Base numbers...

[TVPB 0]

Thanks mate.

I am but an oily drop in the big BASE ocean. There are many greater than me. And I am sure I would learn more from you than you would from me.

r.e. the BASE numbers. There is no real reason why not. I think that I was just subconsciously exercising my right to laziness. I guess another obscure reason is that I value the self reliance, independence, and personal responsibility thing. I like to have some aspect of my life where its just me - no other organisations/registrations/etc. Its kind of ironic that I have been to a number of organised BASE events.

Overall, I think its all good.

I would and actually do encourage people I know to get their BASE number.

BTW - I have a secret burning desire to be BASE number 100000 (no typo - one hundred thousand ). That tells me I am going to be around for a long time and that there will have been many people introduced to the sport in the meantime. Just don't tell anyone in case they get the same idea. There was

I am also secretly awaiting for Croatian BASE number 1. Robert???????? Do I have to send lots of Kuna over for this???? If you want to give it to someone else, that is fine by me too.
p.s. Unfortunately, I will not be at the Russian CRW World Meet in 2006. But I fully intend to compete at the 2008 and 2010 world CRW meets. You bring the beer, I'll bring the top shelf stuff. It should be a blast.

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

[TVPB 0]

I get the impression that the French were doing a lot of jumps a while ago and keeping a low international profile at the same time. Also, the first 1000 jump jumpers I met were French. Then came the Aussie/Yankie contingent.

I have to add the proviso that I was snotty nosed teenager in the eighties.

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

[NickDG 23]

I've been actively researching fixed object jumping since 1978 and I'd love to find evidence of prior "modern" BASE jumping occurring somewhere in the world. When I do hear from someone about earlier jumps, especially from Europe, it's always, I believe, I think, or I heard, with no evidence. This is further compounded when these people, like my good brother Faber, admit to being two years old at the time in question . . .

The first word that reached us in the USA from Norway is in the summer of 1979. I don’t have the names in hand right now, but I believe it was Jorma Oster and some others. After that an expedition of 13, including Carl and Jean Boenish, went to the Troll Wall.

Jumping in Norway took off after that. However, it took until 1992 before it caught fire and sites 1-7 are opened up. The closest thing to modern BASE that occurred anywhere on the continent prior to that is the 1950's jump done by the Dentist Felbmayr when he jumped a cliff in the German Dolomites.

As for the French, the first French BASE jumper I met is in the early 1980s. He came to the USA to jump El Cap during the short lived legal period but he broke the rules by jumping at night and without a permit. When I saw him at Perris after his jump, and right before he was run off the DZ by angry jumpers who held permits they'd never get to use, I asked him if anyone is jumping in France and he told me no. I believed him for two reasons. First, he was an intolerable braggart evidenced (okay, we all were in those days) by the tee shirt he was wearing that proudly proclaimed himself, " El Cap Nite Frog #1." The second reason I believed him is in 1981 the very concept of keeping BASE jumping a secret is still a few years away. Anything that happened before the 1978 El Cap jumps would have never been kept a secret. They would have made worldwide headlines just as both the El Cap jumps in 1966 and 1978 did.

Before, and like always, someone will now cite a one off stunt parachute jump made from an object somewhere in Europe and claim it as the first BASE jump. Sure, these types of jumps occurred all of the world. What I'm talking about here is the birth of the "sport" of BASE jumping. These earlier jumps, and they go back to ancient times, are like what the abacus is to the computer of today.

As I said earlier this isn't about American BASE jumping, it's about BASE history, the history of all of us. If there is someone jumping in modern terms prior to 1978 I want to know, and I will certainly give them the credit.

To just say >> I get the impression that the French were doing a lot of jumps a while ago and keeping a low international profile at the same time. Also, the first 1000 jump jumpers I met were French. Then came the Aussie/Yankie contingent.<< means what? Who are they, where are they, where's the photos, are we even talking about the same timeline?

NickD BASE 194

[TVPB 0]

Woooaaahhhhh? Hhhhheeeeyyyyy? Nick. Settle.

I wasn't questioning history, I was just mentioning what I had heard. and I certainly wasn't taking a patriotic / pro European / Anti American stance. (BTW - the first BASE jumper was Faust Verancic - A CROATIAN).

People like Eric Beau and Jaque Malnuit would certainly know more than I r.e. Euro history.

And, I did put the disclaimer in that I was a snotty nosed teenager at the time which implies that I admit that I don't know for sure. I just mentioned what I had heard. That's all.

To rule something out because it came from a "young punk" may or may not be detrimental to collecting facts and data.

p.s. One of my Holy Grail jumps was the TW - and the legend of Carl was one of the main factors that drove me there.

p.s. Luv your work. AND - I am looking forward to the book!!

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

[gharendza 0]

Hi,
Just wondering if the BASE # List is Confidential ?
After Jean Boenish handed down the BASE # List to Rick Harrison, if i'm Correct, Rick let another BASE Jumper named "Yuri" and other's, View the BASE #'s List.
This may be a reason Some BASE Jumper's Don't apply for BASE #"s.
Thank You,
Gerald Harendza
BASE # 75

[RhondaLea 4]

Quote

Just wondering if the BASE # List is Confidential ?
After Jean Boenish handed down the BASE # List to Rick Harrison, if i'm Correct, Rick let another BASE Jumper named "Yuri" and other's, View the BASE #'s List.
This may be a reason Some BASE Jumper's Don't apply for BASE #"s.

Do you know any personally who have not applied for this reason, Gerry? You can't be worried about someone seeing your name on the list.

I don't get it, you know. This is a hoorah that flared up quite some time ago on the BASE Board. Based on this post and on your last post, it seems that you have recently learned how to use the "search" feature for the sole purpose of bringing up old pissing contests.

What I wonder is, why would you want to do this?

I think the better way to get your question answered is to email Rick and Joy and ask them. I'm sure they'll be forthright about exactly what they do and do not disclose.

rl

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[NickDG 23]

The BASE number list is "confidential" as Carl Boenish promised it would be, and in that respect a glance at the list shows an asterisk (meaning confidential) after quite a few names. I don’t think any of us have the right to renege on that, at least not for another fifty years or so . . . and yes while a lot of us have seen it, no one has published it . . .

What is it that you "don't get " about that?

NickD BASE 194