TVPB

I do both. BASE has special significance for me (as it captures flight dreams and being at one with mother nature + self reliance, etc, all in the same activity). But in the end, I love being in the air. It does not matter if it is flying a plane, a glider, a parachute, my body, it's all good. ;) I am still 110% adamant that all BASEr's should start their careers with skydiving. If they develop the skills that make them competant and safe, then I have no dramas with them getting into BASE and giving up on skydiving. You gotta do what you gotta do. Each to their own. etc. p.s. r.e. DZ politics - general response (not directed at anyone). Once you have gained respect for your skills, abilities, attitude, experience, etc - I have found that politics only becomes a factor if YOU decide to get involved. What gives you the above mentioned characteristics? Representing your DZ or country in competition, proving to the CI or S&TA that you are intelligent and safety conscious via consultation and discussion, fitting in with the culture of a DZ, social interaction, etc. Coming once a year with non standard equipment and a demanding attitude and an expectation that the DZ should allow you to open at 300ft whilst geared up in your wing suit and BASE rig is a totally unrealistic expectation of the DZ. If you want to do that, you have to find people who can accommodate, and with a bit of effort, you WILL find them. We all know they exist!!! Be careful of what you think is politics. If you are inexperienced or not known at a DZ, a chief instructor or safety officer telling you what to do and what not to do IS NOT politics. They are just doing their job - and that is to keep YOU AND OTHER PEOPLE safe. And of course, there are some places where the people are just plain wankers and you don't want to be with them. Vote with your feet and Credit card. Go somewhere else. Oh, now I get it - that is why some people only BASE jump. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Obviously I was just joking about the risers. That was just grandstanding!!! But I still think that. . . . . . . Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Ahhh - such is the nature of our sport. There are those that will be in it for a long while. They generally tend to respect the sport, the people, AND THE THING THAT ACTUALLY GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY IN THE FIRST PLACE - THE ENVIRONMENT. Then there is the growing number of lazy, 3 second attention span, selfish, me - me - me, doing front loops on jump 9, Nike - Just Do It, Red Bull, who cares what we are robbing our children of (hopefully they wont breed), helicopter boogie / don't hike, arseholes, who have only one thing on their minds, themselves. There should be no training, bins, seminars, etc. These people are idiots who deserve to have their risers cut (but this will create more trash). Given that this may be construed as murder, the next best option is to just bore it right up them if you see them doing it. Don't be apologetic about it either. They are visitors to mother nature, and they should respect her like the wonderful lady she is. The Swiss Valley is a postcard made from heaven. I fully support the plea for cleanliness. p.s. I saw this one a while ago - city folk driving in the country. Dumped a bunch of trash bags onto a farm. The farmer happened to get the number plate. One of his family members was on the Police so he was able to get the address. He promptly drove a truck load of rubbish and manure to the offenders place and. . . . . . . . . actually dumped most of it INSIDE his house.

p.s. - I am not owing up to being a fan..... Really.... The chorus is poppy/dancy/wrappy/whatever. Love to get a copy (of the vid, not the song ) - how much, when, where, etc. - - - - - - Artist: Kylie Minogue Song: Spinning Around Lyrics Clearin' this house out of joy that I borrowed From back in the day Threw away my old clothes Got myself a better wardrobe I got something to say I'm through with the past Ain't no point in looking back The future will be And did I forget to mention that I found a new direction And it leads back to me I'm spinning around Move out of my way I know you're feelin' me 'cuz you like it like this I'm breakin' it down I'm not the same I know you're feelin' me 'cuz you like it like this Mistakes that I made givin' me the strength To really believe And no matter how I take it There's no way i'm gonna fake it 'cuz it's gotta be real I've got nothin' left to hide No reason left to fight 'Cuz the truth's given me a new freedom inside Gettin' rid of my desire Do you like what you see? I'm spinning around Move out of my way I know you're feelin' me 'cuz you like it like this I'm breakin' it down I'm not the same I know you're feelin' me 'cuz you like it like this Ooh-oh baby, baby, baby You know you like it like this Ooh-oh baby, baby, baby You know you like it like this Ooh-oh baby, baby, baby Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Tom I feel for you on this one. IMHO - the only bad thing about people like that going in is that they leave loved ones behind and further tarnish the public perception of the sport. I have found that the more you try to care about people and protect them from their own stupidity, the more you get ostracised. In the end, I have decided that if people don't care about themselves, then I will follow their lead and not care for them either. There are too many good people who deserve your efforts. Natural selection will often be the winner!!!! BTW - I'll have to get one of those sponsorship things. Seems like it stops you from dying. Imagine what fun I could have then!!!! Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

I agree - what specifically are you asking? For me: Highest relative altitude exit to landing with a significant freefall = 5700ft. Highest relative altitude exit to landing without a significant freefall (s/l) = about 9500ft. Lowest with a packed canopy = 98 ft. Note that my definition of what is lowest has to include the proviso that you would more than likely die if you jumped without a parachute. Otherwise the answer for lowest IS ZERO, and the competition is over. That is unless of course you made the "highest" jump aftre the mushrooms and then had a real bad experience coming off the high. As they say, no matter how bad you think things in your life are, there is always someone who is lower than you. I think Yuri is the winner!! Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

People have died due to the inability to disconnect their parachute system. They have also been caught, stuck, injured, etc. By all means, develop another/better cutaway system. But before you go switching all your gear over, think about what the advantages are of NOT having one versus having one???????? Could you list reasons for and against. I am interested to see where your logic is heading. What are the benefits of L Bars over 3 rings? I think I know most of them but I am trying to understand your logic. I'll give you a few more reasons why you need 3 rings: - tree landings - snagged canopies - getaways - easier gear inspections and maintenance - ability to switch canopies over without requiring tools (esp handy when travelling) - some people make untangling lines easier by disconnecting their risers first - Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Your post tells me you know a hell of a lot more about BASE and risk than many active jumpers. You have a recurring theme in the examples you have given r.e. flying and climbing. Operator error. Human Error. Poor Decisions. yada yada yada I do/have done all three (BASE, flying, climbing). Psychology, knowledge, training, and experience plays a major part in safety and/or advancing to higher levels. It also plays a major part in accidents in all three disciplines. I have been saying for a long time that jumping from an object is NOT necessarily the most dangerous aspect of this much loved activity. IT IS THE DECISIONS THAT IT"S PARTICIPANTS MAKE THAT HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT (pardon the pun) on our statistics. This is not about luck, or about risk, or about intervention from higher beings, etc. It is 99% about the decisions we make. And the most important decisions are made BEFORE we jump. Quite often the most important decision is made even before the first BASE jump. What I mean by this is that many people are so focused on the final outcome, the doing, that they miss all the steps in between. When the proverbial "shit hits the fan", they are unable to manage the situation. They made a decision up front to miss development steps and the opportunity to assess their progress. And their lack of knowledge has meant that they could not make the right decision when most needed. The second decision would have been potentially a lot easier if the first was correct/justified. Just accepting the perceived and going on with it IS NOT managing risk. Heh, heh, heh. Harry hindsight knows it all. It usually is simple. We are humans. And BASE jumpers / adventurers are a special "sub-section" of the human race. It is in our nature to push our limits, have fun, play a bit of Russian Roulette, go lower, do one more somersault, jump in wind, use the wrong gear, etc. You know what I mean. I have done it. I think that 99% of jumpers have consciously or subconsciously said "what the heck, it does not feel right but I'm going for it anyway". This ups the excitement, etc. It also elevates the risk. This is when BASE jumping actually changes from a risky activity (like everything else we do in life) to a dangerous activity. Because we have decided to make it dangerous. Not because it is!!!!! Some examples: FLYING - you've just finished your training and you are doing a cross country flight. You decide to fly low over tiger country to impress your date. Trees and mountains everywhere. You have never really practiced STOL's and forced / EP landings apart from a few "artificial" landings during your license test. The engine splutters. There is a field about 50m long. You aim for it. . . . Your odds?????? Now, if you had of practiced those landings during your training, chosen an aircraft that can side slip like hell and is designed for STOL, and you followed the rule of flying from field to field (i.e keep landing areas/outs withing range), what are your chances now?????? BASE Jumping - you've done your course at the Bridge. Then you decide to jump a gnarly underhung cliff with a tight landing area and no outs. You over-rotate (no real training in aerials), you open low, you can't get the maximum glide efficiency out of your canopy to make the landing area (you didn't really learn the intricacies of flying canopies and aerodynamics), you . . . . . . are in trouble ......... Decisions, decisions. . . . . . . . . The reality is that you can encounter situations where you have done your utmost to be prepared and make the right decisions, and something still goes wrong. But this scenario is rarer than you may think. It's your decision!!!!!!!! p.s. There are a number of people around the world that collect and study BASE statistics. Guess what? Virtually ALL accidents have some degree of human error involved. This is easy to say in hindsight. How do you overcome or minimise the impact of this problem? What is the magic secret? There is no magic. Follow the often repeated advice of: good training, good mentor, great gear, take it a step at a time, be realistic, if you want to aim high - that is fine - but make sure you travel the road there - don't just go from thought to final act in one step, respect the sport, respect YOUR life. As you said, this will cover a very high percentage of potential accidents. You can never stop all accidents, but you should certainly make an effort to minimise them. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Ahhhh - here is the opportunity for a hearty debate on . . . . . . . Risk Management, Potential Problem Analysis, Situation Appraisal, SWOT analysis, etc. I can tell you from experience that the person who has considered all possible stuff ups and has made a plan for each of these PRIOR to their occurence, has a much greater chance at survival than someone who is positive and goal oriented, and has not considered the possible outcomes to their actions. You also have a much greater chance of success and achievement if you are prepared for the obstacle that you WILL INEVITABLY come across throughout your life. I concur - I prefer people who are motivated, positive, success oriented, etc. But what I do not like is when opportunities are wasted due to lack of thought, and some grasp of reality. Life is the greatest opportunity we all have. Don't be the soldier charging at the front line of your enemies without a plan. Don't invest in the markets without some strategy that will maximise your profits and minimise your losses and determine high probability outcomes. Don't be the person who has 100 failed relationships. Don't be the BASE jumper lying dead half way up a wall because you were too focused on the final outcome instead of the process on the way there!!!! Finally - avoiding death at all costs is probably far too conservative an option for those that want to achieve great things in their lives. By the same token, unecessarily and thoughtlessly losing a life is just as much a waste. Go for GOLD - but take the appropriate path / steps in getting there. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

When your life comes full circle and you have the proverbial one foot in the grave, you have to ask yourself, have I done the right thing? Am I comfortable with my morals and ethics and the way I have lived them? Have I adversely affected someone else's life? Does that someone have an open mind and understanding? Is my experience diminishing the moral fabric of society? You will know what is right and what is wrong. DO NOT for any second, deny yourself an experience due to the influence of people who have no passion for life, excellence, personal development, freedom, etc. They know nothing. And their misguided morals and thoughts are robbing you of something you will cherish forever. Climb that mountain. Cross that sea. You deserve it. People cannot look down on you when you have risen above them. In laymans terms, who gives a rats bottom what they think!!!!! and remember Stay Safe Have Fun Good Luck Tom Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Rule Number 1 - unless you are 111100000% sure the person is deceased, you have absolutely NO RIGHT to leave another human being there without help. Otherwise, you are selfish scum. This is just my opinion of course. Think of it this way - what would you want people to do if YOU were the injured person? If the penalty in that particular area is too harsh for you, you have no business being there in the first place. Go to one of the staged events instead. And I certainly do NOT want to be your jump buddy if you would leave me for dead to prevent a $1000 fine and some court time. r.e. escaping penalties. I think that if "the time" is potentially very serious given that the "supposed crime" is not serious, escaping the harsh penalties is a reasonable thing for a person to do. But do not leave a potential life behind unless you are sure. The cops should be chasing more important things in this world, not some people just having a bit of fun. Alternately, they should not whinge about begin under-resourced if they chase jumpers. Some points: - to be better able to assist you in the decision of "dead or alive", get some training. EVERY jumper should be first aid trained AT A MINIMUM. I don't mean the weekend Perrine Br jumpers. I am talking about the independants that jump a variety of sites, especially in remote areas. - Make sure the family is notified. - etc. busy - gotta go Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Its been 3 years & 2 years & 1 year. A good reminder to: Live life with passion. Embrace every moment like it is the most precious thing you have. Make it memorable. Take everything you can from it, but share what you have with others too. Make sure that you don't give it (life & time) up too easily being too ignorant, dumb, or arrogant. This robs not only you, but others as well. To NH, DW, & RS - it was an absolute pleasure. Stay Safe Have Fun Good Luck Tom

Happy 21st B'day.

Of course Ronald - but I am not talking about the media. They do their own thing. I am talking about jumpers. Think about perceptions. I'll give you an example: Blah blah blah blah blah BASE jumpers blah blah blah blah irresponsible blah blah blah dangerous. My point is, people hear what they want to hear. If you add the incorrect words in, there is a good chance that the public will filter out the meaning and content and only hear the words they want to hear. Hence a perception is created. Hence, if a jumper calls another individual jumper irresponsible, that tag/title/perception/etc will be what people will think all jumpers are. Jumpers should not be using those words in the media. Especially those that are VERY accomplished at dealing with the media and are professional speakers. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

There is unity and there is community. Both noble pursuits for one and all in this sport. If we always had both, we would all be much better off. When ulterior motives kick in, both of the above tend to disappear. I'll give you an example. Several years ago, I had an ulterior motive in the sport to put a bit of a clamp on the way people progressed in the sport. I was NOT stopping them from attempting various complex manouvres. Instead, I was attempting to ensure that people would progress in a realistic, logical, and safe manner. By definition, this is the role of a safety official. The end result is that many people were told to slow down, to go back into parachuting to develop skills that they bypassed, to realistiically assess their weaknesses and strengths. The problem was that people did not like to hear reality. They did not like to hear the word don't, or no, or perhaps you are not quite as good as you think you are, or you need to work on this before you do that. The end result of all of this was many people no longer wished to hear this. Communication dwindled and/or ceased. The psyche changed to lets just go do it. You see - ulterior motives splintered some segments of the jumping community. There is also a push from some circles to "sacrifice" some sites to the authorities in the vain hope that they would offer up others for the jumping community. The building jumps are a classic example of sites given up. When a jumper states things like "other" jumpers are irresponsible, illegal jumps, give the sport a bad name, etc, it adds fuel to the media fire and cements anti-jumper sentiment in the eyes of those already opposed to the sport. Perhaps a better response would simply be along the lines of "although I personally don't participate in those type of jumps, I am sure that the people concerned have conducted a thorough potential problem and safeyt analysis to mitigate most forms of risk to the themselves and certainly the public. It is not an easy thing to say the right things in the media all the time. Especially when they have the ability to edit. Hence, I don't think some of the comments were in the best interests of the sport. I managed to accidently catch the last part of the interview and their were good components to it too. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

It has been a long 16 years or so, hasn't it!!! Well done, the South Africans - oops, I meant Poms deserved to win this time. Flogging????????? I guess the winners write the story... Fast bowlers?? Didn't a spinner get most of the wickets! And the batsmen have been dominant for a long while too. Seriously , its nice to see competition instead of just decades of domination. It really was boring winning for so long. The Poms have lots to be happy about over the last two years - Rugby, Cricket, Womens Cricket, etc. Now for the Commonwealth Games - they should surprise us with their own Thorpie if the current sporting trend continues.

Considering history, this is an excellent response/post. There is every chance that two individual human beings will have differences of opinon, morals, values, ethics, intelligence, looks, abilities, and every other factor you could think of. That is one thing that makes the earth an interesting place most of the time. Despite these differences, it was wonderful to see people acknowledge the achievements of others, despite what they think of them. It is also wonderful when someone does the achieving!!!!! Miles - sounds like you've done well (I would like some data ). Congratulations and well done for considering other people during your adventures/endeavours. Tree - it's good to see you think he did well. Now, I challenge YOU, or anyone else to kick Miles's ass and take this sport to the next level. I am sure Miles would like that sort of challenge. Lets make this competition healthy and positive. The end result will be that jumpers will be more united, the sport will progress, and society in general will have no choice but to accept it for what it is.

OK - Sorry. Love him or hate him, good on Miles for doing his thing. I support his efforts and I think he deserves something for his efforts too. People should support the underprivilieged in some way and not make excuses not to. Miles should understand why some people have the shits with him. He's out there, average people for some reason get offended by "out there" people. Smile, and be happy. How was that? Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

As a previous unofficial record holder for most jumps in a day (24 on 4th July 1999 off 57m span - this was for the hell of it and for Ed Trick's B'day) and a person who has given a lot of time for charities, I hope that Miles breaks the record and that he raises as much money as possible for his chosen charity. It is good to see the performance bar raised in this sport. The fact that Guinness are going to recognise the record gives more validity to the sport in the eyes of the public (not that the sport needs it as we jumpers know it is very valid and WILL NOT go away). Hence, all the very best of luck Miles. Hope you break it, and I hope that someone else challenges you soon after. If people don't like Miles, just send some money directly to his chosen charity anyway. I would also like to make a comment about charities and the psychology of giving in contemporary society. In decades gone by, most people would give their arm and leg for those less privileged than themselves and they would do that unconditionally. Unfortunately, society has changed somewhat from a place with a social conscience where most people cared for others to a cynical, materialistic, litigious, inattentive, and inwardly focused society. Giving is more about what can I get out of it (tax concessions, publicity, contacts, etc). Also, greed has meant that some "so called" charities are riddled with corruption or expensive administrations that erode the majority of donations. I think this is reality - but we still have many organisations that do a wonderful service for those that are less priveliged. Many individuals have subsequently taken the stance that since not all of their donation gets to the intended recipients, or that those that organise derive benefits, then they should not give. Whilst I accept that people are entitled to their own opinions and they have every right to control their finances and time in the way they see fit, not giving anything for the above reasons is a poor & selfish "cop-out". For many people it is a way of overcoming the personal guilt of not contributing by blaming others for their corruption and/or inefficiency in controlling charitable giving. My personal opinion is that if 10% of the money I give goes to the intended recipient, then I have done the right thing. Yes, I will have the proverbial shits, but at least something has been achieved. If someone goes through the effort of organising a charitable event and money is raised and directed to the intended recipients, then they deserve the publicity / pat on the back. A lot of hard work goes into event organisation. I also think the persons who sit lowest on the tree of morals when it comes to charity, are the ones that openly criticise others and then do NOTHING themselves. They should perhaps consider directing their energies to something a little more productive. The people that sit highest are the ones that give unconditionally - no tax concession, no publicity, no pats on the back, no expectations that their God will put them in front of the queue at the pearly gates of heaven. They are even higher if they have nothing to give in the first place. r.e. Miles Daisher - as I said, GOOD LUCK TO HIM. I hope he does well. He could have done this record attempt without involving a charity in the first place. So I think it was good of him to derive some benefit for both himself AND handicapped children. You also have to remember that the more successful a person is (i.e. Miles), the greater his/her ability to contribute to those less in need. I hope he becomes a millionaire and that he gives 10% to charity, rather than being a nobody who donates nothing. Why do you think Billy Gates and the like become philanphropists? Because it is a symbiotic relationship that derives mutual benefit. Why do people object to or dislike Miles? There is something you need to understand about human psychology. To use a cliche - "statistical norm" - on average, people are average!!!! How is that for over stating the obvious!!!!! Those people that exist outside the norm attract attention from the masses. This attention will either have a positive, neutral, or negative slant. The individual who exists outside the statistical norm has the greatest influence on how the public (the members of society that make up the statistical norms)perceives them. I know very little about Miles. But what I do know is that he has challenged the social and political structure of some segments of the BASE community. Hence the response. Do you remember John McEnroe - former great USA tennis player? People either loved or hated him. He was loud, obnoxious, but talented and entertaining. Miles seems loud, and extroverted too. He seems very much "in your face", he also does things in an inconventional manner. Most people feel threatened by change or challenges to the status quo. When you couple that with the fact that publicity is one of Miles' objectives in a sport where most people are opposed to media attention (where most publicity is derived), you should expect not much other than annoyed people. When you throw in the charity factor and some of the points that I mentioned above, then in my mind there is no surprise that people are offended or object to Miles' record attempt project. I am not saying this is right or wrong, it is in my mind just that way it is. As I said, I hope he does well. If it had of been Nick D, or Anne H, or Marta, or Martin T etc, I am sure that the response would have been different purely because of the perception that BASE society has on those individuals. Miles needs to appreciate that perceptions are rightly or wrongly created because of the actions of the individual in question. The perception of you or I has been initiated by your/my thoughts and actions and then how they interact with the social rules and culture of the society in which we live in. We are each resonsible to some extent on how people perceive us. Think about why politicians and movie stars have publicists helping them in this field. Remember, giving to others in need is the greatest gift of all. p.s. It seems there are a number of BASEr's supporting this event anyway. Good on you all. p.s. my experience in volunteering and charities includes - youth groups, emergency services, Amnesty, Safety Officer of BASE organisation, coaching in various sports, religious groups, etc. I have directly dealt with handicapped people, financially crippled people, cancer patients (close friends and relatives), etc. I am also fully committed to charity in other parts of the world. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Picture of Diamant 160 That canopy was a prototype of 1996 vintage, The Froggies sent us canopies with inbuilt turns and lots of other little problems, and they ended up refining until they achieved a better canopy by the time that world meet came around. Someone from our team compared a Diamant to a Lightning. The Diamant 160 is a very similar size to the Lightning 143. I did some of my early jumps on the Diamant 210. A good training canopy. Yes, they are tricker to land but not that bad. Pick your conditions, come in with some speed, transition from "descent/speed build up" to planing, and it is OK. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Thanks for the compliments Kleggo. Where do I send the money and what currency would you prefer??? Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Ah ha, it just so happens that . . . . . . the link to manufacturers is at: http://ozcrw.tripod.com/links.htm#CRWEquipRig Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Globalisation. Profits. International Corporations. The ever increasing divide between the rich and the poor. Greed. Materialism. Lack of faith. Your business and political leaders are filling their pockets with loot NOW, whilst ignoring future generations. It is about today and the next election and not the lives of our future children. It is hard to compete with foreign entities/countries when you are spending BILLIONS of dollars on industries that are not self sustaining. Add the fact that you are paying the leaders extraordinary amounts of money to make decisions where the outcomes range from crap to exceptional. That is what co called capitalism/freedom/democracy gives you. As an individual, your objective is be in the wealthy minority. But beware of the revolution. It is only a matter of time. Social policy at the cost of profits would improve the situation. p.s. eventually even China will reach a point where the population will have attained a standard of living that is unsustainable. But that might not happen for 100 years. It is time to move over and let a new world champion take control. For that is life. Cycles. Time. p.s. it is ironic that most USA Govt bonds are in the hands of the Japanes and Chinese at the moment. Imagine if the Muslims became a large player as well. Where would the control disappear to then? Seems like too many rach decisions being made in recent times. Hopefully you will recover. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.

Hi Hannes - thanks for the news. Best regards to Spacy Tracy. If there was ever a character in the sport, he is certainly up there. It is a pleasure to know him. I hope he has the happiest of lives with Jane. May their God bless them both.

Hopefully 2 way will bring MORE competitors into the sport. Make sure you get high quality coaching from the beginning as you will progress a lot faster. The sequential guys on both sides of the USA will be able to help as well as France, Russia, Canada, etc. Check out the results from past World Meets -> CLICK HERE FOR WORLD MEET RESULTS. Then contact the teams and find out what they were using exactly (pls feed this info back to me if you go through the effort as I would like to update my web site). In Rotations last year, 1st & 2nd = Triathlon, 3rd = Rubis, 4th = Lightnings), 5th = New PD CRW canopy (Switchblade), etc. In sequential: 1st = New PD CRW canopy (Switchblade), 2nd = Rubis, 3rd = Triathlons, etc. Regarding the above results and canopies: The Yanks trained hard for sequential and won using the new PD's. They did stuff all Rotations training jumps which explained their 5th placing (he he - it was good to beat them this year ). The US team at France 2003 used the new PD's for rotations and got silver with very few training jumps. Remember that the 2003 team consisted of LONG TIME competitors who had jumped together for MANY years and had won world meets before. i.e. they could get a high placing jumping clapped out 500 square foot tandem canopies if they so desired. But there feedback seemed pretty positive overall and they were the guys who had a huge input into the design. Do PD sell the new canopy??? You need to talk to the factory. If you are a world class CRW competitor, then they will sell you the canopy on the following proviso's: it is NOT, I repeat, NOT a fully tested canopy according to PD's normal exacting standards - they have not and by the sounds of things will not release the canopy to the general market. Hence, YOU have to accept that what you are jumping is experimental. They currently do not have the resources to back the sale up with R&D. They will provide normal service repairs (lines, damage, etc) but probably no design/modification work. No off the shelf canopies either, i.e. you have to pay for and order your gear and wait for it to arrive. THIS IS WHAT I THINK - IT MAY BE TOTALLY INCORRECT - CHECK WITH PD. And don't mention my name. My opinion on the Russians: they are awesome at what they do. When it comes to slam, bam, thank you mam CRW, they are the shit. They prove again and again that there is no better at the moment. And again, I think you could put them under roundies and they would still go close to winning. But they are not as good or successful at sequential at this time. Look at the results. They've won most Rots, are dominating in 8 way, and can only manage 3rd's in sequential. I think this is more to do with style than canopies. The French have dominated sequential for a long time and the yanks are now starting to take control. This to me was more a function of their training programs and team selection techniques, than their choice of canopy. They have a natural affiliation with the Rubis because. . . .it. . . . is . . .manufactured in France. But they have been jumping Tri's and the new PD and I suspect they like what they see. Canopy choice also depends on the level of skill and achievement of your team. We achieved 4th place in Rots in 2004 using clapped out old Lightning 143's and 126's. Main reason was cost and several team members were nursing bodies that were not too keen on those small canopies. The Canadian sequ team of a few years ago did very well using Lightnings too. They were very skilled at their craft. Lightnings are a good all round canopy and until your skill level is such that you are a world class CRW jumper, they will do just fine for competition. It is technique that will get you to ~8 points in 4 way sequ and ~17 points in rots. The canopy is less important at this stage. Trust me - I know. I've been there for a number of years. If you are fighting for a spot in the top 3 to 5 in the world, then the canopy comes into play. Yep - you will get the argument that you should start with the best possible gear first and I agree. But it will not help you one iota if your technique is sub standard. Also, different people have different techniques and although one canopy may be brilliant for one team, it may not necessarily suit another. If you want to spend big and buy new immediately, talk to the USA sequ guys - they have the jump numbers and experience to give you more info. The CA team that won the sequ several years ago used express as far as I know and the current mob use the new PD. Calle - you should also talk to the Swedish guys. They are a great bunch of CRW heads and they are doing well in Rots now using Tri's. When I saw them in Croatia for WM2004. they were considering all options (the top two for them were Tri's and the new PD). Check out http://ozcrw.tripod.com/. If you can give ANY feedback, please do so. I hope you find it useful. p.s. I have purchased 6 Tri's because I believe they are a better comp CRW canopy than our lightnings and I wanted to test them out. I will also be looking at getting some of the new PD canopies in next time I have a crack at the world meet (2008 sequential for me). Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.