K763

Hiya Nick- Right about now you're probably on morphine or some other "pain medicine", lying in bed giving the nurses the time of their lives, and every so often reaching down to feel "the Lone Ranger". I can picture the scene, and in it you're smiling, laughing, and making jokes. My first husband lost his left one when he was about 5; I guess the cord got wrapped around wrong internally cutting off the circulation, so his scrotum swelled up to the size of a canteloupe or something. They took lefty, so "the Lone Ranger" grew up to be quite the same size as any other pair I've ever seen. You know, like how the lobster's remaining claw will get huge to compensate for the missing one. So as you recover from this non-plaster drama, you'll have all this new and exciting stuff to observe and experience. And as soon as you're feeling up to it, let's go share an object. You know this ain't the end, Nick. You're too friggin' ornery to die! And I certainly can't see you dying from disease. If it was going to get you, it would have last time. So THERE! I love you more than you know. You are a major inspiration and a generous font of knowledge that we all lean on as we travel this path of BASE. Thank you for everything, and don't be talking about the end unless you're talking about my ass! Healing vibes are yours in abundance, from all of us, and particularly ME! xoxoxo K

Bumpity bump bump (not to be mistaken for the bump and grind) c'ya there! Peace, K Ps: my avatar just happens to be a jump from the Diving Board at #6....

Hey Ray... I can always count on you to chime in with the perfect scarcastic remark...have you seen Miles' ad in skydiving? :) K

Hi Tom... I think it was because of #63 that the Kjerag Pendulator was created. She did have a few jumps from the potato bridge and exited just fine on every one of them. (5-6 jumps) I do wish she'd had another 6-8 from the Pendulator... It seems like the brightest stars are the ones that burn out quickest. To me, they are the comets of human life. Peace, K

Hey KevDaddy... Check your private messages... Thx. K

Hey Nick... Maybe making a poll thread would make it easier for you to tally the vote... So after reading some more of the thread I'm wondering....did the guy that slipped off an icy edge with a packed BASE rig on his back die BASE jumping? He had hiked up there to jump, he had BASE gear in a stash bag on his back, if he hadn't slipped he would have jumped (and ironically probably would have lived), so did he die BASE jumping? Someone mentioned Dwain...is he on the top half of the list? Why? He had exited an airplane in wingsuit. That isn't a BASE jump.... Wow, this is confounding. Did I volunteer to take over The List when you retire? Oh yeah, I did. Silly me...(j/k, I'll still do the job even when it goes gray instead of being black and white.) Love ya Nick, you're the best. Peace, K

Hi Nick- Thanks for doing the hardest job there is, followed closely by Jason's... I was in Vegas this weekend and was trying to sweet-talk the security guard at a 51 story casino to let me and my friend jump from the roof. (OK, being a girl does have some advantages...) He was very fascinated but also very AGAINST the idea. He said that on New Year's Eve, at midnight, someone jumped from the 51st floor and impacted and died on the 40th floor parking structure roof. This was news to me! He asserted it was a BASE jump, not a suicide...but I have not heard a peep about it. Does anyone know if this is true or false? At first I was reminded about John A. who is still recovering from high-speed impact in Vegas, but that was Halloween and he's still alive. Then I heard someone died in Italy over the weekend???? Goddess bless us, be safe you guys! Peace, K

Hi Nick- After reading the story I feel that if it does make The List, it should be on the bottom section since it was a skydive. If he never was a BASE jumper (no base jumps at all) it should not be on Our List. Peace, K

Ya'll make me LOL even ROFL! Russel, that's just too funny. Scenery indeed... And yes, Marta in those tiny shorts and top is a beautiful thing to behold. How someone can be so cute and so nice at the same time...it restores my faith in womanhood. (Normally cute = stuck-up.) Jimmy, you better get those videos dubbed in a big hurry, I see a flood of orders coming down the pipe! xo K

HEY LONNIE!!!! Good to see you online. I'm glad you're keeping an eye on us morons. I'll be the first to say that I don't know sh*t, but I agree with Kevin and Lonnie. I never have liked Velcro rigs, I've only jumped on once, and ABSOLUTELY HATE to pack them. I started with a Prism (BR single pin rig) and I still love it to this day. I also now have a 2 pin rig, the Vertex 2 with the cornerless bottom design, and even tho the 2 pins are easier to close, the dynamic corner rig is pretty tricky to work. Velcro rigs require quite a bit more maintenance than a pin rig, they aren't as secure for aerials, terminal jumps, and climbing antenna ladders, and THEY OPEN SLOWER THAN ANY PIN RIG. Thanks to Kevin for proving that unequivocably at TF one summer. Besides, do you want to buy something you're going to want to replace so soon? Especially when it's getting harder and harder to sell Velcro to any one. We've had many Reactor 4's on sale for quite some time, and no one is buying. Maybe you should just plan to keep it for a secondary rig, and use it for the wet stuff or the high bust factor jumps. I'd rather see a Velcro rig get confiscated than any of my pinned babies!!! So I was going to keep my 2 cents to myself, but when I saw Lonnie on here I just couldn't stop myself. xo K

Have fun Russel! I wish I could be there to help out...but alas, my desk has my butt chained to the chair and here I'm stuck. Be safe, have fun, and wheelie landings for you!!! xo K

Yeah, I'm jealous!!! I had another friend that had that job, and he got very good at rope jumping. Have fun, and keep those roof access keys handy! Peace, K

HEY Fabien! I just saw your post. Drop me a p.m. and we can hook up. Karen

Thanks Chad! Got him on the phone now. Thanks for the quick response! Peace, K

Hi SoCal kids! Just went to the Pet Rock yesterday with a Brit and a Dane and had a great time! The trail is completely overgrown, so it's bushwhacking time to get up, but at least there's more traction with all the plants holding the sand together. There are new rock bolts and a new s/l. The Brit, who is an avid climber, rigged the dual s/l system for twice the safety. Please leave it as is unless there is a compelling reason to change it. Does anyone know what happened to our cigar box and log book? The broom was still in the nook, but the box and book were gone, and in it's place were a few beer bottles (BAD BOYS!) I'll donate a new log book and box, but the old one is full of cool stuff so it would be good to know if someone is holding on to it for us all. She's still the sweet little Pet Rock! And gravity does still work there; I checked it twice just to be sure. Peace, K

I'm looking to contact Michael McMurtrey in WA about his canopy repair. Some how we don't have his current e-mail, and the phone number we have isn't working. Can anyone have him contact me here at Apex? 951-940-1324. Thanks, Peace, K

Yeah, when Nate called me the next day to tell me about Alex, he said "Hey Karen, Alex went in yesterday". I about sh*t myself! Then he told me he was alive and was going to be ok. I was afraid I'd jinxed him or something but we figured out he was already in surgery by the time I wrote that post. I'm sorry to hear this happened, but I'm glad he's going to be ok. Anyone that can, please tell Alex our thoughts are with him for a speedy recovery. Thanks to David #841 in NM for rescuing the gear! That is way above and beyond the call of duty! Love your work, mate! Be safe everyone...but still have fun. Peace, K

I just watched my copy of Thread the Needle II, A Finer Thread, and enjoyed it immensely. I was laughing out loud, shouting at the tv screen, and pinching my lips together to keep my breakfast in during the "Rollins band" bit, whatever that was supposed to mean. The Boys have been up to some pretty cool stuff, and it looks like Alex may be on his way to being a star, or being mincemeat, whichever comes first. Besides the puking, the only thing I felt was left wanting was a SUCCESSFUL launch off the back of the golf cart. Of course it doesn't look like it will work, but you guys tried so many times I started to think that maybe you'd pull it off in the end. I absolutely loved the head-down rope slide by Alex. That was SWEET! Get your copy folks! It's certainly worth the money. Thanks, Nate, for getting me a copy so quickly. 3 days from request to receipt, damn good delivery time! Peace all, Karen

Thanks Tony! (for the clicky) Maybe you should teach me to fish instead of giving me a fish every few days???? heh heh. Love your work, mate! Peace, K

This has been an excellent thread, the first one in eons to hold me spellbound to the last post. I totally disagree with Jason on this, even though I love him and Jen to death. "The List" has been an invaluable educational tool as well as a memorial for our fallen brothers and sisters. I think it should be required reading for all FJC students, or even skydivers thinking about BASE. I believe that by educating, informing, and keeping track, we give some credence and stability to an otherwise shunned activity. Maybe other sports don't keep track of their dead, and maybe they should! I have learned something from each and every posting on "The List", and I was never more pissed when Erich went in by doing the EXACT SAME THING SKYPUNK DID!!!! Didn't he read The LIst? Didn't he learn from it???? That, to me, was the worst aspect of The List I've ever seen. To me, that is the main purpose of The List, to NOT do what someone else did, to their fatal detriment. The press and the government can skew things in whatever manner they choose. It is up to us to provide facts and proof at every opportunity. Keeping The List points to a high level of responsibility; responsibility to educate, inform, warn, and to BE RESPONSIBLE for ourselves as jumpers. I certainly hope that I appear at the bottom half of The List, having died from a heart attack from my 20th orgasm of the night. But if in fact I do end up on the top half of The List, my only prayer would be that some other jumper could live by learning from my mistake. To NOT be willing to show your face on this List points to a level of pride, nay, arrogance, that I don't think is appropriate in this activity. Sorry Jason, but I believe that right down to my toenails. And Nick, you've known since Dwain died that I am willing and able to take over when you're done. You have done an amazing thing for BASE by creating The List, and it should continue to remain accessible to anyone that wants to see it. I do agree that perhaps we should write up an explanantion of The List and why it was created, and what we intend for it to do. I definitely think we should take a wild-ass guess at how many SUCCESSFUL jumps there have been in contrast to the 85 deaths in 30 years. I think it would be an excellent thing to try to find out how many motocross riders or climbers have died in the last 30 years. By way of comparison, BASE would look a lot less deadly to the lay person. Jason, don't let them fetter you! We do need to be respectful, educated, open minded, and willing to listen to any person or organization who approaches us. I don't feel we need to roll over and pretend anything. We value our List. We respect our dead. We learn from their mistakes. We immortalize them and revere their sacrifice. We do not put our heads in the sand and pretend it can't get ugly, even though this seems to be the American way these days. Nick, I love you, and keep up the good work. Jason, I love you, and keep up the good work. Ah hell, I love you all! You are my family. Peace, Karen

Ok, so my two favorite lines are "that's close enough for me" (to the edge) And when the ball went off the side "could someone please get that?" ME ME ME ME PLEEEEEEEZZZZEEEEEE!!!!! I'm sure horney for this one!!!! Peace, K

Hi everyone- We saw the photos of Tiger Woods hitting golf balls off this object, it made my tongue hard to look at it! Now they've got the tennis boys playing on it. I hope this link works: it's video and it just kills me! It's amazing the different attitudes you find from different walks of life. http://video.msn.com/video/p.htm?t=1&i=6d24b246-5d8b-416e-b45f-f20212c07e91&rf= Enjoy! I sure did! Peace, K

After a quick scan of what this thread is about, it looks like y'all are looking for an ultra-reliable static line method???? If so, please see the bridle extension innovated by Todd Shoebotham specifically for the Super Bowl jumps in Houston last year. Todd created an extension to the bridle that allows for two separate break cords to be tied in; with the pilot chute left attached that gives you 3 separate chances for full deployment. I don't know how to clicky link the exact spot on the website, but it's www.basicresearch.com, under the left column Reference find Tech News, then Bridle Extension. http://www.basicresearch.com/ Some of the photos I glanced at looked quite complicated to me...I don't care to spend that much time rigging ropes unless I'm using them to tie Shotgun down for the evening. The pilot chute one was especially daunting! Maybe you all are addressing some other issue than guaranteeing full deployment...perhaps like leaving nothing behind? In that case, I hereby shut the heck up. Peace, K

Nate, you've made a Thread the Needle II? I really enjoyed the first one; it was great footage, very well done, a great effort by the low-key hard-jumping MidWest guys. I was very impressed with the video, and even more than that, seeing just WHAT they've been up to as they keep so quietly to themselves. I'm trying to think of the opposite of "show boats" but I guess I'll have to leave it at that. Love your work, Nate! xo K

*** Hmm, if I start posting things like that, can I get a visit from some of you girls? HI Tom; better yet, send your wife down. Shotgun and I will give her the training, then you'll never be deprived again! K