Basejumper.com - archive

In 1982 Carl Boenish sent Mark Hay a copy of the first British BASE magazine that Nigel Slee had been working on. Carl sent it to Mark in Australia so Mark could have a guide of the kind of publication that was starting to emerge into the BASE world at that time. Carl had marked this document as "Confidential" but given it's 28years later and Mark has given me permission to reproduce it here I have scanned the original for you guys to see.

As it does not really fit into the category of Australian BASE history that I have been working on here CLICKY (registration required) I have placed the scans here in this forum for all to see.

Enjoy

g.

Click images to enlarge



Pages 1 & 2


Pages 3 & 4


Pages 5 & 6


Pages 7 & 8


Pages 9 & 10


Pages 11 & 12


Pages 13 & 14

Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed reading those

This is a great article. Nigel really put into words what it was like to be base-jumping in the old days....

Great stuff. I still hear from Nigel and Andy G from time to time. Sure you know we keep touch with Nick F on the Aussie BASE. I like your reference to "Aussie Mark". Tell him hi for me and my brother Randy.
Rick H.
38

When i started skydiving I remember listening to "Douglas Towers" recounting the story of the 1st UK load, inspiring stuff

That was a great read!

Really humbling to see the innovation, experimentation and huge bloody brass ones that went into opening some of the objects that nowadays we take for granted.

Nice to see my first BASE jump on page 9!! 257' building.

BTW, Mike didn't do a front loop on the exit from the mast; I know, I took the pictures from the ground. He certainly went head down though. See attached. Plus a few more of the post-jump stuff, esp. Andy G.!

Al

Nigel emailed me a month ago or so. Andy G. was on my SCS load at Zhills. We built a 10-man star in freefall, then built a 9-stack. Taff Jones and a bunch of other brits were on it as well as some Australian load organizer. Don;t remember the Aussies name right now, but he had a weird taste for food. (would Rob Paley sound about right?)

That's a blast from the past!

This document was a draft put together by Carl for a book on Base jumping he was working on. He asked me to contribute a chapter on the UK. I seem to recall that quite a few chapters had been completed.

I cannot take all the credit as the document benefits from Carl's editing and turn of phrase. I wrote out my account sitting at the kitchen table in Carl and Jean's house in late in 82. They very generously let me stay with them as a house guest that winter. I needed to recharge my 'Base batteries' after a difficult summer in the UK following Frank Donnellan's death on the building jump mentioned.

I've just had a read through and I can't believe how much I'd forgotten about those days.

'Hi' to Skypuppy, Al and Rick and the other oldies...

p.s.the same Mark who bagged Canary Wharf in the 80's?