0
MarsGirl

exposure for WS landing (MEGASTUNT on ABC)

Recommended Posts

I debated on whether to post this here, general discussions, or the bonfire and if anyone feels it should be moved feel free to do so.

I also tried to come up with a better subject, but I couldn't keep it short enough.

I just finished watching MEGASTUNT on ABC where Nik Wallenda walked across Niagra Falls on a tightrope. The stunt itself was excruciatingly boring to me, I skipped through 75+% of the actual stunt, but the show as a whole was interesting enough.

Nik Wallenda talked about how he's been in the process of trying to make this happen for over two years and how he repeatedly hit roadblocks before finally getting everything lined up.

I also read an article where he was talking about not wanting to wear the safety harness and he was asked if there was a possibility he would take it off once he was on the wire. He said he wouldn't because it was ABC, the network that was making this possible (at least financially), that was requiring it and he foresaw a future partnership with them. Low and behold, at the end of the stunt the hosts were asking him about his next endeavor and were already hyping it.

All of this got me thinking about Gary Connolly's recent WS landing and the lack of much wuffo media coverage.

It also got me thinking about Jeb and all the years of networking and promoting himself to the media he's done.

I don't want to take anything away from Gary. He did something that people(with Jeb being one of the most vocal) have been talking about trying to do for many years now. Something that many people said would never be done. He was the first person to land a WS and he deserves all the accolades for it.

However, I can't help but believe that "IF" Jeb were the first to do it, he would have made it into a significant production and not just a WS landing in a big empty field that very few people outside of our industry know about.

As insane as a lot of people think Jeb is when he talks about what drives him and his passion for life, he is great in front of a camera with a wuffo asking him, "why in the world do you do this?"

Again, as it stands right now, Gary did it and Jeb talked about it a lot. I just wish it could have been as magical as Jeb made it sound.

When Jeb talked about doing it, it made me conjure up images of the Vegas strip on New Years Eve. Lights, cameras, and people everywhere. A goliath ramp plastered with corporate logos. John Brenkus doing a segment about all the little intricacies that will effect the stunt. Jeb standing up after it's over, looking into the camera, and telling all the kids to follow their dreams.

Gary, awesome job!

Jeb, you inspire me!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Perhaps Gary did it for Gary, as a self-challenge.
Many people likely don't know that Gary paid for most of his experience himself.
I suspect it wasn't about "getting famous" and "being glitzy and glamorous" or even being "bad-ass." Otherwise, he'd have been calling media all along with the song of "I'm about to do something really spectacular."

But he didn't.

Nothing can be "taken away" from Gary, because he quietly told a few he was going to do it, he quietly trained for it, and he quietly accomplished exactly what he set out to accomplish.
And is still quite humble about what he did, what no one has ever done before him, and what no one can ever do again the way he did it.

At the end of the day, it was a bunch of friends that helped assemble boxes, a man chasing his own challenge, and media/fame didn't matter.
I'd submit that Gary's motivations were diametrically opposed to those of others.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Perhaps Gary did it for Gary, as a self-challenge.



There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way Gary did it and I wasn't trying to say the way he did it was wrong.

I just know that in cities and towns across America tonight, there were kids watching a man that had so much passion for what he was doing and he was telling them to follow their dreams.

I don't know what Jeb's motivations are. He may very well simply be looking for fame and fortune. However, when he talks he comes off as very passionate and inspirational. I heard him once say that it's very hard to find something that no one has ever done and he aspires to do just that.

I believe that when you are doing something that has never been done. Something that is impossible in most of the worlds eyes. You owe it to the world to show them it can be done.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote


All of this got me thinking about Gary Connolly's recent WS landing and the lack of much wuffo media coverage.

It also got me thinking about Jeb and all the years of networking and promoting himself to the media he's done.

I don't want to take anything away from Gary. He did something that people(with Jeb being one of the most vocal) have been talking about trying to do for many years now. Something that many people said would never be done. He was the first person to land a WS and he deserves all the accolades for it.

However, I can't help but believe that "IF" Jeb were the first to do it, he would have made it into a significant production and not just a WS landing in a big empty field that very few people outside of our industry know about.



I´m taking a wild guess here that you are not a base jumper your self... You would actually be surprised if you would know just how many people there are out there doing some incredible things with wingsuits and never ever promoting it to anyone, not wuffos and not even fellow jumper. Because their motivation to do it is to do it for themselves. And to no-one else. Take the famous canyon in central europe for an example. This may come to you as a surprise but Jeb was not the first one to fly through it and it actually is considered (among the experienced and skilled jumpers) as not really a difficult flight. I´m guessing that several tens of people had done the line before Jeb but he for sure was the first to expose it to the wuffos. Actually some of the people I consider as to be among the best pilots in the world no longer even fly that line regularly as there are far more interesting lines on the same mountain to fly.

Jeb is an average wingsuit pilot but a master of self promoting and sales. And for that he has to be given credit for. He has taken feats that are considered quite "average" in the experienced jumper community and sold them to the general public in a way that makes him look like a superhero (and most likely made him quite a nice pile of cash in the side as well).

Gary then again made a feat that is considered to be quite far "out there" and he did it quietly, on his on, just to show that it can be done. And for that he deserves my deepest respect.
http://www.ufufreefly.com

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I debated on whether to post this here, general discussions, or the bonfire and if anyone feels it should be moved feel free to do so.

I also tried to come up with a better subject, but I couldn't keep it short enough.

I just finished watching MEGASTUNT on ABC where Nik Wallenda walked across Niagra Falls on a tightrope. The stunt itself was excruciatingly boring to me, I skipped through 75+% of the actual stunt, but the show as a whole was interesting enough.

Nik Wallenda talked about how he's been in the process of trying to make this happen for over two years and how he repeatedly hit roadblocks before finally getting everything lined up.

I also read an article where he was talking about not wanting to wear the safety harness and he was asked if there was a possibility he would take it off once he was on the wire. He said he wouldn't because it was ABC, the network that was making this possible (at least financially), that was requiring it and he foresaw a future partnership with them. Low and behold, at the end of the stunt the hosts were asking him about his next endeavor and were already hyping it.

All of this got me thinking about Gary Connolly's recent WS landing and the lack of much wuffo media coverage.

It also got me thinking about Jeb and all the years of networking and promoting himself to the media he's done.

I don't want to take anything away from Gary. He did something that people(with Jeb being one of the most vocal) have been talking about trying to do for many years now. Something that many people said would never be done. He was the first person to land a WS and he deserves all the accolades for it.

However, I can't help but believe that "IF" Jeb were the first to do it, he would have made it into a significant production and not just a WS landing in a big empty field that very few people outside of our industry know about.

As insane as a lot of people think Jeb is when he talks about what drives him and his passion for life, he is great in front of a camera with a wuffo asking him, "why in the world do you do this?"

Again, as it stands right now, Gary did it and Jeb talked about it a lot. I just wish it could have been as magical as Jeb made it sound.

When Jeb talked about doing it, it made me conjure up images of the Vegas strip on New Years Eve. Lights, cameras, and people everywhere. A goliath ramp plastered with corporate logos. John Brenkus doing a segment about all the little intricacies that will effect the stunt. Jeb standing up after it's over, looking into the camera, and telling all the kids to follow their dreams.

Gary, awesome job!

Jeb, you inspire me!



the other thing you need to take into account over here in the UK the funding and sponsorships are shit nearly non existent compared to the USA he paid for 90% of the stunt because nobody wanted to pay for the boxes etc

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Very well said. BASE is one of those sports that follows along with many extreme sports where you know people that blow your mind who have no sponsors, and people that are average who get tons of media. I guess its all in how much youre willing to whore yourself out.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I have to say that the humbleness and lack of media whoring by Gary inspire me, even more than his jump.

In our time of overexposure, media craving, I wanna be famous culture. It is a breath of fresh air that someone did something so challenging with his own money and the help of his friends. No big money, no f'n commercials and fake hype.

Jeb is a nice guy, a good jumper. But as has been said, the jumpers out there doing much more amazing flights for themselves , fun and challenge with no desire for media coverage inspire me way more than Jeb ever will...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Part of the reason why Jeb would've been forced to make into a big-ass media show is the fact that his plan required millions in sponsorship money and all the sponsors would've required to make it into a huge show to get some money back from their investment.
Your rights end where my feelings begin.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
All and all, everything needs at least 1 person with exposure. They don't need to be the best at it. All they need to do is show it's potential. Jeb has completed this job with flying colors.

I've been interested in human flight as sort of a Sci-Fi dream all my life, but if it wasn't for Jeb, I would have NEVER of seen where the world of wingsuits have gotten to today, and thus I wouldn't have this new found goal in life. It goes much deeper then that for me, so I couldn't thank Jeb enough for his exposure.

It also keeps more new people coming to DZ's for lessons thus giving them funds for new equipment.

And about Redbull. Redbull is awesome. I see you guys hating them. But why?
Derek Jeter gets paid $18.9million dollars a year to hit a little ball around a field. I think it's ridiculous that these guys make so much money, when in the extreme sports world, these people are doing much more spectacular things, and not making a dime from it!

I like Redbull, because they support the sports that really matter.

There is nothing wrong with promoting dreams.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I know what you mean! I was watching a video Dave Barlia jumping angel falls, and one of the comments on the video was, "Jeb Corliss is the best in the world". All I can do is shake my head. It's one of the unfortunate side effects.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
This thread has actually nothing to do with Red Bull, only because someone has hijacked it.
It started all about the question if it wouldn't have been better if Jeb Corliss would have landed a wingsuit as the first human ever because of it's media attention and not Gary Connery..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

This thread has actually nothing to do with Red Bull, only because someone has hijacked it.
It started all about the question if it wouldn't have been better if Jeb Corliss would have landed a wingsuit as the first human ever because of it's media attention and not Gary Connery..



While this isn't exactly the reason for my post, when it gets down to the bones of it all, I guess this is the real question.

What got me thinking about this was a highwire stunt across Niagra Falls; I didn't know there were still people doing highwire stunts outside of the circus.

Could our sport have benefitted if the WS landing had a little more wuffo attention behind it, regardless of who did it?

Tony Hawk didn't have the respect of the "best" skateboarders in the 90's, but he's a big reason a large percentage of people know anything about that sport. Today, I imagine it's one of the most well know of the fringe sports.

Edited to add: Even taking it beyond our sport, because being good for our sport isn't what got me starting to think about it. Human flight is something very magical. It's something everyone thinks about at some point in their life; most people come to a point in their life when they start believing when everyone else says it's impossible. Even in our sport, there were FAR more doubters than believers when it came to landing a WS.

I have nothing against Gary and his reasons for wanting to do it. However, personally I believe that this is something that can be bigger than any one person and can be used to inspire a lot of people.

I feel like there is a lot of anti-Jeb, and people think he's out for fame. As I've said, I don't know him or his motivations. But, for me, when I see him give interviews or talk about what he does, I get the vibe that he's much more interested in reaching someone out there and inspiring them to do something amazing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote


Could our sport have benefitted if the WS landing had a little more wuffo attention behind it, regardless of who did it?



Gary Connery's stunt was shown on almost every major news outlet in Australia, and probably the UK and the US as well. It was all over the web, and in newspapers (actual printed newspapers!). The problem is that the media is already saturated with this sort of stuff courtesy of people using it to try and market their products.
It sounds like the sort of coverage you are envisaging is exactly the same footage but with Red Bull logos on every box. That doesn't add much for me.
Having said that though if Jeb had pulled his ramp stunt together I would have thought that was fucking awesome no matter how many Red Bull logos he had plastered to him. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

hey, there's a wingsuit race league that's starting in China around October...

If that goes well, they might be able to expand to the Middle East.

...then who knows, maybe more :)




I'm imagining WSer's flying through floating rings in the sky.
I fly and stuff, its fun!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0