HELLvetic

Send me a PM when you are around here. Might be able to help with this one...or at least hook you up with a couple people... We will be there throughout the hollidays for some christmas and new years jumping.

Same goes for you Jimmy ! I'll be nice first and make it CLICKY for you. Respect to your videographer skills! _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

I do the low stuff to see if it can be done but I am not exactly fond of them. I do those jumps usually once. Especially since there are some many other high jumps to make around the area I live in. I like the scared "sh...less" feeling they give me. It's way more intense for me to be standing on a balcony at night, going handheld, 200 ft above the ground, with a crapy landing...than throwing a triple gainer on a 10 sec jump from a wall where the landing area is like a football field. And that's having done both. So to me really the kick in the low jumps is the "fear" and the intense relief you feel when your canopy bangs open 50ft above the ground... Then after I land I have this "Dam I am ALIVE!!!" feeling that is way more intense than on the high stuff. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

I took the one from Apex offere at the Perrine and it was solid. It's hard to compare since I never took another one... but Tom was running a course at the same time and his seemed just as solid... and added bonus it's free and you likely will eat some awsome steak! FJC's get you lots of useful info but don't get lured into thinking that you will be ready to take on any jumps after your course. They gives you the basic knowledge on the rigging and packing and give you the opportunity to make some jumps in a "relatively safe" environment to build up your confidence a little. But don't be fooled into thinking since you jumped from the Perrine you can go jump any cliffs or building... it a different ball game when there is a wall haulling ass behind you or an outcropping that you HAVE TO clear with your track ect... Your brain has to get used to these visuals and the first cliff jumps are nerve wracking. When I left my FJC I new absolutely nothing about slider up jumping, had never done a running exit, never did a longer delay than 2.5 secs, never transitioned from exit position to the tracking position required on most wall ect... all this you will have to learn later somehow. And it's a long and scary learning experience and it's never over. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Woww! Dude I'd be crapping my pants without a rig on... That's quite a sight! _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

My experience has been that if you depict the sport to your friends and relative in a positive, calculated way and that you keep the technical mumbo jumbo out of it, most people will really respect what I do. Heck people at work just ask me on Mondays: " Hey Chris did you go jumping this weekend?" and I Just reply: " yeah I went jumping, was lots of fun... what did you do this weekend?" Most people are quite ok with it because I depict it as a sport and not a wacko activity. Of course I get the occasional "You are crazy man!" But since most people know me as a reserved, shy, calculated, professional type of guy, they figure it can't be that crazy if I partake in it. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Here are two more pics of canopy inflation. Purpule canopy is a troll MDV 245 with a jumper 165 lbs. The gray canopy is a blackjack 260 with a jumper 160 lbs. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Now you are truely free... RIP. Sympathy to the loved ones you left behind. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Same as Dexter… I haven't quit, but I am definitely not all over it anymore. I tend to get irritated with the DZ politics . I like the freedom of making all the calls in the BASE environment. When I go skydiving, it's usually to test some new gear or to improve things for BASE. I don't really get the kick out of freeflying like I used to. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

This redefines the concept of the Nike "air" ... _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

I jump with a pair of ice climbing boots from Lasportiva. see them here They are relatively expensive boots but they have a hard sole so it gives you excellent support and protection when you come pounding in a rock. Added bonus they do not have any hooks and they are very light. These boots are also great hiking boots for those long sketchy approches. But if you are looking for an all around type of boots to also use on urban jumps there ought to be more appropriate boots out there. Anyways, just thought I'd add a pair to the list of good boots to chose from. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

That would be "towertopper". he might be willing to add some info to this thread. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Personally, I think trying to jump in pain, or with broken bones is down right stupid. I was not aware that base jumping was a pissing contest… This gives me the image of some dude with a metallica shirt on, a mullet and driving a beat up 69' camaro… You know the kind of dude that's is prime candidate for a Darwin award … I don't find some guy going :" HUH… HUH DUUUUUDE!!! Pass me the duct tape Bubba!!!. Gonna tape tha' suk'a up and I am gonna go make another jump!" bad ass. I find it stupid! Chad is right! Lets try to act in a way that shows us in a good light and refrain from the "Bu'bba" style comments. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

I am with Ronda on this one. It's all about balancing your life. Wether it be base jumping, football, or wathever activity makes you happy. If she is important to you you will find a way to make her feel important to you and she will be more inclined to respect your activities. Problem is base jumper tend to be not so balanced people… Good luck my friend! _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Ok... now I have a hard on!! _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

"Rant on" Come on people!!!have a bit of respect for the environment we jump in. It's really annoying to find pet bottles and various garbage at exit points. This very Sunday, we made a jump from the mushroom in switzerland and I was really disheartened to find some freaking tourist pamflet left right on top of the mushroom! For some reasons I don't believe it was left behind by some japanese tourists… I am getting really tired of jumping with my pockets full of garbage. Your ass is as good as mine to jump with your garbage!! If you suck so much at tracking that you think you will be affected by your trash in your pockets then don't bring it with you. Don't make someone else do it for you!!!! Same problem at Y.O in the swiss valley. Some garbage was hidden in a hole right next to the exit and some is still there cause I could not jump with all of it!!!! Come on, I am not trying to be mister super righteous here, but please have a bit of respect. It's not hard to do. Just think a little before you start walking to the exit point with three cans of energy drink, your lunch box and your sight seeing pamflets and your roll of duct tape… Next time I will snap a pic of whatever I bring down to illustrate my point a little… "Rant off" _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Hypothetically I guess it could be done... Not the way I would go about it, but feasible nonetheless. But soon or later, if you don't screw up/get hurt jumping alone, I think you will realize that BASE is a human adventure and that it makes much more sense when shared and lived with true friends. To me, at least, jumping is not the finality of this all...(I mean don't get me wrong, jumping is a crap load of fun!) but the bigger picture is the human adventure and the bonds that are created... to me that is what makes the whole experience so rewarding. So if you want to go about it by yourself, go right ahead! make sure you have few luck tickets to spare and you might survive the early stages. But after you jumped the same "easy/safer" objects 25 times in row by yourself you will realize that it's cool/ fun but now what??? Do another 25 jumps by yourself? I personally think that with enough motivation, dedication and time, you too can go about it the right way... Like Asylum puts it "Stay hungry and be prepared to travel" . Travel to the well known legal sites, and you will see that you will start to meet more and more people and if you fit the profile people will start to help. You might even find out there is a crew not far from where you live. But this is not going to happen if you don't put the necessary time in it. Base jumpers are a shy bunch of people and they look like they are in a closed community. It's not true! You just have to approach it the right way and show the right motivation. The ball is really hard to get rolling, but once it's rolling it goes faster and faster! Nothing that is worth having is easy to get!!! Motivation and hunger is what will get you where you want to be and what will help you stay there with more safety! Good luck! _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

I second diablopilot on that one...I don't even jump in this part of the world and I know which site you are talking about...the concerned people will get the info just with "the green monster". if they don't, then you don't need to worry about them jumping it anyways. Sorry to hear about that for the locals. Sometimes I'm darn happy I don't live there anymore and that base is pretty much legal(tolarated) over here. _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

things look better...

where there is no one around on this lovely friday evening... looks like the valley is all mine tomorrow It's really awefull to live only an hour from this place! sucks to be you!! _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Yeah I saw him once pack his rig in twin falls and the thing look like a NASA approved pack job and it really made me feel like crap... One of my friend here has his pack jobs dialed in as good as he does and it freaks me out when I see packs jobs that look so neat... I couldn't pack so neat even to save my life! I must have a pretty forgiving canopy... _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Part of the base experience is to dig your own hole in this community...no pun intended. It's not easy and don't count on anyone else to do it for you. At some point your gonna have to take the step and do whatever it takes to get there. It's just a matter of motivation! Don't expect that one day a dude's gonna show up at your doorstep with a packed rig and say "here buddy! let me lend you my rig and let me teach you how to base jump!" it doesn't work like that... There are so many wannabe's outthere... If you really want to do it, you will find a way! One way to get into it, is to take a first jump course. (which I did) and it then gives you a bit more credibility towards a mentor. Getting into base jumping is a lenghthy experience. and requires dedication and time. I can not tell you how many weekends i blew just walking around, figuring things out, and not jumping! with enough willpower, the right motivation and dedication... you'll get into it and then people will start to help. good luck! _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

Congratulation TK, You gonna love that rig! Thank you so much Marty. What you did is awsome! _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

I bought a ticket and three quarters LOL. I must be one of the dumb ones who did not realize I could buy two tickets... Forget it Nick that rig is mine... even with just my ticket and three/quarter !!! Your two tickets won't help you. Seriously guys... who ever can spare some dough please participate in the raffle. It's for a good cause!!! But forget about the rig... it's mine LOL _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters

All base rigs are single parachute systems to the exception of the "Sorcerer" I believe. But to answer your question quickly, yes some base rigs have a cutaway handle depending on wether you ordered your rig with a three ring system or L bars. I believe it's a good idea to have a cutaway handle in your base rig. It could be your only way to get off that pine tree you just landed on... or your only way to escape drawning if you land in a stream with running water... _________________________________________ Signature Max Size: 4 lines, 200 characters