Re: [hookitt] Potato State Bridge
Wow. What a change of atmosphere from the usual anti-base attitude or cluelessness most places. The town doesn't just tolerate base -- they celebrate!
We registered at the Shilo Inn Friday night and got our room keys. I asked, "Any discounts we should know about? AAA? AOPA? That sort of thing?" The clerk said "No, you've already got all the discounts applied." Later that night we walked back through the lobby and he called out to us, "Are you base jumpers?" We nodded and he said, "Oh! I thought so. There's a base jumper discount." He then took another $10 off each night.
Then there was Woody's sports bar that sold half-price pitchers to anyone who brought in their day's base video to show on the 14-foot screen.
And then there were the hundreds and hundreds of observers throughout the weekend who came and went on the ends of the bridge to watch and discuss and cheer. It was fun to listen to their discussions as they guessed at the purpose of that "little thing trailing behind" or if the jumpers under rounds intended to land in the water or wondered how to get involved. The hunched-over, white-haired volunteers in the Visitor's Center were so incredibly CUTE as they explained the jumping to tourists buying postcards and commemorative shot glasses.
Not to mention the river tour business that dedicated 2/3 of their boats entirely to shuttling jumpers from the landing area to the park for $6 then threw a no-charge feed Sunday afternoon for everyone. THAT is what capitalism is about! (And cheers to the jumper who usually hikes out but who tipped the boat owner $100 after he unexpectedly needed a rescue.)
Aside from the local Portland crowd (NONE of which showed up, the brats!) who are all friendly but basically on the margin between well-adjusted and mentally ill, I haven't met many others. This weekend I got to meet MANY base jumpers from around the country and they're ALL on the same margin. They're well behaved people, obsessively consumed with their personal adventure. What great people!
What an interesting form of boogie. There was ZERO organization among the jumpers -- just a word of mouth spontaneous gathering -- but the community around the bridge responded with cooperation and celebration and good business sense. Cheers!