First Jump

[inzite 0]

Two days ago I did my first jump, from the same legal 110 meter "A" that katzurki blazed on Oct. 30. The jump was PCA'd by an instructor.

I'd climbed the object on Oct. 30 to video katzurki's first jump, and went back on Nov. 1 for my turn. Instruction started on the ground, covering all aspects of what to expect, how to handle the exit, what mental state to try and get into, and what to do if the shit hits the fan. Training and discussion continued all the way to the top of the object. The climb, including a 5-10 minute chat at each platform on the way to the exit, took about an hour. Finally our instructor, katzurki, a photographer, and I were in place at the exit, 110 meters from where we started.

We went through gear checks and a last few minutes of mental preparation, and moved up to the edge...

Standing 110 meters above the cold hard earth, with a 20 km/hour cold wind blowing by, ears and fingers slowly freezing, somehow the realization of what I was about to do didn't seem to set in. Two days prior, with absolutely no intention of jumping, I'd climbed that damned object wearing all-too-inappropriate clothing in -2 (celsius) weather. Somehow, on that first climb, I couldn't in any way manage to get my nerves under control, and spent the entire climb up (and down!!!) shaking and fidgeting. And I didn't even plan on jumping that day.

November 1st, everything was under control however. Standing at the edge, looking out over the forests, factories, and various landing areas below, I was damned ready to jump off that object. If for no reason but that I didn't want to climb back down - the climb down is scary!!!

At the edge, 60 seconds from a major fork in my life, a decision point I'd spent three years preparing for, I was surprisingly calm. Of course slightly nervous, naturally "a little on edge", there wasn't an ounce of fear in my mind.

This time, I'd spent the entire climb controlling the precursors to fear that creep up from the depths of your subconscious in the days, hours, minutes, and seconds before something like BASE. At the exit I was ready, and I knew it.

Our instructor did last-minute checks on the equipment as I went through a last-minute mental practice of my jump - imagining keeping my eyes on the horizon, not overrotating, trusting that box-man position, and no matter what goes through my mind in that second to canopy inflation - NOT LOOKING DOWN.

And then it was time. With a "I'm ready" notice from the instructor, I moved out onto the exit point, a small slab of plywood appended to the top of a metal support. I checked the positioning of my feet, trying not to let my eyes spend too much time focusing on the ground so very very close below me. Checked my body position and one last time reenacted the jump in my mind. Realizing I didn't want to be totally calm on my first jump, that I wanted at least some small sensation of fear, I took a long 3-second gaze at the trees and barb-wire below me, letting the gravity of what I was about to do set in, and then fixed my eyes on the horizon.

"I'm ready," I told the instructor. "Am I okay to go?"

With his "whenever you want" reply, I started an internal count, double-checking my mental state, my degree of fear and nervousness (I wanted to be slightly nervous - I am getting into BASE partly because it scares me), but not so nervous that it would affect my jump.

With all lights green, I started my count.

"Ready!"

"Set!"

"Go!"

And a lunge out into nothingness.

I only remember bits and pieces of the next second, but I distinctly recall the feeling that that one second was not a second, but an entire minute, an hour, a day passing by as I felt lack of a firm substance below my feet, and the pitching of my body as I started to roll forward.

Eyes still fixed dead on the horizon, legs straight out behind me (or so I thought), it finally dawned on me that I'd actually done it. My first BASE jump. And a dull curiosity crept into my brain as I wondered how it was going to end. Line over? Off heading? Entanglement? Brake fire? No out? But of course I knew everything was going to be fine.

As the seconds drew into minutes and the minutes into hours, I began to wonder "when is that damned canopy going to open". I felt myself rotate from a head-high position to an angled orientation to the point where my body was perfectly level, flat, falling ever faster toward the ground.

And then, with my eyes still fixed on the horizon, I felt a terrifying sensation! I was starting to overrotate. I was going past a flat, belly down orientation. And just as I was starting to worry about this - BAM! I felt the pull of risers and sensed the familiar sound of a canopy inflating overhead. And 100% on heading too!!! Although for some reason my body spun 50 degrees to the left on opening. Perhaps a low shoulder?

Relief start to set in as well as a sense of accomplishment and I let out the loudest "YEAH!!!" I could possibly scream, then went for toggles. Landing was odd - I'd forgotten how little flare big, slow canopies have (geez I love my 150 Scorpion). Downwinded the landing onto a nice snow/ice covered road and ran it out.

It's been two days and all I've thought about in the time since is that jump. I've watched the video 50 times over, critiqued and relived the jump 500 times in my dreams and mental digressions.

Things that I'm glad I did and that went well:
1) I'm glad I didn't jump on Oct. 30, but rather jumped on Nov. 1st. My mental state on the 30th would not have been appropriate, nor safe, for any BASE jump.
2) I'm glad that I dressed appropriately for the +3 winter temperatures and strong wind. Half of my nerves on the first climb two days prior were caused simply by half-freezing to death on that damned tower.

Things I did wrong:
1) I should have eaten a good meal before the jump. Having skipped breakfast, by the time I was at the top of the antenna, I was burned out, and I know more than anything else, how well I've eaten plays a huge role in how mentally ready I am for something like BASE.

The experience of a first jump was incredible, and I have no regrets about doing it. To be honest, nothing but pride. It's something I did for me. I still have a lot of thinking to do. I'm not sure if BASE is for me. I may quit at ten jumps. There's a HUGE chance I'll stop before 20. But in the meantime, it's something I'm set on experiencing.

I leave for jump number two in 15 minutes.

The above is mostly for myself, to let out 1% of what's been going through my mind in the past 48 hours. But hopefully someone else will find it (interesting, intriguing, reminiscent, valuable) as well.

And I also wanted to say "hi".

P.S. The video is now on skydivingmovies.com. In the BASE section with the name "will-base-number-1.avi"

[truckerbase 0]

Welcome to the Adventure. Youll do well at whatever you choose.

[Scoop 0]

Nice one mate, cant find the video on Skydiving movies though, anyone got a link?

[BetteSimon 0]

Yeahhh.. congrats from me to.. sounds like a nice jump.. Can't find the video either, think you might have to upload it again...

[BASE813 0]

Congrats on your first jump...

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But of course I knew everything was going to be fine.

Not trying to be a killjoy, but thinking that is a bad habit to get into...

Who was it that said "...expect a 180 with twists..." ?

I read that before my first jump, and to this day I still go off on each jump expecting that is about to happen...

[PeteS 0]

Right on, bro! The one piece of advice I can give is try not to "get it all done at once". Use your head, and you should have a exciting jumping career.

[katzurki 0]

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Right on, bro! The one piece of advice I can give is try not to "get it all done at once". Use your head, and you should have a exciting jumping career.

So, Will, you on to the double gainer tomorrow for your third, or just the freefall?

[NickDG 23]

>>Instruction started on the ground, covering all aspects of what to expect, how to handle the exit, what mental state to try and get into, and what to do if the shit hits the fan. Training and discussion continued all the way to the top of the object.<<

Am I reading that right? That was a review and not the extent of your training, right?

I believe the training should be fresh in your mind, but not that fresh . . .

NickD BASE 194

[inzite 0]

Katzurki,

Actually, for my third I was thinking about some two way. Wanna do a Mr. Bill?

For the serious ones in the audience: That was a joke.

Katzurki and I went back this afternoon for his fourth and my second. Once again instructor assisted jumps, but this time the instructor just watched our body positions on exit and, assuming everything looked okay, tossed the PC out behind us (unlike our first jumps, where the instructor held the PC to line stretch). Both our jumps went perfectly. No video for my second, but I did film katzurki's perfect body position on his fourth. He had good form right til line stretch, then started kicking his legs. It looked like he was running in place!!!

It looks like there's a delay on posting videos to skydivingmovies.com. I managed to put the video of my first jump on another server at http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=6ada6f8c221c099354c9e5d7

http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=6ada6f8c221c099354c9e5d7

Anyway, both katzurki and I are off tomorrow morning for our first freefall jumps. Will tell everyone how it went tomorrow evening.

[TomAiello 26]

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It looks like there's a delay on posting videos to skydivingmovies.com.

Videos posted there have to be reviewed and approved by the site management (mostly to be sure that they are really jump videos, and people don't start using it as a porn server or something). It's usually taken stuff I've put up there about a day to show up. Sometimes it's longer, of course, depending on how busy folks are.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[TomAiello 26]

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>>Instruction started on the ground, covering all aspects of what to expect, how to handle the exit, what mental state to try and get into, and what to do if the shit hits the fan. Training and discussion continued all the way to the top of the object.<<

Am I reading that right? That was a review and not the extent of your training, right?

I believe the training should be fresh in your mind, but not that fresh . . .

I've seen this "pre-jump briefing as only training" quite a few times. In fact, my first jump was done that way.

I agree with Nick that there are much better ways to go about this. I definitely see it happen a fair bit, though. I don't think it's a very good idea. But it's a reality.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[NickDG 23]

Well, I suppose it's better than nothing.

My first tower jump instruction consisted of directions to the tower . . .

NickD BASE 194

[katzurki 0]

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I did film katzurki's perfect body position on his fourth. He had good form right til line stretch, then started kicking his legs. It looked like he was running in place!!!.......
Anyway, both katzurki and I are off tomorrow morning for our first freefall jumps. Will tell everyone how it went tomorrow evening.

Exactly the reason why I decided to wuss out and do another PCA today.

[grundleson 0]

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My first tower jump instruction consisted of directions to the tower . . .

yeah my second jump was a tower. and i got instructions on how to climb over the sketchy fence part. they told me that was the hardest part.

Dont die!

[katzurki 0]

Some pictures from Will's first jump. Mine didn't turn out half as good (we tried a different shooting point; it sucked), so I'll skip them for now. We owe Helxen for climbing that thing up, then down, then up again, and down again

Here that thing is.

Cool visuals.

Model launch.

It opened - he survived

[leroydb 0]

thats a nice looking tower!

Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...