Donk

Apparently Jason Bell is getting a little flack over the no NPS banner and stickers so I wanted to set the record straight...neither Jason Bell nor any of the other Bridge Day commission members had any idea the NO NPS banner was going to be raised behind him during the Saturday Night briefing or on the Holiday Inn floor Sunday morning. I had planned an 8-way NPS protest jump for 3:01 on Saturday by dropping the banner over the rail and sending our 8-way off; but because of the winds, the 30 extra minutes, and "Staff discouragement" we decided not to do it and save that for some other "day"...like in a national park somewhere in California!!! I really wanted everyone to see the banner and had planned to raise it during the "video festival winner" segment of the Saturday night show but when Jason starting talking about the NPS, the timing was to perfect to pass up. The crowd seemed to love it but I certainly did not want it to create Jason any more headaches than he already has piecing this event together. So for the RECORD: The NO NPS stickers and Banners were created and handed about by me without Jason's consent. If you had any objections or complaints please contact me directly. donk@kc.rr.com (913) 908 - 3043 On a more positive note, BRIDGE 2005 was a riot. Long lines and train holds are tough to control and if you talk to people who have been doing Bridge day for years there have been many years where people waited in long lines all day for one Jump. Bridge Day is about first jumps, celebrating our sport, and partying with our comrades... If you want to jump without lines, go to the Potato Bridge or get enough experience to get an invite to the Go Fast games. Hugs and Kisses. Donk PS: I will post the video festival entries and winners when I get some time later this week.

Speaking of Bridge Day 2005 Videos. This is a reminder that the 2005 Bridge Day Video Festival will be held Thursday night, October 13th, at the Holiday Inn bar "Rafters" from 9:00 PM - 12:00 AM. Please try to mail me your video and entry form by October 1st (if not attending), or if delivering it in person, email me the entry form by October 1st and have your video to us no later than 7:00 that evening. At a minimum, please let us know you will be bringing a late entry by October 1st via email. We will have all the forms available in Rafters for walk-in entries starting at 5:00 PM. We will be limiting the entries to 15 due to time issues; and 5 standby entries to fill in for anyone of the 15 that do not show. First come, first serve. Thanks to an anonymous sponsor (unveiled during the event) and in an effort to make the Bridge Day Video Festival one of the premier BASE video festivals in the world; we decided to up the ante and provide some incentive for the best to submit their best. We have added some cold green cash to the other sweet prizes Jason is in the process of acquiring. 1st: $500.00 2nd: $200.00 3rd: $100.00 Honorable Mention: $1.00 Again, this is in addition to the other prizes Jason provides from the event sponsors which, in the past, have included gift certificates from Apex BASE and Triax Productions, Oakley Gear, Snow boards, Vertical Visions gear, American Eagle T-shirts, etc. So the winners could really pull in quite a hall this year. Not bad for an event without any entry fee. We will also be announcing the three winners and showing the winning videos to the Saturday night crowd at the close of the briefing in the large conference room, and if there is time and enough interest from the audience we may even have a special "Crowd Favorite". Comments from last year's event: Please try to follow the "10 minute" rule or have a 10 minute "Trailer" of your full length production. If your entry is unedited or a "rough-cut" please have it queued to the beginning and pay close attention to the time. Unfortunately, last year a few entries got cut short before their "money shot" because the video went beyond the 10 minutes and/or the judges asked for the next video. Please keep in mind that the judges have to watch 10 - 15 of these and it can get pretty grueling, so have your best ready to roll. Maybe we will add a gong for the judges. Also, pay close attention to when your video is going to be played so that you can introduce the video (optional) and monitor the playback. Again, last year a few contestants walked away when their video came up and we had some difficulty with either the format, it wasn't queued properly, or we played the wrong "chapter" from a DVD. There are only two of us managing all the entries, introductions, and working the equipment to play various formats that include DVD, DV, NTSC, PAL, etc so it can get very confusing when we have 20 DVDs and DVs stacked up in front of us. Last year "Big" JJ did a great job keeping the videos rolling but one or two did slip through due to format or chapter issues. Judges: We still need a few more judges. Same deal as last year; the judges get free drinks and munchies during the course of the event but let’s hope the score sheets turn out better than Nick's did last year. See Jason’s post/reply here: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1309042#1309042 Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or suggestions. PM: donk@kc.rr.com Phone: (913) 908 - 3043 The link to the official Bridge Day Video Festival site is here: http://www.bridgeday.info/videofest.php Thanks and I am sure that everyone is looking forward to another great year of some amazing videos that feature the best of the best, most knarly, hilarious, and inspirational videos shot since last year. Tony "Donk" DiCola 11184 Antioch, # 198 Overland Park, KS 66210 – 2420 donk@kc.rr.com (913) 908 - 3043 PS: The videos don’t necessarily have to be from 2005 but entries from previous years will not be allowed.

I don't post here much but this is to close to home! I don't think Snow Canyon is anywhere near Moab, about 350 miles away. BUT bad press either way is not good and you certainly don’t want a formal/legal precedent set against BASE jumping in Utah parks. Is this something the ABP is fighting? A good step is to better self regulate legal sites. Like trying to keep the people with to little experience from jumping off the LEGAL 400' cliffs in 25 mph winds and having to be MedEvac out costing the state $$$$. Accidents happen but there are definitely ways to minimize the chance. And if you have to risk it all for nothing do it at an ILLEGAL site that wont impact the entire BASE world if the object gets closed. Every time somebody gets busted up it, especially in TAX PAYER FUNDED PLACES, it translates into thousands more conservative ignorant viewers (if televised) taking up torches for a cause they don't understand. I am sure there are far more biking, climbing, hiking, etc injuries in these parks but largely thanks to some previous "Parks" precedents BASE carries a very negative and dangerous stigma. YES to Jason's point, let's not forget Yosemite used to be legal! I'll try to adjust my travel plans and be in SLC next week too. My 2 cents - Play safe, Donk

"Most" of us have a great amount of respect and appreciation for both Jason and Nick as friends and leaders who have contributed great things to our sport. This is a very delicate subject that touches on personal, ethical, and educational ideals that seem to be getting blurred into one "list". Memorializing our friends and comrades who have lost their lives pursuing the sport we all love is appropriate, and providing the detail of each incident is invaluable to both experienced jumpers and newcomers to our sport, but should this be done in one list? To Jason’s point, as he and others pursue the progression of legal BASE in the US, occasionally the "BASE fatality list" is used as a tool to exaggerate the dangers of our sport. Don’t give agencies like the NPS tools to work against this progression, or at least force those who choose to do this cross some moral threshold by desecrating the kind memories of our comrades for some political gain by keeping a "public" list that memorializes the person not the incident without the "detail" of where and how. Statistically BASE may be of the more dangerous sports and the value to the BASE community of each "incident report" is unquestioned but might be better suited for more private BASE forums. The public version could be a memorial to the individual and their accomplishments in life not the "statistics" associated with their death. This would serve as a kind memorial to our comrades and still provide the "warning" to BASE newcomers without providing the unnecessary detail to others who would use it against us...or in a worse case scenario used against the person and/or their family (insurance, bad press, etc). I guess I am suggesting two lists: Keep the BASE Fatilty list as a "BASE Incident Report List" but store this in a more private forum. Create a public "BASE Memorial" that memorializes the individuals as honored brethren not just statistics to learn something from. The detail associated with each death could be placed in the "BASE Incident Report List" while the "BASE Memorial" could remain public with a vague comment the accident but focus on who the person was in life and their accomplishments. At a minimum, maybe add a better introduction to the "BASE Fatality List" explaining why this list exists and possibly remove the "reaper" and "bloody number". Not that I care about sugar coating anything and I am a pretty big fan of skulls and such but that is my choice not a defacto catorgization. This is obviously very "religious" debate (figuratively). Regardless of any change, I thank Nick for keeping this list for us. Donk PS: Nick PM me when you get a chance,

I just wanted to send out a quick thanks to everyone for making the Bridge Day 2004 video festival a huge success. There were countless comments from spectators about how much better the event went, the quality of the videos, dual big screen broadcasts of the videos, and how special it was to have the representation on the judges panel from such legends of BASE as the Harrison crew and Nick D. Had I not been over amped from the “dare to streak the crowd” by an “unnamed organizer” prior to my introduction . I would have more coherently addressed the winners from the event but the winners were: 1st Place – Continuum II by Triax Productions, which also premiered for the second time Saturday evening. 2nd Place – Adrenaline Exploits (Jay Epstein) Mexico BASE that includes the Cave of the Swallows and El Gigante. 3rd Place – Robert Pecnik's, of Phoenix Fly, amazing BASE wing suite and track pant footage. 1st Place won a snow board donated by Jason Bell. 2nd Place won a $100.00 gift certificate or 10% off the next purchase from Apex BASE. 3rd Place won a video package donated by Triax Productions. There was actually a five way tie for forth place and each won their pick of sweatshirts donated Vertical Visions. We will be posting the scores, written highlights, and contestants from each film on the Vertical Vision website in the near future. Thank you all for your entries. Some other highlights from the event: The amazing footage provided by Rick and Joy Harrison of the completion of BASE #1, 2, 3, and 4 and some “old time” footage that not even we dare try. They truly represent the heart of what BASE was and has become. The special award given to Tom Aiello from Nick D, Tom is perhaps one of the most under appreciated people in our sport and recognition of his efforts is long over due.

Just a reminder that The Bridge Day 2004 BASE VideoFest will take place at the Holiday Inn bar "Rafters" at 9pm on Thursday, October 14, 2004. The BASE VideoFest will allow BASE jumpers to show their craziest, lowest, longest, and favorite BASE jumps on two big screen TV's for hundreds of anxious viewers. To reserve your slot in the contest: You can download the entry from from the Bridge Day website and email it to me prior to October 10th or you can turn in your entry forms and video no later than three hours before the start of the BASE Videofest. We are also looking for two more judges for the contest of varying background. Pease contact me (donk@kc.rr.com) if you are interested. For more detail go to: http://www.bridgeday.info/videofest.php Contest Detail: - Formats: VHS tape (NTSC, PAL, or SECAM), MiniDV tape (NTSC or PAL), or DVD (NTSC only) formats only. - Videos must contain BASE jumps, but can also contain footage of related sports (skydiving, paragliding, hang gliding, etc.). - Videos cannot exceed 15 minutes in length. If your video is longer than 15 minutes, have it cued to the footage you would like the judges to score from. - Each video will be scored in three categories: Action (the jumps), Story (why you are jumping), and Cinematography (how good is the footage). - You will be asked to fill out an entry form that will include the name of the movie, who produced, directed, and edited it, and a 1-2 sentence description prepared for the presenter. You will also have the option to introduce your video to the audience and judges. Thanks and looking forward to seeing the best (and the worst) of BASE this year. Donk donk@kc.rr.com

Oh yes, we will both be there...and prepared to defend the title ... The First ever GoFast Games COED Naked Bridge Walking Champions. Looking forward to it.

I'll break the knee pads too for that kick ass 4th of July BBQ, awesome alley mortar war with the neighbors, and that comfortably numb feeling I always get when were together ...and yes, that Idaho corn is off the scale

Only if you winked back. PS: Your hightened emmotions may have been less of a statement about your sexual preference and more of another side effect like the one that had you "rolling" around my floor pretending you were a lizard. "Why didn't somebody tell me about the golf shoes, I'll never get out of this muck!" Hunter S. Thompson.

We don't want to give the dirt paper or sleaze bag reporter any more buisness or hits on their site, and the article does not paint a very positive picture of BASE. Something the lurkers in the boards do not need to read. Perhaps I can set up a private link on our website that is password protected and if you email me, I will send you the password? I am also working on a flame page dedicated to these dirt bags...I will post something when/if either get done.

Hopefully most of you have no idea what I am referring to but for those of you who do let me say that you cannot trust the press. They will tell you they are writing a story about one thing then write a horrible dark story about something completely different and when you see the end result you will feel like you have been, raped, disemboweled, and hung out to dry. As maybe you should for talking to the press in the first place. The intent of the story was to write about legal BASE jumping, in an effort to help with a legal event in our area that has been in the works for over a year. The sleaze bag reporter lulled many into believing he was writing a pro BASE story and was going to write about things like Moab, Perrine, and Bridge Day…instead he wrote a dark, criminal minded, law breaking version and has set any efforts at legal event here back years if not permanently. Even worse, this person was our friend (or so we thought). He was a fixture around us for more than two years. He came to our parties, had dinner in our houses, and even worked ground crew on some jumps for more than two years…but he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing set out to destroy anything good we accomplished over the last three years. Not only did he write a twisted dark story about BASE, he stole pictures and background information from our private website and used them in the article. For those of you who know what I am referring to all I can say is it was a tragic mistake that had nothing but good intentions. If someone needs to be the scapegoat for this then I will take full responsibility for trusting this scumbag and if tar and feathers need to be thrown so be it but those closest to this should be the one who get the honors. Justice will be served in many forms to both the magazine and writer, rest assured. If you want to no more detail, email me and I will tell you all I know. Donk@kc.rr.com

In light of the recent Twin Falls tragedy I feel compelled to share a problem I had on one of my jumps two weekends ago at the Royal Gorge and the resulting discussions with sport experts that may help others play safe. After reviewing my video from the weekend and hearing stories of a fatality in the past I thought I'd post (this is not new information) a word of caution or observation without a solution (manufactured solution that is). Good body position and correct technique is always the best solution. During one of my aerials I pitched from a heads down orientation with to much forward motion in the pitch and had the opportunity to watch my PC float in my periphery as the bridal unloaded above/behind it. I did not think much of this after I landed as it seemed to be inconsequential...but as I was placing my canopy in the stash bag I noticed a knot in the bridal about six inches down from the mesh on the PC...and thought of this happening 8 inches higher was uncomfortable to say the least.. After several hours of attempting to recreate this in my loft (in a static environment it is very simple) I was only able recreate it once using a weight, 9’ bridal, and 38" PC...again the knot developed in the bridal not the PC but it is possible (as documented in past incident reports) for this to happen on the PC...especially with a hacky and even possibly a “cap” or “external” handle as used in BASE. There are few obvious instances where the PC and bridal could get out of sequence and create knot...one, on a birdman deployment where the burble has a tendency to create some “interesting” PC action...and two, when doing an aerial, and pitching from a heads down orientation...especially when the PC toss is slightly up or forward as opposed laterally out. I have talked to several who are considered “experts” in both the aerial and birdman aspects of our sport about this. Apparently there was one birdman fatality (last year) from this type of PC malfunction and I found the knot in my bridal after an aerial scenario similar to what I describe above…so it does happen. I'd be curious to hear the manufactures opinions on this (or others) to see if there have been any attempts at a manufactured solution to prevent this type of PC malfunction. I doubt there is one that wouldn’t likely create more problems than it fixes. Good body position and technique is the best answer. Play Safe, Donk donk@kc.rr.com

Worlds worst 9-way!!!! I resemble that remark. Actually the “way” itself was planned fine...but there was a break down in communication during the count down which resulted in a less than simultaneous launch and contributed to the separation problems that caused the spontaneous CRW… but give credit to AB for clearing a multi-bridal entanglement quickly and efficiently which could have been disastrous. The landing injury was to a jumper who had the cleanest approach to the LZ but "slipped" on one of those ankle breakers and had a freakish break in two places as a result of what looked to be a soft landing. That was the only "official" injury on the load...my heel injury was not reported until much later in the day and could of happened on any jump. The worst 9-way ever? Well… it was definitely the worst 9-way of the day (because it was the only one.) but by that token it was also the most incredible 9-way. Thanks to Jason Bell for putting on a great event. Once again all his hard work and tireless effort made BD03 a huge success. Lots of great jumps, great parties, and much fun had by all. Special congrats to all the first time BASE jumpers...the world will definitely look differently from this point forward! Play safe, Donk donk@kc.rr.com