CanuckInUSA

There are a lot of great CPC canopy pilots here already and the majority of the pros haven't even shown up yet. We've already seen evidence today that the distance record is poised to be broken and maybe it will be shattered this time. Time will tell ... Yes this is going to be a fantastic event. Those of us who are lucky enough to take part in it both as competitors as well as spectators are going to be seeing some awesome canopy piloting within the next few days. Welcome to Denver folks ... are you ready to rumble ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Granted she may not be jumping a who;e lot, but Jill Salo is a BASE jumping mother. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Awesome pics ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

A wing can stall at any airspeed and at any attitude. I stall my canopy on virtually every swoop that I make. If the canopy didn't stall, I would have swooped forever and while swooping forever is a cool thought, we know it isn't possible. Since we're not powered our airspeed is limited. Since we compensate for lost airspeed by changing the angle of attack, sooner or later we will exceed the critical angle of attack and the wing will stall. You don't need to deform your canopy in order to stall it. On a landing in which the jumper hasn't pounded in and has to run out their landing. We'll either they induced the stall sooner than they needed to by not finishing their flare (not properly changing the angle of attack to compensate for the lost airspeed) or the environment in which they jump (like high density altitude) has created a higher stalling airspeed. The stall speed of a wing is very dynamic and changes all the time depending on how the wing is being flown (angle of attack), the environment in which it flies and the forces put upon the wing. We're just usually not flying close to the critical angle off attack until we're low to the ground. Pilots are taught all this stuff about how and why a wing stalls, why aren't skydivers? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Don't forget that once us amateurs are done, we get to watch some of the best in the world swoop at altitude for the first time. That's priceless as well ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Awesome ... see you in a few days ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

BASE jumping is not free ... there are travel costs + gear costs involved in making jumps. The Perrine Bridge in Idaho is one of the best places you'll ever find towards learning how to BASE jump. How much do you value your life? Would you rather learn the ropes in the sport the right way (by easing into it) or do you want to go balls to the walls and try jumping the most difficult objects only because you may be close to them? BASE jumping isn't safe, but it sure can be as dangerous as you want to make it. What sort of skydiving experience do you have? Do you have any sort of experience flying airplanes, ultralights, paragliders, etc, etc, etc. Until you tell people more about your background and experiences playing in the skies, people are going to be reluctant to open their arms to someone with no experience. This shit maybe fun, but it's serious business up there. One moment you're alive and the next moment your dead only because you didn't know better, were poorly prepared or used poor judgement ... good luck ... BASE jumping rocks when it's approached in a respectful and responsible way. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I smacked the pond pretty ####in hard today and got hurt ... not seriously ... I think ... but hurt nonetheless (CrewKeith witnessed it along with two other people, but no video). Anyway I'm learning how to swoop this beast just as everyone else is. But watch the density altitude here folks. Diving a canopy balls to the walls at this pond is not safe ... Pond swooping does rock ... I think ... ouch ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Every day is Bridge Day in Twin Falls Idaho. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Wow, how long did that take ya??? I never said I was the sharpest pencil in the box. To the originator of this thread. Instead of wondering if BASE jumping is for you or not, why don't you wait and see if BASE finds you. I wasn't supposed to BASE jump nor was I supposed to swoop when I got into skydiving. But swooping and BASE jumping did indeed find me along the way. I need to figure out how to get a swoop pond, Moab and the Perrine all within a short trip of each other. That would be heaven ...

Something really cool is about to happen in a little over one week. Who knows how many cool photo opportunities are out there. It's no rumor. The other day Brady and Josh (+ whoever else) did what you mentioned while I swooped the pond and they spoke of these rooster tails behind the canopy. But you're right, that would be a cool camera angle. I knew this day would come. Several people have chowed already this weekend including yours truly. The pond reminded me of just how big it is today. My first chow of the day was fun!!! I went semi big, had a great run on the pond, but came up a little short. I got wet but my canopy landed dry on the shore. One my 2nd chow of the day, I went big, carried good speed over the pond but was a tad dissappointed that I leveled off 6 or so inches too high. I could have easily popped up a little and stayed dry. But I was determined to get wet and wet I got. I tried a "Method" move late in the swoop and the "Method" creates a lot of drag. So I chow about 15 feet short of the shore line. It was fun and all, but I stink right now (a shower is coming soon) and this pond really did remind me that it is not "small" and that going big has it's price. Oh but good news can be reported about the pond's construction. The landing area is starting to take form and I was sliding a few landings on my feet (includind downwinders) instead of on my ass. The pond is coming along very well ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

BASE jumping is an order of magnatude more dangerous than skydiving. But it can also release a jolt of adrenaline after you jump like nothing else in the world. Oh and if you think that jumping off of a 3000 foot cliff is low, try a 200-300 footer like what's out in Moab. Dude build some experience in skydiving before you start worrying about BASE. People do start sooner, but I had over 700 skydivers before I tried my first BASE jump. Some of the keys to surviving in BASE is knowing your gear and knowing your limits, have good canopy control skills and have a plan (including backup plans) before each jump and stick to that plan (unless you need to go to your backup). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

It's not the number of breathes we take in life which counts. It's the number of times your life takes your breathe away. Can you die skydiving? Yup you better believe it. How will you die? I'm not sure how I'll die, but if it happens while I'm doing something that I like doing, then that's better than dying from some disease or some stupid accident/incident. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

No chows to report today. Just lots of progress made by the people working on the pond and lots of good swoops by those of us lucky enough to have a pond to swoop. Dang ... I'm tired and a little sore, but pond swooping rocks!!! Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I'm sorry to say that your wish for higher energy costs only to cause consumers to use less is flawed. You say the poor aren't effected since they don't own vehicles is not true. Everyone is effect. Why because of economics. Higher energy costs will effect virtually every commondity that society consumes. Higher costs lead to inflation, to higher interest rates and lower economic development, less jobs and more uncertainty and poverty. Sure Americans could do a better job conserving natural resources. But to wish economic doom and gloom only because you don't like how a certain society lives doesn't make you a better person now does it? IMHO western society is in trouble. Let's not make it harder than it needs to be. Instead of working against each other, how about trying to work with each other. Or is judging people who are different from yourself what makes you tick? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Thanks need to go out to many different people. Thanks to Mile-Hi for letting us compete there all season long and especially for building a swoop pond. Thanks need to go out to Jim and Lyle for their work on creating the CPC and bringing this event to Colorado. Thanks need to go out to you Jason for bringing the CPC to Colorado. Plus extra thanks need to go out to you, Keith, Aubrey, FatBastard and Skip Billings (plus anyone else who worked on it not mentioned above) for all the work they did on the pond. The swoop pond is super fun and this Go Fast CPC Challenge is going to be tons of fun where for the first time some of the best canopy pilots in the world will all meet and jump in the thin air of Colorado. Only ten more days ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

It's going to be fun Mar.

Well Keith you and I are off the hook. Dave Billings officially christened the pond today with a chow. Dave attempted to go big and had a good swoop going. But he was faced with staying dry on that ugly shit on the SE corner or getting wet. He chose wet. The load before this I thought I was a goner. I was certain that I was going in doing an unplanned superman. But I got lucky and had enough lift to make it to the shore. But we're still waiting for that really really really big chow. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I don't like GWB, but he's got nothing to do with Mother Nature. Shit Hurricane season isn't over yet. Who's next? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Unless I find my way back into corporate America very soon, my future after Oct 16th will be to be with all my other Ice Back brothers and sisters up in Canada when the INS shows me the door. But that's okay. I knew the rules before I started playing the game. The new swoop pond rocks!!! Plus an Otter, King Air and Cessna are always nice to have lying around for when you need one of them. Plus the jumping WX in CO is better than most people know. For whatever reason people seem to think that CO is cold when in reality it's not. I've been jumping at the DZ on a Jan/Feb weekend wearing shorts and a t-shirt on the ground on some weekends. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I don't think he was scared of the water. He was scared of the 2 foot high berm that we had to negotiate a couple of days ago. The pond is almost full now, but the edge and top still needs to be finished. Swooping the pond today (out side of the wind we had) was a whole lot safer that it was a few days ago. I think we're a little crazy for what we were doing. But normal people don't swoop right? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I'll have to leave that question to be answered by a knowledgeable Mile-Hi employee. I was just asked to post this message since I'm one of the DZ's bigger DZ.COM post whores. But I can tell that that the DZ will be rocking with their new Otter and new swoop pond (keep in mind that we do jump all 12 months of the year in CO with tons of sunshine). The only thing that is missing is the new hangers, but we can't have it all at once can we? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

One more series (courtesy of FatBastard) of Justin ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Jason Tolliver's turn on the pond ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

This series of pics is of Jim Harris ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over