Naming Base sites

[TomAiello 25]

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I'm unfamiliar with the bridge but is there some reason why talking about it is less of a problem than say the landmark I lived next to a few years ago?

Yes. If you read the post that Sean linked, you can see that I explain it this way:

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...with the exception of a few extremely popular legal sites suitable for beginners, where instruction and supervision are often available. Examples include the legal bridge in the Western United States, and the popular big wall in Southern Norway.

The reason, in short, is because there is easily available instruction and supervision at the site, which is pretty much continuously available. It's very difficult to show up at the span here without encountering one or more locals who can help you with equipment, exits, landing area and trails. The availablilty of experienced locals means that the chance for a mishap due to a total lack of knowledge or guidance is much lower than it would be in most other places.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[MooChooser 0]

As I said , I had read the post, including the passage you have quoted.

I was under the impression that jumping was only legal for a week or weekend each year or something like that.
If there's regular jumping taking place on a daily basis throuought the year, then obviously thats a different matter.
Thanks for explaining.

[littlestranger 0]

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Im going to assume that its better to piss you guys off by asking questions than to assume that the S in my back yard is something I can talk about because its in my back yard.

LOL! welcome to the BASE forum...i swear it's scarier than "incidents"...

[tfelber 0]

My turn...my turn...

You're still talking about two different bridges. The jist of the feedback you are receiving is "Do some research on your own" Don't come here asking questions that have been answered many times before and can easily be found with a little work.

Something I learned during my FJC is BASE jumping is not just dangerous, it's hard work. You don't just go to an exit point, throw on a rig, and make a jump. Most objects require a pretty good climb/hike not to mention the amount of work done by others to gain access in the first place. And then there is the personal preperation like packing and such. A one hour pack job for a 2 second freefall...

If you're not willing to put in the effort to do a little research you probably aren't going to like BASE very much or be given much info on your posts here...

[RhondaLea 3]

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LOL! welcome to the BASE forum...i swear it's scarier than "incidents"...

You can say that again.

More prickly than porcupines.

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[Zennie 0]

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You can say that again.

i swear it's scarier than "incidents"...

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More prickly than porcupines.

Or prickly pears....

And AS IF you are one to shy away from stepping up to the plate in this forum little Miss Asbestos Trousers.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[RhondaLea 3]

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And AS IF you are one to shy away from stepping up to the plate in this forum little Miss Asbestos Trousers.

Not so much anymore. I had a bad experience here awhile back, and now I spend most of my time in the Bonfire and SC.

I'll argue the issue until the horse is nothing but bones, but I won't argue me. Personality isn't the issue, but in this forum, it sometimes seems it's the only issue.

I can't be bothered with those who aren't smart enough to argue what's on the table and thus feel compelled to go straight for the ad hominem.

MooChooser is a good guy as far as I'm concerned, and the beating he has taken here for asking a friggin' question is idiotic given that this is a goddam message board.

rl

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[MB38 0]

One thing I've found in my short time [I'm new to skydiving but I've been loosely involved in the BASE community for about 4 years] is that the source of the difficulty for newcomers to accept the "no naming" rule [not just on these forums but in general] comes from a fairly understandable place.

BASE is young, no matter how you look at it. Many folks out there are first or second generation jumpers... "pioneers"... or those mentored by "pioneers". When they started, there wasn't nearly as much heat. Sites were named for many reasons. The community was small! Almost everybody knew everybody. People were still figuring stuff out. Nobody was afraid that somebody with the wrong equipment and no experience would flick it off of their local A... because that's exactly what they were doing.

So the sport grows and there is an undeniable need to move on from these roots. Everything is different from those days... the people, the equipment, the mindset, the heat and the publicity.

So what are newcomers to do? They look back on the sport's history and see something entirely different than what they're being told. The direction that things are heading is undeniably better than where they were, but it's effectively a transition period. Even those who are [heavy quotes] "making the rules" aren't fully certain of what to recommend. And, of course, it's best to err on the side of safety. When people run a public forum, well, more so.

It's like a teenager asking his parents why he isn't allowed to go out at night. They were allowed to go out when they were his age, why can't he??? Well, things are different.

So there's another angle. Obviously consider the source, but that's a little sliver of what I've noticed in my minute experience.

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[TVPB 0]

Hi Moochooser.

There are lots of reasons for not naming sites. Some are selfish, some are showing concern for the safety of others, some are to protect fragile environments, some are due to established relationships with local authorities, some are due to the expectations of local authorities and the desire of people to maintain status quo, etc, etc, etc.

Some reasons in particular why your local site should remain nameless:

- check the signs on the west side. "Good Samaritans . . . . . ." (you're homework is to go find this sign and work out why it is good to minimise the number and risk level of people who jump there - c.f. community relationships).
- if you miss the landing area, there are many hazards that may kill/injure. PM me if you want to know why.
- The type of object that it is may attract lessor experienced jumpers. My memory of the site is that it is not favourable for beginners (esp if deficient in canopy skills).
- there are people watching. Jumpers who research sites on the net (etc) and choose to do the site, may not be ethically aware and attract unwanted attention from authorities. This may lead to tightening up access to the site.

Bottom line - if you attract just one idiot to a site and they die. You are doing a disservice to the sport, to the site, to the locals that jump it, to the family of the deceased, and to the local community.

If you mention a location as a BASE jumping site, some people may see that as license to jump it. i.e. if a BASE jumper calls a site a site, then you must be able to jump it. If not, then maybe it is not jumpable. You may have some kid on your local area that does not have the capital to travel and jump, but if they hear that there is a local object, they go ahead and jump it. This HAS happened.

Regarding the argument that other sites are mentioned or there are other ways of finding sites (topo maps, search engines, etc). this is a moot point. Your job as an individual interested in this sport is to minimise negative events or interactions with the outside world. It does not matter what other people do and say. You, as an indivudal, shoud do the right thing. If one person does not read one comment that you decided not to print, that literally may mean the difference between life and death. It may also mean that people can continue to regularly jump and object, and that loved ones will not have lost something dear to them.

This is why site naming etiquette is important.

ps. You cannot compare full time legal jumping sites to sites that do not have open permission for jumping activities. They are twp differnt things.

Regarding video's. IMHO, you are correct with the statement that they may attract the wrong person to the wrong site. Actually naming them using words is worse and makes it VERY EASY to determine their location. Unless they are a popular/known location of course.

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide.