wwarped

as others have said, that is not what BASE is about. I'm not a huge fan of posts declaring xxx is the best BASE jumper, or even better than yyy. rarely does a video of one of my jumps look very extraordinary. so? but you are also making a very broad statement. you'd be amazed how easy it can be to become a "pro" athelete. there are many "semi-pro" or "minor league" ways to earn that title. the money earned may never cover their costs, but they still earn something... but if you fixate on joining the elite of BASE, you probably will not make it. injuries will stop you. instead, focus on enjoying each and every jump with a very detailed eye on safety. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

yeah, yeah, yeah. I did not mean to kill the thread with the physics. (and I doubt the CASA piots performed all that stuff when they floated jumpers lying on the ramp...) more to the point... do you get the same "roller coaster" sensation during a zero g (whatever make or model aircraft)? do you get the sensation (for the first 1 sec) stepping off a diving board/platform? I do not. maybe I'm just not a sensitive guy... there may very well be some additional churning action in my stomach, but I would not compare it to a roller coaster! edited to add... back in the day, roller coasters coasted on rails. they did the normal up and down stuff, but quite tame. they did not want the cars to start jumping the tracks! then they devised rides with the rollers hooked around the rails. this prevented the cars from jumping off the rails. this permitted "unnatural" bends that can "throw" people in the air as the car gets pulled down. as a previous poster said, some internal organs are not supported well in this "negative g" situation. that leads to what I define as a "roller coaster feeling." others may define the sensation based on an original style ride... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

you seem to be saying jumpers are subject to the standard acceleration due to gravity, but fail to feel it until they build airspeed. it sounds like you notice a lack of a force opposing gravity, not gravity itself. what about zero G's in an Otter? DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

evidently, Jimmy videos everything he does. wonder how much he has not put out there??? DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

then the gargoyle would be slacking... (aren't they protective creatures?) DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

so... life size? how big is a live gargoyle? if it is feasible and site appropriate, consider making a hand as a s/l anchor point... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

*** The risks of BASE jumping are such that one should feel comfortable with the sum total of their life when they leap forward from the exit point. If you know you may leave all opportunities to reconcile that which is unfinished in your life, perhaps you shouldn't be jumping... perhaps you should be reconciling the things in your life. well said! (the rest was a great read as well...) BTW moderators are human. they will make mistakes. some users will use these mistakes as justification to give moderators grief. I sometimes wonder who would volunteer for such a thankless job. (any moderator) Tom: thank you for trying to provide some order to this forum. Sangiro: thank you for giving us this space. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

no, I'm not suggesting people are more real on the internet, but an online persona isn't normally completely fabricated either. people may think it is a complete fabrication, but it comes from a place within. aviation has a saying, "those who can, do. those who can't, teach." it doesn't always apply, and may or may not here. it remains a fact that being good at something and teaching it are two entirely different skill sets. from what I've seen here, Tom would welcome sound advice from others. he appears to object when it can be taken recklessly. one problem is the internet demands general, not specific advice (or at least conservative). if not, facts can be taken entirely out of context, especially when viewed months later. (edited to add: by general, I mean NOT necessarily geared to an individual. enough information must be included to establish context.) what I have witnessed to date is NOT banning jumpers for disagreeing with him, but arguing in a childish, immature manner. well, I'm not trying to be of use. I offer observations that may be inaccurate. like BASE itself, you get to decide if it is right for you. Tom attempts to help and keep people safe. many things he does appear constructive. as I do not stalk him, he may very well do non-constructive things as well. how do you plan on being of use? do you intend to act constructively? is the signal/noise ratio any better on the new forum? or does it continue to be a "victim's lounge," full of pissing and moaning? DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

false persona? or simply one they choose not to show in "real" life? remember, we are all multifaceted beings. we show one facet to co-workers, another to family, yet another to lovers, etc. instead of "false" persona, maybe I'd find "typically hidden" persona a better fit. oh, and the obsession with this site implies an addicition to whatever persona they use here. something about this forum is consuming a ton of energy! DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

problem. that requires a few things... 1) people THINK about what they do 2) people take responsibility for their actions opponents to the 2nd problem always argue "let's not play the blame game." what they really mean is "I LIKE being a victim!" remember, it's always someone else's fault. (frequently the big, bad moderator.) DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

interesting topic. perception tends to be reality. each and every one of us creates the world we live in. our views tend to filter out some information and emphasize others. when anyone is in love, they tend NOT to see their partner's flaws (they discover them later...) if you think the world treats you in a hostile manner, you tend to respond the same. this ensures the world DOES treat you with hostility. oh, and for some, dreams are more vivid than "reality." they prefer them. at the new forum, people can create whatever reality they choose. just because the internet is virtual, does not mean it is NOT real... but people are free to believe whatever. we all get to create our own world... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

let me contribute something... the wind is spinning the windmill. thus the windmill is extracting energy from the wind. this is a far cry from a propeller adding energy to the wind. yes it will change the wind patterns, but will it do so more than a tree or an antenna? DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

from 321CYA on a different thread: you seem to be aggitated, as indicated by your user name. do you ever tire of being a victim? DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

ever listen to sport junkies? "I love the Cowboys!" "What!? Are you kidding? They stink!" I guess it's no different here. you stated a strong preference and others chose to disagree... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

you are correct, I do not know who he is or what he has accomplished I did read his post where he stated: how should I have interpretted his post? DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

enjoy the journey. do NOT focus too hard on the destination. afterall, what happens if you do not like it? you'll think you wasted all that time and energy. or, from RW: do NOT focus on the grips. fly your slot and the grips will be there. enjoy the path. you'll get there when it's time... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

Well said, thanks for those posts. Those are important points that are some of the first to be forgotten these days, from my firsthand experience. well said? really? the topic was about mentoring new jumpers. the job of a mentor is to influence their charge, to make sure a novice grows and develops into a safe jumper. that typically means getting the newbie to adopt the morals, values, and ethics you endorse. if the potential new jumper has an attitude that conflicts with the potential mentor, the mentor should not accept the newbie as an "apprentice." the comments start making sense if you refer to them out of context. by that I mean BASE in general. as discussed previously, different jumpers have different styles. we need to tolerate those as much as possible. (that does NOT mean accepting ALL behavior.) i.e. yes, as a group we should remain inclusive. no, as individuals we should choose to limit with whom we jump. thus a novice who expects a local to mentor him must sell the idea to the local. novices who EXPECT to be mentored think too highly of themselves. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

ever consider a new job? seems quite sad to only live vicariously through others... yeah man, you got one for me? well, what do you WANT to do? that is the most relevant question. it's hard to secure a job that you'd rather not be doing... (those people are the type the bosses worry will spend all day on-line!) DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

ever consider a new job? seems quite sad to only live vicariously through others... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

nice theory. BASE tends to be very personal. every jumper defines "low" differently. some will static line what others freefall. the best idea is to start conservative and develop skills. as a jumper increases their abilities, they can accept additional, um, "challenges." you can not remove the risk from jumps, but it can be minimized. this concept applies to windy conditions. normally high winds contain turbulence, which is inherently unpredictable. the deck of the bridge will experience certain winds, anyone falling in the lee of the bridge will experience different (probably more turbulent) air. if someone spends the time jumping a particular object in varying winds, they may develop an understanding of what they can handle at that site. your numbers and theory can provide a false sense of security. will the jumpers have the required discipline to wait 2 full seconds? will they nail the body position? can they nail the body position in that site's turbulence? what will happen if not? unfortunately, your theory sounds like rationalization for someone determined to jump. not a correct way to evaluate an object. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

that is the attitude that has lead to several entries on "The List." (RIP) goals? I really do NOT care what your goals are. they are meaningless. a complete suicidal maniac might have a GOAL to BASE jump, so? I should respect that? attitude? now that MAY deserve respect. if you insist on jumping no matter what, that is your attitude. being ignored might be how the locals "act accordingly." I stood 100 yards from a fatality. I've carried broken bodies out. I have comforted those left behind. and I have seen some ugly stuff. it is NOT a world in which to rush. it is NOT a world to enter by force. and NO I do not see a compelling reason to grow. sure, we will add more jumpers. we will also lose jumpers (hopefully via retirement I'm still waiting for someone to explain why growth is good. no one has offered any arguments or disagreements with Tom's comments. I even directly asked SLAMBO to offer a reason in an earlier thread. no one has stepped forward with anything but he rosiest of forecasts, as if BASE accidents never occurred. oh, and the sport of fencing is NOT booming, but it still endures. why fret about BASE "dying?" DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

some do. many do not. people feeling sensitive may have witnessed the jump, may have known the jumper very well, or may not be prepared for the harsh realities of the sport... amazingly simple things continue to kill. it matters not whom you are. many jumpers use accidents to think through many scenarios and determine if they themselves are properly prepared. no one wants to be next on "The List." unfortunately, this can interfere with grieving. as death is nothing new to this sport, the best advice to those in grief: avoid this forum. you can control your own behavior far easier than you can control that of others... RIP DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

why? whatever happened to personal responsibility? if you want the US government to protect it's citizens from poor personal choices, what next? doesn't the NPS try to do just that? (now, I'll agree with you if the country in question is applying it's laws arbitrarily and capriciously.) DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

congrats! but, did you get to eat bacon? DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

but did they serve BACON with the pancakes? hmmm, bacon... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse