Basejumper.com - archive

So I am a skydiver with about 2 and half years in that sport and 400 jumps. I have a few jumps from a helo. Most of my jumps have been elliptical 9 cell, not really ideal experience to BASE. Anyway my amazing girlfriend (a skydiver) still has a way to go before BASE (she is only at 70 something jumps right now) but BASE is on her bucklet list and in the future I am sure we will BASE at some point when she gets more experience.

My problem is I am a "Type A" personality as most of us probably are. I tend to get addicted fairly easily. So what's the problem? Well if the user name didn't give a clue, I am a police officer. So getting arrested for tresspassing etc doesn't really jive with my professional life. I know Bridge Day is legal. Is there any other "legal" jumps in the US? Enough to satisfy a new addiction? I actually signed that petition that was going around to allow base in our national parks, but we will see if that ever actually happens. I know it was allowed in the past, but oh well.

Another question is there a best place to learn? Like a FJC for BASE? I imagine this sport is a lot smaller than skyjumping so there could only be a handful of places to get proper training. Maybe I am wrong.

P.S. I didn't get into skydiving to base. I went for a tandem and fell in love. I am not rushing to BASE. I imagine skydiving would still remain my primary activity. I don't really know too many BASE jumpers, so excuse the question if it seems dumb, and don't hate my job! A lot of "us" can be dicks, but some of us are actually pretty good people that respect people's rights and try to do a hard job the right way for low pay. Crazy I know.

there is a bridge in Idaho that is legal year round. they do most of the fjc courses there any major manufacture of base gear offer courses as well as many others. many cliffs are legal but you should be jumping the bridge for a while. im sure the more you read the more answers you will get.

Thanks wasatchrider. I didn't know the bridge there was year round. I will definitely look around and do some more reading and learning. I am just kinda screwed from the begining with my profession lol. Not too many BASErs want to play friendly with the "enemy." I am guessing that my need to play legal will put me at a huge disadvantage in this sport. Eh probably come down to a few jumps a year when I can make them legal. I doubt I will ever be able to stay current enough to do anything other than the bridge, but oh well. I have to pay to play and the source of my pay probably won't change.

That's a funny statement to make... Maybe the not too many jumpers you know don't want to jump with you because you're a cop, but that doesn't mean it goes for everyone. I've heard of a few different crews that had a police officer, or some kind of government employee who couldn't get caught jump with them regularly. Don't assume anything in this sport.

If anything, being a cop puts you at an advantage. Once you get past the whole ethical problem of being a criminal, you should be a better jumper than most... knowing the ins and outs of the law. At the very least, you know which of your coworkers you can outrun. :)

i know a few piggies that jump. just need to be smart about it. also most of the jumps in europe are legal. so build up some vaca time and hit it there. it is totally doable.

Just as a few of your co-workers probably smoke grass,
we all know several people who BASE jump that can NOT
get caught due to their work in their Square world.

Some only do legal jumps, some do mostlty legal jumps
and the occasional totally chill jumps where you have the
permission of the land owner but not the tower company.
Really your A is the only one you have trespass to get.

I have 3 legal B's, 2 legal S's, and 1 legal E, of course
once I get my ass to Europe & Moab that will change.

I've been driven to the exit point in a cop car several times. Super cool! Just don't get caught!

I mentored a guy who was on the ETF and he got his BASE number with all illegal jumps. We even had some of his co-workers drive getaway for us on some jumps.

I have a "friend" who is a pastor , runs a church and if he gets caught is also in a lot of trouble. But that doesnt stop my "friend", just means picking jumps wisely, and also jumping with at least one jumper you can outrun

There is enough legal events going on year round to use up all of your holidays and then some. It's just gonna cost you some of that skydiving money to travel around. You've probably heard of a few already.. Bridgeday, Norway Heliboogie, KL Tower, etc.. and once you've built up enough experience there's tons of legal but more technical cliffs in the US and all over the world.

But as others have mentioned, start at the bridge in Idaho. Do a search for FBJC courses and then make your own decision on which one to take.

That's really funny because you are not a cop and nobody wants to jump with you. Dayblazing POS.

Hey rpersi,

Sorry for the delay in my response. I actually have a family and friends that I spend Christmas with and I am unable to spend time trolling on the internet on that particular day, unlike your sorry ass.

I am a cop. Not that I really have to prove anything to you. You also called me a "dayblazer" I can only assume that refers to a basejumper that burns sites by jumping them during the day. I am unsure because I haven't even made a basejump yet, and I am not up on all the lingo, but I made an educated guess. All I can say to you is you are pretty fucking cool man. Hope you feel big.

To the rest of the community I would like to say this:

I realize this sport is often on the other side of the law and this can cause jumpers problems. I for one (definitely cannot speak for all law enforcement officers) just do my job. I do not make laws. I enforce them. I have been on cases where I honestly did not want to arrest a person, but I had to because it was my job and they broke the law, even if it was a law I didn't agree with personally or thought was out-dated. Not all cops are power tripping assholes that got picked on in high school and are out for revenge. Some are guys just like me. They were knuckle heads early on in life. They made a lot of mistakes, just like everyone else. They decided they were on a road to nowhere and decided to make something of themselves. With no rich parents to pay for their college they didn't have many choices. They maybe saw the military as a way out. They went off and served their country so you could make those jumps you love. They may have found themselves in a far off land fighting a war that was being waged by suits in DC without a fucking clue. After their 4 years they got out because they saw the revolving door of Iraq and they knew they would come back if they stayed in. So what is a 24 year old combat vet with no college do when he gets out and he has no education and a newlywed wife to support? Can't go off to college because he needs a home now that the Army isn't housing him. His job was to carry a gun for his country and act as the world police, so he see a possible future in law enforcement. He uses he GI Bill goes to the academy and becomes a cop. He believes in freedom. Hell he shed blood for it. He watched buddies go home in boxes for it. Do you think this guy believes free people should be allowed to make base jumps in their own national parks? Hell yes. Does he get his rocks off arresting Basejumpers? No. He gets a lot more satisfaction arresting that drunk that just beat the shit out of his wife or drove drunk, and wrecked his car into a minivan with a family in it. Hell that same cop enjoys a drink too, but he stays home with his beer and doesn't drive. He loves to skydive and wants to base. Just can't do any antennas until someone makes a legal base antennae dz.

Anyway. Just a little insight into this cop. We aren't all bad guys. Hell you might even like me if you met me and didn't know my profession ;-)

EDITED to add I am a complete idiot and didn't see the address line thing. Apparently rpersi was replying to cheeky and I feel like an idiot now. My appologies.

I've had two US Marshalls and three other police officers take my course.

In the modern era, you can easily BASE jump legally all year round, if you are willing and able to travel a bit.

 
I was replying to Cheeky's post, not yours. You can tell in the subject line. Learn to read the post before getting all amped up and spending a hour typing a defensive reply.

My bad lol new to this. Didn't see the reply to thingy at the top.

Fuck the police.
Except for my two BASE jumping buddies, my dad, my former partners at State, both of my FTO's, my uncle Dave...
Actually I take that back.
Fuck BASE jumpers.