Zennie

I've been on low downplanes and you get pretty good ground rush off them. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

We've had this discussion before at the dropzone, but I'll throw it out here for discussion as well. There's also a bit of disagreement as to whether the AD test accurately reflects one's skill as a freeflier. It definitely is a good measure of one's head down abilities, but what about all the other axes? Many people (myself included) feel the Millennium Dive/3D Award is a more accurate measure of one's all-around skills as a freeflier. So, if we're going to some up with an ideal test, why not have two parts? A ball component and a non-ball component? The ball component would be pretty much the same, but then add a 3-D award style dive to test all of the other aspects of flying. If it were structured right, and fully challenged the flier on all axes, I think it would be a more accurate reflection of overall ability and also a more satisfying achievement. Speaking of which.... hey Levin, I have another Vladiball still laying around. Wanna play with it sometime? - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

PM me if you might be in the Houston area. PS, hey Rodney, sorry we didn't hook up this weekend. You managed to hit me on a weird one. I'm normally not that squirrelly. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

The fabric distribution is more even, so you don't have a bunch of fabric catching air at the ankles and trying to rotate you backward. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

For a while, I was thinking they were slower. But after flying them a while I think they are faster. I really had trouble slowing down via daffy in them. I did find they were much better for sitflying than my regular FF pants though. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

In my experience they DO have an effect, just not in the way you would think. The vents haven't affected my HD flight, but the fact that there isn't so much loose fabric down by the ankles, as is the case with regular freefly pants, makes a difference. But that's just me. YMMV. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

Wonder which BASE jumpers they talked to. But yes, you are correct about the vents. I have a pair of BASE pantz and they have vents at the ankles and on the front side inner thighs. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

You don't? Maybe that's why I was so wasted last time I mixed alcohol & Darvocet. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

Wow! ~25% off! Reminds me of when I was in the Holiday Inn at last year's Bridge Day. There was a sign that said "BASE Jumpers Welcome!" in the lobby. I turned to my friend and said "Boy, you don't see signs like *that* very often!" - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

Or if you have the time, just make one. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

If we have a good mix of freefliers & belly fliers, it would make for a wild hybrid dive! - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

Just plain "mofo" to most people. I still need to work on the pantz a bit. My low average fall rate is 90MPH for a pantz tracking dive. TB99 was giving me some tips that I may try to put to use this weekend. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

Actually, I've never found them to inflate in a HD, and I've flown them extensively in freefly jumps. I like them as freefly pants, but they really don't offer any special performance features from a freefly perspective. But yeah you can track like a MOFO in them. It takes a bit of practice to get the pantz dialed in, because you tend to tip head down when you drive with the legs. It's a fine balancing act. I recently went back to my firefly freefly pants, believe it or not, because they have more drag for head down flying. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

It takes a lot of cajones to step forward and fess up to a mistake in front of everyone. Ya got class Jimmy. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

I'm there. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

Looks like she has a smile on her face. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

Except for TB99. who referred to it as the "baked potato" suit. Nice finally meeting you Kev. Glad you had a good time out here. Look forward to seeing you at BD! - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

I think the greatest gift you can give your children is independence: the conviction to be yourself, to follow your dreams, no matter what anybody else thinks. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

You have taught her well, my friend. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

In addition to making a bunch of hella-fun jumps this weekend at Ballunar, the Gravity Rats Freefly Revolution is branching out with three new Rat Number sub-categories. In order to be eligible for a Sub-Rat number, you must first have your Gravity Rat number. Current Sub-Rat categories are: BASE Rat; Bird Rat; and, most importantly Rat Bastard Yours truly is BASE Rat #1. Chris Salin (blue skies Rat #5) is Bird Rat #1. Nobody has had the dubious honor of receiving a Rat Bastard number yet. Viva la Revolution! - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

I'll throw in my $0.02, since BD '02 was also my first BASE jump (I now have 54, so I'm still a noobie). My first Bridge Day was one of the high points of my life, for many of the reasons stated previously. I made my first BASE jump there. I got to meet a bunch of experienced BASE jumpers for the first time. I learned a TON just by talking to people and asking questions. The biggest appeal of Bridge Day isn't the jumps, though they are obviously fun, it's the people. In the few days I was there I met some of the coolest, friendliest, most helpful people in the world. I felt totally at home. Where else will you be fumbling with you gear and have someone just walk up and say "Can I help you with that?". Where else can you hang out with about 50 other BASE jumpers, drinking a beer and watching people's new videos? Where else will you find folks running naked through the hallways... well, OK maybe you'll find THAT at a DZ as well. I always recommend Bridge Day to newcomers. It's high, beautiful, SAFE (by BASE standards), informative and just plain FUN! Plus, even if you go there not really knowing folks, you'll forge new friendships and maybe get some connections to mentors who can continue your training. I am SO looking forward to Bridge Day this year. I have a few jumps under my belt now, so I think I can have a little more fun this time instead of being scared sh$%less on the edge. A bunch of my friends will be there making their first jumps, so I get to share in the joy they're experiencing. And I get to see new friends I've made over the past year again. What's not to like? - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

Just to report back I just wanna say Ballunar was an absolute blast! Just wait till you guys see some of the killer video Kevin922 and TB99 got. Serious hardcore shiznitz!!! You guys rock!!!

That album is one of the many things that helped get me through my divorce. Evanescence rules. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

There have got to be other folks from Eloy who are going. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

Guess I should forward your love to Paul & Kimmy as well. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon