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Fellow Videographers, Adorama is having a sale on SanDisk CF cards. When combined with the rebate, you can get a smoking deal. I just picked up an Extreme III 4GB for $34.95. The magic is in adding "?emailprice=t" (without the quotes) in the address bar after you bring up the card you want, and you'll save another $5. Or to make it easy on you, here are some clickies: SanDisk Extreme III 4GB SanDisk Extreme III 8GB SanDisk Extreme III 12GB All 3 of these are great deals... Enjoy, Bryan

Hi Ray. I know you are just recalling a story. But I'd like to clear some of it up. I have a very good recollection of what happenned that day. I was there from start to finish. And while there was a dozen+ people on top of the cliff that day, I'm fairy confident that only B.K. from Team Bodybag, myself, and maybe a few others saw that jump in it's entirety. Most everyone else looked over the edge after hearing our "Oh Shit" comments after the pilot-chute was pitched. We did think the jumper as dead. But no one could get to him quickly. He was laying on a very steep talus slope. The nearest place to land was at least a 10 to 15 minute scramble away. Everyone was formulating a plan when the jumper twitched. As soon as we saw that, a doctor on the load jumped, landed in the closest safe landing area, and made it to the jumper as fast as he could. And the rest of us began mobilizing for a rescue. I'd love to tell the whole story, but I'm not in a good position to do so right now due to lack of time. C-ya! Bryan

Great stories -- thanks for sharing! Cliff Ryder is hard as nails. I've shared a few adventures with him and have always been amazed at the things he does. The guy has an abundance of raw talent and an even bigger abundance of strength. I especially liked the story of the jump at 15,600ft. Sticking a landing that small at altitude is an amazing feat. I've made 3 landings at 12,000ft and about a dozen at 10,000ft, and it is no easy task. I can't imagine sticking it at 15,000ft. I spent some time in Columbia back in the mid-90s. I wasn't a BASE jumper back then, but it's an amazing place. Good luck in your BASE adventures there. Long live Columbian BASE! Bryan

I switched over to Apple last Spring and wish I would have made the move sooner. It is more stable than Windows, far easier to use, and I love how it is set-up for music, photos, video, etc. Simply put, Apple makes sense. Bryan

Never mind -- problem solved. The softaware client had an expired security certificate (it expired in 2002) and that is why I couldn't get in. Bryan

I've never used the chat feature in the Pub, but am trying to for the first time. After I input my name and hit connect, it goes to "Connecting to irc.supremechat.net 7000..." and stays there. It never connects. Could it be that the chat function is currently down, or is it a problem on my end? It's 10:00pm CST on Fri. I'm using a 20" Intel iMac. Thanks for any suggestions or help! Bryan

Write on skreamer! Best post I've read in a long time...

While this method may work for you, I think this is bad advice. Having your hands in the toggles during your deployment seems like a recipe for a premature toggle release. This could be really bad on a 120ft jump. Of course, this is just my opinion. Just wanted to throw that out there for others to think about... Bryan

HydroGuy -- First and foremost, I have not made jumps lower than 170ft. But over the years, I've studied the ultra-low jumps of others...mainly jumps and observations made by Base 587 and crwper. There are lots of folks that have made jumps under 150ft, but I consider these guys to be really experienced at these types of altitudes. It goes without saying that a vented/valved canopy is absolutely superior for a jump this low. At 120ft, I doubt that you will have time to release your toggles and generate enough forward speed for an effective flare. If I remember correctly, BASE 587 said that 130-135ft seems to be the minimum height he needs for an effective flare (with toggles). So I imagine that at 120ft, your probably better off leaving your brakes stowed. At 120ft, the wind (and its direction) is very important. No wind, or a slight headwind is best. A tailwind will thump you in, and a strong tailwind will thump you in really hard. You'll need to pay close attention if there to the wind... Your launch, and subsequent body position, is equally important. On jumps this low, it is best to exit "straight down", and not out. You also want to exit really head high. This will allow you to be directly under the canopy during bottom-skin expansion, with no pendulum effects. This will set you up for the landing better than if you were to launch out. (launching out causes the canopy to swing forward and if your body position is too flat, your body will pendulum upon opening) This will also keep your legs exactly where they need to be -- under your body and ready to be the first point of contact with the ground. Their are physical limitations too. With jumps this low, are you prepared to take a substantial impact with a good PLF? Folks that are light-weight, in shape, and limber are able to take a hit better than someone who is fat, out-of-shape, and old. Also keep in mind that 587 and crwper have taken their time and worked their way progressively lower and lower. They might make it look easy, but they have taken many steps to get there. (just as you are taking proactive steps and gathering as much information as you can) Hope this helps, Bryan P.S. in answer to your original question, a Direct Bag deployment will open faster than a static-line. It is possible to static-line at 120' (see above). I think it is debatable on whether or not a TARD is faster than a direct-bad deployment. A very well executed Tard might be faster...but it has to be executed perfectly.

Spiderbaby, I busted out laughing when I read this! You have to be one of the funniest and most animated people I have ever met. And your right, let's not detract from the rising tension! Hey BnAiScEk RnIiGtGrEoR, tell us more about this theory of yours regarding line slack... Bryan

I measured that cliff from the bottom and the top before i jumped it, and like Tom, I came up with 173ft to impact. There might be a couple of feet difference between impact and the landing area, but it essentially is the same height. The jumper/s in the video that tfelber posted performed "text-book" jumps for an ultra-low freefall. From the pitch, to body-position, and even in the way they released their brakes...everything was done perfectly. Very nice job guys! It is amazing what vents and valves have done for low jumps. When I made my first jump from that cliff, I static-lined a well-used Mojo and had a 5 1/2 second canopy ride. Annie H. static-lined right after me, and had a 10.2 second canopy ride. She was jumping a vented canopy, and even though there are several variables (such as wing-loading and the way you release your brakes), it was apparent to me that bottom-skin inlets were the trick for low jumps. That little bump of a cliff has so much history behind it -- you can't help but love that place! On that particular day, it was even more special. When Annie landed from that 10 second canopy ride, she smiled at us and said "Thanks for sharing my 1,000th jump with me." That sneaky girl didn't say a thing until after she landed...

Tom Manship had over 1,800 BASE jumps a couple of weeks before he died. (it was between 1825 and 1850...I can't seem to recall what the exact number was) Of course, for most, it's not about the numbers. It's about the experiences, the fun, the memories, and the friends you make along the way. And I think it's safe to say that Miles is having a lot of fun. Congrats Miles! But the real question is, who's going to win Clifhuckstable's Vision? Bryan

As long as you are comfortable with the pack job that is in there, it is fine. (this is also assuming that the system was dry when you packed it and it has been stored in a controlled environment) Bryan

I own a 2006 Toyota Prius and have been driving it for 6 months now. It's the best car purchase I have ever made. The gas mileage is great. My average over 3,300 miles is 51.2mpg. What I'm doing for the environment is even better. The car is very well designed, and has a lot more room than I ever realized. So far there has been zero sacrifices owning and driving a Prius. Bryan

Interesting. I'm going to watch it now. Like tens of thousands of others, I'm driving a Toyota Prius, and it is one of the smartest decisions I have ever made. It's not the answer to everything, but it is an important step in the right direction. I don't think the oil companies will be able to stop the movement now. They'll try, but eventually, things have to change. Bryan

Yuri is right -- the jumper lost the right toggle. If you look closely, you can see the right-hand side upper control lines flapping around (but not the toggle). And of course, the deformation in the tail when he performs an evasive manuever with his rear riser is another dead give away. From the behavior of the pilot chute, and then the canopy at time of opening, it looks like there is a cross-wind from jumper's left to jumper's right. He lost the right-hand toggle (for whatever reason), corrected his heading after the canopy turned 100 degrees and then let up on the riser. He found himself turning again and then gave further input with the right-hand riser (to avoid strking the building) and landed at the base of the object. Looking at the canopy flight, I don't think the jumper ever released the left toggle, but I cannot tell by looking at the video, so it's hard to say. That is my 2 cents from watching the video... Bryan

Well said Pope. Your thoughts are spot-on.

How about not using a pull-up cord to pack your PC period. There is absolutely no reason to use a packing aid at all when packing your PC. Technique and practice is all that is required to pack a PC that is tight and easy to grip. Also, the PC packing advice that you gave earlier in this thread has nearly killed several jumpers. Hopefully our feedback will prevent you from ever using it again, potentially saving your life. Bryan

Something to consider: while releasing a brake line on a WLO toggle is not too terribly hard, it is more difficult than simply releasing a toggle -- especially when under duress. Seth Blake (RIP) had a no tail-gate slider-down line-over off the frozen pizza cliff during one of the IPBC comps back in 98 or 99. The jump can be found Ill Vision's first video, "Rage". 390ft cliff -- Standard delay -- Line-over -- Violent spin after opening. Seth was "on it". He released the toggle, the line-over cleared, and he planed out right into the sharp talus. As it was, he was lucky enough to walk away with lots of stitches and bruises. If he had been 40 to 50ft lower, he likely would have been carried away in a body bag. Some line-overs spin violently, some behave rather docile. Which one are you going to have? And are you going to have enough time for the release? Sometimes, milliseconds can make the difference... Another consideration is the timing of when you actually release the line. If you have the altitude to spare, and you are using the line release mod, you can release the toggle and then pump it down in an effort to clear the line-over. If that doesn't work, you might be able to control your heading before throwing the toggle away, and point yourself away from the object. With a WLO release, you have far less control. WLO toggles are outstanding for slider-up jumps. But for me, the traditional line release mod provides more options and less complexity, so it is still my #1 choice for slider-down jumps. Bryan

Hi Space -- I made a donation on August 2nd via PayPal, but it is still unclaimed. I've also sent 689 an email, but have not heard anything back yet. Perhaps they are on a BASE adventure right now... Anyone know? Bryan

September is when the weather begins to shift towards Fall/Winter. It can be hit or miss, but the Swiss Valley is always that way. I spent 5 days in the Valley in Sept of 2002 and it was a downpour the entire time. I didn't make a single jump! But the day after I left, the weather cleared and everyone was jumping like crazy. Just ask Tom Aiello -- he celebrated with a spin! The weather can be quite cool in September -- especially when it is wet. Fleece and a waterproof, breathable shell should suffice. Have fun, Bryan

Hello -- Even though this is a sticky, I just wanted to bump it with another reply and try to rally some more support. The Italian crew has always given great support for the world-wide jumping community and always welcomes qualified jumpers to their sites with open arms. Their continual efforts have kept the ITW legal when it has faced dark times. Many of us that visit this forum have enjoyed jumping from the ITW. If you can swing it, please consider ponying up $10 for a great cause! Knowing the winds in the landing area can aid you in determing the wind pattern for the day and may help determine when bad conditions are on the rise. If you happen to unknowingly jump when conditions are bad, there are minimal outs once you've committed to the main landing area. Lets do our part to save damage to bones and help protect this ever-fragile, wonderful site! Thanks, Bryan

Wingloading, atmospheric conditions, and pilot input can drastically effect a canopy's glide ratio, so determining the best glide ratio by observing a load of jumpers is tough to substantiate. Determining glide ratio after a long canopy flight on a cliff jump is even more difficult. I've routinely outflown several folks in Moab simply be flying in thermal pockets and on ridge lift. All it takes is a slight breeze, and the right angle based on the terrain below, and you can go a long way. And most folks out there do not have substantial experience on a wide range of canopies. Some do, but I would say they are in the minority here. So in the end, we'll probably just end up with a bunch of opinionated answers... Bryan