Luke

I'm sorry if I misunderstood you, but my point was that a private forum would be a step backwards. There is no shortage of people that feel in some way ostracised from other jumpers, especially where internet forums are concerned. Maybe they've done some less than ideal jumps and been on the end of some good old fashioned bitching. Maybe they just don't write english well enough to be confidant putting themselves forward to join a private forum. Maybe they just don't feel that they should have to stand any scrutiny before joining a private forum. For these reasons and others, they would miss out on such useful and thought provoking information and ideas. Some of these exact same people are teaching and mentoring, right now. Many of them read this forum, for entertainment, or to see who's bitching about them at the moment. Take any useful discussion to a private forum and these people will be excluded. The very people perhaps in greatest need of listening to such a discussion. As far as newer jumpers (and even non jumpers), they all have valid opinions and can sometimes contribute significantly. I hear what you're saying about the noise ratio: log in here after only a few days and you're not short of posts to read. Not all of it is useful, or even entertaining. It's worth skim reading a few posts in exchange for not missing all the good stuff people put up here.

If this were a private forum, there might well be several BASE instructors worldwide who perhaps have never contemplated these issues that maybe never would. You might argue that that subset would be least receptive to this concept anyway, but I'd suggest that even discussing the letter with a new student is beneficial to both, even if they decide not to write the letter. Taken to extreme (although this example is not hypothetical) a BASE instructor or mentor that is young and immature would read that explanation for the letter and at least briefly glimpse something of the magnitude of responsibilty that they're taking on.

I remember him from when he first started BASE & I got to jump the Eiger with him. He was a really fantastic bloke and this is yet another big loss to the entire BASE community. Always the good ones.

Fair one, but forget that this is about you for a minute and consider that there may be (many) other jumpers thinking the same, who can't be arsed tapping it out on the internet. Cummulatively, they know a lot about enjoying and staying alive in a very dangerous sport. By displaying poor judgement, you will exclude yourself from the opportunity to jump with and learn from them. Congrats on making your first BASE jump & still being alive. I'm happy to admit a sneaky admiration that you found your own way, regardless of the fact that you must have known it was seriously stupid. I also like the fact that you're not debating that aspect of it. But please understand that risk management is the way forward: accepting that something is dangerous and taking responsibilty are *not* the same as sticking your head in the sand and blindly taking pointless risks, with no visible benefit. And you must have known when you stepped off, with a known piece of shit on your back, mentored by a known cunt that if you went in, all and sundry on the generic handbag.com would be saying told him so; what a spanner. You've still got options now: a) Tell us all to go fuck ourselves. Revel in being a renegade amongst renegades. You'll find your own way and nothing will get in your way. b) The longer, harder, safer route: work long and hard on getting more skydives and turning your reputation around. Good luck with whatever you chose. I look forward to jumping with you in a couple of years time, if you're still alive.

Another massive loss to us all. He was a true gentleman and an absolute pleasure to spend time with. BSBD

One of my mates has been trying to get me to climb it for a couple of years, reckons it's "fun". It might only be 300', but that sounds like hard work to me.

Yes, it's BH. The main lz is more "generous" than "tight". Having said that, someone has managed to run out of generous, lovely, fluffy beach and fly straight into the cliff!

Tenacious B from the P'rine did some fancy computer work with Zoter's pictures and produced a stitched version that's quite nice.

Very much so, Yes. I worry about getting busted as much as all the other "negative aspects", so I tend towards being a bit too paranoid; subsequently jumping less, which is not ideal. I stressed that I wasn't having a dig and I meant it: I value your thoughts and experience in these matters and I knew you'd give it the response it required.

I've been on one and a half busts with you mate and we both knew and accepted there was a high bust factor in order to make those jumps, so you got to know I broadly agree with you; I'm definitely not having a dig. But is it really necessary to do high bust factor jumps *all* the time in order to be a BASE jumper? Your ethics and ninja skills are exemplary, but you seem to routinely choose objects with so much security that even when you comfortably get away the police are involved. Even though you're not usually caught and perhaps there is no official policy, "BASE jumpers" are no longer a whacky and amusing one off story around the local nick any more? If jumpers are being pressed to accept significant warnings/charges from the police, rather than a friendly and slightly bemused chat you'd get only a couple of years ago, you might argue that these things are related. I know that dealing with security is a significant part of the challenge for you (and a tedious job for me) and I really do value your thoughts on this. All I can say is thank fuck most of them don't have guns in the UK; at the moment.

It seems a bit retarded to supply the police with all the evidence to track you down and then convict you, especially if they didn't have a clue before you posted to YouTube: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=436541&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=

You should not dismiss online characters such as Maggot & Nick Nitro just because they behave like knob jockeys on the internet. If you are prepared to think carefully for yourself you will learn something from everybody. Some are just more hard work than others.

Unfortunately mate, I think you're absolutely right about this. I've only visited the world famous P'rine bridge once and it's a lovely place & all. The locals are super cool too. BUT, I won't ever go to one of their big boogies again. They near enough had to order a new hospital to be built for all the visiting jumpers who displayed the most atrocious canopy control, certainly highlighted by the reasons you state. I knocked a toggle off doing an unpacked jump and a apparently experienced jumper was shocked that not only did I have a nice stand up landing, but also on the target. (I think I was supposed to do a riser stall down wind into a tree at 20 feet instead).

I strolled down to the beach, so utterly convinced I was that there was no rush, only to find you talking to your bro. Luck was on our side in many ways, but you owe so much to that paramedic bloke that happened to be fishing 20 metres away; who happened to have a back board in his little fishing boat. Not to make light of what was an awful incident, but you just couldn't have planned a massive accident better. It's great you got a second chance at life.

I watched both from the landing area. The canopy dragging amounted to about half a cell inflating occasionally. I recall both impacts being just as loud and hard, the crucial difference being that the half cell produced just enough drag to keep his body at a steep angle for feet first entry.

Things have changed there so much, it's got me thinking about visiting "home". We used to have to make our own entertainment but it's all laid on for tourists now. If you've got the $, there's loads to see & do. The whitewater in the gorges is unmissable: warm, very few submerged rocks. I know of a few people that have passed through there in the last few years that have scored a BASE jump off the bridge. You can't risk a big delay because you've got a fair flight to land somewhere that won't kill you. Healthcare there is non existent (can't believe that would have improved). If you require hospital attention, remember to take your own sheets, food, medicine, drugs, needles, plasma. Oh, and expect to leave the hospital with more diseases than you went in. AIDS infection rates are very close to 100% universally. Awesome place, though!

No, not anymore. Found the web site of the commercial company with a map: http://www.thezambeziswing.com/maps2.htm In my defense, when I was a kid there was nothing out there in the 5th gorge worth seeing more than once. I sometimes used to ride my motorbike out past there to another gorge, but you couldn't take a car out there for example. I can't believe how much it's changed in 10 years. They really do look geared up to relieve fat tourists of their excess money!

...most likely Vic Falls from a quick google search... Don't know where it is mate, but not Vic Falls (I lived there a long time). Very different!

QuoteSean was a big part of my journey into BASE. Quote When he wasn't busy barking & growling at newbies for being silly he was very busy helping them; sometimes the same newbies. He will be greatly missed.

Is there *realistically* any point in us foreigners sending letters? Would they file letters from non US citizens straight in the trash as irrelevant?

What's not cool is jumping on a newbies head for telling one of his BASE stories. Sometimes stories with pros, coke & midgets are entertaining; sometimes real jump stories from newbies are entertaining. If anyone finds either story tedious, they've always got the option of not reading it.

Exactly how the fuck did you manage that Bill?? Doesn't matter a monkey's arsehole to me though mate, whether you've jumped off 100 buildings, or none at all. What matters to me is the way you conduct yourself in life and in jumping. On this strict criteria, you're one of the very best.

The people who make & sell these canopies are all highly approachable and they might even know a bit more about parachutes than some of us on dz.com I think that the difference in slider size between your Flik & RD makes no difference at terminal. The reason for the difference is probably because otherwise around the 4s mark (and less, for those people into that sort of thing), the RD opens a tad slow slider up (only) for some people's liking.

Your cartoons are great! Keep them coming.

I talk shit with the best of them & I'd love to PCA myself. Could you put my fluff mag back in my cubicle first, please?