Treejumps

I must agree, what a great time. Sniff sniff, reminds of the good ole bitch board. I'm glad to hear that Miles is training; there is always hope for everyone. I'll take him up on that beer this April, and accept it as tuition for my base areobatics course. We just may be able to get his rotations on axis yet. Did you save your house from that parking ticket?

Standing ovation! Nice post Skin, as always.

Ray, You have shown me the light. I will not give any more attention to glory hounds. Real jumpers, the ones I would like to get to know and share an exit point with, they are never heard from. They are just out there doing their thing, having fun, making jumps. All these publicity hounds would sell their mothers for a little bit a fame and attention. Oh yeah, lets drag some whuffos into base so more people will know how cool we are. BASE is tiny, maybe a thousand world wide, and thats how it surrvives. If it could ever become a well known widely practiced sport, it would be the death of it. All hail the killers of base. Later.

Thank you for your insight Jimmy. Your concern for the sport and your fellow jumper is inspiring. The only joke is your complete lack of forsight, or hindsight for that matter. Better get running, I think your house is getting a parkng ticket.

I think that the thread on Miles has gotten the attention it deserved. For all we know its a spoof just to get attention for someone who craves attention. However, it brings to light a subject that will have major impacts on BASE long into the future. What do we do about every wa-hoo that wants to start a "base school" and utilize (jeopardize) our very limited legal base resources? If you think that this is not a big deal, then try to go jump the cliffs in Yosemite, or any other National Park. The actions of a very selfish few have prevented (or at least contributed in a very significant way) all of us from legally jumping some of the best cliffs in the owrld, right in our backyard. That is how big the stakes are. Self policing is not working. Self interested un-ethical jumpers are poised to ruin things, again. I submit to you, the base community, that those who choose to attempt to commercialise BASE are stealing from you. At a bare minimum they are risking your access for a few bucks and an ego stroke. While it may not be possible (or desirable) to regulate base at TF, or other locations, any commercial operation is easily regulated. Rafting, rock climbing, sight seeing, and other similar companies are licensed and regulated, why not BASE Instruction for hire? By taking students (especially unqualified ones) to TF, you are risking access for all with potential lawsuits against the city of TF for allowing such activities. It may not be popular to talk about regulating these things, but there are folks out there looking for ways to shut us down and this is a terrific opportunity for them. Town councilman: Oh dear, what if one of their students dies, or worse, becomes incapacitated, and we get sued? Well, if we can't stop foolish instruction, we'll just shut the whole thing down. This is the future if we can't figure it out on our own. You say it can't happen? Then go jump El Cap around noon on a nice Saturday, and let me know how it goes. Please post your ideas on how to NOT have history repeat itself. We have it good right now, but the future does not look so bright give the activities of the last year. Its your sport too.

Jimmy, Its really hard to know where to begin. Are we talking about the same Miles? Most talented? Miles cannot hold a candle to Jeb, and many many others. Frankly, I'll take the Pepsi chaallenge with Miles' jumping. What a laugh. Most capable to teach? Not by a long shot. Ethics: He has NONE. Doing what for BASE? Selling it out for a shitty living and all the glory he can get. Miles has never made his own way in jumping. He rode the tails of truly talented jumpers, used their contacts, and is willing to do any stupid pet trick to garner attention. If he had even a tiny sack, he would be on here defending himself. But frankly, this is not an attack and therefore cannot be defended. The facts are what they are. Miles acts as he acts, and his pathetic "world famous" ad is just the icing on the cake. I'm all for base jumpers getting paid to jump, not that there is any real money in it, nor will there ever be. BASE is the friends you jump with, and the objects you jump. Its not meant to be an attention gathering sport for those who got stuffed in lockers in high school. Miles is the poster child of how not to do base, and how to fuck the sport for a couple bucks and a flashlight worth of limelight. BTW Jimmy, when I met Miles in 99' he was recovering from a broken leg from a base jump. Of course I only knew it becasue you coudn't be around him for 5 minutes before he told you. That is a bit more than a scratch. I wouldn't have brought it up since we nearly all break something, but since you brought up records. Incidentally, your whole crowd seems to have these problems. Your static line on your FX at 2002 very nearly ended your career. A brilliiant move. Perhaps a little self examination is in order. And finally, I am a very happily married new daddy who owns and runs his own successful business; thanks for inquiring about my state of mind. I am just doing my part to try to preserve base. If you and yours weren't fucking it up, I wouldn't have to set you straight, and you wouldn't think me such a bad guy. Grow up.

Hi Adam, Miles is a very fun guy, maybe even a nice guy to hang out with. I met him in 99' at the Tahoe Freefly festival. That does not mean that his approach to base is not incredibly flawed. Look what his attitude (and others like him) have produced for BASE. Death camping? A base school set up for complete whuffos? Nearly killing himself at BD with nothing short of a highschool like stunt? The problem is not that I am calling Miles out as a dick, the problem is that he is acting like one. Now if seeing an average at best base jumper opening a "base school" for whuffos (he said this, not me) , and advertising himself as "World Famous" does not qualify one as a dick, then what does? He might be a very pleasnt guy to hang out with, and maybe he was nice to you, but his actions are completely against the best interestes of base (in general) and completey centered around what makes Miles look good (in his own head). I can't stop him from makng his best attempt to fuck up a nice little sport, but I can say my piece on it. If I instigate others into dissing Miles, or better, than as I see it I am doing my part to try to protect a sport that has given me a great deal. Miles is milking base for anything he can get out of it any way he can. I don't like that kind of selfishness and I think that it is very un-cool, and un-base like. If I am wrong then at worst I am the dick (some would say that is already true) Big deal. If I am right what you are seeing is the rapid degradation of a sport and it's community, and the ethics that has held it together to date. Frankly I think that that type of behavior is just pathetic. How much attention does one need to keep feeling good about ones self? I would be pleased to jump with anyone who goes by the title, "the B Team". Nice work you guys.

Hi JT, Still looking forward to meeting you. Hope you are back in TF when I visit this spring. Cheers.

Beat you to it.

This is more of a public service anouncement. I uploaded the ad. Edited to add: I guess now that Miles nearly went in at BD, to some extent, he is famous. This is a sample intro: Miles: Hi I'm Miles D., world famous base jumper. BASE Wuffo: Aren't you that dude who nearly died doing some really simpleton stupid kids shit at BD? Miles: Why yes, you do know me. (WOW, I AM FAMOUS) BASE Wuffo: Bugger off. I think I'll take a course from someone with some commom sense, who has been a real part of base, and who actually cares about base, where it is going, and the people involved. Are you wearing blush?

Awesome stuff RL, I already ordered mine. Cya.

Anyone see the new Skydiving mag? This takes the cake for being a glory hound, and in general, a giant dick. Miles, I know that your head has swelled to gigantic proportions from the attention you recieved from hanging out with Charles Brian & Mike Vail (who actually are famous amongst skydivers), but the first rule of fame is that if you have to advertise that you are famous, you aren't. There must be at least 100 people world wide more qualified in every way to teach base than you. Your ethics suck and the last thing base needs are more pepole who approach the sport as you do. As a clown at the circus looking for attention. Stick with skydiving. Somebody there might believe you. You may now return to your regularly scheduled program.

Hi Karen, I for one was not suggesting that reccomending the black bands had anything to do with money. There is no money to be made from the few we use, so it is merely perplexing to me that something that I have known as general base knowledge (that black bands were black death) for several years, was being reccomended by any experienced jumpers. I really was not aware that they were being widely used. It is and has been for some time now a very bad idea to use the black bands in hte base environment. I think that this type of useage of these forums are the way they were origianlly envisioned, as a great way to quickly distribute information.

It seems to me that the use of black rubberbands was known to be bad ju ju several years ago. When they first came out with them they were just too strong. I have no idea why anyone would ever reccomend for base a band that was proven in skydiving to cause problems. Hopefully this near incident will finally get it through to everyone: Black bands are black death. Also, stowing the multi (if you see any need/use for it in the first place) is a bad idea. Why not just stow the corners of your canopy into the containers? Its also very lucky that the canopy did not fall out of the container during the hang up. Imagine what a mess that would have been.

My brother was born on 4:20, my first skydive was on 4:20, my best friends were married on 4:20. I didn't know about Hitler though. www.420.com

Hardly an exodus, but if calling it that makes you feel better about losing the election, have at it.

More ideas? Cool. I've been too busy to build my idea, what with a new baby and another home purchase in the next 3 weeks, but hopefully I can get a set made and sent out to you soon. Cya.

One article hardly makes it fact. It is very easy for left leaning researchers to come up with whatever finding they choose to find. It seems like every year "researchers" come up with more support for why socially unacceptable behavior is OK. Gays should not be permitted to adopt. If they were meant to raise children nature would have given them the means to create them. We can argue forever on whether gays raising children is acceptable or not. I have no control over the general public. However, I do control my own family, and if I were to die it would be specifically prohibited in my will for my my children to be adopted by a gay couple.

A tail wind could help cause it.

Your canopy opened in a stall. Your deep brake setting is too deep. You should skydive the canopy to find the proper brake settinf. Cya.

Maybe they should have a game about Ted Kennedy and see if a drunken, asshole, loudmouthed worthless politician can save his mistress from a submerged car. Bonus points if you can save her and manage to kill Ted. (though Ted has proven to have more staying power than a cockroach) Seriously, the Kennedys can cry all they want. As a family they have gotten what they deserved. When you are a bunch of crooked politicians screwing with the mob and the unions, what do you think is going to happen. Thank god we've almost weeded them all out of political office.

On any given day I prefer left or right. I used to be very left oriented, but wind and other factors demand that you develop the skill to go either direction. I think that I now prefer right more, but again, it just varies. Mostly its just a comfort thing. You get more comfortable just going the same directionn, so the other direction feels less comfortable. Its the same game either way. Cya.

I didn't know anyone in Arkansas could read. On the bright side, this is probably the only new large building to be built in Little Rock in 25 years. What a dump that city is.

This has been a most entertaining thread. Sort of reminds me of the good ole' days on Blinc. Keep up the good work you guys. Remember, nothing is good or bad except by comparison. If somebody dosn't do something stupid now and then, we forget what the right thing to do is. Werd up.

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