How many BASErs are there?

[Frodo 0]

As far as I understand, there are about 800-900 jumpers with BASE numbers, but that number is obviously far from the total number of people who made a BASE jump at least once. So, who can give a fairly good estimate? How many - in the U.S. and the whole world? And what countries are most active in BASE? (I hear a lot about the Australian Association, for example)

[Faber 0]

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there are about 800-900 jumpers with BASE numbers

i would say closer to 800,just rounded that #not long agohttp://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=457304;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unreadBesides that you cant count me in as a A jumper so farI dont really think any knows how many theres out there..

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And what countries are most active in BASE?

It depends on how you see it,while DK only contains 5mill.people then we wont be many jumpers,but we migth jump alot..
Through i also would go for US or Australia

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[mac266 0]

sorry but making one or two BASE jumps does not make you a BASE jumper!

A BASE jumper is someone who can walk alone to an object and assess the object and jump it safely............................. now ask yourself this........................ how many people can do that!!!!!!

just my thoughts!!!

CYA!!!!!

[Zennie 0]

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A BASE jumper is someone who can walk alone to an object and assess the object and jump it safely...

And know when to climb down.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[mac266 0]

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A BASE jumper is someone who can walk alone to an object and assess the object and jump it safely...

And know when to climb down.

yeah so true!!!!

[Dd0g 0]

I think this question is terribly dependent on the definition one chooses for a "BASE jumper."

On one end, I estimate that perhaps 5,000 folks alive today have made a BASE jump at one point in their life. This may be on the high side, but not by an order of magnitude.

On the low end, I'd say there are probably less than 200 people in the world who are really experienced enough to open a wide variety of new objects by themselves, and who are up to speed on most all current technical trends in modern BASE. In actuality, I'd guess this number to be closer to 100 worldwide.

In terms of jumpers who have proven capabilities across a wide swath of the sport (from low freefalls and subterminal aerials to big walls and tracking skills, along with object opening experience across the BASE categories, through the more arcane skills of object acccess and other "cloak and dagger" techniques), probably around 50 or so worldwide. In other words, as the sport develops further we are having more and more folks who become specialists in one area, primarily.

The days when, say, Dwain has been at the top of areas of the sport ranging from ultra-low freefall through aerials and subterminal tracking are fading. No mere mortal can be the best at it all nowadays (though Dwain is no mere mortal, clearly). Similarly, there's really no climber who is at the top in sport, trad, bouldering, aid, mountaineering, technical mixed, etc.

While "Europe" (including the Scandanavian countries) isn't technically a country, there are probably more folks jumping in Europe on a quasi-regular basis than everywhere else in the world combined. As one example, there's 30 folks jumping pretty regularly in the city of Antwerp alone. . . extend that out all through Europe, and it's lots of folks. Many aren't active online, but they are jumping - alot.

I'm hearing that there are many new jumpers coming up through the ranks in Russia nowadays. Dozens. If those jumpers continue, and in turn train more jumpers, that could be a huge group of jumpers in a few years' time.

Australia has given so much to the sport in terms of technical advancement, attitude, and plenty of super-talented jumpers. However, in pure numbers I don't think there are that many active Aussie jumpers. . . at least compared to Europe or the USA.

America has plenty of jumpers, but not many who make it past the "do a few (dozen) jumps from a few existing objects" category. Nothing wrong with that, but I just don't think the American spirit circa 2003 is really breeding lots of really top-end BASE folks compared to other areas of the world. This is, of course, not to say that there aren't many super talented American jumpers (present company excluded).

I've heard that the substantial majority of several gear manufacturers' sales is - and has been for years - to Europe and Scandanavia.

Of course, all of the above is simply one canine's biased opinion, nothing more.

Peace,

D-d0g

+~+~+~+~
But this, surely, was the glory that no spirits, canine or human, had ever clearly seen, the light that never was on land or sea, and yet is glimpsed by the quickened mind everywhere.