SPLASH-A-THON
Last year I threw it out there on basejumper.com that I would let anyone jump out of my ppg for a 25 dollar donation to their local schools. The response was overwhelming but unfortunately due to a foot injury our cross country tour never happened. Now that my foot is healed and summer is upon us we have come up with a solution for all those that want to huck outta the PPG. On July 13th-July 17th in Lake Tahoe we will be conducting the first annual Splash-A-Thon to raise money for the recently destroyed schools in Oklahoma. The Splash-a-thon will work like this
Jumpers will be on back of waverunner that will match the speed of the PPG. Jumper will then attach themselves to the PPG and get towed up to jumping height and then cut loose open and land in the lake. We will have rescue boat there to pick you up and then we will repeat the process. All jumpers will be required to use rigs with cutaways and wear some sort of PFC. Due to the altitude of Lake Tahoe we cannot accommodate any jumper whose jump weight is over 225 lbs. It would just take us too long to get you up.
Participating jumpers will ask friends, family and coworkers to pledge X amount of dollars for every jump they make out of the PPG over the 5 day period. Depending on how many rigs you have and how fast you pack will determine how many jumps you get. In theory a person with two rigs could get 4 jumps per day.
To make it a little more exciting we have teamed up with Fatboys, Inc. to bring out one of their new blobs. The blob will be on site for those that wish to try and hit it and attempt to set a new World record blob launch.
We have devised a plan to promote jumpers accuracy and to help with calculating trajectory for jumpers wishing to hit the blob (see attached diagram) Using buoys and floating targets directly parallel to the blob jumpers will be able to test their accuracy.
We will also allow jumpers to make low altitude jumps into the blob without a parachute in an attempt to break the 17m WR. This will be fun for when your rig is drying out.
How to participate: SPACE IS VERY LIMITED
P.M. me your jump experience and request a splash-A-thon pledge sheet. The first 8 qualified jumpers with 10 pledges or more will be chosen to participate.
There is no cost to participate and for those on a budget we can find you a couch to sleep on.
F.A.Q's
Who will be flying the iGoBig.org PPG?
Good question, Dell Schanze will be coming out from Utah to Pilot our Ninja. Dell is one of the top PPG pilots around.
Will the event be filmed?
Yes 100%, we are in talks with a couple of networks to cover the event, and we will have a film crew present. The hype around it is getting bigger each day!
Is hitting the blob dangerous?
To hit the blob after jumping outta the PPG with a BASE rig will require the jumper to cut away from his parachute. Cutting away will undoubtedly be the most dangerous part of hitting the blob as they often make the jumper unstable. For those that wish to hit the blob they will first have to demonstrate accuracy by landing in the floating rings. Once accuracy has been demonstrated the jumpers will be allowed to attempt to hit the blob. First chopping from very low altitudes 10-20ft up and then working their way up in altitude.
Will landing in Lake Tahoe ruin my canopy?
Well, if your going to land in water Lake Tahoe is where you want to land. It is the largest cleanest lake in the U.S. So consider it a great way to get all that dust out of your rig.
Transportation?
For those traveling by plane we will make every effort to pick you up, otherwise there is a shuttle from Reno to Tahoe and we can get you there.
Liability?
All jumpers will be required to sign a video release and release of liability similar to bridge day.
Prizes? We are working on getting prizes for the person who raises the most money, for the person who makes the most jumps and for the person who sets the WR record. We will have a prize list prior to the start of the event.
Corporate participation? Tell your sponsors to buy you a new parachute with their logo on it. There wil be 2-5k people daily at the location to watch your jumps as well as mass media coverage.
So start thinking who you know that once went to school and could see some value in helping donate some money to the schools in Oklahoma. This is a great way for our community to show that we can use our sport for good.
Thanks,
Goinin
For any more questions or comments please feel free to PM me directly or email me at JohnGarrett@igobig.org
“I think it’s kinda cool to do the stunt as a charity thing because doing a jump like this one is pretty much as "hey, look at me!" as it gets,” says McConkey. “It’s fun and all, but why not do that to benefit something good?”
-Shane McConkey
