NickDG

Try this one: photos, elevations and everything. http://www.americantower.com/OasisPublic/MapPoint/default.asp And also download the PDF National Site List, it's the Mother of all tower lists . . . . http://www.americantower.com/OASISPublic/SitePublicPage/sitelistGenerator.asp NickD

I've noticed something in reading all the above. It's obvious that a dynamic has changed in this sport. With things like wind and protrusions notwithstanding, there is much more concern about terminal BASE jumps then there used to be. It's actually a good thing and it shows we are growing our own. But it underscores the fact new BASE jumpers don't necessarily come from the ranks of seriously experienced skydivers anymore. (This isn't something I just realized, but this thread really brings it home). The heyday of my BASE career was all about how to launch from ever lower altitudes and to us anything terminal was a picnic. But, like I said this is a good thing. In fact if there never was a sport called skydiving, and we were all homegrown earth jumpers, we'd probably be further advanced than we are now . . . NickD

>>yeah 400 skinheads in that neck of the woods...

I love the ribbon thing . . . it would generate the right questions from reporters. How's this sound. Every jumper shows up with a shaved head? Four hundred plus shaved heads walking around would do the trick . . . NickD

Of course we couldn't have kept BASE secret even if we tried. We did however, at one time, do a pretty good job of keeping it in-house. We didn't BASE jump at the drop zone. - We didn't talk about it, we didn't wear BASE t-shirts, and we didn't screen BASE vids in the bar. Who do I see about BASE? - That was the question of the day as those interested in the sport couldn't pick out the BASE jumpers from the regular skydivers. The answer was if they couldn't figure out how to find the local BASE jumpers, they weren't resourceful enough to BASE jump in the first place. We took new people into the ranks. - We avoided the problem, for the most part, of training the knobs by taking them in if they managed to find us and they weren't total dorks. I even remember crews being criticized for being too exclusive. We, like early skydivers before money became the thing, felt that someone helped us, and we had the obligation to help others. Certainly many things are better now, but because I experienced that time in the sport I cannot help but feel nostalgic for those days. It was all very cloak and dagger. This was a time a stranger would stand in the loading area at the DZ quietly whispering, pleading really, "Psst . . . BASE? Anyone here BASE?" If we did have a jump planned for that night we passed it on when one jumpmaster with a student coming in passed another jumpmaster with a student going out with the secret sign. Usually this was passing your index finger along the side of your nose. The classic signal that the con was on! The end of the secret finally came, not with the BASE magazines which were in-house, or the occasional mainstream magazine article. (BTW, the first one appeared in "Outside" magazine about Yosemite and the death of Jimmy Tyler, BASE 13 in 1983 or 84. It was called, "The BASE Case"). No, the end of the "secret" came with the internet. And I can name the very person who caused it, the person who first made it possible for BASE jumpers from around the world to discuss the sport in a public forum. It was hosted by the GEnie network in 1985, and the scoundrel that started it, the person responsible for blowing the big secret, was me. So maybe the new truth of BASE these days is the sad fact we are so big and so fractured in our thinking, no one gets the jokes anymore. Everything has to be over-explained . . . NickD

There are studies done by both sides spinning the issue to suit themselves. One side comes out with a study that says people who live underneath high voltage power lines have more cancers. These studies are paid for by people who live under power lines. Then a power company pays for a study that says it's not true. The studies by Universities can go either way. However, most of these call for more study. I'm convinced exposure to high amounts of EMR causes changes on the molecular level. No one, so far, has been definitive, but I think the fact we now live in a virtual sea of EMR is causing some problems for some people . . . I know it's hard to stay away if you have a very convenient local tower that happens to be AM. But, my advice is stay away. We did AM a lot the early days of BASE and we justified it by thinking we weren't going to last long BASE jumping anyway. Now, we know that a career in BASE jumping isn't necessarily a death sentence. If you love jumping towers, move to Florida, but even with the FM/TV towers always practice, Get On, Get Up, Get Off, as fast as possible . . . NickD

Bridge Day is our flagship event and we can't mess with it. What I'm talking about is a quiet protest. A person to person protest where we always stay on message. Wuffo - Why do you jump? Jumper - We are fighting for equal access in National Parks. Reporter - Why do you jump? Jumper - We are fighting for equal access in National Parks. Local Babe in the Rafter's Bar - Why do you jump? Jumper - We are fighting . . . Okay, no, you don't have to go that far! NickD

If Andy Rooney was a Jumper . . . There's an interesting thread elsewhere on DZcom about the demise of Sky Surfing. I find it interesting as I can trace the sea changes (the things we are talking about in this thread) right back to sky boards. A Sky Surf jump is a thing of beauty in the right hands, and I remember when Robin Berg and Scott Smith are first blowing us away with their moves. But the unintended result is the impact the "board" made on the sport. The boards attracted a group of jumpers who prior couldn't see skydiving as something they wanted. But, the board was something they could relate to, so here they came, the skateboard kids all grown up with their moody angst, their hats on backwards and their drawers hanging down all in a pathetic attempt to be different, except they were all the same . . . I remember sitting in the loading area at Perris with Arty Patton and our students while Fritz and that other FF guy sat locked in some kind of trance. I looked over at Arty, whose eyebrow was already raised and I said, "That's it, brother, the skateboard generation is here." The ones defending the board now are the ones drawn to the sport by the board. I understand how it works. We hippies changed the sport according to the straights, and then the lawn darts changed the sport according to us. Someday everything is usurped by the next thing. The first sky board I saw on the DZ was just like the first time a crew cut and spit shined Jacque Istel saw his first long hair in ripped jeans carrying a parachute. He didn't realize it, but it was the end of his world . . . The only difference is we lasted the longest so far. The straights enjoyed a run lasting from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s. We (the RW hippies) lasted from the late 1960s to the present day. The FF generation is now barley fifteen years old, they are "athletes" now, and they just say "No," and what have they accomplished? I'll admit their controlled funnels do require skill, but their legacy will forever include they killed themselves in record numbers. And they did it by failing to manage the ultimate parlor trick of our profession, landing a parachute. Sorry, Jacque, I know how you feel now . . . NickD

Cool . . . NickD

It used to be the garden variety building pop, the kind where you land just as a police car turns the corner were almost always a slap on the wrist. A District Attorney or Judge had no previous knowledge of BASE jumping and felt no pressure to make you an example. In their mind how many morons like you could there be? Those days are gone . . . Now a first offense to you is usually not a first offense to the judge. He's got to do something about you guys. That's how the penalties get progressively worse. There was a time when we could have kept BASE jumping a secret, but we blew that . . . NickD

>>Did 3 this morning, and 3 yesterday morning, though.

Tower maintenance is mostly contracted out to companies like this: http://www.bext.com/_CGC/tower.htm There is a jumper in Texas back in the eighties that did light tower maintenance like changing out light bulbs. He was also a heck of a shot with rifle . . . NickD

A few things . . . Let's keep our eye on the fact that we are still very much in the planning stages. That said, when I suggested no one runs after landing I was thinking of the safety of both jumpers and Rangers. Law enforcement folks have built in control issues. When they lose control of a given situation they get frustrated, they get mad, and they make mistakes. All it would take is one cornered BASE jumper making a furtive move toward his waistband and a startled Ranger pulling his weapon and we could have a tragedy. Also, by turning it into a free for all we will endanger the others who came in support. The last thing we need is Aunt Bessie swinging her handbag at a Ranger. Another thing is the timetable and the actual plan itself. There are so many options available to us we really need to go through them all in order to be as effective as possible. I really think there is going to have to be a face to face meeting somewhere and at sometime to go through these. For instance, rather than a large jump from one place like El Cap we could mount a multi-pronged attack by putting 50 people off several NPS high profile sites all at the same time. If we put any action off until next summer (yes, I know you're groaning) we could have this meeting at this year's Bridge Day. We also need to reach out to jumpers not involved in the online BASE community and Bridge Day is our best bet for that. Something else that works in our favor is time. I think the NPS will get wind of this eventually and in a very small way, and something I'm not counting on, is the very possibility they might offer a "deal" to call it off. We are creating an opening here, and who knows how much light may eventually shine through it . . . The following is something we'd need to discuss with Jason Bell, but I'd like to see some kind of peaceful protest at Bridge Day. Something that would not disrupt normal jumping. We are there, the public is there, and the Rangers are there. We also have the ear of the media and if every jumper interviewed refrained from talking about themselves, and instead raised the issue of unfair access in other parts of the NPS system, together with some serious sign carrying we could affect the message that emanates from Bridge Day. Do it like the government does, no matter what question they ask you just say what you want . . . Again, anything organized like that needs Jason B's okay, as he manages Bridge Day for all jumpers, not just the ones who agree with direct action. Lastly, the timetable and the real question of should we even do this needs to be knocked around a bit more. Just looking at the number here who raised points against this action is enough cause to be more thoughtful. I'm really beginning to see this as something not planned for this summer. A few other points. One jumper up-board wondered why we can't make it work like it does in Europe. He mentions they (the jumpers) do a good jump of regulating who jumps and when. That's true, and we can do it too. However we started BASE jumping in U.S. National Parks from a more adverse position than you did. Your society wasn't so litigious, or afraid of celebrating a true human achievement, and there wasn't already a law against it on your books. We invented BASE ethics here and I know we can manage a program that works for us. Tom A. is right, each in his own comfort zone. Either in the protest, or later on in a working program, otherwise qualified jumpers have the right to their own jump. No one should say no aerials. Every time we say no to something we give the other side ammunition to use against us. And we don't want to stifle progress. Something we tell someone not to do could be the beginning of the thing that unlocks our future. We also (in order to be successful) need acceptance from the NPS on our terms not theirs. We don’t need to put lipstick on a pig. BASE jumping is a good and noble thing for humans to do. I know in my heart there are enough people in the world who believe that to make it right. And right makes might . . . On the "Feed the Children" or "Make a Wish" charity angle. It seems at first blush, like we are using the kids to get something we want. It's not like we are doing a Ten-K walk/race thing. But, I can change my mind, and this brings up this whole endeavor needs to be a group action. Of course there will be facilitators behind the scenes keeping the lists updated and the paperwork going, but no one is "in charge" Like BASE itself we are a loose band of brothers and sisters, but we are brothers and sisters tired of feeling like second class citizens in our own National Parks. I had a nice phone conversation this morning, one of those calls I make to verify someone for the secret place, and this fellow says to me, "I don't know brother, I don't know if this is the right thing to do or not. But, it's time to saddle up . . ." Early on in my BASE jumping I remember the criticisms we endured from people back at the drop zone. It reminds me of what I'm hearing know, except now even other BASE jumpers are chiming in. That's fine, and I understand their concerns. But I also know no one has ever given us anything in this sport. We have taken everything we enjoy. If you think that's not true because you (or someone) did the legwork to get a particular site legal, you're wrong. It was the blood, sweat, and tears of all that staked a claim in BASE, past, present, and future, that makes it possible. It is the "thing" that gives us credibility and we need to stay with the girl we brought to the dance. (I'm sorry, I'm behind on the e-mails again, and for all the above at once. I'm in the middle of the last part of my radiation treatments - just five more to go - and I should start feeling better.) "It's time to saddle up . . ." NickD

>>We teach PLF's (of course) but encourage flared, stand-up landings for students who are not landing off.

Me and you off El Cap, I'll do the running, you do the flying . . . NickD

>>I'll be spending my jump money and time doing something a little more safe like playing hopscotch on the freeway...

I've listened to parts of AFF FJCs all over the world some hysterical, some serious, some works of art. But, all good and in every operation there's always someone who knows what they are doing. In general the safest days are your student days. Everybody is paying attention to you. You're more apt to hurt yourself later in your jumping career when you can't remember yourself when a jumpmaster let you cling to his arm, even after he told you not to, the first time you tried to spot . . . NickD

Hi Jaap You look good with horns! Good points all but rather that get in deep I'll just say I don't believe using danger level as a yardstick for doing anything in the park works. If someone with ten jumps or none launches himself off El Cap it's like someone who gets in over their heads doing anything else in the park. We as a society will never solve that problem. It would mean banning everything. We also have to make it clear (when it already is) we BASE jumpers don't have total control over all who practice this sport, and therefore we can't be held responsible for what someone else may or may not do. The NPS must deal with us as individuals and not as a group. I mean they can't say if someone breaks the rules we are all stopped from jumping. That's not fair and a trap we fell into the first time there was a legal program. Have fun in Potato Land . . . NickD

The last protest jump didn't work for obvious reasons, but even if had gone better, a half dozen jumpers wasn't going to make enough noise. One hundred and fifty plus jumpers is going to make noise and headlines. If we don't get fair access this time, we'll do it again, and again, and again, until we do . . . If we roll over now Jan Davis and the others died in vain. We are going to build on what Jan was trying to do. They are never going to give in unless they are made to do so. It certainly makes sense from a practical side that if they decriminalize BASE jumping its one less thing they have to deal with and everyone wins. We have to make people realize that BASE jumping is not a crime. We have to make people realize that BASE jumping is a magical and magnificent human achievement that is worth the price we pay. We also have to make them realize this isn't the same sport that failed the first time during the first legal test program. The difference between us then and us now is night and day. And we aren't asking for unfettered access we are asking for a couple of hours after first light to do our thing. We have proven with over 25 years of Bridge Days we are capable of working within the system for the good of all. One mistake the last protest made is prior to the jumps they said BASE jumping was safe. I know that's not exactly what they said, but that's how the media and the Rangers took it, and after what happened, it became the hook in every article. We need to be much more media savvy this time. If we have an accident during this protest we can weather it as long as we make the point that BASE jumping can be very dangerous. It's dangerous like climbing and hang gliding and everything else is dangerous. People are capable of understanding that just fine. Someone said this is a demo and not a stunt. That's correct, and this can't be treated like a fun jump. Everyone's number one job will be to arrive alive. This won't be the time for a first big wall jump, or a time to get current again. Please, there are other ways you can help, so cull yourself out if you know in your heart you shouldn't be on the load. Notwithstanding all the good work done since Jean Boenish was lobbying on our behalf, but here's how she left it. The NPS in Washington said permitting BASE jumping was up to each individual Park Superintendent. The (in this case) Yosemite Park Superintendent dodged the issue by saying it was alright with him if it was alright with Washington. They had Jean shuttling back and forth like a ping pong ball. It's the classic case where no one wants to take the responsibility of saying yes. The point is all that has to happen to make jumping a reality is for one person to say yes. We don't have to change the aerial delivery law we just need them to issue permits. They know there is no good reason not to issue permits. They can't use environmental issues as there really are none, they can't use danger issues as it's not a criteria applied to any other already accepted activity. Also, let's be careful in what we say and not use others as a crutch. No one should ever say the first legal program was populated by mostly skydiving bozos. No one should say because climbers have the right we want it too. We stand on our own account and we are asking only for fair access. Also skip the, we are doctors, engineers, lawyers, businessman and such. Every sub-group looking for acceptance says that. We are what we are and that's good enough . . . I'm getting a lot of email and PMs now so please reference your notes to whatever the topic is. If "username" writes about a Master Slot and I asked for their name, address and phone, and I get just that, I can't easily connect the two. If you are looking for where to get further information, and at this point we are looking for people who want to jump and to fill the MasterSlots, email me or Abbie for the secret URL. To gain access, at this point, you will need to include a real name, address and phone number and prior to access you can expect a phone call. Finally, there are already many chomping on the bit. Slow down, we've only been seriously talking about this for a few days and there are many logistic and security issues to be sorted out. Once the MasterSlots and RegionalMasters are set the real work will begin. Right now we need a few more EMTs, more people with video cameras, and so far the only RegionalMaster slots covered are Southern California and Pennsylvania. We can break the country down a bit smaller than the USPA does so go by that for now. I'll post the exact areas as soon as I figure it out. This is a big project and it's too important to rush. We have waited over 40 years for fair access so a little longer is alright . . . NickD

Probably more than a few where last second panic turns. This goes right to the experience issue. Most experienced jumpers, no matter where on the planet they are coming down, have their landing spot picked out by a thousand feet. They rarely pass a thousand feet just hoping they can get somewhere else. A few others get done in by their own moon shadow on night jumps, and a few might have had good reason to turn low, but can't make a flat turn. The most telling thing I've seen was a video of a routine reserve ride over at skydivingmovies.com. The jumper cutaway his high performance canopy to a 7-cell reserve and he's making a nice steady approach to land in an open area. At a couple of hundred feet he hauls in a riser and slams himself into the ground. That's just clueless . . . Another thing is we are now hearing people complain their tiny 7-cell reserves are landing hard. HELLO! If you weigh 180 pounds out the door and you are jumping a 120 sq ft low aspect ratio 7-cell reserve you are going to bust your ass. I'm afraid, as PD is doing now, we are going to start seeing higher aspect ratio reserve canopies. This may make small reserves land better, but reliability is going to suffer. A boxy shape is better, especially if you fire it into a mess, or it suffers deployment damage. Someone mentioned egos as being the problem. And they are correct. But, we all have them. It's just that I choose to make a spectacle of myself around the bonfire in the parking lot and not in the sky . . . NickD

The Japanese already invented an "airbag suit" for motorcycle riders, I saw it about year ago somewhere on the net. Our problem would be swoopers rolling right off the DZ and through surrounding neighborhoods mowing down everything in their path . . . NickD

That sounds fine Abbie, security is everything . . . NickD BASE 194

This should be totally in-house as far as media coverage is concerned. Jimmy shoots it, and coordinates and directs whoever else is there with cameras. I can write the story, which may or may not get used, but the idea is we can somewhat control the message and the images. All media request for art flows through Jimmy and all media requests for information can go through me. For individuals from out of town I can write a boilerplate piece that you can plug your names into and run in your own hometown newspapers. After the fact the media is going to go the NPS and get their take, and there's nothing we can do about that, but if it goes like I know it can, their reasons for not letting us jump should sound pretty lame. We only need a few heavyweight media types to see it our way and it's off to the races. Some slots we'll need to fill: (We can flush these out later, and some positions will need assistants). GearMaster – A gear orientated person. This person will not jump, but spend their time spotting potential gear issues. This person will have absolute and irreversible authority on what gear gets jumped. FlickMaster – This person will run the launch point. I first imagined this as a long continuous line of single launches that once started doesn't stop until the last jumper is away. However, multiple launches are something we need to talk about. MeadowMaster- We absolutely cannot trample the meadow. This person will make sure jumpers, ground personal, families, and friends stay on the paths. VolunteerMaster – This person will direct ground personal to the best advantage. These volunteers will shield camera people and run digital media and video tapes out of the area for safe keeping. We'll also need a few camera folks stashed in the trees for back up. BustMaster – This person will be responsible for keeping a log of all people who are arrested and how it went down. I think participation in this will call for a no-flee decision on all our parts. Land, stand, and take it like a man . . . Of course, if they don't come after you there's no need to turn yourself in. WebMaster – We need someone right now to set us up a password protected forum so we can carry this on in private. This person will screen everyone and not admit anyone that isn't vouched for by other known BASE jumpers. SecurityMaster – Obviously this is no longer a secret, but the "when" must be kept classified to the last possible moment. The SecurityMaster will be responsible for coordinating jumpers and volunteers to that end and actually picking the date. This is going to be tricky and may entail some standby time where we are staged and ready to go. This person will need to be in the Park ahead of time and will make the final go-no-go call. MedMaster – We had over 600 launches from the NRGB last year with one or two sprains and one broken toe. There's no reason we can't do as well here. But, we still need medical support on site in case Aunt Bessie keels over. So that's a start. Operation "?" (we need a good name keeping in mind we want public support) may happen next week, next month, or next year, it may be El Cap or someplace else. In the meantime let it be known we are ready and willing to open a dialogue with the NPS to mutually resolve this whole issue. One simple signature on a piece of paper and the whole BASE problem goes away. Let's bring it . . . NickD

I'm clapping my hands . . . NickD

Wow, I awoke this morning to find an idea has sprouted wings. This may sound sappy, but I love you guys, and I'm proud to be associated with each of you . . . NickD