Basejumper.com - archive

Simple question: Do you know more people who have died BASE jumping, or left the sport of BASE jumping? Obviously more people quit, statistically, than die. It can’t kill everyone. But I am interested in the thought experiment… what about the people you know, around you? Are they mostly out of the sport, or dead? Sometimes it feels like I know more people who have gone in than have gotten out.

I don't think that's so obvious at all. In fact, based on my experience I'd doubt it.

Yah, I just sat for a few seconds thinking about it. I don't think it's even close for me. 10 quits maybe to ....50 deaths?

Well there's 2000+ BASE numbers, and 290 BASE fatalities.

Of the ~1700 people with BASE numbers who didn't die BASE jumping... what percentage do you think are still active? The remainder must have quit.

From back-of-the-napkin math I think its safe to say that more have quit than died. I'm sure we all know people who had kids, broke bones, current skydivers who "used to BASE jump".

What does quitting mean?

1. Give up the sport for good? Sell all your gear and do something else with your time? Never talk to my BASE friends again?
2. Keep my gear, jump with friends occasionally, just not as much?
3. Keep my gear, but only jump low-risk objects?
4. Keep my gear, never jump, but still post on Basejumper.com and maybe bike around the Bridge bitching at people.

I believe more people have quit than have died. Quitting is just quieter than going in.

Classic Sampling Bias

Well,... of the 290 BASE fatalities we are not too far off to have a 50% ratio dying from Wingsuiting.
Of the 2000+ BASE numbers, is it even close to 50% of these people holding BASE numbers that are or were Wingsuit flyers?
I think from personal knowledge, at least on the first 400 BASE numbers that there are very few people still active that have progressed into BASE Wingsuiting, the particular discipline that is accounting for the majority of fatalities.
Certainly plenty of quitters, and many early number holders only did enough jumps to get their number and many got into it to make their four jumps, get their number, and quit!
The sport has evolved to the point that in my opinion Hucking yourself off a fixed object, slider down, or slick terminal, should be considered in a hugely different context than the skill of flying a Wingsuit in the fixed object environment.
Study the recent statistics and who can argue that it is Wingsuit BASE that has contributed to the huge explosion of BASE fatalities?

Regards, B.

Let's all remember the initial question. I don't think anyone will argue more people have stopped jumping than died jumping, but personally, I know more people who have died than who have quit.

If someone dies BASE jumping aren't they quitting the sport too?

It feels like I know more people who have died because they tend to stick out in my memory more than the people who drift out of the sport. Also some jumpers I know still sort of stay semi active… like not really in the sport or out of it completely. Crazy to think about so many dead acquaintances.

To be precise.. It is actually classic recall bias.

I quit about 6 months ago, about 6 people that i met since those 6 months are dead....the numbers will keep going. I am happy to say ill out survive a lot of people.

You won the game... Hats off to you..

Now I think it is both.

You are right, because this data collection
is using people's memories, which range
from imperfect to altered to fabricated.

But since the poll is being conducted on
a BASE jumping website, likely filled with
more current jumpers than retirees...
hence my thinking of Sampling Bias.

The same poll on drop zone.com could
likely return a vastly different result.

Seriously though, is that all the people you've met or people who were good friends met repeatedly for several years? Because, unfortunately, the people you get to know better because they're around more are the people more likely to die... because they haven't quit. There are so many people you meet once or twice and then you don't meet them anymore... because they've quit. Or just stopped. (In fact I think most people don't quit, they just slow down and fade out until one day they realise they don't jump anymore).

Also, the people who die stick in your mind. The people who don't fade away and get forgotten. Like musicians.

More quit than die, even in the last 5 yrs of WS mortality. I am seeing a lot of good WS'rs drop out as they realize that they have responsibilities to family, etc.

Everyone dies sooner or later,....Quitters!!!

i do think more people quit than die, i just haven't met most of those people. in the same vein that i haven't met most of the 1000+ newest BASE jumpers.

unfortunately of the people i DO know and have jumped with regularly, more are dead than have quit.

I of course now do not jump near as much as i once did, mostly because i'm decrepit and in a ton of pain daily. but i don't think i'll ever truly quit, i am just much more selective with my routine. and i'm lazy.

i'd love it if more people got lazy like me and survived forever, so one day we can all sit around a fire joking about the good ol' days. :)

But when you do jump, they're pretty special. And you hurt he rest of us with laughter.

If someone can not do anything and still die, your question is irrelvant.
If one drinks water, that one will die.
Deaths comes anyway.
Take care, space

everyone dies.
take care,
space.

That's not a haiku
Please try to be relevant
Elaphants have trunks

i stand by my post...
may be that i am wrong.
please correct me.
take care,
space.

Would Elephants' ears
Hurt or help with tracking jumps
If they jump off cliffs?

They would definitely
Not help as they
Are too far forward
I'd expect.

Indeed they would help
If they contain cartilage
that is steerable

Thats the thing right? Getting old is awesome in a way especially when we can look back on a life that has been a little rad Getting old isn’t the single most important thing or the be-all-end-all but I do want to sit around that same fire with old friends. @base283 ya everyone dies you are not wrong about that.

No one is going to learn anything about real statistics from this and hopefully it doesn’t just become a soundbite for some news producer prick but it is a fucked up thing to think about. Later in life when were old we will know more people who quit. At this stage for people in their 30s or whatever with friends who are currently active in BASE I think the trend is that more people died than quit. Only way to see that ratio change is to stay alive long enough for everyones knees to get bad

You don't need to track with elephant ears.

https://youtu.be/6CLbFOHvNSg?t=16s