Re: [dride] Why?
Because we are BASE jumpers. We purposefully put ourselves into high risk situations in pursuit of a particular thing. Whether it's self growth, curiosity, boredom, that attention we never got in second grade, etc., we all have a reason(s) for doing it. Nobody's reason is more correct than anyone else's.
It's these types of things that push limits. Whether they are necessary to push or not is up to no one but the individual that is performing the act. Suspension BASE jumping, cutaway fire canopies, etc are definitely not going to progress the sport, but it's respectable in the sense that this is within their right of the purity of freedom to do these things that affect nobody but the individual partaking. Now, there are certainly times and places to do this that are not completely reckless, and you would hope this fine line is walked with great care.
One thing I have noticed is the people that have put in a lot of work to ensure we can ride a tram, bus, or hike up to the top of an exit are not the people doing reckless things. They are the people sitting behind the curtains respecting the freedom they have created and timidly try to usher people to make the right decision. They know how hard it is to justify this sport to outsiders and the media. How hard it is to sit there in front of the superintendent of a National Park and plead your case after driving 6 hours, only to be given some illogical explanation that confirms their own bias within. To consistently have people not return your calls, emails, and to outright lie about promised actions. You don't see the Swiss BASE guys landing on the road at Lauterbrunnen or pulling low over power lines. You don't see the Norwegians of Lysboten doing things that jeopardize their own land. These things build a deep sense of appreciation for the little places we do have. Does anyone feel that sense of sacrifice these people have made when they go to Lauterbrunnen? How about Brento? Norway?
It will always be easier to take shortcuts. To not ask for permission and satisfy that instant gratification that we as BASE jumpers constantly feel so entitled to. I would be lying if I said I have never taken part in it, or been swept up by the moment. That's why we are human and not robots. We have emotion and sometimes let that beat rationale. The important thing is to move forward and to learn from these things. Look deep inside your own decision making and be honest with yourself in what you take and what you give. There sure is a lot of taking but how many people are actually giving? That's not even about BASE jumping, it's a point about humans in general.
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