Bridge Day News Article

[base428 1]

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buying some acreage beneath the NRGB...what is the status of that?

Both Jeb and I put in separate bids at different times for a portion of the 90 acres. Both were not accepted. I feel we were pawns used to sell the entire 90 acres. They wanted people to bid on it to develop a price for the entire tract. They eventually sold all 90 acres for $250,000. I am now negotiating with the new landowner and things are looking pretty good for next year.

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"Cal Hite with the Park Service says this is the third time he's asked the group to get the insurance."

This is the biggest line of BS that I have ever heard. The NPS routinely waives the insurance and they even remind me to submit my waiver request each year. We have ALWAYS waived the insurance. This is Calvin's way of attacking us. Also, Calvin likes to say that he "went to bat for us back in 2002 with the 10-year policy waiver." If he didn't get the policy waiver, the locals would have showed up with pitchforks and torches.

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perhaps someone who was there might post about the year when bungee jumping was part of the festivities.

The year was 1993 and I waited all day to jump. The bungee guys were dropping 7 people in a homemade steel basket and their preparation halted jumping for over an hour. Jumpers were very upset. One bungee jumper injured his spleen when the basket shifted prior to release. You could hear his screams for about 100 yds at least. Needless to say, bungee at Bridge Day probably won't ever happen again.

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have there been any new requirements or restrictions on the rappellers?

Yes. Just this year, rappellers were forced to pay the same $10 per participant fee that jumpers pay. This payment goes to the local Chamber of Commerce. I heard through the grapevine that they were thinking of raising it to $20, but the rappelling organizer and I both agreed to quit if that happens.

I heard yesterday that the local businesses are very worried about the NPS shakedown. I think my people have opened their eyes to what is really going on and also to the fact that they need us to be there every year.

Here in WV, the NPS insurance requirement has been major front page news. It was in all the newspapers, TV, radio, etc. I think we got their attention.....

(c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted. <==For the media only

[NickDG 23]

I was staff the year of the bungee bucket thing. They asked for twenty minutes and it took them three times as long. And when they did get it together and dropped, it was a big yawner . . .

I don't remember the bungee fellow's name, but I asked him, "Gee, what's for next year, eight in the bucket?" We were livid, the jumpers in line are beside themselves, and the spectators are hating the delay in the action. Andy had something to do with the bungee thing and we gave him an earful about it later. From now on nothing stops jumping except the normal reasons, and walking out of Andy's room someone added, "And no more freaking weddings, either!"

NickD BASE 194

[vid666 0]

here is a shot from BD 04. I am guessing those funny-hat-wearing people are the rangers.

there's 5 of them standing around in that shot. And the same 5 are standing around in all the pics I snapped in 30 minutes...

just some factual evidence of what the rangers do and why NPS needs to have 5 of them present.

Please by all means correct me if I got anything wrong.

[dmcoco84 4]

Hey Jason,

Would it be possible (and/or any help) to show these types of pictures to the BDC (or whoever has the most pull, federal level also?…) to show that the NPS already have that many rangers in the landing area and that they are full of s**t in the facts that they say that have to bring in more rangers and that it will cost them that much more to do so. Maybe if we can get pics of not only 2004 but earlier years also it will show that they have been doing it all along and have never felt the need to impose extra bs costs on us BASE jumpers.

D

[NickDG 23]

All they do is infiltrate and gather intelligence.

And they want us to pay for it . . . !

NickD
BASE 194

[NickDG 23]

BTW, I took that photo at BD something or other and that's John Hoover in the black overcoat looking at his toes and wondering, "what the F is going on here . . ."

NickD BASE 194

[kleggo 138]

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All they do is infiltrate and gather intelligence.

And they want us to pay for it . . . !

NickD
BASE 194

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with that ugly weather and the unhapy faces, that must have been the year we refused the permit to jump due to the high river water conditions.

kleggo

[avenfoto 0]

and those fucking hats.....

[NickDG 23]

Yes, I think this photo is taken just prior to the "mutiny" when about 40 people jumped anyway. The wind is howling, the river's high and running fast, there's no sand bar and no shoreline. Jean's main concern is keeping the hundred or so first timers out of the air and there's no way to do that had she accepted the permit. Jean took a lot of heat that year, but she did good. Had jumping commenced in earnest it would have been the year of the "carnage" at Bridge Day . . .

NickD BASE 194

[Treejumps 0]

How about a land on a ranger comp this year?

[vid666 0]

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How about a land on a ranger comp this year?

On a serious note, since so many of us jump video, and probably have stills - I say lets keep on videoing/taking pics of what rangers are doing throughout the event - I bet most of the film will show them doing NOTHING. I woudl venture to guess having that on film can be worth something when they claim how much extra staff they need ...

just a thought

[sitflybaseboy 0]

Here is what I have to say about the NPS and their new expenses..
Them, Them..... you guys know the rest! Perrine ROCKS, 24-7-365, and NO FEES. Enough said!
321CYA
Sitflybaseboy

BASE 1043 Night BASE 160
BASE is to skydivers as skydiving is to whuffos