NickDG

Dennis M. called me in late August of 1987 and said, "Let's have a competition, we'll call it the form and accuracy competition." "Where," I asked. "Bridge Day '87." I said, "You mean like with striped shirted judges?" And he said, "Yeah, just like that . . ." NickD

Hey, that was all just a bit of a giggle before I went to work this morning

Let's lose, "Old Timers" One day some years ago, after a lifetime on the drop zone of instructing and helping along the next generation, like the jumpers before me did (except I got paid better) a young jumper called me a belly flyer. At first I thought, "You punk, you shouldn't label people like that," but then I realized by calling him a punk I would be doing the same thing. So I (and the rest of my generation) did nothing and the name stuck. And I hate it. In BASE jumping it's become fashionable to call anyone who jumped before the line-over mod is invented an "old timer." I went along with that too as it seemed to be used with some respect and maybe a little endearment. I even use the phrase myself now and again. But, really to me, the mention of an "old timer" brings on visions of grizzled and bent over prospectors still out there looking for the mother load. I couldn't do anything about "belly flyer," but maybe I can do something about "old timer." We are a witty group; most of us anyway, so let's come up with something better. After all if you are young now, and you survive a lifetime of BASE jumping, you will be stuck with the name too. I'm not sure what it should be, but here are a few suggestions: "Long Timer" (Not really, I just like the sexual overtones there). "Old Schooler" (It still says old, and "schooler" is not really a word, but it's still better than the other). "Lifer" (I like this one, as it applies to anyone who BASE jumps over an entire lifetime). "Three Digit" (This is good and would last a long time while meaning anyone jumping before the BASE numbers broke a thousand). So help me, and eventually yourself, out here, and let's come up with something good. And please nothing with the word "fart" in it . . . NickD

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Elsinore has closed, and re-opened, more than any other DZ in history. The first time I ever hear the phrase "phoenix rising from the ashes," it was about this place. There was a time we made night jumps both at Elsinore and Perris when the DZ's were the only lighted spots. Nowadays, night jumps done at either DZ are over the only dark places left. The DZ at Lake Elsinore battled very well the elements of rain and the flooding from the late 1950s until well into the 21st century. But it will be housing development, and the money to be made from it, that finally kills this legend of a drop zone . . . I can only hope the family that builds their 2-story $400,000 stucco over the spot where the Godflicker drowned is forever haunted . . . not to mention the rest of our brothers and sisters who ended their lives there. And I wonder. Aren't our passed and deceased worthy of respect and remembrance, like any other prehistoric peoples? I think the drop zone at Lake Elsinore should be saved because it's a place where humankind's dream to fly flourished. The first fifty way occurred here and I remember it's the first time a freefall formation is referred to as a blot. . . . The concept of going lighter and slower is born here. (It's a time when you took the change from your pockets before jumping). The Perris Ghetto began at Lake Elsinore. After the flood in the late 70's, when the dream of "Sky World" became "Carp World" (named after the fish you could catch floating around the hangar in rowboat) it must have been a sight, seeing that caravan of jumpers, and dilapidated trailers going up Railroad Canyon road. Like Pilgrims seeking a new life. There will always be jumping in Lake Elsinore by virtue of the fact so many jumpers, and their descendants, live there. And these future jumps might not be so legal, but since when did that matter . . . NickD

These systems are going to catch on, if not from an aerodynamic point of view than surely from a courtroom one. The media is all over every "save" and it may well become that general aviation aircraft manufactures are considered negligent for not including these systems on new A/C. Yet, in this moment of aviation upheaval let me mention Master Rigger Jim Handbury. He is killed in the early 1980's testing a Cessna equipped with such a parachute. The canopy fouled on the tail of the A/C and Jim, a very experienced skydiver, bailed out, on a pilot rig, but too late to save his life. Jim Handbury, besides building the Handbury Rig that ruled the local rig scene in the late 70s and early 80s all around Southern California, he also built the very first Velcro closed BASE rigs at the request of Carl Boenish. Carl and Jean are planning jumps from a tethered at 300-foot hot air balloon over Lake Elsinore. Carl looked at his skydiving rig. The rig he used to jump from El Capitan and realized it was way over complicated for the task at hand. He mentioned his concerns to Jim Handbury who held up his hand and said, "I know just what you need." The next morning he presented two rigs, one for Carl and the other for Jean. They are single canopy harness and container systems closed with 2-inch wide lengths of Velcro that also made up the bridles. These were the first Velcro closed BASE rigs. As for aviation adopting parachutes attached to A/C for everyday use they are forgetting they already have two forms of flight. Like a skydiver has a main and a reserve, a plot has a motor, and failing that he has wings. When skydivers started jumping with a third reserve, a tertiary reserve, it started to overcomplicate the system and led to incidents where people jumped and couldn't manage to get any of the three parachutes they carried to work. (This happened once at Bridge Day '86). No matter though, I'm sure we are on the way to a time when Cessna will end their Aircraft Owner's Manuals with, "When all else fails, pull the red handle." NickD

Tom, make it "Professional" Industrial Gravity Tester. Carl Boenish said he thought every BASE jump made ever after would still, and always be, a test jump . . . NickD

>>Curiosity. Education. Anticipation. Effort.

I was teaching an AFF class one day and we were outside doing PLFs when a fatality occurred right in front of us. The DZ stood down to deal with it, and then I re-gathered the class. I told them I'd understand if they didn't want to continue (the deceased was a friend of mine and I didn't feel like continuing) but, I got a funny reaction. They said, "We're alright, are you alright?" I said I was and they decided to continue and during the after jump walk and talk I wondered about them doing that after only being on the DZ a few hours before seeing their first fatality? They almost all said the same thing. "Gee, Nick, doesn't that happen all the time." Your wuffos in Z-town may be thinking of the tandem fatality that occurred in, I think, Chile, some months ago. Another funny thing about wuffos is that over the years I've noticed that a fatality that makes the newspapers is usually accompanied by a jump in student business for that DZ. Go figure . . . NickD

>>So...what are the "right reasons" for it?!

>>Fear is a learned response...

>>I was born in 1972.

>>Hey Nick, On the list there is a name that is mentioned twice.....Gerald Striegel. I think its a typeO.........

Tom, I'm having a laugh picturing you in your patrolman's uniform twirling your nightstick . . . NickD

>>at which age did you start skydive and which age did you start BASE jumping?

Hi Everyone, Someone tipped me off to a BASE fatality that occurred back in 2001 that I didn't have on the List. I managed to find a jumper who was on the load, and he turned out to be the Mentor of the deceased jumper. All names are withheld in this, as it appears there are probably legal ramifications. I've inserted this one into the List as #56. While I don't find any fault on the mentors' part in this, it goes to illustrate the responsibility involved, and the price one can ultimately pay when teaching others to BASE jump, and I thank this Mentor for his candor. This takes the List to number 85. I've also added the names of the three BASE jumpers who died outside the sport in the bottom section. These are Gerald Striegel, Chris Martin, and Cludio Ceroni. We are about eleven months away from a BASE fatality free year, come on, I know we can do it . . . NickD

>>Isn't Ed in jail for burglery related to a crack addition?

>>wow you dont look that old

BASE jumps, Carl Boenish said, "Aren't to be gulped down like skydives." My personal record is 3. NickD

When I started skydiving, and even later when I started BASE jumping, the word, "extreme" wasn't in the national lexicon when it came to sports. Using the X moniker started as nothing more than a corporate way to make a bucks off the rubes. But, what's really wrong with it is it belittles the accomplishments of a whole generation of curious and courageous people that are building on the accomplishments of the generation that came before. TV shows like, "Maximum Exposure" (want to bet they didn't pick that name because it contained two X's) degrade us all rather than celebrate what the human spirit is capable of doing. "Let's look at that again, closer and slower!" "Oh dude, that's gotta hurt!" Oh gag me, is there anyone who wants to punch that Max X narrator in the nose as much as I do? NickD

Last week a fellow from England asked my help with a small BASE history project he was doing. His name is Richard and he's a skydiver and I think he's doing the project for college. I sent him a basic written primer on BASE history and then he asked if I could supply a short video of myself presenting the same information for his presentation. I only have a digital still camera with limited video capability, but I managed it, (it's being raining all week in California) and while it's no great shakes, it might be interesting to some. It'll work best if you right click and save to your computer. It's a bit over two megs . . . This is a very basic history lesson, and I had to leave a lot out, so if you think I neglected something I did, as I just couldn't get it all in while tapeing 50 seconds at a time (then dumping the video card) and starting again . . . It was fun on a rainy day, though . . . Vid Here NickD

If we go with the idea that levitation is impossible, then it's a trick. Here's what I think he's doing. If you'll notice he always does this with his back to the onlookers. He raises and lowers his arms a lot in preparation and this is the misdirection that causes you to focus on his upper body. I think he slouches somewhat before extending his body and raising himself up and balancing on his toes. This means curling his toes down and pushing up. I don't think there was a clear shot of empty space beneath his feet during the segment (and why not, that would have been the money shot). I tried it in front of my girlfriend and it does seem to work. However it would take a lot of practice, strong toes, and maybe even special shoes, to do it as well as he does. On the other hand, this is TV so the whole thing, including the onlookers, could all be faked. NickD

One thing to be said of Carl Boenish (and there is a lot) is his first interest is in filming and he loved goofy ideas involving parachutes. In fact the whole idea for the El Cap jumps in 1978 stemmed from the fact it was a goofy idea involving parachutes and Carl wanted to film it. The Grand Canyon jumps you mentioned are done at a time when having a 180 with a square parachute was still a big fear so they would jump rounds whenever possible. Especially, whenever there was a water landing. These are the first (WAD?) type jumps. They figured all they needed to do is slow down enough to survive a water landing, so they hand held 16-foot round cargo parachutes, sometimes two, and it made good film footage. Carl had a thing for multiple canopy shots since he filmed the Gypsy Moths back in 1969. If you have the same version of the Grand Canyon jumps I do, and you look closely, you'll see Carl Boenish almost killed when an overzealous boat driver runs him over while trying to pick him up after a jump. Also Jean, in this film, is still nursing a broken leg she sustained jumping from a plane and landing on a tall cliff in South America (Atuna, I think). There is also a great video from around this same time of Phil Smith, BASE 1, jumping from a moving train while it's crossing a river. He has small round parachutes in each hand . . . NickD

There was a time when fibbing that you hurt yourself paragliding, climbing, or skateboarding, was cool as you sifted your way through the hospital system. It was an accepted way of protecting the sport. But then someone mentioned that laying in a hospital bed is as busted as you can be without being dead and probably a good time to start telling the truth. Not to mention it wasn't fair to those other sports. One of the benefits of the BASE cat being out of the bag is you can tell the truth now. Plus, at fifty years old telling the Xray tech you blammed doing the double hicky on your stick won't fly anyway. As to the insurance question it's yes, in my case. I'm a veteran under an older version of the GI bill, so as long as I can crawl to a VA hospital they have to take me in no matter what stupid thing I've done . . . NickD

>>My boyfriend dumped me. I got depressed and wanted to hurt myself. It took me 60 seconds to forget the bastard :)