lifewithoutanet

Yeah. I caught that... I was just post-whoring my point that 30-40 flat and stable exits don't give you the experience you need to get out of an object strike. Packing intentional line twists and a popped toggle at the S, floater exits facing the S, etc...make for better muscle memory. On another note, congrats again on 200! -C.

I'm not going to address the number of skydives, but when it comes to BASE experience, I think a 30-40 jumps seems about right as a minimum...but what's more important is what you've done with those 30-40 BASE jumps. A while back, I cruised through Moab with the intention of meeting up with some friends and getting my E. But the weekend before, I was in Twin. I mentioned Moab and was asked, "Are you ready for that?" It wasn't a negative statement. It wasn't a "you're getting way ahead of yourself" comment (at least I didn't take it that way). And thus began my object avoidance drills. What I found from the floater exits was that my reaction time was great, but my deep brake settings weren't deep enough. I was opening and flying toward the imaginary object way too fast. I earned the nickname "Airstrike" that weekend. Thankfully it didn't stick. The following week, before I left for Moab, I stopped by Apex Perris and Todd added an additional DBS for me, past the factory setting. I didn't get a chance to test it in Moab, which is good, because the reality was I didn't really want to test it there. The weather was turning to shit and we pushed on to Colorado, instead. I didn't get to test it in CO, either--but I did earn my Chicken A. I made it back up to Twin again and did some more floaters with the factory DBS and the new DBS. What I found was that the new DBS would keep me alive. No airstrikes on those. I proved this on a recent trip to a local freestander, off which I had myself a nice little 180. Once I caught up with the canopy, I continued through the turn and kept it going just far enough to get away from it. My feet swung within 3 or 4 feet of the object in this turn. I then prepared to land my rears before even realizing that I had plenty of altitude. Once I noticed that I had plenty of air, I popped my toggles to half-flight and set it down around the backside of the object. All that practice at the S drilled it into my head. I acted without thought, without fear. My actions were immediate and automatic. I owe that reaction to the drills I'd spent a number of jumps on and the discovery that my factory DBS were not deep enough for me. When I started those drills, I knew what I was planning to do, but my execution wasn't flawless. My DBS needed adjustment. I turned too far away from the object. My reactions were quick, but I knew the 'strike' was coming. I didn't know what else I could do to avoid an 'airstrike' (i.e. I might have just hauled on a single rear for a turn, rather than what became a sequence of actions to avoid an object: double rears to single rear to front and rear risers on one side). On to my point...what you do with those 30-40 jumps is more important than just having that minimum. It's a personal decision, but this works for me. -C.

Jonkels... And for you non Dutch Canadians, that's pronounced "Yonkles". -C.

Congrats, man! -C.

I get what you mean in theory and concept...statistically, you may be right. Chance. Odds. But some of it just doesn't fit when I really apply it to BASE. I spend more time in my car than I do jumping, but the amount of risk I expose myself to in the seconds that comprise every jump dwarf the risks of the hours spent on the freeway...even in and around LA. I know that when I step from the exit point that I'm dead until a number of things go right. I never think that when I get into my car. Granted, on a BASE jump, the only knuckleheads I have to worry about are the ones I brought with me, and I generally won't jump with someone I can't trust. Apply this same logic to driving and I'd never leave the house. But generally, when someone says to me, "It's as safe as driving to work." I ask them, "When was the last time you made it to the office, counted heads and said, 'Whew. Everybody made it.'?" Safe? No. Comparable risk? Not really. But chance and odds? I think you're right. We do everything we can to mitigate the risks for a jump. There's not much we can do about the unseen, drunken idiot 3 miles down the road. As for parenting and BASE, I applaud your decision to continue. I read a quote a while back...the jumper was asked if marriage/children had an effect on his jumping. His response was something along the lines of, "I don't want my kids to look back and say, 'Wow. Dad did a lot of cool shit before we came along.'" I don't think there's a general wrong or right answer. I think it's a personal decision. -C.

But the wonderful thing is we're not breaking a thing. It's the old wilderness ethos, adpated to BASE... "Take only video and leave only footprints...which start in the middle of nowhere and lead hastily away." -C.

I was an only child for 13 years. My two 'little' brothers are now 17 and 15. Both can't wait to skydive and each has expressed a basic, but cautious interest in BASE. -C.

I was pretty direct when I told my parents. I explained what it was and why I was doing it. My father already knew the details. In fact, when I invited them to Bridge Day (for what would be my 5th and 6th jumps), my Dad said he thought they could make it and then added, "you do know that the LZ is about the size of 4 or 5 schoolbuses, right?" See, Dad really gets it. He understands reaction time...or lack thereof in BASE and the dangers as if he'd explored jumping, himself. He'd make a fine student. But my mother--as it turns out--wasn't exactly listening to all the specifics. After repeating the details of a one-canopy system to my mother again, they now both get it. I've been climbing since I was 14 and they always saw that as a very positive thing (even when I was buildering and once got busted). They understand and expect that I'll approach anything this dangerous with a great understanding for how everything works, the risks involved and the best way to mitigate those risks. But they also understand that I can do everything right and still die. I'm thinking it's time for a follow-up conversation about the physical risks. A more recent topic, though, was illegal jumps. I tell them about these (not necessarily all of them) so they won't be surprised if something happens to me. My Dad's last response went like this: "So, you jumped off a XXXXXX? And that XXXXXX doesn't belong to you? How is that legal?" If there's any disappointment in my decision to do this, he chose not to dwell on it and just moved on. Having made his point by way of rhetorical questions, he finished with, "You and your friends...just be as safe as you can." In all of this, though, my opinion is that you can't just have The Talk with your parents once. If they're not completely cool with it, you need to manage their expectations and understanding of the risks every once in a while. Of course, your parents may vary... -C.

I'm a Sales Engineer for a software company. My sales reps handle the business and negotiations of the sales cycle and I handle the technical aspects. It comes with most of the benefits of being in sales, minus the huge commission checks. The running joke among me and my colleagues is "We don't make millions...we make millionaires." It's uncanny how much some of my reps make. -C.

PM'd. -C.

I just briefly talked to Russel's dad. Russel was "asleep and a little doped-up"--which I'm sure is code for "shin-deep in a three-nurse sponge-bath right now". He said the surgery was successful. They placed a rod down the length of his femur with a ball for the joint on top. It went well and Russel's recovering. I'll be cruising by to see him this afternoon/evening, so if you have any messages you'd like delivered, I'd be happy to do so. (I'm not sure if he has Internet access from his room.) -C.

So, for a little more detail from my point of view, Russel's exit was textbook. Body position was spot-fcukin' on. Perfect. The rest of us marvelled at a well-executed jump and a ballsy delay, but didn't know anything was wrong until we all got onto the boat and found Russel holding his head due to a pretty bad headache (due to disreflexia from his yet-unknown lower-body injuries). Apparently as he pitched, he continued to roll through and ended up a little head-low. On a side note, a few of the onlookers who joined us at the bridge couldn't believe what Russel was about to do. Even with my involvement, I still sit in awe. Russel, it's a good thing you can't feel your balls, man. Cause carrying around cajones that frickin' huge would be painful. The couple of visits to the hospital before we headed home are stories all themselves. I wonder how much worse we made it with all the moving around, in and out of the car and Tom's place. Heal fast, bro. See you tomorrow. -C.

And I still confirm what you saw, and from a different angle, as I was up higher than you and more to the right of Jaap's heading, in the field. It was a good throw, but ended up in his burble (even if there's some questioning as to how much of a burble there is at that delay). It was just plain uninflated on his back until that final half-second. Smoke it high, Jaap! -C.

Which goes to show you that little things can cause big problems. Take heed, Abbie. -C.

Bread pudding and chicken gives you an erection, Abbie. -C.

Great post, Jaap. The jump right before you became Dead Jaap, well, that's why I BASE jump. Eight of us walked out onto the bridge to jump. Winds were a little squirelly, but I climbed over during a lull. "3, 2, 1..." And then I stopped. Everything was silent except for the wind and the traffic. I looked back over my left shoulder at all of my friends, lined up at the rail. It was the kind of shot that you wish you had a camera for, but the picture will be burned into my mind forever. My friends. The longest of which had only been about a year. The shortest a matter of days. And with a casual "C-ya" I stepped off. I'll remember that specific jump forever. And that's why I BASE jump. -C.

Sounds to me like maybe someone is getting around... -C.

"5-Second Jaap"... Shit, man...that was surreal...beyond words... From my vantage point, you went below the trees with nothing out. I heard the "crack" of a canopy and an almost instant splash, followed by "He's okay!" and "I'm okay!". On my way through the trees, down to the beach, I actually paused for a second and said to myself in somewhat stunned disbelief, "What?" You forgot to mention how you screamed "Oh shit!" before the canopy opened...in English, rather than your native Dutch. -C.

I seem to remember that being his own idea. -C.

Nah, I didn't take it like that. Besides, it seems an easy parallel to question. I'll write more on this later. Have to go sit in traffic now. Regarding your comment about "on a whim"... Reminded me of the pic you posted a while back. Did a quick search and couldn't find it, but it plays well with a theory of mine. "C'mon, bill... What the hell...?" Or something to that effect. Remember the one? -C.

Hey, Nick. Well, this isn't always true, but it is a common term in mountaineering literature. I think it plays to armchair mountaineers more than anything else as portraying a climb as man's epic battle against nature. When used by climbers themselves, it adds to the story. It helps to convey a point. As in BASE, I can only speak for myself and no one else, but to me, climbing is a struggle against myself with nature as the stage. I struggle with decisions to face what nature throws at me. I'm bound by the chains of my choosing as to whether or not it becomes an Epic. If I choose wisely, I make it through a harrowing experience. I may have to fight for my life, but I am doing so because of my own decision. I could go on for hours about this (and have on countless pages before), but I just don't have the time. BINGO. -C.

Well, you had a good view from that end of my PC. Truly an awesome jump, Abbie. Glad you're back. -C.

I'll vouch for this. -C.

Nah, I can only speak for myself...and poorly at that, most times. Glad you liked it, though. Living at The Bridge... Rub it in why don't you? Fucker. Cya up there. -C.

Sorry, bud. All the best to you, her friends and family. -C.