Aerial maneuvers in BASE

[GaryP 0]

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That is nice, although I never heard of anything called a foam pool. What altitude can you jump of, using a foam pool?
It sounds really nice, since falling on foam seems less painfull then falling on water.

You could probably go head-first into one from about 10' max. Ring around any major aquatic centre where they do dive-training and ask. If you find somewhere with one of those "pendulator" thingies Tom talks about then no doubt they'd have a foam-pool as well. They are great for practicing running exits, or doing minor aerobatics off a small platform (like a gym horse) or trampoline. They are similar in concept to those rooms full of plastic balls that parents love to huck their little kids into and watchem dissapear. I don't have a pic on-hand but will see if I can get one. TVPB & Dwain can be seen training in one on the old BASE vid - Beyond Extreme.

As for the clapped out ABA balloon - exits were usually from 400' to 800'. One day I put a sling over the rope when it was at about a 70degree angle and attempted a rope-slide down it - but the sling broke from friction as soon as I got up some speed. Fun though - I was always thinking to myself "OK - mustn't get tempted to ride it all the way down..... gotta let go before 200'..."

g.

"Altitude is birthright to any individual who seeks it"

.

[cesslon 0]

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That is nice, although I never heard of anything called a foam pool. What altitude can you jump of, using a foam pool?
It sounds really nice, since falling on foam seems less painfull then falling on water.

You could probably go head-first into one from about 10' max. Ring around any major aquatic centre where they do dive-training and ask. If you find somewhere with one of those "pendulator" thingies Tom talks about then no doubt they'd have a foam-pool as well. They are great for practicing running exits, or doing minor aerobatics off a small platform (like a gym horse) or trampoline. They are similar in concept to those rooms full of plastic balls that parents love to huck their little kids into and watchem dissapear. I don't have a pic on-hand but will see if I can get one. TVPB & Dwain can be seen training in one on the old BASE vid - Beyond Extreme.

As for the clapped out ABA balloon - exits were usually from 400' to 800'. One day I put a sling over the rope when it was at about a 70degree angle and attempted a rope-slide down it - but the sling broke from friction as soon as I got up some speed. Fun though - I was always thinking to myself "OK - mustn't get tempted to ride it all the way down..... gotta let go before 200'..."

g.

Awesome , first time I seen the rope attached to the baloon I thought of that, you could try whack a Ubolt over the rope and have a handle made out of rope or what ever attached, and slide down (providing the steel U bolt will slide along the rope)

that way the bolt wont break and it can easily be removed later on, and it wont have any sharp edges.
let me know if ya ever try it

[leroydb 0]

or you could just as easy use a pulley

Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...

[cesslon 0]

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or you could just as easy use a pulley

that would be to easy, do ya think using a pulley would look as cool as using ya belt

[leroydb 0]

my bad... i forgot the "cool" aspect....

Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...

[NickDG 23]

>>"I never knew what my trampoline was capable of till he jumped on it" I think it was your tramp.
what kind of stuff was he doing on it ?
and what kind of stuff do you do on it ?<<

>>>Spellcheck! Dwain<<

Sorry, I knew the correct spelling; it's the Vicodin pain pills messing with my head.

As for the trampoline in my own backyard, it belongs to Anne H. and we used it to play around on, but not really for BASE purposes. In those days "aerials" in BASE jumping were mostly unintentional screw ups.

The few really doing them, and this is years before Dwain appeared on the scene, are the Harrison twins, Mark H. and a few others. It's mostly front and back flips, but at the time it was impressive and they were light years ahead of the rest of us.

However, at the time no one had made the connection between BASE and real gymnastics. Of course we'd seen high divers and their routines, but it never occurred to any of us that with practice we could do the same. In fact, and I'm not trying to offend anyone, aerials to us were what style jumpers are doing on the drop zone, and it had a pixie-girlish quality to it that didn't sit well.

It took people like Dwain, along with a newer generation of BASE jumpers who got excited about it, to change that perception.

When he first came to visit us in Perris, California I'd already heard of him but it was like okay, another "bleeding Aussie" tramping the world. That idea changed after I met him. We talked, we laughed, we ate, we watched his vids and when I turned in for the night I said to Anne, "This guy represents a new wave in the sport of BASE jumping." And she answered, "Well, that's a good thing."

I went to sleep that night knowing my generation was now behind the curve.

The next morning Dwain showed us what a training aid trampolines could be. He dazzled us with his gymnastic ability and Anne became an eager pupil.

I liked Dwain on many levels, but I really got off on the fact he cared about the history of the sport, and we talked for hours about the Boenish's and the early days. It's easy to say this now, but I really felt at the time, this was a guy who would leave the sport better off than when he found it. Dwain, to a new generation of BASE jumpers, was what Carl Boenish was to us old-timers . . .

NickD BASE 194

[Jasmin 0]

Jimmy and I train in platform and springboard diving at the Sydney Olympic Pools (at least) twice a week, year round.

The body awareness and confidence it gives you is priceless and the coaches now know what we want to train for/learn. They're really good about new BASE jumpers turning up and joining the class. On a quiet night, a quarter of the class might be jumpers.

xj

"I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

[GaryP 0]

If your looking for one of these in your area they seem to be common in gymnastics training centres. They're more correctly called "foam pits" and a google search should reveal one close to you. They range from 7' - 12' deep and usually have some kind of vaulting equipment or a trampoline next to them.

Pictures attached.

As for the rope slide - yeah a pulley or U-bolt would've been much better than the bunch of socks I had slung over the rope. It was a pretty spontaneous decision and being in the outback - I just grabbed whatever was at hand for the job. Will be better prepared for it next time.

g.

"Altitude is birthright to any individual who seeks it"

.

[base587 0]

What's the story on Bob Neely (sp?)

Didn't he cross over his skills from high diving to BASE?

[cesslon 0]

who is currently the best at ariels ?
I know "the best" is somthing usually not like to be used on here
but some1 has to be seen as the best of the best, so who currently is ?

[martin245 0]

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who is currently the best at ariels ?
I know "the best" is somthing usually not like to be used on here
but some1 has to be seen as the best of the best, so who currently is ?

Are you looking for a coach or do you just want to start a controversy?

M

[cesslon 0]

haha
nah I just wanted a name so I know who's videos to look for.
or atleast if there isnt a universally recognised best, in whats peoples own oppinions on who is the best ?

[NickDG 23]

>>nah I just wanted a name so I know who's videos to look for. <<

That's a fair enough question. But on the other hand when someone is the best, and they start feeling the pressure to remain the best, I'm not sure that's a healthy thing in BASE jumping.

To answer your question I don't know who it is right now. But I kinda hope it's someone we've never heard of and someone who dosen't even bother with video . . .

NickD BASE 194

[TomAiello 25]

I don't think there is a recognized single "best" aerialist at the moment.

If you are looking for people to watch on video, dig up some Dwain video. Or find some footage of Slim.

If you want to see really good aerobatic maneuvers, you probably ought to just go watch a University diving competition. Those folks are waaaay better than any BASE jumper.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[cesslon 0]

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If you want to see really good aerobatic maneuvers, you probably ought to just go watch a University diving competition. Those folks are waaaay better than any BASE jumper.

yeah but the arnt like a couple of thousend feet up, with a rock wall behind them and have to deploy there chute in time to live, its the xtreme factor more so then just a human body flipping around.

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If you are looking for people to watch on video, dig up some Dwain video. Or find some footage of Slim.

Speaking of dwain footage I love his double front flip with a twist followed by a back flip then 1 second canopy ride off the bridge on the 2002 ABA video, atleast I assume its dwain, there is no close up camera view, but as far as the hair and the skill goes Ill assume its him.

in that jump his chute sure did take quite a while to deploy, he was still flipping backwards as it was trying to inflate, I just love how it inflates then goes splash right at the edge of the river

thats stuff ya cant get at a Pool.

so there is no 1 person who contiually appears in the top 3 at competitions ?

[TomAiello 25]

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yeah but the arnt like a couple of thousend feet up, with a rock wall behind them and have to deploy there chute in time to live, its the xtreme factor more so then just a human body flipping around.

Ah, yes, the "Xtreme Factor."

The divers actually have it harder, in a way, because they have to time the maneuver to end when they hit the water. A BASE jumper gets to pick where the "water" (i.e. deployment) occurs, so he can just pitch when he finishes the maneuver.

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so there is no 1 person who contiually appears in the top 3 at competitions ?

There haven't been enough competitions to say, and besides, it's not like everyone shows up at them.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[crwper 7]

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yeah but the arnt like a couple of thousend feet up, with a rock wall behind them and have to deploy there chute in time to live, its the xtreme factor more so then just a human body flipping around.

It's been a while since I saw Dwain doing aerials. But watching, for example, Jeb's video, what I'm struck by is the athleticism of the sort of aerials you describe (e.g. front, front, back, back, front, pull, or whatever). I've never spent much time checking out diving competitions, but after watching a bunch of BASE aerials, I think I might have a new appreciation for them. Maybe BASE aerials are like a "gateway drug".

Michael

[Thijs 0]

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It's been a while since I saw Dwain doing aerials.

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 Thijs

[TomAiello 25]

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I wonder if there are video's (to buy is ok) where there is footage of Dwain Weston doing aerials?

Beyond Extreme is available from Apex in Perris (click on the "accessories" section).

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[cesslon 0]

basejump.org
the 2001 video "fist full of f111"
and 2002 vid "a few jumps morE" have some cool footage of dwain, 2003 id assume would as it has some of his memorial, so would most likely contain his jumps.

[Thijs 0]

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I lived right near a pool with dive board when I was young, I seen some kids do some front flips, so I started doing them , was doing them all the time, then 1 day I stuffed up and landed on me back, was a big SLAP!!!, the whole place heard it, hurt a little.
then after that I could never do a flip lol.

I tried but I just couldn't, I'd jump and start to flip forward then at the last minute pull out of it

was 1 of those things where ya brain says "I dont think so , remember last time."

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

[Jasmin 0]

I've got a wad of footage I filmed at the last meet in Malaysia. Some good stuff, some ordinary stuff and some downright scary stuff....

If you get a hold of Slim's tribute video, there's some aerials on it. To see someone 6ft+ do a perfect pike is really something!!!

xj

"I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

[Tyrion 0]

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To see someone 6ft+ do a perfect pike is really something!!!

There's hope for me yet!

6'3 dammit. Flexability something i gotta work on!

[Jasmin 0]

Have you considered coming to dive training at Homebush?

xj

"I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

[Tyrion 0]

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Have you considered coming to dive training at Homebush?

No time in my schedule for it at the moment, but definitely will when things ease up a bit. :)