access is a secondary priority. The public image of BASE jumpers is only of tertiary importance to me.

Given that this is my priority (and I believe it should be), I feel that an honest discussion of risks, along with a discussion of the impact on others is not only appropriate, but mandatory. I will not gloss over or candy coat any of the downside. That would not prepare my students for the realities of their chosen activity, and that preparation is my primary responsibility as an instructor.



Public Perception of BASE “Safety”

For a long time, it seems like we’ve chased this holy grail of making BASE seem “safe” to the general public, and to the media.


What has this done?


We’re misleading potential and new participants.

This Fall, I’ve seen a new jumper attempt his first aerial on his 3rd day of jumping (and botch it), a “student” BASE jumper with 17 skydives making his 3rd BASE jump—at night (from a legal site that can easily be jumped during the day), and a student jumper attempt a gainer on his 4th BASE jump (the bridle wrapped around his leg and towed for about a second before clearing). I also had a first time jumper tell me that BASE was no more dangerous than the skydives (all 11 of them) that he’d made.

In many cases, new and prospective BASE jumpers’ primary exposure to BASE is through the mass media (especially, and a bit disturbingly, YouTube). Many of these portrayals, especially a fair bit of the self-glorification we serve up in YouTube, pushes the image that BASE jumpers are supermen who can do anything, and that BASE itself isn’t really all that risky. Hearing experienced jumpers say that BASE is actually quite safe only reinforces this—and makes beginners feel even more bulletproof (and hence more likely to be hurt).

This is also why I’ve personally let some media folks inside my courses. I’m trying to reach out to those prospective new jumpers before I see them out at the bridge, getting tossed off by their cool new friend, without ever having flown a canopy.

Our traditional inflow of new jumpers (historically, from skydiving) has changed dramatically. Nowadays, if you want to make a BASE jump, just find yourself a skier, rock climber or paraglider pilot. They won’t make you bother with any of that skydiving stuff. We need to find ways to reach out to these prospective new jumpers before that happens, to help guide them. When your first contact is with a jumper who tells you that BASE is easy and safe, and he can take you this afternoon, you approach the sport in an entirely different (and more reckless) manner than someone whose first contact is with an experienced jumper warning them of the dangers.


We Are Positioning Ourselves on the Losing Side of an Argument

We have erected a straw man for anyone to knock down. It’s easy to demonstrate, both statistically and viscerally, that BASE isn’t safe. By trying to convince people that it is, we’re setting ourselves up on the losing side of the argument. It’s an argument we shouldn’t even be having.

If we found access efforts on this perception of general safety, every single accident, from a fatality right down to a sprained toe, undermines those efforts. Every time there’s an accident, someone in authority is going to ask “isn’t this dangerous?” And every time we sit down with land managers, someone at the meeting is going to drag out a list of BASE accidents as a reason to deny us.


We also tend to look like we’re either lying, or in denial. It’s obvious that BASE involves personal risk. It’s obvious that there are accidents. Trying to deny this makes us look like we’re covering things up. Is this the image we want to convey? Are we naughty children trying to hide things from their parents? Or are we responsible adults who’ve consciously accepted some risks in the course of our recreation?

I had a funny experience a while ago when a spine surgeon here in Twin Falls asked after the health of one of his former patients—a jumper who publicly claimed that he was unhurt after an incident here. Odd, then, that our only spine surgeon had treated him, isn’t it? Don’t things like that make us look just a tad dishonest, and perhaps immature?




What’s a better approach?

We ought to be sending out two messages:

First, that BASE may be dangerous, but that we, as adults, have every right to participate in dangerous activities of our own choosing. We recognize the risks, and we have chosen to take them. That is our right.

Second, that we responsibly evaluate the risks, and that we take appropriate steps to minimize their impact on others. That we have prepared our families for the risks we take, that we have adequate insurance and financial preparation, and that neither ourselves nor our families will become a burden on others should we be hurt or killed.

Have you ever heard a motorcyclist’s group argue that riding a motorcycle is just as safe as driving a car? Or that wearing a helmet doesn’t reduce head injuries? No. Why not? Because those are losing arguments and they know it. Their argument is not that motorcycles are safe—it’s that they are adults who have a right to take risks in pursuit of their own happiness. Why have BASE jumpers become so side tracked in these issues about general safety statistics?

We are adults. As adults we have the right to take risks, and we do so in an adult manner. This is the message we should be conveying.



What will this do?

First, it will introduce us to land managers and other authorities as adults. We’re not young punks who don’t care about safety—we’re grown ups who know what we are doing, care about the impact on others, and make rational decisions based on risk reward analysis. We prepare for, and minimize our impact on others. That means that we’re the kind of responsible people they want enjoying their lands, rather than the dangerous riff raff who end up populating their jails.

Second, it will encourage a more responsible attitude amongst new (and more experienced) BASE jumpers, which will decrease the accident rate, thereby helping those who wish to “win” the never ending debate about safety. Want to convince land managers that BASE is “safe”? I suggest you start by actually reducing the incident rate. If you want to sell this safety issue (and personally, I think that’s a huge mistake), start by working to make BASE jumpers safer. It’s going to be much easier to sell that position if the facts support it—and right now they frankly do not.


Oh, and because I’d rather these thoughts be talked about by jumpers—and not the media, I’m going to duplicate Jason’s disclaimer:

©2007 Snake River BASE. Unauthorized Duplication Prohibited.

Agreed.

What do we expect? we have talked about this tons. for pages and pages, the public perception of BASE.

we are fucking jumping off of shit with a magic backpack that does not always work right. we know that, and the public knows that. We are doing it, for the most part, as safely as we can. THE PUBLIC DOES -NOT WANT- TO KNOW THAT. the people of the world, civilians, whuffos, robots, would RATHER hear about us being crazy. it is what sells. DUR.
OF COURSE they fixated on the part of toms course where he talks about death and writing letters and shit. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?

i remember at 15 years old having to comfort my mom because she was worried about me ROCK CLIMBING. WTF?

I have been saying it for years.

Hopeless.

I totally agree with you post. We need to let the general public know that BASE isnt that dangerous ounce you have gained the experience and skill to make quick decisions in the base environment. this is the only way we are going to be able to have more invitation base exhibition witch the public love to watch. base jumping in certain places i think is safer than skiing. i used to think base was some super black death sport but now if i know you well and know you have good decision making skill in a high pressure situation i have no problem letting you use my rig and send it off a bridge.

So now you've been jumping for a little while. How long, exactly? I remember you scared to death trying to do your first TARD here earlier in the summer.

And now you're comfortable loaning your rig out so that people can deathcamp themselves off the bridge.

Sounds like you're making my point for me.

Great post, Tom, which is one of the reasons why I've asked you to teach Bridge Day FJC's for several years now. The main focus of my original post was not about Tom's FJC, but about reducing the black death attitudes in hopes of opening new sites and reducing the number of times we look like fools.

No one is saying BASE is safe. BASE jumping IS dangerous. But some jumpers and websites drown themselves in morbidity and I feel that is counterproductive to the future of BASE jumping. If you're content with sneaking around on illegal objects at night, then by all means grab your skull and bones rig and scream "it's suicide without the commitment" just before you jump.

Don't underestimate the IQ of the human race. A lack of "BASE jumping is dangerous" newspaper articles won't result in an influx of new jumpers. For example, I don't have to be told that bull riding is dangerous to know that it's dangerous.

Ultimately, experienced BASE jumpers are in control over who enters our sport. BASE manufacturers screen new clients, FJC instructors check for skydiving experience, and mentors will always feel compelled to follow the unwritten rules of our small sport. The promotion of BASE as less dangerous than previously thought won't turn the sport into an amusement ride, rather, it will offer more legitimacy.

PS: Who is mentoring people with 11 and 17 skydives? What kind of jumper attempts a gainer on his 4th BASE jump? So much for the "self-policing" aspect of BASE.....

Most of us have known plenty of people of surpassing experience and skill, who have nevertheless died BASE jumping. Some of them weren't even pushing their limits when they died.

Someone once said, before you get into BASE, you need to take a good look at the fatality list, and ask yourself what makes you think you won't wind up on that list. Most of the people who are on the list thought the exact same thing, and nevertheless wound up on it.

We all have a place on the BASE fatality list. It's just a matter of whether we quit, or die some other way, before our number comes up.

Michael

In my Hotmail address book I have still the
names of 5 dead friends, just can't bring
myself to delete them. Who knows, maybe
one day they'll send me a forward from the
other side.

Anyways, 1 died riding a motorcycle, 2 killed
themselves by suicide (1 with a shotgun and
the other with a plane), one was stabbed, but
only one died while jumping and it was a skydive
were someone else killed him (Bob Holler).

I personally think that the old school progression
had it right, which means to me that you go out
and do a shitload of skydives till you can be in
freefall doing your thing while farting.

Then and only then do you think you are ready
to huck yourself off of a fixed obkject with one
roll of the dice.

As for throwing flippy-dos when you are in single
digit BASE jumps, well as "Fight Club" taught us
we all decide our own level of involvement.

I personally want to live longe enough to earn
a BASE number and then some, so I'll wait on
doing things that I can probably do but I am
not ready to do.

Lastly, I think I am the only BASE jumper on
the planet who is scared or willing to admit
he is scared. Oh well, I've been weird my
whole life, why change at 35

off topic but I get the same thing with Jean-Marc Mouligne. When sending group Emails I get that split second hesitation, but for some reason I can't bring myself to deleting his name from my address book...

i live in hawaii, the north shore of oahu, where i have seen 13 year old kids paddle into waimea bay and pipeline, as if its a standard thing - which it is, at 20 feet and pumping. big wave surfing, rock climbing, mountain climbing - are very dangerous activities. BASE is a dangerous sport, just like the next. i am thankful though that there are people like tom out there who are willing to dedicate themselves to people who are curious about this activity. any fool can jump off a fixed object. at least some education could potentially extend this chosen activity for a while.I personally think that the old school progression
had it right, which means to me that you go out
and do a shitload of skydives till you can be in
freefall doing your thing while farting.

Then and only then do you think you are ready
to huck yourself off of a fixed obkject with one
roll of the dice.

i totally fucked up that quote thing. but you guys get my point............

I think we are all scared, at least to some extent. Its the checks and balances...

Base428,

Thanks for your post!

I do feel that statement is ego stroking and hypocritical… That statement advertises “look at me I’m stupid and I think you think I’m cool because I’m brave enough to tell you how dangerous my sport is”.

The other two sayings I hate hearing from BASE jumpers are:
• At exit point and someone says “be safe…”
• The comment “be safe out there, we’ve lost too many”, after someone has just burned in from BASE jumping.

My response to the above two statements is “NO SHIT!!! I wasted an hour packing my parachute so that I can die carelessly…” But most of the time I just smile and say in my head “what a stupid statement”…

Michael

Good thoughts, Tom.

I'll believe it when I see it. For teenagers that young to surf 20' pipe or waimea is definitely not a standard thing, besides I don't think pipe can handle 20' swells, it starts closing out doesn't it?


... and get away with it. That's what makes our sport so dodgy also. It's pretty safe till something goes wrong... Could it be hopeless?

Great topic!

My 2 cents below: (From basejump.org FAQ)


Question - How dangerous is it?

Answer - B.A.S.E. jumping is as safe or as dangerous as any other activity humans participate in.

In fact for the reasons I will outline one could argue that B.A.S.E. jumping is inherently safe!

Any activity, to be safely conducted, requires that the participant:

1. has received sufficient:

* information,
* instruction,
* training and
* supervision.

2. Participates in the activity at a venue that is:

* graded, and
* within the demonstrated ability of the participant.

3. Uses only B.A.S.E. specific equipment.

4. Uses equipment configured correctly for the particular jump.

5. Participates only when the environmental conditions are suitable, E.g; wind, rain, LZ clear etc.

6. Training has occured progresively, e.g:

* a controlled 'low level of risk' environment,(E.g: For B.A.S.E. jumping: Pylonless bridge into water.)
* a controlled simulated higher risk environment,(For B.A.S.E. jumping: Employ object avoidence and other drills from pylonless bridge.), and
* an environment commensurate with the jumpers skill and ability.


B.A.S.E. equipment and techniques are different to regular skydiving and jumpers minimise the "real risk" by using only the latest B.A.S.E. specific equipment and up-to-date training.

Jumpers mentored by persons that by concensus have been deemed competent are given information, instruction, training and supervision to enable that student to be deemed a competent jumper.

A high level of "perceived risk" will always follow this sport, but, to the majority of the long term participants it is a safe sport.

When we look at professional racing car teams they are 'inherently safe.' that is the risk can be turned up to suit the racers. e.g: the cars despite appearances are not your standard car that are available to us.

1. These cars are designed with safety in mind a long time before the first bolt is purchased.

2. Highly qualified people pilot these machines.

3. They are raced around tracks that are purpose built and free of obstacles such as trees and power poles etc.

From this 'inherently safe' starting point we then turn up the risk by introducing onto the track:

a. other cars,

b. lessor skilled drivers,

c. permission to drive in inclement weather.

It is very similar in B.A.S.E. in that it would not be inherently safe if we were to say "I want to jump off a 300' cliff. I might need some padding for that."

Next person comes along and says "instead of padding, which didn't work, I'll use a parachute!"

Another person comes along and etc, etc.

As in the racing car analogy we start with:

1. a highly evolved B.A.S.E. specific canopy and container,

2. a very competant skydiver that understands how and why a canopy behaves the way it does given the variables it experiences during flight,

3. an extremly capable operator of the parachute that can position the canopy with precision in the tightest of landing areas.

We as jumpers, inadvertantly sometimes, add the risk by exersising poor judgement by jumping in less that perfect conditions, not configuring our equipment optimally and/or not performing the correct drills in a timely manner when required. The latter point is usually, but not always, an indicator that we were attempting a jump beyond our level of ability.

So as long as the first three points raised are followed one can see that it is an 'inherently Safe' activity to start with. We then add the risk.

On the other side of the coin are activities that are incredibly dangerous, however, have become socially acceptable.

These activities include:
driving a car, (600+ deaths a year in Australia)
smoking and drinking, (22000+ deaths per year in Australia)
rock fishing,(50+ deaths per year in Australia)
illicit drug consumption, (600+ deaths per year in Australia)
And the list goes on....and on....and on.

O.K.....But, more people drive than B.A.S.E. jump!? How can you compare them?

Answer - It's all about REAL RISK and PERCEIVED RISK.

People causing car crashes that result in fatalities do so knowing that people crash and die but, think it will never happen to them as they have either superior driving skills and/or a superior vehicle and/or driving on a familiar section of road or a section of road they believe is within their ability.

Of course, because they haven't either superior driving skills and/or a superior handling car and/or have the ability/equipment to overcome the
environmental demands of the driving surface they crash and die or kill someone else.

On the other hand, the vast majority of B.A.S.E. jumpers understand the ramifications of her/his actions and ensure they apply sound judgement to each and every jump they decide is within their ability. They understand the concept of real and perceived risk and can aportion it commensurate within the existing range of variables.

In the exceptionally rare occaisions, a minority of sound jumpers may have a lapse in judgement and kill or injure themselves. This is also known as "The Darwin Theory."

Idiot jumpers were going to die that day whether they were B.A.S.E. jumping, driving a car or rock fishing etc anyway.

It's all about "cause and effect."

So..When put into perspective B.A.S.E. jumping to a trained jumper is a relatively SAFE activity.

For more information on "Risk Management in B.A.S.E." go to the articles section.

 I agree with most of your points. You can actually "stack the deck" on your side by training, making good judgments, and being well informed.......... Except that last time I checked ........ we are taking a nylon baggy... attached to us by free flowing strings, pack it nicely, and hope that our umbrellas perform in a predictable and satisfactory method.
Sometimes even being incredibly well prepared, I think that think do go wrong. I believe it was Slim who used to say that slider down jumps were extremely predictable, but potentially impossible to deal with when things might not go right...
Just my .02 on it....

I think you are the only PERSON on your planet......

Edited to remove green from my words.

we all know that this is - unfortunately - not true in all cases. every owner of a rig can have someone start BASE, and owning a rig (and maybe having some jumps) does not make you experienced. how many people have dozens, even hundreds, of jumps of one and the same object? how "experienced" are these jumpers really? should they introduce people into base? i don't think so.

happy holidays,
flummi

[sarcasm] sounds like you are making a point for NOT looking at the list and asking yourself that question [/sarcasm]

As I sit here trying to sleep with my broken leg in the air...

I've been thinking alot about the risks of climbing vs. BASE. I think the danger stems from the ease of getting yourself in a position that requires a large amount of skill (that you may or may not possess) to navigate out of. In climbing there is really a strong progression and the safety systems that most choose to use (gear, belayer, etc) for most climbs are generally pretty resilent. In BASE there is a certain all or nothing aspect, the progression is subtle, and the backup safety systems are not all that resilent. Plus its harder to objectify the difficulty level of a jump - sure many are 'easy' unless something goes wrong and then the difference between pulling it off and death is very slim. I think that BASE is way less forgiving of errors than any other sport I have participated in (which has been quite a few). I doubt I'm expressing it well in my oxycontin haze, but there is something qualitatively different about BASE than most other pursuits that makes it worthy of respect. Its like flying or sailing on the ocean in that its just so very unforgiving of small mistakes at times, but it can lull us in because at other times you can randomly get away with so much. That thin margin and that bit of randomness and that all or nothing aspect, add those all together and its really a different creature than most other things...

Peace.

All true adventure sports have X factor.The athletes that make the impossible look possible have endless amount of drive and determination to see there dreams a reality.When people see the final outcome of ones achievement, they only see the glory moment ,not the years of training mind and body to make the out of control look controllable.
I think Base is unique because most adventure sports demand the physical skill to match the mental skill.We can not wish are way up the hardest climbs,surf the biggest waves or ski the steepest slopes and the list goes on,without training body and mind to handle the stress.It is very easy to jump the gun in Base,if your mind is willing your body will follow.That is the problem because our egos are not always honest about are ability,other sports humble us often on journey by showing us we need more preparation thru training.The arena in BASE is unforgiving for those not seeing that there is more to it then willingness.Our egos are the danger in this game,but in the end its your choice.We choose these activities for many reasons some for the love of life others for a darker side,but in the end who cares,whoever has the most fun wins.

great post...

wow, well written, thank you. That was a good one.

I really like the way you worded this.

So true.
Great post there. Very well put

and Kusgra, very good post also!

I have what I think is a solid opinion on the OP's original post. First, let me say first that I am not a base jumper. I plan on a couple of jumps in the future but only after about 50 skydives. My real interest is in wing suits.

I am the former owner of a very busy paragliding school and currently own a hot air balloon company. Having been involved in a variety of "extreme" sports my entire life and owning a busy school has given me some unique perspectives.

Being outside the BASE industry and crowd has led me to some opinions about "extreme" sports. It has also given me the opportunity to deal with a lot of people that are "extremest" types.

BASE is considered to "outsiders" to be any one if not all of the following:

Stupid.
Extremely dangerous
Done only by those with nothing to live for.

I have heard this from hang glider pilots, paraglider pilots, aerobatic fixed wing pilots, motorcycle racers, car racers, whitewater kayakers, Free climbers, downhill mountain bike racers, extreme skiers and a few others.

It does not change the simple fact that I am going to do it one day. Why? Because it is in my nature.

Because it is in my nature, I will do or say anything I need to in order to convince myself to do it. I am not stupid and do not have a death wish.

My point is that there is NOTHING you can say or do to convince those who's "nature" is to flee in the face of fear. There is NOTHING you can say, demonstrate or do to convince those that live in fear to accept your sport. Give it up, don't ever try to justify yourselves to others. Remember the story of the frog and the scorpion who needed to cross a river? The scorpion stung the frog despite the knowledge that he also would drown. Why? it was in his nature.

BASER's and others involved in "extreme" sports just don't understand that what you do goes against most people natures! You can not argue someones nature.

IMHO the only thing you should do as a community is to convince those that own property or objects you wish to jump from that you won't affect THEIR lives.

Funny thing I have learned over the years is that most people could care less what YOU do. As long as it does not have ANY chance of affecting them.

The best avenue I can see for getting people to allow BASER's to jump from their property is to prove you won't cost them money.

Perhaps when aproaching a landowner one should offer to pay to have their attorney look over a waiver that was prepared by an attorney and specific to the state in which you jump. Be prepared to have ALL of your heirs also sign a waiver as most property owners are not as worried about your DEAD ASS suing them as they are your heirs suing them.

So in conclusion: Do what you do, stop wasting time trying to convince others something that is in direct opposition to their natures.

Oh and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

That was an AMAZING post!!! i agree with everything you said. however, just a note, the biggest access issues in BASE are not really property rights, but more NPS and 'don't ask, don't tell' parks.

as a Hang Glider Pilot (H1), paraglider pilot (P3), Free-skier, Aerobatic Pilot(400acro,900tt), and free climber I can completely agree with you on the feelings of even OTHER extreme sports fanatics on the BASE sport, no to mention joe blow.

Why thanks Calvin! That was a nice thing to say

I do understand that most issues are NPS. I would like to offer up a possible tool in the quiver of the BASE community.

How about a rescue bond? Pretty simple thing really, contract through LifeFlight or post a bond with the NPS.

A large argument goes away when they can't argue the expense of rescue.........................................

I know that it is not fair to require BASER's to post something that hikers, bikers, horseback riders do not have too. But when fighting an uphill battle it may be a good tool in the quiver.

Just my 234 cents (damm inflation)

I've discussed that with NPS officials and a couple insurers. The problem is that we're in a catch 22.

We can't get rescue insurance because the activity is illegal. The NPS argues that the activity would cause additional rescue costs, so it should be banned. We can't help defray those costs (through insurance) because it's banned (so no insurer is interested).

It's very difficult to get an insurer involved in a hypothetical like that. Why should they go to the effort of organizing a policy for us to use as a bargaining chip? The only way that will work is to organize a policy subscribed to by jumpers, for use elsewhere, then offer to extend it to national parks should they decriminalize BASE.

It might be possible. That's about as far as I got when the access group I was working with sent me a letter ejecting me (and the majority of the others working on these issues) from the organization.

What about a private indemnified fund???

I carry a million dollars of personal liability insurance that will pay out for rescue costs (and property damage) on an illegal jump (I've got that in writing). In my preliminary discussion with the NPS this didn't seem to be enough to convince them (they wanted a group policy that would protect them from all BASE related expenses, and I obviously can't do that).

The obvious path of attack is "can I have a one time permit just or me if I carry a million bucks worth of insurance just for me?" I never asked that specific question (although my feeling was that the answer would have been no anyway) because at the time I was working on and looking for a solution for all jumpers (meaning some kind of group fund)--not just for one guy, even if that one guy was me.

I dunno--would jumpers be willing to pony up several hundred bucks a year to buy their own private policies if that was a precondition of jumping in the NPS lands? Probably a fair number would. Would the NPS be willing to do this, knowing that they'd still have a large number of jumpers operating outside the system? Maybe, maybe not. Like I said, I stopped working on the issue when the ABP imploded.

...what I have learned by being almost 30+ years in various extreme sports and lost more than two dozen real friends is, that there are only few real dangerous sports activies but a lot of dangerous people out there. As you have mentioned in your mail - it is all about EGO. Have fun and stay save. Merry x-mas and happy new year.
Bernhard

The ABP imploded?

We are not alone in the preservation game.
http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/
Read the "Warning Label"

Base is one of the last things where we are totally free in this world.
Base for me, some times, some days, is a way to say fuck at the fucking system.
People are afraid because thy don't have knowledgement about it (Base), but mainly because they don't have any control on it (Base). Think.
We are on the way where one day Base, soon or late will be legalized.
That day our sport (way of life) will loose.
This is what i feel.

Riot BASE

"What?"

ABP Raises its hand.

"Nope, right here."


Alliance of Backcountry Parachutists
http://www.backcountryparachutists.org
http://www.myspace.com/allianceofbackcountry

are you guys serious? what started as the ABP imploded. what it is now and what is was are 2 very different things after you kicked all those fools that i semi-like out.

Very True Riot. Even though it's not "politically correct" for me to take such a position, the commando stuff did add excitement and fond memories to some of my jumps. in my first 5 years of BASE jumping, mostly here in Texas, 82-87, with a good friend,Phil Smith, we used to shake hands twice on a jump. First, when we landed, second, once we were in the car on a public road and knew we had escaped. Nowadays, there is no question, I'd rather most jumps be legal, especially after BASE jumping for so long, but I must admit, there was an additional rush in the cloak and dagger and the get away. Smitty and I hid in the woods for several hours once as cops threatened Joy, our ground crew, with arrest so she left. We did get away.
Now my Disclaimer. I must say that this attitude has no place in sanctioned jumps. In sanctioned jumps like we are hoping to help achieve with the ABP, we all have a responsibility to go by a few Good Neighbor rules. It's just common sense. When Carl, Jean, with Phil Smith and Phil Mayfield started BASE and the idea of the USBA, there was a strong sense of ethic that we didn't screw up the natual enviroment or offend the locals. Jumpers need to be as careful as experienced backpackers during backcountry jumps. It's the right thing to do. We're a fringe element anyway so we need to respect the rights of others. This is critical in public events like Bridge Day, Perrine, Kjerag, and any other legal jumps. Let's not give critics something so dumb with which to attack BASE. We are all celebrating the human spirit by doing what most people consider a very dangerous sport. We know it's not as dangerous as most whuffos think, but it's not cracker jacks either. It's hard for most to understand so let's give them a reason to admire what we do as people who want to celebrate life, at least when we're in public.
Drive Fast Take Chances
Rick H

 

I would be very surprised if anyone wanted to jump under a Special Use Permit versus the "recurring recreational backcountry use" model. I don't know anyone who is pursuing the Special Use Permit approach, unless you're talking about many of us who've applied for a permit to jump in Yosemite. Applying for permits at Yosemite and getting denied was a necessary legal step in the long-term fight.

In all likelihood, if given the green light, parks would institute some sort of permit system similar to the backcountry permits issued to hikers at Yosemite. Ultimately we all want to simply walk to the edge and jump - just like we do in Moab for example.

The forced ABP split back in 2005 was merely the result of personal differences with Robin Heid. We all had the same goals. I actually like the idea of having a handful of organizations all fighting for the same thing.

I've gotten a substantial amount of flak from the ABP for my choice of word there ("imploded").

I was trying to reference this event in one word, without rehashing the entire thing. The whole story is there, for anyone who wants to re-live it.

Back to it . . .

Our over expression of "BASE jumping is dangerous" is simple to understand if you take a stroll down the BASE timeline.

And you should do so whilst realizing you're hearing, and objecting to, echos from a previous generation.

Its BASE generational overlap.

And a lot of us didn’t think we'd reproduce let alone overlap . . .

NickD
BASE 194

Dear Tom,

Just being humorous, do not want people to misunderstand and think the ABP is gone. We all want the same thing; fair access.

Alliance of Backcountry Parachutists

The story of the frog and the scorpion is a poor comparison to reality. How do you know it was in his nature? I've watched people carry scorpions without being stung on multiple occasions ...