crimpfiend

PS. (He's sitting beside me and says he'll provide oral pleasures for any female who packs for him ...hmmm, ladies, bueiller, anyone?) Wouldn't you ALL trade 2 pack jobs for 12 hours of driving?!!! Quote DAMN. I knew I missed out! But hey M, a little bird told me that _somehow_ he ended up driving AND packing... (heh heh...atta' girl. Score: boys 1, chicks 1)

Robert's alive, kickin', workin' his butt off & doing more unbelievable flights. I'm sure more sick vids will follow soon. He truly is da man! He's also got many more cutting-edge projects in the hopper. Stay tuned...

>I personaly don't care which direction a canopy opens, so as long as >it opens at all and the price is right you've got my business! Dawlin', you don't care which direction a canopy opens because you're always 3 miles away from the wall when you open... There are quite a few people that I'd let pack for me. But Yuri's not one of them. Just kidding. (if you've ever seen him pack, you'd initially say "oh hay-yell no", but his experience & longevity speak volumes & I'd totally let him pack for me. But then again, I guess I know that'd NEVER happen, so maybe I'm hiding behind the knowledge that I won't ever be in that sitch... hmm... ) I think after a while it comes down to laziness & who's feeling motivated on any given day. Some days, an unpacked rig is enough to make you blowoff a jump & other days you're the first to throw down your gear, clamps in-hand, after just returning from the last jump. I hate packing. But I don't think I'd hire a packer unless it was someone that I totally knew, trusted and would let pack for me under non-commercial circumstances. Also, Yuri's revived the bartering-for-packjob system, which seems to be working quite well so far. Might have to get in on that action next time

Keen & humbling perspective as usual Nick. Thanx. We're all freaks just trying to find our way, hopefully learning as we go.

I have not been reading the BASE forums because I feel weak, vulnerable and so terribly sad, and have felt that I wouldn't be able to bear hearing negative things about the person that I love and whose loss has left a hole the size of the Grand Canyon in my heart and life. People have been doing an admirable job of "protecting" and shielding me from the drama that has evidently been circulating on these forums. Unfortunately, I was apprised of some subject matter just yesterday, by Dwain's uncle, who was enraged and wanted to give me his .02 about certain issues and people. I'm not interested in being sucked into the drama any more that I already inadvertently have been, but I felt that I had to say a few simple words in the interest of trying to speak up for a beautiful person that can no longer speak for himself. I'm also not interested in defaming or decrying specific people for their own opinions that have been forged through grief, pain and remorse. Everyone deals with loss in their own way and we each have our own process of attempting to find some solace and substance at a time when things seem puzzling and muddled. Dwain and I have been together for close to 3.5 years. We talked everyday. For hours. Everyone thinks that Dwain was so quiet, but man, could he TALK. We've traveled the world and shared so many incredible things together - love, pain, loss, death, evolution, rebirth, renewal, HOPE. We shared a beautiful life together in Southern California, a place that when we first met, he'd told me that he'd always dreamed of living, because of the surf and the weather. The past year living in SoCal, Dwain surfed every day. He finally landed his "dream job" with a great company, working in aerospace/defense, something that he'd always wanted. He has been enrolled in night classes for the past 2 semesters, earning the top marks in his classes, attempting to "stay one step ahead of the game" with regard to technology. He just started his fencing and silly aerobic kick-boxing classes (he'd just die if anyone knew THAT for heaven's sake). His new Javelin skydiving container arrived the day before he left for Colorado. He just ordered a new FLIK that he was so excited about, a damn 220, which he swore that we both could jump, a peace offering after feeling guilty about selling the 265 VTEC I gave him last year as a "please be safe" present. Up until the day he died, Dwain was growing, planning and creating, continually bristling with new ideas and concepts about jumping, surfing, climbing, relationships, and even work-related things. All that I can offer in the way of perhaps trying to stand up for him and his character is to reveal something that he always used to say to me (in addition to his mantra of "no ethics, no morals, no conscience, no guilt", which he insisted that everyone repeat to themselves in the mirror each morning): "I am a fundamentally happy person." The last time he said this to me was about a week before his death. I do not wish to get into a pissing match of who believes that they 'knew Dwain best, above & beyond anyone else' because people believe and construe personal interaction, however lengthy or brief, based on their own life experiences and personalities. All I can say is that there are many people out here who genuinely knew and cared deeply for Dwain as a person, not only as a BASE-jumper (and let's face it, 98% of most of our lives are not occupied by jumping), and so many things that have been said are false and downright hurtful. Most of those closest to Dwain are silent, preferring not to dignify certain topics with responses and the non-silent ones simply cannot contain their anger at having his name & memory distorted. I personally don't feel that I need to 'prove' or defend the love that Dwain and I shared. The people who were closest to us, those that shared time and tempo with us on many occasions throughout the years, who've been there during our ups & downs, know. And at the end of the day, as everyone keeps reminding me, this is the only important factor. My primary objective in writing these words is to stand up for Dwain's character, strength of mind, clarity of purpose, purity of heart. Parachuting has given so much to Dwain in the past 10 years and he in turn had also done his absolute best to give back to the sport in whatever unique ways he could, contributing knowledge, ideas and his own heartfelt passion for pushing the limits of what's possible. He would have never intentionally done anything to spit in the face of the sport of parachuting or of the incredible organizers of the Royal Gorge event. This I can say with confidence. The last VM message I received from Dwain the night before his death was upbeat, joking and loving. He was having fun and "trying to be safe for you baby". Dwain always made his own decisions and was in fact a downright stubborn goat when it came to things that he really felt he wanted or somehow needed to do. Nothing anyone would say or do could ever change that - he was his own person and he always believed in personal responsibility for his actions and their subsequent consequences. Anyone that doesn't know or understand that about Dwain, didn't really know him. People warned and advised me not to post any messages, saying that doing so would be volleying back with the tigers. I'm aware that these words will probably open a Pandora's Box of accusations and attacks on me, why, I don't fully understand, but I felt that I had to stand up for Dwain, because he would have done the same for me in a second if the situation were reversed... "Slay any dragon for you..." I harbor no hate, blame or bitterness for those whose opinions are very different from mine. Loss affects us all and ultimately, we will each come out with our own form of peace. Be safe out there and be kind to each other.

Just a quick note to thank everyone for the outpouring. I have not personally read individual e-mails, checked websites, watched the news or read any articles about Dwain's death. If you've sent e-mails or posted anything on the sites, I'm sure that I'll have the courgage to read through them at some point in the future, but I don't feel strong enough now. Nevertheless, I do so greatly appreciate the support and prayers. Rough long road ahead, but we're all hanging in there. One foot in front of the other from here on out. Despite all that's happened, my faith in unshaken. Life is still beautiful and violent and passionate and altogether way too brief. Cherish each day and live with vigor. ~ Karin

There you go causin' trouble again...

Per - I will PM you right now w/ Dwain's contact info. The other address is very old! BTW, the cute Teddy Bear in the tree made me smile and think of you & Lukas.

1 year & still missing you.

I've flown into my own shadow in the morning sun exposed on a cloud together with a rainbow before!!! ‘I flew into my own shadow, which the morning sun exposed on a cloud together with a rainbow. I don’t think anyone has experienced that before.’ — FELIX BAUMGARTNER "Wings help with historic skydive " Felix Baumgartner celebrates after his successful freefall across the English Channel on Thursday. July 31 -- Watch unedited video of Felix Baumgartner jumping out of a plane and then soaring across the English Channel. Parachutist crosses English Channel in under 10 minutes MSNBC STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS LONDON, July 31 — A skydiver known as “The Missile Man” on Thursday became the first person to cross the English Channel in an unpowered flight, free falling at up to 230 mph in the process. Wearing high-tech carbon wings, Felix Baumgartner jumped out of a plane at 30,000 feet above Dover, England, and flew to France, parachuting into hills above the port of Calais. “IT’S PRETTY cold up there. I still can feel nothing,” the self-styled “God of the Skies” told reporters after a hard landing. Baumgartner told reporters that he had a close call as soon as he jumped out of the plane. “I went directly into the opening with my legs,” he said, “so I had to cut my glider in pieces because it was hanging up on the lines, but I made it and that’s great.” Setting off early to avoid commercial flights, Baumgartner used oxygen supplies during the 18-mile flight to survive the rarefied air that was as cold as 31 degrees below Fahrenheit. July 31, 2003 — NBC’s “Today” shows moments from Felix Baumgartner’s free fall across the English Channel, including his hard landing near Calais, France. WINGS OF CARBON His team estimates that he attained a top speed of 230 mph during the fall, which took around 10 minutes. In contrast, Louis Bleriot took 37 minutes to make his ground-breaking flight across the channel in 1909 and Matthew Webb took 22 hours to swim it for the first time in 1875. Baumgartner’s wings, with a span of nearly 6 feet, are made of the same special lightweight carbon composite used in Formula One race cars. Baumgartner tested it by speeding around the tarmac of Salzburg Airport on the roof of a high-powered Porsche. He has also trained with the German air force. Baumgartner, 34, set world records for the highest and lowest parachute dives in 1999 with daredevil jumps from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro. ODDSMAKER AGAINST HIM The Austrian started parachuting as a teenager before taking up the extreme sport of BASE jumping. BASE stands for Buildings, Antenna, Spans (Bridges) and the Earth (cliffs). Members of the club must jump from each of those before being allowed in. One bookmaker had quoted odds of 3/20 for a successful jump and 7/2 against. Baumgartner, who was equipped with cameras and high-tech tracking gear, said he had to follow his two planes over part of the channel when cloud cover blocked his view. The flight was stressful but well worth it, he added. “I flew into my own shadow, which the morning sun exposed on a cloud together with a rainbow,” he said. “I don’t think anyone has experienced that before.”

'God of the Skies' Makes Channel Crossing Thu July 31, 2003 10:12 AM ET LONDON (Reuters) - An Austrian stuntman on Thursday became the first person to skydive across the English Channel, free falling at 124 miles per hour in the process. Felix Baumgartner jumped out of a plane at 29,500 feet above Dover, England, wearing a specially constructed carbon wing and flew toward France before parachuting into hills above the port of Calais. "I made it which is great," he told reporters on landing. "It's pretty cold up there. I still can feel nothing," said the self-styled "God of the Skies," who started parachuting as a teenager before taking up the extreme sport of BASE jumping. Setting off early in the morning to avoid commercial flights, Baumgartner used oxygen supplies during the 22 mile flight to survive the rarefied air. His team estimates that he attained a top speed of more than 124 miles per hour during the fall, which took only around 10 minutes. In contrast, Louis Bleriot took 37 minutes to make his ground-breaking flight across the channel in 1909 and Matthew Webb took 22 hours to swim it for the first time in 1875. The special wing is made of the same special lightweight carbon composite used in Formula One racing cars. Baumgartner, 34, set world records for the highest and lowest parachute dives in 1999 with daredevil jumps from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro.

To clarify: Matter is NOT associated with Loic & Steph. Loic & Steph's company is called FlyYourBody and their website (in progress) is: www.flyyourbody.com. If you cannot reach Loic at the info@flyyourbody.com address, you may also try him at: paraventure@wanadoo.fr, which is another business of his. From what I understand, Matter's suits and production have not quite taken off yet - they're selling Loic's "design" for about 1000 Euro and Loic's redesigned suit (the "S-Fly") is selling for 750 Euro. Loic runs the DZ on La Reunion most of the year and is in Gap for the summer, training for the World Meet.

I would totally still jump if there were no risk. 50% of my recreational activities involve some elevated risk of life/limb, the other 50% does not - and I enjoy them all for different reasons.

>in our literature we do not attempt to lay claim to it because god knows someone probabaly did it 30 years ago on a pilot rig or a handbag:-) Why Adam, I'm so impressed! I've often wondered when BASE manufacturers would finally take notice of the significant contributions that fashion has made to the sport! ~ Karin

From a post that Dwain made on blincmagazine.com, relating to an original post made regarding the Flik canopy review: Denpar wrote: > Wasnt it CR who added the fifth upper control line, too? > The original idea of the vent, invented by CR... Mike also wrote: >what has Basic Research introduced to the market that is truly original? Firstly let me ask Mike: What has ANY BASE manufacturer introduced to the market that is truly original? Vented P/C's: Vented BASE p/c's were used and sold in France and Germany for a number of years before being released for sale by CR. In fact when CR did release their range of vented PC's they were publicly accused of stealing the idea. However before anyone claims ownership of inventing vented p/c's, one must look to the tandem drogue (arguably invented by Ted Strong and Bill Morrissey) that looks and acts suspiciously like a p/c and has a vent near the apex. But a tandem Drogue is somewhat similar to a round canopy that also has a vented apex. The apex vent on a round was invented by the French astronomer Lelandes in the year 1802 to counter oscillations. So the question is raised; if Morpheus stole the idea from BR, who stole it from CR, who stole it from the French (or Germans), who stole it from Ted and Bill, who stole it from Lelandes, then from whom did Lelandes steal the idea? (Or perhaps if Lelandes were alive today would he say; " Vous des bâtards avez volé mon idée!!!") Bottom skin vents: BR released them first to the market in 2000... CR had a prototype in 1996 which they discarded... I did a BASE jump on a canopy with a large tear in the bottom skin in 1995 and I noticed faster cell inflation - does that count? (ha ha) Accuracy canopies had bottom skin venting in the 80's and these canopies were BASE jumped a number of times in Australia in the mid to late 80's (and possibly before that elsewhere). So bottom skin venting has been BASE jumped for at least 15 years - well before CR and BR (or TNT rigging) even existed. 5th Upper Control lines: Introduced into Australia in the late 80's as a standard BASE mod along with the tailpocket. Was standard on the Pooster BASE canopy (made by Parachutes Australia) that was released in 1993 and sold until 1998. A number of jumpers were making this modification to American BASE canopies until the American (and Slovenian) manufacturers finally began to make them as standard in 2001 and beyond. (In this one regard, American BASE canopies were seen as rather behind the times as Australians had worked out the benefit of a 5th upper control line in the 80's - I remember asking Adam for it when I ordered my first Mojo in 1997). Tuck Flap: For the record, Gravity Sports came out with the tuck shrivel flap first. But then again that looks suspiciously like the tuck flaps used on skydiving rigs, which looks suspiciously like, well - any other product with a flap that tucks. Valves: Has anybody ever seen a Jedei skydiving canopy? Pin rigs: First "modern" pin rig on the market was the Sorcerer by Mark Hewitt (late 80's/early 90's?). BR followed in 1996/7? with the Prism and then CR with the first dual pin BASE rig: the Perigee Pro. But before anyone starts making any claims about who was the first to release a pin-rig on-a-Tuesday-in-the-color-purple, look at the attached photo's (taken from Poynter's Vol 2). The "Prism" like rig was manufactured by Steve West of Westway Parachuting Enterprises in 1990. The "Perigee Pro" like rig was manufactured by Stephen Stewart of Stewart Systems in 1982. Hmmm...it makes you wonder where Steve and Stephen stole their ideas from. BASE jumping dogs: In 1779 the French physicist Sebastian Le Normand, together with Joseph Montgolfier studied about parachutes by throwing animals. Then in 1785 Jean Pierre Blanchard, famous balloonist and the first man who flew over the English channel, began to work on parachutes. After making successful tests with animals and even his own dog... Whoops, I'm getting off track here (Sorry Rocket the Dog - but it turns out you just weren't that unique). To be honest just about everything has been thought off to some extent or another. Any idiot can come up with an idea. The real talent and innovation comes from searching through that massive pile of ideas, selecting the ones that show promise and refining it into a product that works well - and then having the guts to take that product to market and back your reputation on it. In that regard BR, CR, Morpheus, Atair and Vertigo all deserve standing accolades for their efforts. (The fact that anyone casts stones at any of these manufacturers makes me think that they themselves must have contributed to some pretty strong advancements in BASE technology). All of these manufacturers are striving to make our sport safer through advancing the technology that saves our lives (and yes they do justifiably try to scratch out a living from it as well). However without competition, and one manufacturer constantly leap-frogging the other with new releases, the advancement of BASE technology would be moving at an incredibly slow pace (yes, even slower than it is now). Blind manufacturer loyalty by BASE jumpers seems odd to me (and reminds me of the blind nationality or religious fever that has kept wars raging throughout history). It's the competition from the manufactures to win our business that keeps the technology advancing forward. If a new manufacturer comes up with a better product (and you happen to be in the market to buy) then purchase it from them. Reward them for their progression and foresight, and not because they have the best advertising or are currently winning a popularity contest. (Now back to my rocket-propelled-wingsuit prototype...Oh wait - Wile E Coyote has already beaten me to it!!!)

Ha! Funny you should mention that Tom - he was thrilled when he heard there was possibly going to be a trampoline at BD, and I reminded him that we all remember what happened the last time he was screwing around on one of those things...

IMHO, a 225 is way too small for a 150 lb. person's first BASE canopy. I agree w/ 428 that people rarely downsize their canopies as they gain experience & purchase more gear. A 225 may be a fine choice for you if you're trying to broaden your quiver after you've got some jumps under your belt or if you're jumping in Norway, certain places in Europe or sites with good landing areas. Barring that, I'd say aim for a minimum size of 240-ish. I'm

Dwain raised the bar this past Sunday, doing a 21 second freefall from the 2000 ft. cliff, opening high enough to still have a 2 minute canopy ride. He was wearing Birdman tracking Pantz, designed by Robert Pecnik. And of course, Robert was doing his usual 1 minute wingsuit freefalls from the same cliff, and was achieving better glide ratios than most canopies.

This is in response to Covey's "Just Wondering" post from yesterday. I wanted to start a new thread because I think it's important. Covey, Warning: this is long. IMHO, I think that the “skydiving before BASE” thing depends on what type of BASE jumping you’ll be doing (or would like to be doing) and what type of overall BASE jumper you’d like to be. I’ll be the first to tell any non-BASE jumping skydiver that BASE is a TOTALLY different sport from skydiving. But there ARE some very important crossovers from skydiving into BASE - tracking, gear/canopy knowledge & understanding, body awareness & control at higher airspeeds (i.e. longer than slider-down delays). If you are going to be doing primary slider-down jumps, then I’d say that skydiving skills “may not” contribute as much to how well you’ll do in BASE. But if you’re ever thinking about traveling abroad to some bigger walls/objects (850+ feet), then a lack of tracking ability will most definitely show. If you head to Italy, Norway, some places in Switzerland or anywhere w/ BIG BIG walls, then tracking deficiencies could be deadly (BTW, the walls of Italy & Norway are considered to be “safe” because they’re so big - but this “safe” designation assumes that jumpers have sufficient tracking skills). All you have to do is look at Nick DG’s stats every year to see that many fatalities occur at these so-called “safe” objects. And if you’re thinking about pushing the limits of subterminal & terminal tracking - skydiving tracking experience will be invaluable. I don’t think that Douggs could’ve out-tracked Smellveggen if not for the tracking experience he gained from skydiving. If you’re ever thinking about getting into Wingsuit BASE -- don’t even THINK about taking skydiving shortcuts here. I won’t even go into why it would be idiotic to go directly into Wingsuit BASE jumping w/o first getting some experience in Wingsuit skydiving. Canopy knowledge & skill - well, more often than not, experienced skydivers who start BASE jumping generally realize pretty quick that there are some huge differences in the way you fly/land BASE vs. skydiving canopies. Here, two totally different sports. But, if you’re interested in gear, skydiving is the Mother from where most BASE technology arose. Truly understanding a “wing”, its flight characteristics and how wings (of all sorts) perform under varying conditions can only come from gaining a broader range of experience in flying a variety of wings. P/C's, bridles, different types of containers, lines, fabric & loads of theory come from skydiving's history books. There are quite a few people who start BASE jumping very soon after they start skydiving, and even some who start BASE before they’ve ever done a single freefall skydive. But those are rare exceptions and I’d venture to say that most seasoned BASE jumpers would not recommend this path for a number of reasons. Most experienced (both in #'s & time in sport) BASE jumpers that I know would not think it “cool”, “extreme”, amusing or impressive that someone skipped the skydiving step. There’s nothing wrong with starting to skydive with the goal of eventually becoming a BASE jumper -- I think this is EXTREMELY common. But I have a lot respect for those people (who have BASE as their ultimate goal) that go out and make a heap of skydives in preparation for the road ahead - Tom A. is a perfect example of this. He did an impressive amount of skydiving during his first year - I think his progression was something like, started AFF in September, made 300-400 skydives his first year, and started BASE jumping by the anniversary of his first skydives. That’s super cool and earns my total respect. He put in the time, effort, energy & focus to meet his ultimate goal of BASE. In my opinion, some of the best overall technically-skilled & knowledgeable BASE jumpers are those with a wide variety of “parachuting” skills. Some of those who come to mind: Moe V., Lukas Knutsson, Anne, Jimmy & Marta, Slim, Mark Hewitt, Douggs, Stane (from Atair), Tom Begic, Johnny Utah, Dennis McGlynn, Ueli G., Adam, Rob & Cathy, Loic, Nenad & Robert, Klaus R., DJ, Dwain, JJ… too many more to name. These folks are true parachutists with AFF, tandem, coaching, video & rigging ratings in skydiving and who have made significant contributions to the sport of BASE in their own ways. Without the BREADTH and DEPTH of experience and knowledge of people such as these, BASE would not be where it is today. These people are inventors, OG pioneers and have been “walking the walk” for a very long time. Generally speaking, I think that a little bit of skydiving experience can take you a long way in BASE. In my opinion, I believe that skydiving can only add to your overall skills as an ALL-AROUND BASE jumper. Will skydiving experience make you a “talented” or skillful jumper with great reflexes, grace under pressure & a fine camera presence ? Not necessarily. And of course it goes w/o saying that skydiving experience will not categorically ensure longevity or the maintenance of health in BASE. Again, just look at the fatality stats and talk to some BASE jumpers who’ve been in some gnarly BASE accidents. Doo-doo happens. We’re all on Nick’s List - we just don’t know what order. But alas, “longevity” in BASE is a whole ‘nother issue that I'm sure you don't want me to start spewing about. Have fun, be careful & continue to be truthful with yourself.

OK, OK - my bad then. Every now & then my feathers get ruffled over certain things and I'll get a little too overprotective for my own good. Stay safe out there. Esp on those 155 footers - I've popped off quite a few from that one myself. And BTW, in case you weren't aware, we are ALL fabulous Nobodies.

>D-Dog has convinced me that we should all switch over to calling him K's Boyfriend from now on... Now THAT I like.... wudda nice change.

You may be right Tom, and perhaps I'm too sensitive to comments on DW. I just get tired of snide remarks by those who do not know him or have only met him once or twice. I know who Narcimund is and that is why I'm disappointed. He didn't seem like the type of guy that would be sarcastic and bitchy, especially toward someone who just told me that he thought Narcimund was a nice guy. Kind of a bummer is all....

Hey, do you have a beef with DW for some reason? What's with the mean-spirited undertones? How disappointing....