Basejumper.com - archive

A friend asked me how many people in the world BASE jump and it got me wondering. What do yall think? My guess is about 2,000 active jumpers in the world, active meaning that they average at least one BASE jump per month.

By your definition, one jump per month (trailing 12 months?)...I would put the number somewhere under 1K. Unscientific as hell....but it seems a lot more realistic than 2K.

When asked about this, I usually guess around 400 active.

I would also guess about 2000 total (active/non-active/gone/jump(s) was not as a tandem passenger).

Assumptions:
~1600 with #'s (with ~1000 of those issued before about 2003)
Unknown amount w/o #'s
Average length of BASE career being ~6yrs (randomly heard "fact")
Active meaning jumping with some regularity
and some other random BS statistics that i have either heard or made up for this discussion

I want to say there is more than what people think that are active (one jump a month). The Seattle Base Clan jumpers all do about one jump a week at a minimum.. Would find it hard to believe that the numbers we see here aren't reflected around the world....

We have 15 in Kiev, and base ain't a popular activity around these parts. So definitely more than 2000

What about those of us who are not BASE jumpers, but just guys that BASE jump regularly?

SBC is sketchy, but you talk us into doing "just walk away" jumps. You aren't just a guy who base jumps anymore...

I bet there are at least 40 in norcal, maybe about the same in SLC. Id say 2000 worldwide isnt that far off. Cant believe theres any less than a couple of hundred in france alone, let alone norway.

Wy not ask the manufacturers how many rigs they're building per year? It seems like they're all staying pretty busy. There have got to be a couple hundred new rigs being built every year.

I bet there is more than 2000. Just think about all the larger crews in the states, norcal, socal, washington, SLC, CO, Ohio, Florida, NY, AZ, Moab, Twin ........ And thats just the USA. There has got to be more than 2000 active in the world.

I personally think/say there are 5,000
BASE jumpers world-wide, provided you
are a little generous with the term active

I agree. There are a lot more quiet loner types than the gregarious social media fan types are usually aware of. They are definitely not the norm, as being a QL doesn't allow you to sound hella rad at the bar and impress drunk chicks. But why would you want to do that when you could tell them you are an astronaut in the Foreign Legion and have personally killed three great white sharks, simultaneously, underwater, using only your pyrokinetic powers?

I doubt that 100% of all BASE jumpers on the planet attend Bridge Day. The total number has to be more than 400. Just a thought. Could be wrong.

Now I'm impressed. swoon.

If you believe Florida actually has 50, you must be being *really* generous with the term active

there are about 3 of us south of tampa, im guessing definatly under 20 active in florida

Theres a nice little group out in OKLAHOMA! =)

See what I mean?

4 regular jumpers in Scotland doing BASE but I know of 3 others that only do big walls abroad. BASE is changing.

I doubt the Jock guys that jump abroad will ever do anything other than big wall. That's cool, as long as everyone is enjoying themselves but maybe the wingsuit, big wall stuff should be a thing in itself...Proximity, cliff jumping...Is a BASE jumper only someone that has done the 4 objects..I think so.

I would rather jump just big walls that all four objects

I'd rather jump ALL of it! I'm not too picky.

I think one of the cool things in base is that you can choose what you want to jump... And it's all good as long as it makes you happy. Personally, even though i live in the middle of quite good selection of quality big walls, I still enjoy an occasional trip somewhere to jump some low urban things or other kinds of jumps. For me, the variety of things is the essence of BASE.

Florida has 20 dropzones, 1 BASE manufacturer,
tons of SKY manufacturers, and plenty of pro
jumpers with 1,000's of jumps....

Florida definitely has 50 real BASE jumpers who
own gear, can pack, SKY jump regularly and can
BASE jump any time the mood strikes

For example, I know one factory pilot who has
600+ BASE jumps, is he "active" ? Not every
week, maybe not every month, but the man
sure gets his jump on when he is not busy
handling the responsibilities of his day job.

I wouldn't personally consider all the jumpers at bridge day to be "active base jumpers" (beyond that day at least). But that is why 400 is my guess based on my own personal idea of what constitutes 'active'. I don't like to argue so I may now say between 400 and 2000 when people ask.

I totally agree on this point made but if we look back and consider that group of people that came up with BABE, BASE and all other configurations..Is a person who does only cliffs a BASE jumper? MY opinion is, no they are not.
I'm rather proud of the fact that I went to a whole load of effort to achieve the 4 objects.

Likewise, I'm sure that proximity or big wall jumpers are proud to be pushing a new discipline in jumping further and further everyday.

Not disrespecting your efforts to achieve the 4 objects, but I disagree.

When I get around to doing my first BASE jump in September this year, it will be off a bridge. Jumping off a 460' bridge is a BASE jump, therefore I will be a BASE jumper.

I won't always be active and I won't have a BASE number for probably many years (if ever) however I will consider myself a BASE jumper because I have done some BASE jumps.

we just did a survey for our Oz history doco and we have found over 420 base jumpers in Oz since it began there in 1972. i would say there is between 60-120 Active Aussies right now.

love these round and round discussions just like what catagory to log a jump, is logging even necessary, what is considered a base jump?

per your statement: "however I will consider myself a BASE jumper because I have done some BASE jumps".........I disagree. you're a jumper who has made some fixed object jumps but you're not a BASE jumper until you jump all 4 primary objects (you dont necessarily have to have that # thou). Big Carl set that shit in stone yo!!!!! For example, I know lots of ASS jumpers--they have jumped one antenna and two different bridges.


My vote on the OP: range 3000-5000 jumpers world wide.

Cheers
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