Hello there!
First thing that surprises me is the fact that nobody cared about BASE locals and locals authorities!!!
It is true that I.T.W. is a mountain actually open to everybody!!!! But this boogie with annexed record attempt would be as if we Italians would organize a record at Ostankino Tower... it sounds bad, don't you think so?!?!?!?
About a month ago I had the chance to talk to an official of the Municipality where I.T.W. is and I must say that, from authorities side, I found great interest and availability towards our activity, as soon as we requested the permit to install a weather station at the landing zone I had nothing against and they gave us all the regular and necessary permits; this is the direction of improving safety!
Thje same Municipality has pointed out that the most important thing is to try NOT to give a distorted and sensiuonalistic about our sport, and possible accidents would do nothing else but to light negative spotlights on I.T.W.
I.T.W. has different issues from Norway, permits for flight with heli, height, shape of the wall, winds, spaces on exit, etc; moreover, only lately ITW has become "busy" as Norway or as the famous Swiss valley, therefore local authorities need the time to familiarize and "understand" the great stream of BASE jumpers! I remember when to meet someone on weekends it was an event!
All in all, as Robert has said too, we already have in front of our eyes what an eccessive number of BASE jumper has done to I.S.T.W.: end of games!!!
The fact that local authorities at I.T.W. are more tolerant does NOT mean that we must abuse!
In Italy, differently from opther countries, there is a distrust towards certain typoes of activities sort of defined as "extreme", and it still remains the problem of awakening who is outside our sport, especially from the legislative point of view.
We (I.B.A. (=Italian BASE Association)), at a slow pace, are trying to awaken this sport, and to get it accepted, but to succeed we need the effort of EVERYBODY, seen the importance and the interest that the international BASE community has got towards I.T.W.. To do so, we must try to respect and abide the local rules (see "self-ruling advices") and the locals!
This does not mean that with an attempt of record (as the one planned) they are going to happen accidents anyway! But it still holds true that the excitement present in this sort of events, IMHO, leads to a definite risk raising. Sadly, I must notice that sometimes accidents occurred at I.T.W. have happened in days in which there was a great number of jumpers.
The bloke n° 75 in the List was jumping after me on 5 apr 2003 and there were many people on exit that day!!!
To make short a long story, personally I don't see such a boogie/record as a good idea.
Furthermore, from the technical point of view, such an attempt is not so suitable to the type of exit at I.T.W..
I joined a 11 way and I must confess that we were very tight!!!
Taken to the limit, on the exit area, IMHO, there is no room for more than 17-18 people
(=half of the number of BASE jumpers of the planned attempt). Such an event remains way more suitable for a BASE site as Norway!
In my opinion, it remains a hazard!!! Above all, it is a hazard in the present period of the history of I.T.W. when something seems to move in a favourable and positive direction for our sport!
Times are not ripe for certain type of events/happenings...
The above is just my humble opinion in the respect of all and everybody!
I.B.A. - Italian Base Association
Maury #726
