First BASE jumps this weekend

[piercewhat 0]

I made 2 jumps at Bridge Day. Solo on my first and a 2-way on my second. How can anyone not try this sport. It is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. Met a lot of cool new people and hope to jump with some of you one day.

[RhondaLea 4]

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How can anyone not try this sport.

Because it is extremely dangerous, and it has an inordinately high rate of serious injuries and fatalities.

Bridge Day is a lot of fun, and jumping there is relatively safer than other base jumps, but both serious injury and death have occurred there too.

The danger of the bridge is that it makes base jumping seem easy. It isn't.

rl

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

[NickDG 23]

I'm going to let Jason decompress a bit before bothering him to ask, but I think there were more first time jumpers this year than ever before. There's usually around a hundred, but I heard one hundred and forty. There sure were a bunch of happy campers at the Holiday Inn Saturday night.

I've always thought first timers coming to Bridge Day, meeting everyone at once, and getting in a jump or two, is the best part of Bridge Day I think it sends these folks home with a very broad and positive view of the sport. We were laughing and thinking about how the week following Bridge Day probably sees more BASE jumps than any other as everyone returns home to rape everything in their hometown.

piercewhat, you did good, Brother . . .

NickD BASE 194

[BASE813 0]

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How can anyone not try this sport

I am with RhondaLea on this one, I would never encourage or advise anyone to "try" or get into the sport.... its not as nice as you may think from doing what you have just done...

its the best thing I have done, but its also the worse thing I have done,

how can anyone want to get into this sport?

BTW: Congrats on your first jumps

[brianfry713 0]

I did my first two jumps at Brdige Day also. Thanks to Johnny Utah for the instruction presented in his FJC / BASE camp. Thanks to Apex, CR, piercewhat, some CA locals, and others for your help as well.

Nick, according to Jason's last email, there were 135 first timers. I think someone said during one of the meetings that was a record. I believe that's probably the number that registered, I personally know 2 of those that didn't show.

I can already see why some call this the dark side of the sport.

BASE 1224, Senior Parachute Rigger, CPL ASEL IA, AGI, IGI
USPA Coach & UPT Tandem Instructor, PRO, Altimaster Field Support Representative

[PsychoBob 0]

Made my first 2 BASE jumps on Saturday at BD. It was fun but I also realize that it was a very controlled, protected and relatively stress free environment. I wasn't worried about losing my gear, getting away or getting arrested, there were plenty of helping hands (rescue boats, gear checkers etc.) and it was coodinated.

I took Tom Aiello's FJC and it was great. Learned how to pack, body postion, BASE ethics and got a really cool t-shirt. Thanks Tom for putting on the cousre and also to Jason, Sporto and all the other really cool people that made this event happen.

"I'm not a gynecologist but I will take a look at it"
RB #1295, Smokey Sister #1, HellFish #658, Dirty Sanchez #194, Muff Brothers #3834, POPS #9614, Orfun Foster-Parent?"

[skypuppy 1]

I'm just guessing, but I think in the 80's, like when I did my first in 84, the numbers of first-timers might have been higher....

Rob

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[piercewhat 0]

Ok maybe that came out wrong. I wasn't trying to state that everyone should try it. I think a lot of experience in canopy control and skydiving helps. But having the saftey of the bridge and no worries about a strike made it easy. It is only the beginning of my love of BASE.

[piercewhat 0]

Here is the video I shot from my jumps.

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=2841

[Basedude 0]

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Here is the video I shot from my jumps.

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=2841

Nice Job!!

[KrisFlyZ 0]

Click

[BASE813 0]

one statistic I would like to know is how many people who do their First Jumps at BD actually continue?

[piercewhat 0]

Along the same lines, if a mentor cannot be found to help continute it how many go it alone to continue?

[avenfoto 0]

not many, and they usually dont last long...

[nicknitro71 0]

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1618673;search_string=broken%20back%20in%20moAB;#1618673

This kid made two jumps one year apart at Bridge Day. After the first jump he was a BASE jumper, after the second he was a seasoned BASE jumper. Read the thread about his third jump.

Memento Audere Semper

903

[NickDG 23]

I remember the Moab thing and yes, we could do more to prevent that sort of thing, but we don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I don't know, but I've been hanging with up and coming BASE jumpers all my life, and I know a thing or two about how they think. We all seem to have this thing where once "we" start BASE "we" then want to slam the door closed behind us. There are a large amount of experienced BASE jumpers wandering the world who got their start at Bridge Day.

Sure, there are some yahoos you'll do everything you can to keep them away from BASE jumping, but most first timers can look at a parachute, look at the bridge, and look at the LZ and instinctively know it's dangerous. And how many really have fifty jumps? Most I talk to have between 150 and 300 and I find they are cautious and they go slow at first. A BASE student today is not the same animal from the 80s, or even 90s. There is so much more information available out there I find present day first time BASE jumpers much more informed.

I think most of you complaining about first timers at Bridge Day are being disingenuous. We've had these discussions many times before at Bridge Day and the consensus has always been an experienced BASE jumper has the whole world at their feet. First time BASE jumpers have limited opportunities to get the help and guidance they can get at an event like Bridge Day.

I lived through a time in this sport when shutting out new comers is how most thought it should be done. Thanks be it didn't stay like that as many of you might have had more trouble starting. Passing it on and giving an encouraging word to a new comer when they do something good is alright and what we are supposed to be doing. I don't get wailing on the fellow who started this topic. You think he didn't take one of the courses and didn't hear all about that? You think he didn't stand in line for a couple hours sweating it out. You think he didn't have all the same fears and worries we all did.

Give the guy a break . . . He posted to share his joy and you dumped on him.

We can't stop the onslaught of new BASE jumpers, that ship already sailed, and probably long before most of you started. What's left is it becomes all our responsibilities to make ourselves available and guide them when needed.

The fact the "BASE Zone" title here on dz.com warns people BASE is dangerous is not a mandate to do your best to talk people out of it. Those days are over . . .

Bridge Day didn't start out to be a place for new comers because when it began all were new comers. The 50 jump minimum came from a time when nobody would question how many skydives you had. Jean Boenish had about 60 jumps when she started BASE jumping and she had not yet jumped a square. I'm fine with Jason raising the minimum skydive number as I think that's where most of them are at anyway. But, I'm not for shutting out first timers in favor of experienced BASE jumpers. That's not Bridge Day.

I'd give up my Bridge Day slot to any well prepared new comer anytime . . .

NickD BASE 194

[nicknitro71 0]

I take your post with respect Nick and I did not mean to put anybody down. I just wanted to point out that someone thought he was a BASE jumper after two BDs and two jumps and the result could have been even worse than what it tured out to be.

Benjamin, great job on your first two!

Memento Audere Semper

903

[RhondaLea 4]

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Give the guy a break . . . He posted to share his joy and you dumped on him.

It must be a blue moon or a full moon or something, Nick, because I don't think Nitro--or anyone--dumped on him.

What I read in his post was that first-time skydiver enthusiasm transferred to base. It's wonderful, but it doesn't take into account the perils of the sport, and it's the last sport in the world that anyone should be encouraged to take up.

There are a lot of people who had to beg, borrow or steal a mentor, and they probably have better attitudes than those who had it handed to them, so don't knock someone's very important rite of passage.

It was good to see you over the weekend, Nick. You shoulda smacked me when you had the chance.

rl

P.S. As you know, Nick, I had 36 airplane jumps (and I was a static line student, not AFF) when I made my first bridge jump, and I did a whole lot better than some people with many, many more skydives. It's not about how many skydives someone has. It is, however, about having an inculcated respect for a sport that is in no way forgiving to anyone. It is also about getting an education for oneself that is thorough enough to make one realize that base is not for everyone--and probably not even for everyone who makes a bridge jump.

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

[Darius11 12]

Congratulations brother.
I wish I could have been there with you man but you know the reasons I couldn’t.
I know you personally and know you have a good head on your shoulders and don’t make stupid decisions.
After all that’s all we can do. Learn as much as we can and make smart decisions. Shit happens and it even happens to the best of us. I also know you prepared for this more then any one I know.
Can’t wait to jump with you man.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain