Thijs

I think this has to do with the 'unpersonal' aspect of a video. If I would for example be shown the video of Slims accident it wouldn't hurt me that much. I mean, I don't like it so see him get killed, but I didn't knew him. It would hurt me much more if I knew him more, or if it was someone I knew in the video (but why to see the video then). I think someone who has lost a good friend in skydiving (perhaps even in base (before the person started to basejump)) is more likely to walk away from base, then someone who has never lost a friend and is just shown a video of someone he doesn't know. This is why I'm a big 'fan' of longterm ground crew (a year or more) before base. Experiencing a person getting hurt (even if it is 'just' a broke arm or leg) can and will do much more then a video can ever do. Thijs

In my opinion people are stared blind by the number of jumps they have. It is not because you have 200 skydives, that you are ready to basejump (I think most people will agree on this one) Is it possible to add a prior 'exam' or test before the FJC? The futher jumper should pass some tests concering canopy flight (accuracy, maybe CRW...) before being allowed to the FJC. Maybe this is a way to show the people that they are not ready, rather then saying it without giving some proof. I also find that people who start skydiving for getting into basejumping should get more info on what to do exactly. I mean, when someone who has never skydived before asked what to do on how to get into basejumping, they mostly get the (sometimes a bit agressive) answer: go do at least 150 skydives. So, they go do their 150 skydives and start becoming a freeflyer controlling high performance canopies. This is not really the training for getting into basejumping. I don't think it is really good to find out on your first base that accuracy is important. Maybe some experienced skydivers and basejumpers could write some kind of manual for how to get the neccassary experience in skydiving for basejumping? I think this would be a great help for a lot of new people (including me ) (Edit: if there is already such thing, tell me where to find it

You will mostly not feel it, but the upper part of antenna's can move at a great amplitude of a few feet or meters. This is because of the fact that our senses only register a difference in the angle with the ground. If you are high up, you will not see the difference if you move a couple for feet forward or backwards. If you take a 500 ft antenna, an angle of 0,5 degrees with the normal on the ground, the maximum amplitude is something of 4 ft. Antennas have to be able to move, otherwise they would just brake in two once the stress on them becomes to large. Also thermal expantion is a factor, since almost anything tends to grow if it become hotter (hmm, that sounded kinda dirty ) I once heard of someone in the army that this movement is a big deal on aircraft carriers. No-one will notice the ship making an angle of 1 degrees with the sea, but the farest parts of the deck can move up or down a couple of meters, which can be a suprise to landing airplanes. If you stand on that part of the deck, you won't feel much of it though. The swinning antenna should be that much of a trouble jumping it though I think. Edit: This could be terribly wrong, maybe ask the guys at the antenna company

The worst part of my life, I'm going through it right now I guess. I'm a failure in university, I recently hurted my back and was diagnosted with minor rheumatics (very nice for someone of only nearly 18 ), no-one ever visits me at my room at university, hughs me, call me, or whatever. I'm not normal anymore. I don't like small places, and I'm doing caving (and believe me, belgian caves are small!). I recently had to do a climb up a space so small I could just turn my head in it. After I climbed out of it (it took me more then twenty minutes to do it and the space was barely more then two meters high) I said never again. Hell, 15 minutes later I was doing it again I don't know, it is just the fear that atracts me to do this. It gives me such an intense feeling, something I don't get anywhere else... I don't like to go out to a party or so anymore, so I don't do it anymore. It just feels that I waste my time there and my money when I get back home. I feel very uncomfortable around people, I rarely say anything in a conversation, I'm starting to hide the fact that I want to skydive and basejump just because I'm afraid of the reactions of people. I don't smoke, don't drink, don't take drugs (except adrenaline) and don't really have a reason to live anymore. basejumping (well, at least the thaugt that I might ever do it) is one of the only things I life for, and the thing that has kept me from killing myself a couple of times (don't worry, I don't have the balls to do it). Hell, what kind of crap am I telling here I should keep my trouble with myself. I don't really know exatly how you feel Stefan, I never had a relationship and never been in love so. Hell, I don't even want one, it just scares me so much I now look like shit (well, it is a constant factor in my life ) and feel like shit too (hopefully it will go over) All I can advise is go do something you have never been able to do, but always wanted to do so much. That works for me atleast... Edit to add: My thoughts are with you man, since everyday I have to pass the sportsdepartment at university, which is called, FaBeR

Well, only 5m (15 feet) Apperently high enough. I still feel it. On the X-ray it also was visible that my back is not really well formed, there is a small S-bent in it (I'll try to get the X-rays somewhere online for you). it is a family thingie, my dad and sister have it to. I'll probably have to take medication to prevent future damage. It is something I'll have to drag along with me for the rest of my life. Well, there are worse things in life then having a painfull back

Damn, I had the same thing last evening. Fell on my back doing a back sommersault. Hurted like hell, I could feel my skin burn and could barely move (I call it a wonder I got myself out of the water). My back still hurts, X-rays of back and lungs look fine though. Hopefully it will just be the pain and no permenant damage I learned my lesson. I'm going to take a trainer next time, whatever he (or she ) asks of money. Hopefully I still have the courage to jump

I have searched the internet round for free video's of Dwain doing aerials. Found nothing. I wonder if there are video's (to buy is ok) where there is footage of Dwain Weston doing aerials? Maybe a video of the ABA? Anyone have more knowledge about this? Thanks

Hi, I recently started doing caving (going into caves). I wonder if there are any other cavers here? If so, drop me a pm or send me a mail of add me on msn. Thijs

I wonder if risky sports are somewhat common in your (to all people) families or that you are just an exception?

Hi, I guess I'm one of those people . I'm already here on these forums for some time and still haven't made a jump yet and probably won't untill next year. So why do I read on these forums here? well, it basicly just interest me a lot. Some people like to know how cars work, I like to know how parachutes and a rig works, before I trust my life to it. I could fill in basejumping as choice of discipline, since that is what really interests me and that is probably what I'm going to train for in skydiving, if I'm going to get a bit comfortable at it. I want to skydive (and basejump), but am I going to like it? I don't know, I guess, but can't really be sure untill I tried it. And even if I don't like it, what will stop me from still being interested in this sport. It is not because you don't play football that you can't be interested in it? I spent quite some time reading on these forums (mainly basesection). When I asked a question to someone about gear orso, I more then once got the answer: 'get to a dz and ask there' which comes to me sometimes over as a bit agressive. It ain't that simple if you live 60km from the nearest dz and you can't drive a car to get to there Recently I took up caving/speleo, you know, going into caves underground. I had never done it before, and didn't know if I would like it, but still, I took the lessons about climbing technics, even knowing that they were not necessary for the beginnerscaves. I didn't know if I was going to like it, but still took the course. I now already went into two different caves I still don't know if I really like it, atleast, it is different then I expected. Well, I didn't really know what to expect, just as I don't know how I will feel on my first skydive. I'm not really going underground for the visuals or the interesting geology , i'm going underground for the physical and mental challange of it, of 'crap, how am I going to get out of here in one piece' . I love the sport, but I don't know if I'll love the personal jumping, that are two different things. I don't see what the problem is if newbies ask questions about gear etc. Maybe that is a way they see that it ain't that 'stupid' and 'crazy' and 'suicidal' to jump out of an airplane I don't really post much here, maybe unintentionally to avoid reactions like this (not offence intended ofcourse

That is nice, although I never heard of anything called a foam pool.

If you are talking about weird_jump.mov then that's not Tom. The person is anonther jumper who is also here on the forum. Thijs

It is obvious that some jumpers do take training (people like Jeb, Dwain, Slim did learn most in diving and gymnastic classes) but I think that more and more people are starting to do aerial manouvers without proper training. I'm not into Base yet, but I'm already training a bit. I do a lot of diving (without trainer) and I take also classes in trampoline. Even if you don't want to do aerials I think classes can help, since you learn to control your body in dead air. If you launch unintentionally unstable, you might have an advantage over people without training (you can more quick get back in a good position) About the rig: I have thoughed about that to, since I think a rig on your back will limit your maneuvarability (can't tell, never had any type of rig on my back). I do think the people at the pool will kinda look wierd at you if you show up with a rig on your back However I disagree with that 1500 ft limit. I think that if you want to do aerials in dead air you should take prior classes, from whatever altitude you jump. I thought that the last fatality was aerial related and happend at a terminal wall? I'm not into jumping yet, so correct me if I'm telling something wrong edit to add: you migth also want to read the article Aerials in base by Dwain http://www.blincmagazine.com/cms/uploads/aerials_in_base.pdf (sorry for typos, but I injured my fingers wednesday so typing is a bit difficult.) Thijs

I thoughed they were going to set up a paypal account. The cash was only a temporarly solution if you couldn't wait. This is the post: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1525827;search_string=2nd%20paypal;#1525827 Thijs

Clicky http://paralpinisme.base-jump.org/index.php?T=home&L=en

Tom A is over 30, I think 32. Don't kill me if I'm wrong Tom Thijs

Please, someone tell this is an 1 april joke? At least, a bad one...

I have hit the platform once, luckely only with my hand and luckely only some flesh was gone and I didn't break anything. I was performing an inward dive, and probably didn't jump far enough. I didn't have a lot of experience, so that is why I guess. I can't follow classes, so I have teached everything myself upto now. I have had a lot of 'close calls', meaning, seeing a diving board less then 5cm (2 inches) is pretty scary. The fear of hitting the platform again (but with my head) is the only thing that keeps me from doing a gainer. Diving helps to learn how your body works in dead air, it doesn't teach you how to exit in a direct way, since in diving you go head first. Don't exit as in diving or you'll get scared I don't know if diving helps a lot for training an exit, since I have never basejumped. vandev: as a diver you should know that even the best sometimes have a bad exit/jump and land bad, so even the best basejumper can have a bad exit/jump. Only, in base the results are often worse. Thijs

I just saw a video of the jump in the intro of 2nd base. Anyone know how the jumper is now? Did he rover well?

Thanks for sharing jfk

I never tried it but it should be possible. The video must be placed online somewhere to be playable. It's just seeking where the video stands (it's url) and you got it. If you can download the flash files from the site and you have a program that can edit flash, you should be able to find the link to the video somewhere. Anyway, I'll try it once I get home next week. Thijs

I'm no basejumper myself but love watching some basefootage. I don't really think that a BASEjumpers-only section would be that good. I also don't want to miss the footage that are more than just nice footage, footage where you can lean something. Maybe you could split the basesection up into two parts. One for nice edited videos and one for more 'boring'/technical videos. About illegal videos. I think it is best to keep them off the internet. It's not that difficult to go around security off websites. Just imagine what would happen if a video got leaked. What stops authorities from hacking the site and using the video in the court of law? Just some comment.. Thijs

Thanks Dexter. Great story.

There is an email adress on the buttom of the page. Thijs Edit: adress removed.

If it's so easy, I challenge you to produce a track. Also... if you think of it like that, you've obviously been listening to some pretty shitty electronic music to draw your conclusion from. I don't like certain genres of music either, but I can still differentiate between tracks that require talent and tracks that do not. Even if you just don't like electronic music, you'd have to be pretty ignorant to make a comment like you just made about it. I agree with you. You have to try once to mix one techno track into another and it has to sound good. I've tried it and it is very difficult. Just listen to a good DJ set, sometimes you'll be amazed what they can do with just some beats Some DJ's have the skills to produce there music live, without CD's or vinyl. Now that's crazy