Basejumper.com - archive

I talked to someone on here a year or so ago, via pm's, you may have jumped from a train going off a certain bridge in TN 'back in the day', please pm me, I'd like to chat with you about that again. Thanks

Id like to get my number, anything other then a successful leap from a moving loco?

I jumped a train but it was in Texas.

I think anything other than a leap from a moving loco doesn't count as a 'hobo' jump.

Mine was going 40 mph or so, I think.

How tall was the bridge?

290 feet or so, into a slow moving river with a super 22 round canopy.

Nice.

Check, 460 is number 7, myself being number 8, just cause he got on the train first... What an asshole

Also, I think since the river was up so much, the bridge was only 260 or so to impact. We took short delays and didn't have much canopy time. To this day, it is the only base jump I have made with a round. Mine was a pioneer 20', packed in reserve tray of a wonder hog. All the gear was older than me .

Cool, my first skydive rig was a wonderhog with a pioneer K-XX. Used it for my 1st reserve ride and used the container and my Pegasus220 for my first BASE!
Whens the next HOBO jump... Im ready!

a 3 pin setup on the reserve.

how has HOBO number count?

HOBO 1 was Kevin Vennel, BASE 58
followed by, in no particular order, Rick and Randy Harrison, Phil Smith, and Andy Smith. There was a dude who did it in the late 80's or early 90's from a different train tressle but he got on the wrong type of train, didn't launch well, and broke a leg on trying to hop over the railing for the jump, so he was #6. There were another jump I heard about from a train in some remote part of the world, but the train was going so slowly that it was equivalent to jumping from the bridge itself.

Well let #9 begin

Oh! Hobo jumpers. I was wondering why there were so many replies.

I will be in town for Christmas
would love to jump with you
on the 26th or 27th be it
train, building, or antenna
and of course 2 @ Ruby.

C'mon! Thanks to Adam G. we have a new 180 ft S.

Good, cause I could use a new object.

Do you static line it or TARD it?

Has anyone freefallen Ruby yet?

I might if the winds are right.

Static line. And yes, once again, thanks to Adam G. Ruby has been free'd. I'm going to go back tomorrow or Thursday and repeat it.

What'd you think we were talking about?

Lame joke. "Hobo jumpers, PM me" vs "Homo jumpers, PM me". If I have to explain it, it obviously wasn't funny.

Seriously, I wish you had brought the hobo thing up when it was warmer. Maybe in the spring when the water is warmer, we can do a couple of those here. There are a couple of good local spots for it.

gosh. I get it now. Haha, that was funny.

I bet I know which objects you are talking about

I got it. If we were talking about HOMO jumpers, then Adam G. would be on that list

Why? What did you hear?

i'm just impressed that Adam built a 180' bridge! what a guy!

I can support that statement.

Hey Chris, sorry to correct a bud, but Phil Smith was #1 and Kevin #2. That was the first train jumps. Randy and Andy went next the same weekend. A few weeks later for a TV show, PM Magazine, Smitty did it again with me.
As to the name Hobo BASE, when Kevin, who was my photographer and I were jumping on the train, I saw a couple hobos jumping on several cars behind. Smitty and his camerman were 7 cars ahead of us. After the jump, I thought the name Hobo Base sounded cool and I guess it stuck. We also thought of calling ourselves baset jumpers but sounded too much like a dog.
cliffleaper
38
Hobo 5

hey man, i don't mind being corrected when i'm wrong. those train jumps were the most awesome thing i've ever encountered and for Phil to contemplate leaving base retirement to do another train jump says how cool and uniquely wonderful it is to do that type of jump. man, it's a huckleberry fin adventure. it's bliss on tap for a base jumper.

i saw the photo's from epi. amazing.

I was Hobo #2. Rick and I tried to catch a train in Danville, Ky that cross High Bridge over the Kentucky River on the way to Lexington Kentucky. Rick wasn't able catch a car. I jumped as the train passed over High Bridge. River was narrow and wound up going through a overhanging tree then plunked in the water. Remembering the date is tough. Rick had it put in the BASE magazine which at that time was about a 6 page news letter. It would have been sometime around 1989. I remember #1 was someone who did it somewhere in California.
I don't know if we are talking about the same Rick. I haven't seen him in 25 years. He was then living near Sacramento. Can't remember his last name. He would be in his 50's now.
If anybody knows this Rick, I sure would like to talk to him again. He was hard core. I think the last time I saw him we were in Yosemite, jumped the Rostrum and I had line twist and cliff strike, open fracture, and Ranger tortured.
Mark Bailey Base 172

Hey Mark. Actually you are HOBO # 6. We five did the first ones in 1983. You and Rick Payne were at the KY bridge in late 80s like you said. Then in 08, 2 friends of mine Chris and Lane jumped our TX bridge for numbers 7 and 8. Rick Payne and I still talk a lot and I usually see him once or twice a year. He's doing tandem jumps. If you email me at cliffleaper@aol.com I'll give you his phone number. By the way, I've jumped the KY bridge many times and since the track is recessed about 5 feet below the bridge railing and it's a much shorter bridge with 0 visibility until you round the curve coming out of the trees. It's not a bridge I would want to do a train jump from. Our bridge was a single track at the same elevation as the floor of the bridge and no trees to hit. Payne has told me about the adventure and recall you did have a bad landing. Take care.
Rick
Director USBA
BASE 38

Rick, I'm sorry, my bad. We didn't have any base community around my parts at the time. So I'm #6. Thanks for clarifying that. Sorry I miss represented myself. Anyway, even #100 is equal to me at #6. I just had the opportunity earlier.
Mark