Waikikamukau

I mentioned before that not only have the number of jumps been lied about but also the canopy's entire history. Of course the number of jumps is not the only indication of a canopy's condition. That's not my point here. Greedy, cheating, wannabe-BASE-God, liars are my point. Well I can tell you that it does. Every jump, every deployment puts stresses on the canopy. Terminal? Sub? Many variables and certainly not the only thing to consider. As I said before: What's above your head on a BASE jump is all you've got. When you rent a rig from a supplier they ask you to tell them if it lands in the water. Not so they can charge you extra but so they can give potential buyers an honest account of what the rig has been through. This is not a bicycle where your pedal might fall off and you'll smack your shin.

Awesome. edited to add: I mean your approach to selling gear and posting your ideas......Awesome.

I wasn't the one getting burned in this instance. I just found out that someone I had a lot of respect for is trying to sell a canopy to anyone who'll be suckered into believing the fabricated history he's telling it has. He knows very well it's true history. I completely agree that you should get a thorough gear inspection before buying or jumping a rig. I just can't believe how a person can rationalize to themselves that it's ok to lie and cheat someone for a few extra dollars. Oh I know it happens everyday in life but c'mon, that canopy is the only thing between the most exhilirating thing you'll ever do and the last thing you'll ever do. Yes in skydiving it happens all the time and people do end up under canopies they shouldn't be under. The BASE community does such a great job of defending itself and arguing that BASE is not skydiving well prove it. We've earned the right to declare ourselves pioneers and explorers of an experience only a handful have ever done. Extraordinary on this earth. Be nice to each other Dammit!

...about the number of jumps on a BASE canopy you are selling? I have bought skydiving canopies before that I was pretty sure had more jumps on them than the sellers said. With skydiving you get a second chance with your reserve. It makes the decision on whether or not I want a particular canopy above my head a whole lot easier. With a BASE canopy, that's it! That's all you get, just one shot. Don't you want to know exactly what you have above your head? If you were selling to a newbie wouldn't you feel better knowing they left with all the information available to them and had every chance of surviving and not becoming the next statistic and potential black mark against BASE jumping? In my opinion there is a big difference between 30 jumps and 120+ jumps when it comes to a BASE canopy. Lying about the number of jumps on a BASE canopy makes you a greedy, unethical liar. Do you have no respect at all for the other folk who find themselves dreaming of launching off that glorious B in the early dawn hours? The number of people who BASE in the world is so small that I feel extremely privelidged and fortunate to be part of it. Is it too hard to be honest with each other and not tell lies for the sake of a few extra dollars? sickened