NickDG

Hetch Hetchy Valley, as it was in 1912. . . it looks just like El Cap and Half Dome . . . And thanks for the kind words, Chris, it means a lot to me . . . NickD

I'm trying to get in touch with Young Sun. She was/is a JM/I at Elsinore. She was a first jump student of mine. If someone could pass this note on, I'd appreciate it . . . NickD

I very much enjoyed meeting and going on a night mission with you this past Sunday night. You are what I consider a BASE jumper. Truck On, Brother . . . NickD

Twelve years ago I danced with cancer. And I got away with it that time. But, like an alcoholic, I knew in my heart you never get cured you just stave it off. Today, just this morning, they found a mass in my left testicle and on Thursday they are going to cut that testicle off. I've had 12 bonus years since the first time, and I'm so very grateful for that. I've met hundreds of BASE jumpers since that time and I've seen a sport I love grow into something that will never end. But, while I have the opportunity I just wanted to say this. Be subject to one another. Don't hurt people. Don’t be frivolous, or argumentative. Please savor and love your brothers and sisters like that's all there is. And do it as hard as you can . . . NickD

You mean this one . . . NickD

Okay, you got me there. I'm guilty of something I hate. In the earlier days of BASE I always admonished fellow jumpers not to advance the sport of BASE at the expense of skydiving. In those days many written articles trumpeted BASE by degrading skydiving. It was always, "unlike skydiving we," or "instead of like skydiving it's," and it bothered me to no end that we couldn't just stand on our own account. I shouldn't single out climbers, in order to advance my own position. I'm just frustrated . . . NickD

Not ever being in any particular hurry I've always thought that for buildings; The best wind is no wind . . . You can throw all the WDIs you want that show the wind in your favor as you launch, but if you have a (who knows what) problem after deployment, that wind can then conspire against you. NickD

Today's edition (4-5-05) of the Los Angeles Times ran two articles regarding Yosemite National Park. One dealt with the age old issue of removing the Hetch Hetchy Valley dam and the other is about building a climbing museum in Yosemite Valley. Both got me thinking . . . The other night, along with two visiting BASE jumpers (thanks, guys that was fun) we were discussing Yosemite Valley. The question is why is climbing not only condoned but encouraged when other uses aren't? The newspaper article sites the historical importance of climbing in the Valley. But, who's it important to, just other climbers? I consider the 1966 jumps from El Capitan just as important historically as climbers consider their history. So is it just a numbers game? If there were tens of thousands of BASE jumpers in the world would that change things? Do people consider the slow erosion of cliff faces caused by climbing okay, just because so many people can relate to it? I can answer my own question here – Golf is only televised because so many people play golf . . . The NPS should be applying more of a fair use policy. And that policy should be based on what's good for the park. Would 100 BASE jumps from the lip of El Cap do more damage than one climbing attempt of its Nose route? There's a reason climbing parties call these attempts "an assault." On another front the demolition of the O'Shaughnessy Dam would reveal what people have called Yosemite Valley's northern sister in Hetch Hetchy Valley. When built in the first part of the century John Muir called supporters of the dam idea, devils. Climbers are foaming at the mouth about a possible draining of this water. I guess my question is what makes climbing so sacred while BASE jumping is so demonized? To me it seems BASE jumpers are subject to the powers that be solely on a whim that has nothing to do with fair use and environmental impact. http://www.latimes.com/features/outdoors/la-os-hetchhetchy5apr05,0,535060.story?coll=la-home-outdoors NickD

>>Paragliding can teach canopy skills. But the most important (read: dangerous) part of a BASE jump is during and immediately after opening.

Get Poynter's Parachute Manual, Vol II, and keep it in your bathroom. In a year you'll know a lot about parachutes. Also get a Para-Gear catalog. It's filled with charts and things that do a good job explaining the differences in gear. There is a myriad of self help skydiving books on the market these days (check Square One) but knowing your gear is the most important thing. Everything else is just practice . . . NickD

>> How can the media miss the many posts Scott made on this board and the PG pilots board about how great a "teacher" Miles is and how easy they both think base is

Warning - Devil's Advocate Ahead . . . Keep in mind the success of Bridge Day didn't just happen. It took the work of many BASE jumpers, over many years, to get where the event it now. Jason's plan, at first glance, would be a dream come true for BASE jumping. However, after thinking about a bit, I can see some would be problems. The plan seems to have morphed from adding a few more hours to Bridge Day to purchasing land below the bridge and (I'll assume) have jumping there everyday. This is a big step in the life of an event that sees only incremental changes from year to year. Does anyone remember when real wooden steps leading up to the rail was the talk of Bridge Day? Do you think 400 hundred BASE jumpers would show up on the third Saturday every October if jumping was available all the time? I can hear it now. "No, I avoid Bridge Day now, as it's so much easier and cheaper at other times." Right now, due to the long time popularity of Bridge Day, the powers that be are forced to co-operate with us. If for any reason the NPS, Bridge Day Commission, or anyone else endeavored to shut down the event permanently the local townspeople would show up in masse with pitchforks and burning torches. I'm afraid, as in the case of the NPS, that without "having" to participate they will become outright antagonistic. Without a stake in keeping jumping open, the NPS would be free to hassle BASE jumpers to no end. Right now, because it's in everyone's best interest, both sides are trying to get along with each other. Another thing is right now (and this isn't about Jason personally, you could plug anyone's name in here) we all, unless you have warrants out for your arrest, have access to jumping at Bridge Day. What will happen when Jumper X (or a group of Jumper Xs) "owns" the jump itself and for some reason they decide they don't like you? Will the open architecture of the event change to the detriment of the sport? We have always allowed a pretty much anything goes freedom at Bridge Day, and there's no arguing that idea has worked for over twenty years. Could Jumper X someday say only "certain" gear, or "types" of jumps are permitted? One thing Jean Boenish, Andy Calistrate, and other's who have run Bridge Day understood is they were "only" stewards of the event. (Okay, maybe not Andy so much.) I guess I'm worried about killing the golden goose. Bridge Day is BASE jumping's longest running event, it's a mainstay, and it's something that connects us to the early days of the sport. Bridge Day is what we all point to as a way to legitimize ourselves, and if major changes take place, there's no way to get around we are taking a big chance if it all goes awry. I could be wrong about all this, and I hope I am. But, sometimes the Devil you know . . . NickD

>>was this John Hoover, BASE 95? RIP

Video Review: Bridge Day 2004 (The Year of the Rain) Bridge Day 2004 Part II (Rainy Daze) Triax Productions By Nick Di Giovanni BASE 194 The first time I saw myself on a Bridge Day video is after handing my camera to the closest spectator in 1985. The footage later revealed a flash of my rig going by and nothing else. In those days consumer video cameras aren't as prevalent or advanced as they are now. The history of commercial Bridge Day videos goes back to at least 1987. Before this several individual jumpers would video parts of Bridge Day and then bundle that with jumps from different sites. These were less about Bridge Day and more about, "What I did in BASE this year." In 1987 J.T. Williams advertised the first real Bridge Day video in the December issue of BASELINE magazine. The VHS tape was 97 minutes long and showed 375 jumpers making the leap. The cost was $15.00 and he promised delivery by Christmas. This is the first Bridge Day video that was not only entertaining, it's also the first time we realized there was so much to be learned from watching so many BASE jumps in back to back fashion. I remember saying at the time, "Man, Bridge Day is an F-111 laboratory." Basically, almost every mistake that's possible to make in BASE jumping is right there in front of you. In 1988 J.T. did another Bridge Day Video and this time the price rose to $18.00 for a two hour tape that now included some landings as well as launches. In 1992 the best Bridge Day video to date is advertised by Tom Sanders. Tom (and his wife Jan Davis) filmed from a boom basket hanging over the rail, and that was the first time we ever saw that perspective. The price was $35.00. In 1991 a Canadian jumper was selling a short Bridge Day video that included some building jumps for $20, but the advertisement warned of "some glitches." The late Will Forshay, under the "Lemmings" video name covered most of the 1990s at Bridge Day. He was probably the first to deploy multiple camera-persons and he delivered a good product including the first two volume set (launches & landings) for $50.00. By this time the number of jumpers registering for Bridge Day is rising and Will became a victim of his own success. A real video production house would have had a job making this video happen, but this was just Will and a couple of friends. Many jumpers are complaining about long delivery times and I think in the end Will became tired of all the problems involved. Fast forward to Bridge Day 2004 . . . I received my two volume set that included Bridge Day 2004, The Year of the Rain, and Bridge Day 2004, Part II, Rainy Daze, four days after I ordered them from Triax Productions. These are DVDs and not VHS video. First off thanks, Triax, for exposing me to music I otherwise might have never heard. For a week after I first screened the DVD I couldn't get the song, "Let's get Retarded (In Here)" out of my head. I even took the time to learn the tune on my bass guitar! I must say I really enjoyed the Bridge Day 2004 DVD. This is as good, and maybe even better than any previous effort I've seen. The logistics of putting together each launch followed by its corresponding landing must have been a nightmare. If you jumped at Bridge Day 2004 (or in some cases just attended) you'll probably find yourself on one of these DVDs. The price for the two volume set (and keep in mind this isn't the 1980s anymore) is $79.00 plus $6.00 for shipping and that's fair enough. However this wouldn't be a review if I didn't spoon up some poison so here goes; At first I thought it was my DVD player, but after playing the disc on several machines, I can see something that, after I noticed it, bothered me to no end. It appears some kind of compression software was used (I'm guessing here) and I notice a slight jerkiness in certain parts. It seems like you get jumpers walking to the edge in normal time, but once they launched I can see the compression taking place. My girlfriend didn't notice it, even after I pointed it out, and neither has anyone else I showed the video to, so maybe it's just me. Also, and a lesser offense, is the title "Year of the Rain," as it's hardly the first time it has rained on a Bridge Day. A better title might have been, "Year of the Squall." My biggest gripe overall is the second DVD. This is the "boogie" DVD and it failed to deliver. First off it's too short and I kept going back to the main menu looking for sections I missed. There is no real coverage of the Video-Fest or the after jump meeting where several awards were handed out. There were plenty of BASE old-timers at Bridge Day 2004 and it would have been fun to hear their comments, but mostly it's the newer jumpers that are featured yelling, "Wow, I jumped from the Bridge." A big yawn . . . The second DVD isn't a total loss. It's a good party video to play in the background, and wuffos like it, and I suppose it suffers only when compared to the first DVD. However, there's no getting around it was over-hyped. However, I must say I feel the first DVD is worth the price of both. And once again I learned if you want to get more coverage of your antics at Bridge Day, wear a goofy costume. It's hard to seriously convey the thrill and expertise involved in BASE jumping to your wuffo and skydiving friends, and then all of a sudden here comes the Pig-Men. But, that's Bridge Day. Other than that I will purchase next year's DVDs from Triax Productions without hesitation. Like all Bridge Day videos prior, these will continue to evolve and improve over time and they are an important part of the evolution of BASE jumping. NickD

And then it morphed into a cooler thing. It meant you BASE jumped enough to encounter bad WX conditions on all four objects and were smart enough to walk back down . . . NickD

The one thing you learn is you never learn . . . You'd think I'd be smart enough not to get hosed by these guys, but I guess as I get older I get more trusting. Here's the same story after he plugged my comments into it. He cherry picked everything I said to match the story he'd already wrote . . . http://calgary.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ca-base-jumper20050401 >>Extreme sport sends man through building window Last Updated Apr 1 2005 01:56 PM MST CBC News CALGARY – A man trying to jump off the Canada Trust building with a parachute Thursday night went through a window on the 24th floor, and the broken glass in turn smashed through seven windows in the atrium below. Police say they were called to the downtown building about 11:10 p.m. and found the 41 year old on top of a pedestrian walkway. Emergency officials say it appears the man got caught in a wind current, carrying him into the building. BASE (building, antennae, span, earth) jumping is an extreme sport that involves leaping from a fixed object, such as a building, cliff or bridge, with a parachute. Nick Di Giovanni, a BASE jumper in California, says leaping off buildings is the riskiest kind of jump. He says a friend of his jumped from an office tower in Los Angeles, and went through a window. "He was lying on the floor in this guy's office, looking up at this guy's wife's pictures on his desk, and he says, 'oh my God,' and just then some wind caught the canopy, which was outside the window, and it pulled him right through the window again," Di Giovanni said. BASE jumpers sometimes break the law to attempt a jump, including trespassing to gain access to buildings or other sites. Di Giovanni says most people turn to BASE jumping after trying traditional skydiving and wanting something more challenging. "We're not little kids, we're not juvenile delinquents," he said. "We're sportsmen and this is our sport, and people don't fully understand it yet." Di Giovanni acknowledges that it's a dangerous sport, and on his website details 86 people who have been killed attempting jumps. Related link: Nick Di Giovanni's website The Calgary man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening pelvic, abdominal and back injuries. Police say there was about $5,000 damage to the building.

It can't be. What did they do, just dig a hole for him in the desert . . . NickD BASE 194

Dead Steve broke his leg BASE jumping in Saudi Arabia and missed his flight home. That flight was Pan Am 103. But, that's not how he got his name . . . NickD

Hi Russel, Keep in mind that BASE jumpers figured out long ago that many malfunctions that occurred in skydiving stem from the fact that skydiving rigs are complicated. A skydiving rig has to do more than one thing, and do them all well, and its very design is a compromise to that end. And even though I don't consider modern skydiving rigs complicated (because I remember when they really were) new skydivers who are more isolated from their gear, (then used to be) still have trouble operating them. The simplification of BASE equipment with the advent of the Velcro closed container caused the first big explosion in BASE growth. There were many skydivers in the early 1980s that tried a BASE jump or two, but stopped because while they realized BASE jumping was very cool, they were using the wrong gear to do it. We must be careful nowadays as we see Velcro rigs fall from fashion (not a bad thing, because we finally learned how to use pins and loops correctly) that we don't go too far in the opposite direction. That we forget the thing that made many of the early BASE jumps possible was simplicity . . . To more directly answer your question I think there are "only" malfunctions in BASE jumping. Of these there are total malfunctions and partial malfunctions. A total is not being able to find your pilot chute, a pilot chute not being connected to a canopy, a pilot chute that doesn't work, or static lines that parts before opening the container. Partial malfunctions are streamers and slider hang ups, line-overs, damaged canopies, pilot chutes over the nose, line twists, etc. We gained by making these things less likely to happen, but we lost, on what to do when they do. I don't know what BASE rigs will look like in twenty years. Could wing suit BASE jumpers be back to wearing dual canopy rigs with an AAD? (They could easily add "BASE" to a Vigil's line-up of modes). I guess my point is let's be careful as we get more advanced (read more complicated) as it will be the young among us that may suffer . . . NickD

>>there is no such thing as a chicken in BASE

Hi Vandev, Those are a thinking man's thoughts and you sparked a good discussion. Thanks for that. However, let me warn you of another danger in BASE jumping, just so you are ready for it when the time comes. Of all the BASE jumpers I've seen start in the sport the great majority all say pretty much the same thing you did. >>My only desire though would be to birdman off somewhere in Norway or Switerland

I'm getting press inquirers about a serious (their words) BASE accident in Alberta, Canada last night, March 31. Has anyone heard anything about it? NickD BASE 194

I don't like Warren Miller. His voice-overs seem stuck in the 1960s . . . I'm old and he was old when I first saw his stuff, and I find his humor corny. I'll bet if his voice-overs were about skydiving you wouldn't like it much either. I mean, how much, "hey, watch this guy fall down," can you take. I've always had the impression Warren Miller doesn't so much promote the thing he's shooting, but rather goes out of his way to make fun of it. The photography is sometimes okay, but I'm pretty sure Warren is kicking back in the ski lodge while his younger assistants are doing the shooting. That being said it; the sad part is it would take someone like Warren Miller to make endless jumping footage palatable to general audiences. And I believe all the skydiving camera people mentioned up-board care about the sport too much to present it in Warren Miller fashion. NickD

My former girlfriend has this license plate. Of course, we always took the other car on BASE missions . . . NickD

Kent Lane, first off on Carl Boenish's 1978 El Cap load said, "For the first time in my jumping career, I was dosed with pure velocity . . ." NickD