Basejumper.com - archive

Wwarped Interview: Even By Any Other Name, He Would Remain The Same
March 1-10, 2009
By: Cynthia Lynn

Pack up your perceptions of the man behind the title and avatar, let me introduce you to a person who is passionate about flying, has lead of life of travel and adventure, and takes moderating the forum as a way to educate and give back to the community. His cautious nature made him a tedious interview subject. Not in a way that leads you to think he is hiding anything, but rather a man who chooses his words carefully.

“Successful, intelligent, driven, and private”, these are some of the words that come to mind when attempting to characterize Wwarped. It would be lax of me if I didn’t note that he is also, “Complex, a contradiction, opinionated and egotistical at times”. He is a stranger among friends as the moderator of the BASEjumper.com forum. His BASEjumper.com profile reflects very little about the man as it barely contains enough information to signal he is a jumper. His Interests listed: The usual. Travel, flying, hiking, doll making, etc. with an occupation of “flying around aimlessly”. No totals registered in the fields for number of jumps or objects, the only evidence that he is a jumper is the notation of a Vertex container and FLik canopy. He immediately assures me that “I do not really make dolls, nor do I play with them, not even the blow up kind.” Oh, yes, lest I forget, “quirky sense of humor”.

His avatar is of the first flight of the Wright Flyer I, December 17, 1903, Orville piloting, Wilbur running at wingtip. His forum name, ‘wwarped’ stems from the Aerodynamic term “wing warped”. His city, “Dayton”, home to the Wright brothers credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane. Occupation, “flying around aimlessly”, only if you forget what your destination is and being a successful pilot that error is not likely to occur. Wwarped: “See no mystery at all, simple to decipher if you take the time to “think” and not make “assumptions” while staring at the facts.”

In asking his reasoning in choosing “cremation and no marker” over a witty epitaph, he explained, “I never understood the rationale for burial and the ceremonies. Why mourn? Instead, celebrate how the deceased impacted you. If people choose to remember you, they do not need a marker.” It is this same philosophy that explains why he prefers jumping solo opposed to group outings and events, “leaving the exit point untainted, no photos, no video, no bragging rights.” He admires and respects fellow jumpers that “jump for personal satisfaction”, a philosophy he adheres to himself.

He offers a quote from Richard Bach, a favorite writer, pilot and author of the “Messiah’s Handbook” to punctuate his response when I question him on the importance of a jumper being able to jump solo.

“A fledgling leaps because it trusts its wings; a lemming leaps because everybody else is doing it. One is an adventure into new dimensions, the other is suicide.”---Richard Bach

“I feel it is very important to the development of a jumper. The night solo creates different thoughts in a jumpers mind. No one is around. No festive atmosphere exists. It is just yourself and the object. You must self rescue if anything unfortunate occurs. You receive zero comfort from others, no advice, and no gear check. You are totally reliant on your own judgment. In doing a solo jump I experience the feeling that there is no good reason to jump, except for an inner drive telling me I must. That it is who I am, therefore I jump.”

He speaks about emptying his mind prior to jumping “because the mind really does not understand jumping and only wants to panic”. “One key for me is to calmly decide to jump. I use a form of meditation that really came naturally to me. I just do some deep breathing and intentionally force myself to relax. Preparation creates a plan. If you prepare well, it should work. The planning ends with the decision to jump. After that, it is just execution. Yes, things can go wrong and do. I prefer a calm mind to a racing one, unfortunately, I have experienced both. I find I respond best to the jump with a empty mind.”

Wwarped believes the biggest mistake a new jumper makes is giving over trust completely to others, saying that it leads to hero worship and failed expectations. “The newbie’s memorize someone else’s judgment instead of developing their own. No one can prepare a jumper for everything they will encounter. It is a poor way to manage risk.” He attended what he refers to as a “how not to die course” in Kjerag, Norway with Chris “Douggs” McDougall as the instructor, 10 years after his first trip to Europe. “The mentor concept is functionally dead from what I've seen. It’s a great idea, but most struggle to find one. I know many jumpers, but none seem to mentor. My jump buddy and I guided each other in the early years. I had a ton of skydives and other aviation experience. He read everything he could find on BASE and forgot nothing, plus has a ton of contacts in the community. He’d pick people's brains on “how to” and “what not to do” of BASE jumping. I tended to be the calming influence when evaluating sites. All of which probably attributes my being very comfortable with solo jumps, I’ve had to be fairly independent learner.”

He has jumped from many of the legal sites including Twin Falls, Moab, Kjerag, Bridge Day, and the cliffs of South Africa. Not surprisingly Wwarped adheres to the “old school rules” of not discussing the illegal sites he has jumped. He obtained his B.A.S.E. number in 14 or 16 jumps, unsure of the number, but thinking “it was probably not nearly enough.” He logged 2700 skydives; has both Tandem and AFF instructional ratings, plus over a thousand instructional jumps. He didn’t really prepare or plan for BASE jumping, it was something that he “chose to do and did.” He calculated the risks and made his first jump at Bridge Day in 1994, like so many other skydivers turned BASE jumpers.

His voice takes on a tone of reverence when speaking of BASE jumping, like a philosopher weighing the meaning of life. He offers up another Richard Bach quote, something he does often mentioning that the quotes give him the opportunity to “pause and reflect” and he enjoys sharing them. “They remind me that the most important aspects of anything do not revolve around any particular fact, but how I choose to interpret them. Some jokes and insults appear virtually identical; the key difference is how someone chooses to perceive it. You can’t control events however; I still can control my life experiences by controlling my attitude towards that event.”

“It’s easy to live the expected and conventional. It’s when you live the unexpected that you start having fun with your life.”-Richard Bach

He doesn’t have a favorite object to jump despite Table Mountain being the object that began his attraction to BASE. He speaks fondly of a place called “The Sentinel”. “It’s a legal cliff, on a point sandwiched between a bay and the ocean. A relatively short hike with a view of either heading towards the beaches or out towards the open ocean.” What does he enjoy most about BASE jumping? “As we become socialized, we acquire levels of bullshit that we think are important. BASE jumping forces me to shed those protocols and have a “pure” moment.

It not unreasonable that a man who enjoys solo jumping, old school ethics and operating under the radar of the internet, would find today’s world of BASE being unfiltered into cyberspace as his least favorite thing. “The Glory Hound: A narcissistic jumper that behaves in a fashion detrimental to BASE jumping. The true BASE fundamental is to perform audacious feats while actually minimizing personal risk, providing no harm to anyone else. It is not about videos, photos, or websites. It should not be a popularity contest.” BASE jumping contributed to his own personal growth following having to evacuate more than one jumper from a landing zone. The realization hit home that “we fret over the most mundane things in our daily lives. I often want to laugh when I hear ‘pay attention, this is important’, after witnessing death you understand what’s really important”.

He doesn’t shy away from the tough questions, despite his opinions not being “popular”. He refuses to be baited and badgered into answering posts calling into question his “experience”. He is constantly reminding himself to walk a thin line as moderator/jumper when it comes to debates on the forum. Between wearing his moderator hat, being a jumper himself and being passionate about protecting the ethics of BASE jumping sometimes it’s a struggle to remain out of the fray. He notes that one of the reasons for his anonymity is “it gives them less ammo to attack me.” I comment that this interview will certainly take away some of his anonymity, his response, “I would like to see more content on the site, so I am leading by example.”

Delving into the topic of videos on the internet I explained what my first thoughts after I discovered the world of BASE via the internet. “In viewing hundreds of pages including websites, social networking and videos regarding BASE jumping, the first thing that came to my mind is “cool, how do you learn to do that?” When viewing the videos of the "Red Bull Air Force" videos you sense the nonexistent warning crawler at the bottom of the screen saying, "Professional athlete. Do not try this at home." Obviously, they are filmed and edited at a higher quality and the athlete’s are dressed in sponsor’s attire. The same quality can be seen in extreme sports movies on the market for sale.

In researching BASE manufacturer’s websites I discovered they take online orders for equipment; with one such company clearly stating that ‘BASE-jumping is extremely dangerous! You may be seriously injured or killed. Morpheus Technologies and all of its affiliates advise you to seriously consider the potential consequences of your actions should you decide to pursue this sport. Do not use this equipment unless you accept full responsibility for any injury, serious or otherwise, including loss of life….continuing on and ending the statement….By clicking "Accept", you are releasing Morpheus Technologies and all of its affiliates of any responsibility or liability for injury, serious or otherwise, including loss of life.’

Assuming that your mental faculties are intact, all these warnings on BASE websites from forums, manufacturers and First Jump Course operators should clue you in on the dangers of taking up this venture. However, when viewing the "BASE jumping" videos loaded onto YouTube and social sites by average Joe jumper it might lead to the notion that "yes I am like you and your dumb little buddy and you can do this too".” That being said, how detrimental to the sport do you feel are the videos, WebPages, and photos on the internet are to the "sport" of BASE?

“I really don’t believe us, as a community can say how detrimental it will be or if it even is now. Time will tell. Without data, it’s all conjecture, even on my part. I can however fathom that some kid out there sees the You Tube video and then thinks he can jump off the town’s water tower with an old chute he finds in his grandfather’s garage. Or perhaps someone orders a rig online and because he thinks “it’s not so difficult”. We live today with a generation that wants to video, post blogs and share virtually every aspect of their lives. They seem incapable of understanding keeping things to them. As I don't understand the need to cast attention on oneself, it is hard to comment as to why they chose too. I think the videos deprive the founders of the sport a respect they deserve by having changed the rules.”

If you speak with Wwarped long enough you learn that for him life has always been about managing risk, suffering the consequences and accepting responsibility. He considers “surviving without being crippled” to the ripe “old” age of 46 as one of his life’s greatest achievements. He describes the events that befell him throughout his lifetime as though he is reading off a grocery list. “So many little things, like having fingers re-attached, the doctor pulling a toe nail from an eyelid, my skull barely escaping being crushed, an orthopedic doctor that seem certain that I would walk with a limp, neighbors mistaking me for being dead, rolling a car, surviving a head on collision, etc. Then there were the skydiving incidents. Unfortunately, I can’t claim I was doing anything important that required sacrifice. It’s not like I was off serving in the military. I am blessed to have recovered from so much.”

He graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering, checking off another goal from his childhood dreams list. Another was fulfilled when he took a job immediately following graduation with NASA. Climbing aboard the Space Shuttle checked off another and then he realized his dream to travel the world or at least parts of it, when he quit his job at NASA, heading to both the European and African continents. Close to 2 years backpacking and living the adventurer’s life was spent in Africa then Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England. Early lessons in preparation and planning were taught during this time as his backpack was stolen leaving him stranded in the middle of Mwanza, Tanzania, Africa without clothes, money, or a way to survive. He did survive though, just as he had his whole life. He still views Cape Town, Africa with much love and plans on returning to what he calls in one breath a ‘vacation spot’ and in another “somewhere he could call home.” He chides me that if he had to explain it, I would not understand without having experienced the people and scenery it offers.

He returned home and proceeded to cross another childhood ambition off the list when he earned his wings, no not the kind Red Bull gives you, but rather a helicopter pilots. At last his passion for flying coming to fruition and providing a sense of “this is where I belong”. He credits flying with being able to “turn bad days into good days” and leaving him limited only by his abilities. He spends his days flying, instructing and looking for the next object that will catch his eye and desire to jump. His career and time constraints tax a large amount of his personal freedoms, pushing his recreational activities aside for now. He recently relocated; “again”, he says laughing. If he jumps every couple months he considers himself fortunate and as always he relishes that one “pure moment”. His current home is not a haven for jumpers and the objects have been hard to come by as well. Still he searches for that one object to make his own at his home away from home.

It was during a warm afternoon in a South African Café, Wwarped met with BASEjumper.com founder Sangiro to discuss joining the forum as a moderator. Sangiro outlined the rules, guidelines and his vision for the forum. “He talked of it being his living room and he wanted the forum to be a place of civil discourse to exchange ideas and network.” Wanting to make a contribution to BASE he joined forces with Sangiro and “attempts to steer or maintain orderly discussion on the forum.” I asked him if there is anything he would change about BASEjumper.com? “I wish I could get people to stay on topic, express their views instead of snarky comments. I think the “drama” keeps the lurkers from posting and contributing to the conversation, which in the end harms the BASE community. Drama can chase away someone that has a great deal to offer. I would like to see people sharing more jump stories, not simply the facts regarding the jump. Rather taking us through the preparation all the way through what it meant to them to accomplish the jump.”

I point out that the APEX Base manufacturer’s website has a link to Sports Illustrated Online promoting Bridge Day in the sport of BASE jumping with photos of the event. Apex states: "Are we in danger of becoming a recognized sport? We are overdue!" I question him on the issue of “sport” vs. “non-sport” knowing that he himself views BASE jumping as an activity, calls himself an ‘adventurer’ rather than an athlete. He has said that he “consider jumping something to do, like hiking or camping”. I ask him how he reconciles or can he, that there are those that consider it a sport and promote it as such? Is there room for it to still be enjoyed by "old school" jumpers who prefer the anonymity that it once held if it grows into a recognized sport?

“BASE jumping is like golf. To Tiger and company, it might be a sport. To the average Joe, it is just a leisure activity. The label "Sport" seems more of a marketing term than anything else. "Sports" typically involve competition. I don't know of any BASE competitions that have lasted. Surely one will involve including some aspects of BASE. If the folks making money off of BASE think they can enhance revenues by calling it a "sport," I have no gripe as to why they should not. I believe that if you enjoy the old school style of BASE, you will always find objects to jump. I have spent my years in BASE out of the spotlight, doing my own thing, remaining true to the founder’s ethics. I’d like to think that there are more jumpers’ out there doing the same and they aren’t all “old guys”.”

The world of BASE jumpers’ simmers with a great deal of animosity towards the corporate world finding its way into BASE, or at least a loud vocal few. Obviously, the gear company's and First Base Jump Course operators are a business, part of the corporate world. Bringing to light that in purchasing gear, taking a course or participating in an event from these companies is in essence supporting "corporate BASE". The days of someone with the skills of Rigger Lee manufacturing his own rig and heading off to jump at Bridge Day are long gone. I asked him if the idea of being anti-corporate, anti-authority, originated with the founders or evolved with an influx of new jumper’s.

“It feels like a legacy of the '60s counter culture where the choice was selling out to "the man" or maintaining “individuality”. I really have no clue how Carl felt about the sport going mainstream. That’s a question for historians like Nick DiGiovani. Everything changes, mutates. It starts as one thing and changes to another. People frequently resent change. It happens everywhere, creating friction. Why should BASE be any different? The newer jumpers will most likely not notice, instead of supporting those that developed the sport, they will be supporting the mercenaries who only wish to extract money. As seen in so many arenas, the newer generations feel less constrained by the past. Where the older generation thinks some behavior is unethical, the new generation sees opportunity.”

He confides that “denied reality” has been his greatest weakness in life and jumping. “So much about life is how we choose to perceive a certain set of facts. It is way too easy to be delusional and see things that are not supported by facts. At the extreme end of the spectrum, you’ll find stalkers, alcoholics, drug addicts, etc. All deny the reality in front of them. Heck, something like 70% of drivers believe they are above average!” He explains that all too often his choices were fueled by anger and that he will admit in his younger years “jumping out of the anger” as part of “denied reality”.

“Seeming to have all the answers and yet missing the big picture”. A trait he tries to point out to younger jumpers on the forum when he warns them to “stay on topic”. He can now wax philosophical in his “old” age as he continues his journey unflinching in the face of trouble, failure and loss. He is on the right path, where he belongs, enjoying the role of being a teacher to those willing to be students. No videos, no proof, no bragging rights, no grave markers and no need to scream “look at me and what I have accomplished”; his satisfaction comes in answering only to himself. And so, the philosopher, teacher, loner offers me one more quote.

“You build the appearances around you. You get exactly what you deserve. Who’s to blame, who’s to credit, but you? Who can change it, any time you wish, but you?”-Richard Bach


Quick questions with Wwarped:

Q: What do you feel is your contribution to BASE?
A: Moderating the forum

Q: What makes you unique to BASE?
A: Absolutely nothing

Q: Is there a time you see yourself retiring from BASE jumping?
A: I’d have to be far more active to be able to retire. Retiring happens only after being committed.

Q: Do you have a workout regime?
A: Tai Chi, Running and Yoga

Q: Is there anything you will not try in life?
A: Yes. Liver, brains, ect. These are not food items.

Q: On a scale of 1-10, how pigheaded are you?
A: 11

Q: Why do you think you were chosen to be the next interview?
A: People are curious and this is a perfect medium for them to discover facts about myself.

Q: Who do you chose as the next interview subject?
A: Annibal and Calvin19 (sister/brother)

Q: What is your biggest fear?
A: Generally nothing until I agreed to be interviewed by you.

Wwarped Statistics:
Age: 46
Marital Status: Single
Children: None
Location: Gulf Coast, United States
Number of Jumps: Less than a hundred
Year of first Jump: 1994
Container: Vertex
Canopy: FLik

All rights reserved.
No republication of this material, in any form or medium, is permitted without express permission of the author.

Edits:
1. Ohio State University not University of Ohio
2. Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering, not Aerospace Engineering
3. Mwanza, Tanzania, not Nowhere, Africa
4. Location is: Gulf Coast, not Southwest
5. Less than 100 jumps, not just past 100
6. Cape Town, South Africa, not Cape Town, Africa

Kick ASS! Yet, I still feel that there's a 2nd interview waiting to pop.

Wwarped/Tizzy,
excellent, Bach quotations and interesting history.

" The true BASE fundamental is to perform audacious feats while actually minimizing personal risk, providing no harm to anyone else."-Wwarped

Very cool!

You're next buddy!

Tizzy, thanks for a great interiew with Wwarped.

BTW, he's right about lurkers not getting into the drama. It's just more fun to watch & giggle!

I really like the oldschool view on not advertising BASE jumping and keeping it to yourself

>>“It feels like a legacy of the '60s counter culture where the choice was selling out to "the man" or maintaining “individuality”. I really have no clue how Carl felt about the sport going mainstream. That’s a question for historians like Nick DiGiovani.<<

I'll take a swing at this one . . .

In 1975 when Carl Boenish first envisioned jumping from Yosemite's El Capitan until 1978 when he made his first jumps there and almost to the end of his life in 1984 I know Carl was very optimist regarding BASE. He initially harbored the view that BASE jumping would be quickly accepted and embraced by the world. He thought BASE was a thoroughly unique and spectacular human achievement that couldn't possibly be ignored or denied.

His optimism was founded less in BASE itself and more in what kind of person he was. When I first met him at Lake Elsinore in the late 1970s he was already a "star" in skydiving for the wonderful films he'd made. For me he was the first skydiving celebrity I ever met. But "celebrity" is the wrong term for Carl. He was so much more than that.

In a sea of hippies at the DZ Carl stood out as the clean cut electrical engineer he was. He had that "geek" look going on many years before that term came into being. But that was just the look. In talking with him you found an effervescent, engaging, and exuberant individual who was just as likely to be found working on a Hollywood movie set as he was spending an hour with a young jumper with a new camera helmet. I experienced the latter first hand as he made many suggestions on how I could improve my camera setup and technique.

His optimism for BASE (which at the time was still being called fixed object jumping) was demonstrated in an early article in Parachutist Magazine when a dozen or so prominent jumpers were asked the same question. "Where to you see the sport [skydiving] in ten years. Carl's answer was that, "In ten years the streets around New York's World Trade Center would be closed off to traffic one day a month so skydivers could be allowed to jump."

At this time (the late 70s) Carl wasn't differentiating the two sports. No one was. Fixed Object jumping was seen as just another "extraordinary" skydive along the lines of a night, water, or demo jumps. BASE, (which wasn't even call that until the early 1980s) seemed destined to have its own chapter in USPA's BSRs. However the inherent problems of access were already raging. But Carl, and all of us really, thought those problems were just teething issues that would quickly go away. But they didn't, and they just got worse.

It's important to realize the focus in early BASE was on cliff jumps. In fact the sport itself was often referred to as "cliff" jumping. But that all changed when Phil Smith started looking around his hometown in Texas for other things he could jump. Phil later became BASE number 1 and by then Carl had fully embraced the idea of jumping other things besides cliffs. He started making BASE films in earnest, created the first BASE magazine, founded the World BASE Association, and also began issuing BASE award numbers.

By then (early 80s) everything had changed. The USPA, with the "legal season" of El Cap debacle behind them, dropped completely out of supporting BASE jumping. They did a complete 180 on the sport and declared "BASE has nothing to do with skydiving." They even banned the use of the word "BASE" in the magazine. A ban that lasted over twenty years.

Carl lived long enough to see these changes. And I think toward the end he began to accept the fact we BASE jumper weren't going to get a parade down Main Street anytime soon. We had a lot of mishaps in the early days and those mishaps made news. And it seemed the current practice in the media was to show up at the nearest DZ seeking comment. And invariably those comments were negative. After parroting the USPA line of, "BASE has nothing to do with skydiving," it was usually followed up with, "and those BASE guys are just knuckleheads!"

This was when everyone in the BASE community came around to the idea that acceptance wasn't on the immediate horizon and going underground was going to be the key to our survival. Before then there was no "site security" per se, jumpers wrote newspaper and magazine articles and submitted pictures. And doing so wasn't considered being a "glory hound" (a term that was still about 15 years away); it was seen as furthering the sport. The idea was if we just kept hammering BASE into the public's mind it would eventually gain acceptance.

There also weren't any BASE ethics as we think of them today. The first time I ever heard the word "ethics" as it pertained to BASE was from Carl's wife Jean Boenish. And they only amounted to basically not leaving empty beer cans on the trail, to be respectful of the environment, blah, blah, blah. Poor Jean. She had a rough road to hoe as we were young, we were dumb, we had the BASE bit in our teeth, and we just wanted to jump!

Going underground had its advantages and disadvantages. It may be hard to fathom these days but being known as a BASE jumper wasn't the best thing back then. I, and others, even lost skydiving jobs because of it. We were at the absolute bottom of the parachuting totem poll. But we got to hoist the Jolly Roger flag, we developed the concepts of site security and we invented the term "site burner" (hey we had to have someone lower than ourselves) and we schemed, planned, and jumped in secret. We became the pirates of the night sky. We took parachuting and bank robbery and put them together.

Wwarped talked about changes coming hard, and this change was hard on me. I was a writer and photographer and I wanted to write about BASE. I later scratched that itch by publishing my own BASE magazine that was in-house and only for BASE jumpers.

Then on a summer night in 1984 my phone rang. The voice on the other end was breathless and I heard the words, "Hey Nick, Carl Boenish is dead!" I was stunned. The entire BASE community was stunned. And for the next few weeks we all endured the unending "I told you so," barbs from skydivers. It was a pathetic stab in the back from people we considered our friends. And a lot of BASE jumpers, for the first time, started to spontaneously drop out of the skydiving scene all together. This was fucking war now!

I also couldn't help but wonder if Carl's death was the end of BASE? Was it the fad so many said it was? Ritchie Stein, BASE 74, summed it up best at the time. "Carl was right, and his death just makes me want to jump more!"

In the mid-80s, and after his death, USPA finally got around to honoring Carl Boenish by posthumously bestowing the USPA Achievement Award on him. I attended the event which was held in San Diego. Basically it was part award ceremony and part wake as skydiver after skydiver got up to relate Carl Boenish stories. The word BASE wasn't mentioned one time the entire evening. But it was there I met Carl's mother and his sister, and also his wife Jean for the first time. His family always called him Ronnie, not Carl, and they were very touched by the ceremony. Jean had a table set up with memorabilia and I picked up, read, and clutched Carl's log book for most of the night. It felt like a jewel in my hands . . .

So yes, I'd say by the end of his life Carl wasn't too sure BASE would ever go mainstream like he thought it would. And if he had lived I can't really say what he would think of today's BASE scene. Whenever I see Jean nowadays I still hear Carl's words coming out of her mouth, and I try to look behind her eyes, to see Carl again, to see how he would've changed. But it's not there. God bless her Jean stepped up and tried to steer the ship of BASE but she wasn't the natural born leader Carl was. She was too polarizing a figure in a way that Carl never was. Carl was warm and fuzzy and Jean could be somewhat cold and very hard to understand. Sometime ago I took two college students to her house for an interview project and two hours later I came out with my head spinning. I spent the next two hours with those students like a Washington press secretary. "What the president really said was . . ."

And yes, I really wish Carl hadn't died. I would've loved organizing a parade down Main Street for him.

NickD
BASE 194

Nick, what do you think of BASE today?

...to cut right to the answer.
Carl wasn't anti-corporate, anti-authority. That attitude came later with an influx of new jumpers and views from the skydiving sport and as well from society in general.

I must admit I am surprised that there are no questions for Wwarped to respond to? Only this week everyone was clamoring for information in the board comments.

That being the case, I do have another question, (no doubt Wwarped just fell off his chair at the thought of another question)

“Why do you not capitalize your sentences in your comments?

It only adds to the complexity of decoding them. I mean dude, you must have been your high school English teacher’s nightmare. In every questionnaire I sent you, it was all returned with responses in lower case. Is your shift key broke?

I think I probably made the interview process far rougher on Tizzy than she on me. I can be guarded and defensive. Opening up is NOT natural.

Oh, and the teachers liked me. I was a major conformist back then. It helped me get away with a few things as well...

Nope, the capitalization thing is not a life long thing. It is new. I can't say why anymore. It may be rationalization. Possibilities explanations incude: laziness, my way of non-conformity, or even to create a distinctive personal style.

One example of making it difficult on her was she sent me a version to fact check. I failed to read it in a timely fashion, but recently sent her a few updates. None that really mattered to me. Of course that is my fault. I honestly was attempting to avoid influencing the piece. I get that complaint too often as a moderator. my bad.

She did a better job than I would have done...


PS
After over 300 views, I would have expected more additional questions...

wwarped,

Why do you jump solo? Don't you like the company of others and added safety?

What's your favorite object (as in building, antenna, span or earth)?

What do you think of BASE as it is today?

it's how it works out. I don't actively avoid others. I live in an area where I know of no others. it's sometimes hard to disappear for a day of so to drive 4 hours to meet folks and MAYBE jump. much easier to go to a local object alone.


that's kinda like asking if you prefer asians, caucasians, latinas, etc. get a good one, and be happy. don't worry about how someone classifies it. you effectively are classifying happiness. some come up with detailed, "pure" object rules. why? to compare to others? who do you need to impress? the anonymous mass surfing youTube? your friends? yourself?

na, just jump in a way that let's others do so, be safe, and be happy. the rest has a way of sorting itself out.

  Ok. What I really want to know is what the heck did you do stuck in Africa right after you got everything stolen. How did you get out of that situation. I want to travel more and I think that is my number one fear, number two ending up like in the movie "Hostel".

Wwarped, what kind of Tai Chi
do you practice? How long?

Form & silk reeling only or do
you also practice push hands?

Nice job... well written, fair, and an interesting read. It inspired me to keep better tabs on my backpack, too

<chant>Calvin! Calvin! Calvin! Calvin!</chant>

I survived based on the kindness of strangers. people can be amazingly helpful. that is another long story... unrelated to BASE.

I don't claim I've studied it THAT well. I took a few evening courses and learned a short form. they might have told me the labels, but that's unimportant to me.

I started within the last year and a half, although I've read various classics for several years.


forgot to kill the friggin green text...
"it's tough being green"

Haha, your reply was transformed into GREEN!

But anyway, great interview, at least from the reading standpoint.

And thoroughly interesting on the biographical one. You're an interesting fellow, Wwarped! It's cool how much you seemed to really think about why you do the things you do. Like you're fully aware of the self that is you that is not really presented to other people. Or something.

Haha, I can see my interview now: What has been your contribution to B.A.S.E.? I make pwetty pwetty pictures!

don't worry. you'll do fine. I bet it will go real well for you.

I made that poor woman scream in frustration. she worked hard to understand my limited comments. she felt determined to pry me open. the credit goes to her.

heck, without her, I would happily have remained silent.

ps
although being interviewed was incredibly unnatural for me and I could have been far more generous, I was wrong. I am happy I did it. it was a great experience.

how old do you need to be arround to be a old school
funny interiw,made me think back,fun and horro,laughs and crys
Nice one mate

i have one
do you also have a 80és musstage? just need to know,me not beeing abel to grow hair on my body(atleast in my face,my @r$e should have plenty if you ask my wife),it would suck not beeing abel to be a oldschool if i cant get a musstage

I've been around long enough to remember when neon colors were the rage... when students jumped rounds... when swooping started...

but I do NOT wear those tight shorts, gaudy neon, sport long, unkempt hair, a bushy mustache, etc.

(now, I'm not saying I NEVER did...)

LOL

Oh but you were able to grow the facial hair at one time my friend....or dont you remember this one?

lol i see you found my sunglasses,but too much hurry in PS :-P

I can't imagine Faber being incognito or very stealthy after viewing that photo.

I wonder if he has gotten a free ticket to Miami lately?

im stealthy as a elephant in a glashouse

Funny. Mr Faber is quite stealthy when necessary. Another fact is, though his written English is sometimes a bit choppy, he's very articulate as well.

Cynthia, that was a good read.

I agree. Mr. Faber is a treasure to chat with, articulate, witty, knowledgeable and a healthy sense of humor. I am also certain that unlike his statement of being a elephant in a glasshouse, that he is one stealthy BASE jumper.

I just like teasing him, as he does me.

Glad you enjoyed the article.

only when im scared,usaly that involves security,police or military

try see if you get any facts from my danish,its worse

sure were
Cynthia,plz be stealthy abour our relationship,mrs.Faber might be jaloux LOL
Lets not spam this tread more

Very much so. I may even be compelled to answer certain questions on here more often because of it. I've always known wwarped to be a skydiver and somewhat experienced base jumper. It seems with the low(ish) numbers in base, the posts he provides are more philosophical designed to get people to think.

Faber and Peter were on a BASE jump travel extravaganza. I met him the night before jumping a small bridge. Afterward, we went ground launching. We skipped jumping one day and hit up the rollercoasters about 10 miles from where I live.

He took this shot of the bridge jump. To this day it's still my favorite.

At least you're older than Hookitt and I.

very enjoyable. i also agree that doing solo's is a very rewarding way to make some base jumps. i prefer and mostly jump with others but making my first true solo was a big moment in my progression.

one thing that stands out to me in your responses was the thinking that the new ideas and attitudes twords the sport somehow dis honors the founders of base. or thats the feeling i got reading your interview and many other past remarks by older schooled jumpers.
i really think thats a narrow minded way to look at the natural and un avoidable progress of the sport/ activity/
to think anything will and should remain the same is un-natural and impossible at best. everything evolves changes and continues regardless of who or when it was created.
to be honest base has become bigger than any one person or school of thought. this isnt a dig at founders is just the way it is.
there wasnt any internet, manufactures, sponsors, or many oppurtunity for income "back in the day" but there is now. so these resources will of coarse be used.

i have huge respect and grattitude to the pioneers of this sport, but i also feel its time to stop resisting the changes and progress that are unevitable and in many ways a positive step.

just a jumper from a different generation 2 cents.

peace
jeff tarinelli
pdx

first, while I prefer jumping quietly and am relatively old, I hope everyone realizes I do NOT claim to be a developer/founder of anything.


secondly, we agree. maybe you missed a point in the article, as it covered a lot of ground...



thus no one can control BASE.




which changes?
the jumper in MN jumping sites for the tv guys?
wingsuits?
Sonic's rig?
proximity flying?
youTube?
video?

some changes will benefit BASE. some will not.
some will use new tools well. some will not.

jumpers will always disagree about the anticipated outcome, and maybe even the actual outcome.

act in good faith.
hopefully you choose right.
when we jump, we assume the risk. so it is in every choice.

>>Nick, what do you think of BASE today?<<

BASE jumping used to be a singular thing but now I see it in three distinct spheres of existence.

- There's Internet BASE.

- There's real BASE.

- There's the public's perception of BASE.

Out of all three "internet BASE" has changed the most.

If some night you were invited to my place with a few other BASE jumpers (don't hold your breath) and something was afoot I'd expect you to keep your mouth shut and your ears open. Your very presence would be the first step in your BASE career. You can't do that on a board like this, you just be invisible if you did.

If that same night you said to me, "Nick, what do you think of the BASE today?" Rather than an answer you'd probably get only a raised eyebrow. I'm not being mean but (in the real world) you don't rate knowing what I think.

Sit on my rig and hold tension while I pack, use your car to drive us to a sites, act as look out a few times, and make the beer runs and then maybe info will be forthcoming. But just registering on a website, weathering a few shit storms, and sorry not so much . . .

Real BASE hasn't changed one iota since I started. The faces and the names have changed but the shrinking nut sacks are still the same. The euphoria after a jump is still the same. Climbing a dark stairwell thinking, Jesus, just get me through one more, just one more time, that hasn't changed.

One thing I've learned is there are three kinds of BASE jumpers. There's the cold and very calculating ones who cross all the T's and dot all the I's. And BASE doesn't seem to scare them all that much.

And there are the ones who are counting totally on their luck bucket. BASE scares them to death, but not enough to stop.

And the last group are the too ignorant ones who shouldn't have been allowed to start skydiving let alone BASE jumping.

I'm in that middle group. And actually the more I learn about BASE jumping the more it scares me.

As for the public's perception of BASE I don't think it's changed at all since day one. They think we are death wishers and that will never change. So fuck 'em.

But in there lies the beauty of BASE, and what so many seem to miss. No one can ever stop us. No matter what happens in this crazy world as long as there is one curious boy with a parachute there will always be BASE jumping. So you don't have to shove BASE in anyone's face. There's no reason for it.

Keep it to yourself and your little group, (hear me Stupid Dave, Redbull, etc.) and you can continue to party, get laid left and right, and wake up in the morning with a hang over and the satisfaction of thinking, "Holy shit, did I really do that last night?" For the rest of your life.

Mortals just dream about stuff like that. . .

NickD
BASE 194

I kind of enjoyed your reply about recognizing change. I appreciate history but darned how the world changes and we lose some of what we wish we hadn't. So we make the best of the present. And I'm not a basejumper, just a watcher.

And on that last note, there were about 7 from Colorado and 7 from Las Vegas that showed up last Friday after driving all night to catch one of the best days of the year so far at the Perine Bridge. It was like a summer day with another two from Alaska and the same from Portland. Not overlooking a half dozen or so on a FJ course with Johnnie Utah. Numbers alone change the parameters of your sport.

And how could I have forgotten not to mention Miles Daisher who was there as well doing different jumps and no doubt a few other people I missed. The previous day I encountered Miles carrying out gear for a couple of jumpers, one of whom had an ankle problem upon landing.

Okay, I just have to ask. How in the world did you get a toe nail lodged in your eyelid?

no really you don't have to ask, this is a BASE forum

Oh, Oh, I wanna guess first!! Jungle sexcapades gone wrong? An epically failed 69?

I'll agree with Avery on this one. it's probably much better told in person anyhow.

 wv_girl,

He wouldn't expand on that answer when I interviewed him.

I say, go with Ghetto's answer as it is probably more intriguing than the real cause of the accident.

Appreciate you taking the time to read an article about a person and not just the sport.