Basejumper.com - archive

There have been so silent about the Idea World BASE Race in the forums. I expected at least som discussions on the board about the event!

I hope some of you take the time to look at the website, and give us some feedback about the concept. I know 23 % of the traffic on our site come trough this forum, and we do have 300 000 hits by now!

There is nobody who know exactly who and what is flying fastest, and we will have an idea after our first meet. I also hope this will challenge the producers to use all their knowledge to make their products optimal for this kind of flying! Next year we will take it to next level I know there will take some time to form a competition like this, and I also know we are just at the beginning when it comes to flying.

http://www.worldbaserace.com

Personally i think the whole idea stink....baserace wtf?? i started base just to escape from the rules and boundaries from the rest of the world...for me base is(was) a subworld thing. If you want competition..keep it to skydiving, well..when some one goes in in front of the audience(and that will happen) i guess the whole thing would be canseled..i hope so
You asked for my thought this is what you get from me.........

I see what you mean, and I had BASE jumping very close to my heart for many many year, and still have, but different than in the beginning. BASE was very personally for me! But I changed on my way, I got more confident, improved my skills, and when I experienced my first competition in Malaysia 2002, I felt the same way as when I did my first jumps. I had never thought it would have such impact on me! I arrived Petronas to jump a building, not compete, who cares? I wanted to get some goood air from a technical hardcore building!!! But when I experienced the feeling being counted down on exit, and then I had to perform was incredible! After some few rounds, there was an journalist who told me I was doing good. I did not even pay attention to the score list! What I realized happend to me during these jumps, was that I came back to the feelings I had when I first started jumping base. I went over to the other zone, focused only on few details, the pressure building up, need to keep controll, have to get it released, needed to piss, shaking a bit, my mouth was dry, and I got a hell of a kick out it, when I finelly got my jump! Just my story about my first competition experienc.

We have unfortenly moved a big step from the time when BASE was something new, unknown, underground, and stealth around here in Europe, since we do have access to many legal places. Now these days we do so many things, we never have been thinking was possible. The competition have been there, but not really put in to a clear system yet. Many look at VKB and think I can never do things like they do, but they know they are very skilled jumpers. They will see for them selves when they try, that they can keep up with them, and for sure many will outfly them on a short distance like this! We try to make a concept here where you dont need to push the limits, how close you can shave the wall, ledge, or how low you can pull! We make an competition where you have to fly your body like no one have done before. We are not going to see how far you can fly! We are going to see how fast you are compare to your next man on the exit, and we will continue all rounds until we have one man left as an winner! The world fastest MF in the valley!

What will change for you personally if there is a competition in BASE jumping? And why so angry?

People will continue to go in in base jumping! Not because of it is a competition! I will say we will make it safer! We know the risk involved with a arrangement like this, And thats why we will have rules, and guide lines. Other sports have accidents, and incidents in as well, without stopping them. They learn from it, and change it, make it better for everyone else that comes after them. What will be different for us? I have been thinking alot about this, and like to hear what others have to say about it?

 

when Pro-Tracks first appeared, some started running "speed" competitions. (European jumpers seemed more interested.)

others attempts might include...
skysurfing
freestyle
blade running
the events that required an atmospheric dolphin license
etc.

BASE has had several attempts at competition as well. none seem to last.

personally, I think ENCOURAGING competition amongst BASE jumpers is dangerous. what should count is safety and friendship, not being first, the fastest, having the most jumps, or any other metric. people die when they push boundaries too quickly. people already get hurt doing jumps they should NOT. people enter this sport lacking basic skills. why tempt them even more?

granted, your group has worked hard to prevent ugliness. I hope you do a great job and we consider you visionaries. I just prefer solos to the zoo atmosphere of big events, let alone competition!

I strongly disagree....

I think with the emphasis they are placing on safety, and not simply going balls to the walls and pulling low, it will be an awesome event. Granted any time you get a bunch of base jumpers together accidents happen, I don't think that is going to stop anything from happening that wouldn't have happened any ways. People get hurt and die in this sport weather we have competitions or not.

What excites me the most is the amount of tallent, skills, and techniques that will be in one place at one time all focused on the same objective. I may not make it out there this year but I imagine anyone wanting to improve their wingsuiting/tracking speed or simply learn some different techniques would benefit from attending even if they do not compete.

While I do enjoy having a sport free from formal rules and regulations, I miss the thrill of competition that is available in most other activities. Some jumpers are content to jump for the sake of jumping, others of us stive to constantly improve our skills. Each jump desering to fly faster and farther then the last. For the competitive wingsuit jumpers our there this the next logical step....

If you are passionate about wingsuiting and tracking, then I believe you should be supportive of such events as this. If for no other reason then it is going to push manufactures to develop faster suits and encourage progression.

On a side note, if you want to see a junk show go to Twin Falls during a holiday weekend. I would rather attend a formaly organized event such as the Base Race wich encourages skill and safety in a competitive environment then show up at the chaotic bridge surrounded by sloppy jumpers who are content to get their canopy opened and pound in to the landing area...

Best of luck with the event!

angry and not so funny.

In human nature is to compete, compare, etc...
Saying that BASE is so cool and friendly among jumpers because there is no competition is simply not true
Competition happening all the time, on every trip, on every jump. Question is if you see that or not.
I may agree that certain amount of people does not compete, mainly cause they compete w them self to jump and survive ( but that is competition too, isn't it?! )

Competition is natural and nothing else than part of any sport or skill. As Base is the very unique skill/sport, question is how to set the rules for competition to protect the competitors from possible injuries...

The nearest sport i would compare to basejumping is freesking...i don`t mind if some of us push they`re limits..it`s fine , just do it! but don`t make it to a competition with RULES and REGULATIONS...no one is gonna tell me "sorry son, you can`t jump here..you don`t have the skills or you need a helmet to jump here...whatever".....let me decide that...

totaly agree what Robi sayed....
everytime we go on tracking or wingsiut we compete, even when we dont talk about it,...everybody wants to get further of faster than the other guys on the exit...and everybody feel good when somebody comes in the landing area towards you and say" that was awesome" or you go and track out a well known jumper or beat the VKB guyswhatever...it feels good to get a positive feedback ...you know what i mean....

the idea of a "official" competition is not that bad,..when somebody have a problem with something like that...SHUT UP and STAY AWAY....its easy
love it or leave it....

my problem is, that i dont get the idea of this event...

maybe everybody think it will be a wingsiut competition....the jump profile is compareble with kjerak?(no clue,...but you said everybody should be able to track to the landingzone at kjerak)
i dont know if there a so many people who wants to dive like hell with a wingsiut....to be the fastes....
ok,..we are not talking about proximity or terrainflying

i know that you guys wannt to see how your idea develop over the time,...maybe its the concept that keeps the compeditors away,...dont know...
a pure tracking competition would be something that everybody understands....or a race over a long distance with a wingsiut
whatever....
but maybe i dont get it right and the idea is complete different.......
we will see after the event....
cheers...

I would love to have a pure tracking competition, but we are not there yet, that so many jumpers are skilled enough to do every jump safely to make the distance! We have to give the public something that makes them come back to us, and not make it interesting because of landing in the forrest, or maybe some carnage. We have learned that they are fascinated by fast flying, and we make them get close to see what is happening. You can compare it to skijumping, they are able to see it from the side, in the front, in freefall, see the openings "close" up and the landings. They are able to see who is winning of those two jumpers, and need no other explanations or anybody to make them understand what is going on! This is what will make this event so special, and make a good nerve for the public and media!

For the jumpers, I still do not know for sure what will fly best, big wings (what the public and media love so much to see, just becoause it is so impressive and visible) or small tracking suits, with some modification! We will find out, and make a event that is interesting for all parts! Hope this helps a bit! What kind of a body type I think will be the fastest? Long jumper, short jumper thin jumpe, loaded jumper, using wingloading? We just dont know yet!!

This it what it is about! Same location, same distance! I have some new video I will put together soon, if I have time!
http://www.youtube.com/...com/user/Friluftslek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grwh8babxDg

To get it with tracking or wingsuit, you have to start in a good angle, building speed, and then let all the energi take you out the distance at the end!

Every sport has competitions. Some people compete, others don't. I don't see the problem, nor the need for a poll. If lot's of people compete in Norway, and it is a succes (safety, PR, good vibes) then it will continue.

And sometimes, we need the competition concept to get (legal) events. I know of a few...

Ronald

easy... big suit have advantage cause of earlier start, allowing steeper angle = faster to the finish line.
All in all, trackers have no chance over WS early start and WS dive after that......simple...

Who is going to tell you can not jump, as long it is legal site? From legal sites it is self regulated! Even Kjerag you can go and jump as much you want, but you can not use their service if you dont meet their requirements! Helmets is good for you ;-)

Long and thin, or short loaded body? Big or small wings? Im not so sure yet about all this? With different styles, talent, body combination, the feeling for the air to adopt to the best optimal profile, maybe you will be the fastest mf in the walley? We are still just in the begginning of learning how to fly, even we do have the science from aerodynamics. Here we will see alot of different mixes. The first years we will maybe see big gaps between number one and number 2, but in few years, we will see this gap closing in, like in all other sports! When we start having base races other sites, it will change equipment specific for each races.

are you going to time the hike UP the hill and pack as well? now that would prove who the fastest mf BASE jumper!

'course you might need another class for overweight americans!