Very low pull en Suisse

[Dman 0]

Hello Kevin Mcguire!!!
I hope you are well.Send me an e mail at this address [email protected] I have nothing important to tell you but I interested to hear how you are.Take big care Vrank LP

[freakydiver 0]

I personally really respect the low pullers out there in base that are practiced and good at it - not to say that is what happened here - more of an off tangent remark.

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

[NickDG 23]

There was a time in skydiving when some deaths are being attributed to "target fixation." I never totally agreed with that theory and thought it a catch all answer when no one could figure out what a person was doing instead of deploying. Wingsuit skydivers (as a rule) just don't go low enough to become entranced.

Now if a rogue DZ opened somewhere that catered only to low pulling wing suited skydivers they'd probably catch up in a hurry . . .

The phenomenon however, seems very real in wingsuit BASE jumping. And why?

Because jumpers are being seduced by the very thing that brought them to BASE jumping in the first place. While I've never experienced it myself, skimming along low in a wingsuit is probably the closest thing to the dreams we've all had about flight.

Peter Garrison, a writer for FLYING magazine, said it like this;
"In occasional dreams I run hard and then with a strenuous and indescribable motion of the thorax, I launch myself into flight. I remain airborne through sheer concentration, sweeping along close to the ground. The sensation is profoundly pleasurable and I have never found a way to duplicate it in waking life."

NickD BASE 194

[K763 0]

Hey KevDaddy...

Check your private messages...

Thx.
K

[nicknitro71 0]

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While I've never experienced it myself, skimming along low in a wingsuit is probably the closest thing to the dreams we've all had about flight.

I could not agree more Nick. Hence the thrill of swooping, fast low passes flying an ariplane, and such. In full flight at altidude there is no point of reference. The closer to the ground the more the notion of speed becomes clear.

It's all relative...

Memento Audere Semper

903

[NickDG 23]

Kent Lane, first off on Carl Boenish's 1978 El Cap load said, "For the first time in my jumping career, I was dosed with pure velocity . . ."

NickD BASE 194

[skreamer 1]

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Hold on, you can't claim you speakz breetish iingleesh

Your moer - I has deeplomatik immoonity!

[outrager 6]

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P.S. I did pull in a respectable altitude on the Brento-jump, so i could have grown a bit...

Johnny, you rule!

P.S. We can discuss "growing up" in detail over a few lines sometime this summer

bsbd!

Yuri.

[skypuppy 1]

Someone else said they tracked so far away from the cliff they couldn't get that sensation of speed anymore, so they turned around and tracked back at it!

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[veter_ 0]

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Someone else said they tracked so far away from the cliff they couldn't get that sensation of speed anymore, so they turned around and tracked back at it!

I hope they got nice 180 on opening

[Johnnyb 0]

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P.S. We can discuss "growing up" in detail over a few lines sometime this summer
bsbd! - Yuri.

I'm looking forward to that Yuri, altso got some nice new stuff just up you alley. It's Pretty, it's hight and it's jumpable Nice mix

Play Safe

/Johnnyb

[toni 0]

I don't know what is more stupid, "Pulling low", "posting those videos here" or "thinking that this is cool"...

Maybe I am just as old and conservative as Gil ;-)...

[Johnnyb 0]

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I don't know what is more stupid, "Pulling low", "posting those videos here" or "thinking that this is cool"...

On my personal "stupid-scale" that would be "Pullong low" & "posting those videos here" My problem is that i think a combination is kind of cool and you girls yapping about it still makes my day, let's play (had to sneak in a rime there...)

[subterminal 0]

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I don't know what is more stupid, "Pulling low", "posting those videos here" or "thinking that this is cool"...

Well, personally I both posted the video here, and still find it pretty cool. I've already admitted to not being one who pulls low, but I can't help but being fascinated by those who have a lot of experience and are able to conduct those kind of jumps. I remember watching a video of DW passing through the wires of an antenna in the States, flying his WS, pulling real low. DW is the most skilled and talented base jumper I ever met. Also this might differ from what some other jumpers think, but I saw him as a safe base jumper too. He was pushing the envelope, but everything was well planned and he had the skills. Watching his jumping was, and still is, an amazing thing for me.

Same goes for the French Soul Flyer who flew down the hills with his wingsuit in Verbier very, very close to the ground. This is something along the same lines. An extremely talented person, who can do this and make it something great. Because it's obvious it's not a stunt, but rather a well planned flight. He was even named skydiver of the year for that jump.

To me it's a great inspiration and a lot of fun to watch these videos, but I know a lot of people I wouldn't have liked to see doing the same stuff. Myself included. Base jumping is an activity with relatively small margins and taking it low doesn’t help improving these. However: from time to time someone does jumps where they’re humming it down, or does something that most of us will never experience. I wouldn’t say this is sensible, but still – for me - this is inspiring and I personally find it cool as long as every thing goes well and it’s “the right person for the job”; others might find it shocking or provocative. We’re all different, and it’s all good.

I like life best when I’m laughing and inspired. Having friends like JB makes this an easy task
CJ =)

[BASE813 0]

its not big
its not clever
its not cool
its just very fucking lucky

just a hesitation or a fumble away from getting a nice sub100 number.......

[Johnnyb 0]

Taking about friends CJ, just doing some spring cleaning and found the storry about "jonas & jeg" from you and erika. Just got to say; "Can i eat that flower..."

[subterminal 0]

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Taking about friends CJ, just doing some spring cleaning and found the storry about "jonas & jeg" from you and erika. Just got to say; "Can i eat that flower..."

Holly molly
Flower power...

CJ =)

[robibird 2]

Nice CJ [;)
I was sad Icause I couldn’t join you guys that weekend at wall…
When I am thinking about low pulls which were done by my friends and by my self, I can only say that it happens occasionally and that common to all those pulls were the fact that we were 100% concentrate on that.
I would never recommend to anyone to perform that, but we all know that this is part of the BASE too.
...so all in all be careful and try to be convinced that you know what you doing!

PS. I can't forget Jeb's WS low pull in CH few years ago!
This one I need to find somewhere and post, because this was the shortest canopy ride I ever saw in my life. (have no intention to open the competition here, just saying -it was totally cool to see that)

Robert Pecnik
[email protected]
www.phoenix-fly.com

[434 2]

Just want to follow up low pulls! Low pulls happens more often now than before, and like Robert say, you have to make a good plan if you intend to pull low! I know Johnny did his homework before he made this jump, but it can quick turn very very wrong! Lately we had two water landings at our favorite cliff! And both was due to low pulls! Case one he have an old canopy, and it snivels alittle bit in the opening, land in the water! The second one missed his pilot chute, thought he had pulled, but nothing happend, and he found the pilotchute in the pocket, he pulls, get canopy, and land in the water! Both of this happenings could have gone much worse!


Low pulls can go wrong:

If you you have a pilotchute delay!
If you have a snivel opening!
if you miss the pilotchute!
If you hit building,rocks, trees etc in the landing!
If you have an linetwist!
And water can easily kill you if you do not have an rescue boat!


And now my questions:

What if you have an 180 opening, and a fast flight like Johnny had?
What if you have cross wind slightly from back, and you open down wind?
What can these to scenarios do to your opening?

I just love to see pics and vids like this, I also like to have my friends still with me on the next jump!

---

[subterminal 0]

Yesterday I had a longer talk with two of my friends on the very subject we are discussing here and got some new inputs. They are both highly experienced skydivers, one of them with some base experience. In Norway the base-scene is rather big, and we all know a lot of long-timers and newbies to the sport. It was interesting to take the discussion on a different level rather than if it’s cool or not.

What I gather from the views shared in this thread is that everyone clearly understand and agree that pulling low, intentional or not, is adding a significant extra potential for serious injury or death. Safety is a core value in our activity, and obviously this kind of jumping should not be encouraged or lobbied. Hence some simply find it stupid while others think it’s quite cool to watch these jumps. Inbetween there are shades of grey.

What my friends were more concerned with was the effect these kind of videos can have on less experienced and new jumpers. If highly profiled, and other experienced jumpers, are pro this type of jumping in an open forum, could it be that we send signals that the more risky type of jumping - like some aerials and low pulls – is something that will increase your chances of gaining credibility in the base community? Could it then be that some jumpers would choose to attempt jumps they are not qualified for solely for the purpose of getting their back padded? If so would it be more correct to avoid making these videos accessible for the general public and enjoy them amongst experienced jumpers only – or make sure that inexperienced jumpers are getting the right commentary and inputs while watching them? Or is it so that a discussion like the one going here now is sufficient to give people enough inputs to understand the risks involved and the mindset of those performing high risk jumps?

If we compare base jumping to say alpine skiing, it would be impossible for me to copy a run by the greatest athlets. If I were using the exact same kind of equipment, it would take years and years of training before I even got close to the level they’re at, but I’m certain I would never get there. Same goes with climbing. It takes a lot of training and experience to climb the very famous wall in the beautiful national park in CA. Jumping it and pulling very low I could do on my first jumps...

It’d be interesting to hear what people think of the responsibility we as jumpers who have been around to those with less experience and air-time.

CJ =)

[TomAiello 25]

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...some simply find it stupid while others think it’s quite cool to watch these jumps...

I think it's really a matter of personal choice. If you know, and accept, the extra risk, then you are making a choice. If, on the other hand, you are an inexperienced jumper who is doing it to be "cool" without really understanding the risks, I think that's not not so good.

I think that very many experienced jumpers have done things like this, or gone through stages where they were doing these kinds of things all the time.

I do understand the problems with setting an example, and they are large, but my opinion has been that most of the experienced people I see doing these types jumps are not doing them for the effect on the onlookers (i.e. they don't care if the jumpers watching think it's "cool", they are doing it for themselves). So long as you're not doing it specifically to impress newbies with how "cool" you are, I don't think you're going too far. You should still consider the site (and potential effects on other jumpers of the extra risks you are taking--so avoid access sensitive sites with these jumps).

I do not think that we can eliminate this type of jumping. Even if we could, eliminating it might fundamentally alter the feel of BASE jumping. This kind of risk taking is part and parcel of who we are and what we do. Would we, or BASE, be the same without it?

Without eliminating this, though, we can control it. That means we can do it in places where an accident will have minimal effect on other jumpers (i.e. the site will stay open), and in ways that will not encourage new jumpers (who may not fully understand all the risks) to emulate it.

I think that perhaps this is the reason that you sometimes appear to see very different reactions to this kind of thing, depending on the jumper, and the circumstances of the jump.

In this particular case, the cause for concern I see (on the above criteria) is that the two Swiss jumpers to have posted both expressed concern I wonder if this has to do with their concern for access issues in the area, and the effect an accident might have on them?

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com