Good wishes and safe jumps for 2011
2010 has been a sad year for the Base jumping community. It's almost not surprising anymore to hear of another fatality. Every month, Its almost like you're expecting to hear of the next one.
Something is compelling me to write this. Please understand- I don't intend this to lecture to anyone out there. it's just that things seem a little different now- and it just doesn't feel quite right to me.
Base jumping is evolving at a fast pace. That is nothing new. But now there is something different happening. The way people are base jumping and getting into the sport has changed - the common attitude and mentality is beginning to change.
In the past Base-jumping was a lesser known sport and prospective jumpers found it much harder to break into. The early times and negative public attitude towards base jumping helped to keep out all but the very determined prospective jumpers. Everyone was aware of the dangers and the risks kept it real. In most cases- you had to prove how dedicated you were, before a mentor would begin to teach you what he knew. And even then the job of mentoring seemed to be taken more seriously- with a slow steady progression. It seemed that the mentor took on a certain level of responsibility and was careful about the quality of advice given. There was a definite respect for gravity and the risks involved. People talked about the ethics involved- It seemed then, that the student was eager to actually learn how to become a good jumper. It was as if there was a desire in the whole community- to show the public that we were not crazy and that we could actually reduce and control the risk.
Now- Somewhere between high definition and you-tube. Things have dramatically changed.
In recent times the progression of new jumpers has sped up dramatically- often overlooking crucial aspects of the learning. The quality of mentoring has lessened. Sometimes even the mentor is only learning themselves.
Base jumping is moving forward. As it always has done. Moving forwards is a positive thing. I am very excited about the possibilities the future holds for all disciplines of base jumping. Because of the internet, the sport is getting more mainstream. Access to the videos on the internet has seen more and more people coming into the sport. Negative attitudes towards the sport are now beginning to change for the better. That is also a very good thing.
The thing that is worrying is that more and more jumpers-new and experienced, seem to be losing respect for the basic and always present reality in Base.
Almost all my friends know someone who has paid the ultimate price for the sport. People will always die base jumping. People will always make mistakes and sometimes get too complacent. It is all part of the constant learning in Base jumping. Most jumpers will accept that even with the correct attitude and progression things can go wrong and accidents sometimes do happen.
Lets not forget the hard work that many people in the past have put in to try and change negative public opinion. It has taken a very long time for the public to start thinking of us, not as reckless idiots- but rather to look at us and what we do with admiration and respect. It is now finally starting to show-I can already see for myself that negative opinion of the sport is changing for the better! It is a huge leap forward and will certainly offer new opportunities for talented jumpers.
But what I can also see is that the current trend of the new jumper and the now sadly 'fast-track' base course or mentoring, in my opinion is potentially very harmful to the sport. There is a real risk that the needless and for the most part avoidable deaths will overshadow all the positive aspects of this amazing sport. As the public become more aware of base jumping and begin to understand the principles and techniqes involved- they may also see for themselves the fatal errors and poor judgement some jumpers have made- They may again think of us as being reckless idiots who don't value life.
As the sport becomes more popular. There will always be more and more idiots who decide they want to jump- Sadly, I think it comes with the times.
I know that sometimes its hard to speak up and give advice- Especially when people don't care enough to listen to it. Its easy to point out that this is base jumping and its unregulated- and that people can do what they want. But think for a moment the damage they can cause to the sport. How does negative public opinion and high death statistics affect the future of jumping?- the access to those amazing jumps? the cost or availability of insurance? the consequences of stricter laws against jumping?
I love that base jumping is unregulated!- and I love the freedom. But we all should consider in which direction the sport is going. Forwards or backwards?
I hate to hear of an inexperienced jumper losing their life for a stupid and obviously avoidable mistake. It is an irreversable and permanent mistake that affects so many people. When a jumper loses his or her life making the same mistake that someone else has in the past- it is always such a terrible waste!
It seems normal now to see a new inexperienced student jumper going straight to the advanced technical exits. Ignoring or sometimes not even knowing the risks involved. It is easy, and totally understandable to see why new jumpers want to be like- and jump the way the top jumpers do. But do they not think about how many years it took for the top jumpers to get to that level? Why so impatient?- Do people not realize that all good things take time, and that learning the correct way, is learning the best way!- because it is then you learn that Base jumping is so much more than just the physical action.- it is about learning to make the right decisions. It is easy to Base jump- But it is challenging to be able to jump your whole life. How is it possible to throw yourself off an object knowing that you are ignoring good free advice from those with experience?- Cutting corners and not realizing the importance of learning the basics first. Why do people put themselves at a disadvantage by not learning all there is to know- and their own personal ability and limits.
Sometimes- it is just ignorance. The student will naturally put faith in the mentor-that is to be expected, the student may be totally unaware that the mentor is not teaching them correctly or even that the mentor is not very experience themselves. This is unfortunately happening all too often now- and thats when it is important for other jumpers to recognize it and to act. Just a word to encourage the student to seek advice from other jumpers and to use good judgement when taking advice from jumpers. I am surprised how little technical knowledge some new jumpers actually have while trying to jump advanced objects.
In the past experienced jumpers would tell the student if they thought that the object was too advanced for them. It used to be that experienced jumpers would guide the newbies to the right object I'm not sure exactly why- but now I see more and more experienced jumpers - not even blink an eye when a student is standing next to them ready to jump an obviously technical and advanced exit. People say nothing??- perhaps they don't see the point anymore. perhaps they feel more and more that new jumpers don't listen to them anyway. And i guess It can be hard to give your opinion to others especially strangers.
I remember how keen I was to learn- After observing the new generation of jumpers, I feel fortunate that I began jumping when I did. Of course there were times in my progression when I began to get complacent. I was focussed on the wrong thing-too focussed on distance and becoming too comfortable with pulling too low on every jump. The way I was jumping would certainly injure or kill me if i continued!- it took a friend to tap me on the shoulders and make me realize where i was heading.
Losing friends is tragic and is a real wake-up call. Knowing jumpers who have died has made me think long and hard about my life, why and how I jump. It helps to pull me back into reality. I want to continue to jump for many more years- I do not want to die while participating in this sport that I love.
Its amazing to see the many young talented jumpers that are active in the sport today. They have recently come into the sport at a time when the advancement in wingsuit and equipment technology and the greater levels of performance allows them to push the sport to a whole new level. They have come at a time when the sport is maturing and no more experimental They are able now to benefit from all the experience and knowledge gained from the the older generation who figured it all out in the past. But at the same time it is easier now to go too much, too fast. I think it is very important now for the more experienced jumpers out there- to revert back to the way it used to be, to take on the responsibility of actively reminding the newer jumpers of the importance of the correct progression and respect for the sport. If we dont guide the new jumpers then the fatalities will certainly only continue to rise each year.
I think the thing we all should remember is that the most dangerous thing for the beginner jumper is inexperience and the danger for the experienced jumper is usually complacency.
I want to wish all my friends around the world, all the very best for 2011. I wish you all health and happiness!- and good safe jumps!
