Looking at getting into BASE...

[TVPB 0]

Tracking occurs during freefall!!!!!!

It IS a freefall skill. It is a one subset of skills that include the control/deflection/awareness/etc of relative airflow.

Tracking is VIP in BASE. But it is not as important as exit skills. By this I mean that if you can't get yourself into a tracking position in the first place, who cares how good you are at tracking!!!

The next most important "freefall" skill is 3-d awareness.

The next most important skill is knowing how to get your body into a suitable position following instability/imperfections/aerobatics/etc.

You can break tracking down into skill subsets.

One is the ability to gain stability and initiate/accelerate away from an object.

How fast you track is not as important as how efficient you are (this is a relationship between height consumed and horizontal distance travelled). If you are the fastest tracker in the world but you fall 1000 ft for everyone else's 500 feet, then . . . . . this is not so good on the underhung/talus sites.

You're flamed!!!

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

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

[lifewithoutanet 0]

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just to add a little bit.
about a year ago i was a cocky arrogant bastard and decided to make a post about "jumping anyways so F*&# off post".

Dude, I remember that. And I remember meeting you at the bridge after your first jump. You scared the shit out of us then, just by your enthusiasm.

Fast forward a year and shit, man...like I told you on the phone earlier... We'll jump with you anytime. Granted, given who "we" are, that might not be saying much for you, Grumbleson.

Elf, consider what you're doing. There's no need to force something. Wouldn't you rather be good at it (relatively speaking) going into your first jumps? Increase your chances of survival and enjoyment of BASE by going a little further to prepare yourself. You'll have a much better time and you'll find a much more welcoming community.

-C.

[Zennie 0]

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Dude, I remember that. And I remember meeting you at the bridge after your first jump. You scared the shit out of us then, just by your enthusiasm.

I was there too. I remember it well. We were all thinking "Ruh roh".

What was really cool though was what came next. Eric can tell the story if he wishes, but he wound up slowing down a bit and next thing I know we're out at the bridge again and he was a totally different jumper.

I got to talking to him about aerials and it turned out that he was a longtime gymnast. Next thing I know he's throwing off gainers (and I think a double or three) that weekend and then ices it with a slot in the 21-way.

The main point with Eric's story is that he started off a little cocky, but he wound up getting the fundamentals and now, in a very short time, is solid as hell. If he puts half of his gymnastics experience into it (as I'm sure he has) he's gonna be a scary aerialist.

So don't rush, get the fundamentals, and then throw it down. You can believe in yourself and do things at a sane pace. They don't have to be mutually exclusive and you'll be much happier in the long run.

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

[grundleson 0]

I'll try to wrap this up as neat as i can.

Look, when i started skydiving my sole purpose was to start BASE. Little did i know, that BASE jumpers werent just skydivers that did a few skydives and learned how to fly a canopy and then get into BASE. The guys in BASE loved their sport and would protect it against people who were too eager or would be a (you'll like this one guys) "statistic" in getting hurt, giving it a bad rep etc etc. So, i just figured all the guys who BASE jumped were all assholes because they wouldnt tell me anything about jumping when i only had very few skydives.

Despite what everyone else said here on the posts and in real life. I did the opposite. I figured out how to get a rig, did just the bare minumum number of skydives and took it upon myself with the help of a few other jumpers who didnt mind teaching a crazy person, to learn how to BASE jump. I remember posting that "65 skydives and i'm jumping off the bridge" post thinking, i'll show these assholes how phuckin tough i am. and made a base jump the next day, flew downwind and ruined my ankle. but hey, i jumped and they didnt teach me. so i was better.

all these guys thought i was the asshole, noone wanted to teach or talk to me about anything. i was noones project and i was to fend for myself for a while longer till i stopped pretending that i was a badass and i actually didnt know shit and wanted to learn.

its not like i stopped jumping, i just started jumping with and learning from people who had quite a bit more experience than i had, which was none.

yeah, base jumping is a hell of a lot of fun. i'm not going to stop jumping anytime soon. but seriously. if you dont have adequate knowledge in flying a canopy, landing a canopy, dealing with malfunctions so on and so forth. BASE will hurt you, WILL hurt you, may kill you. i'm no expert. but i took the wrong road, delt with a lot of shit. but somehow made it out alive. and with a bit more knowledge of the sport than when i came into it.


SO. take your time. by the way, i hope i never have to ruin your day by writing this much EVER again.

Dont die!

[Zennie 0]

The key though, and the most important lesson out of all of this was the desire to learn.

I've always told people "there are as many ways to BASE jump as there are BASE jumpers". And I still believe that to be true.

But it's the constant desire to learn, to understand, to be open to others ways of doing things... not necessarily because they are better, but because they give us insight... that makes us better jumpers.

The day we think we know everything, the day we end our desire to stop learning, even from the most inexperienced of jumpers, is the day we should hang the rig up.

For example, I still enjoy watching other people pack. I may ask "Why are you doing that?"... but it's not a challenge, it's a sincere question because you never know whether that person may have an insight, a method, that makes a hell of a lot of sense.

Upshot? Don't go into this thinking you know everything, and once you're in it, don't stop thinking you don't know anything.

Peace out.

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

[RhondaLea 3]

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To the general posting public - I'm going to cut the crap (for those that like 2 second responses)...

Please do not allow yourself to be influenced by those who are not intelligent enough to see the value of your posts.

Short posts are, most often, only good for a quick laugh. You can't get much real content into a one-liner, after all.

I, and others, like your posts just the way they've been all along because they're a valuable educational tool. Don't withhold that because one person isn't quite bright enough to see that.

rl

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

[TVPB 0]

He he he. Don't worry RL, I will continue to torment the unsuspecting and the expecting.

My excuse for being brief: I went rock climbing yesterday and did about 5 hours straight on grade 5.8 to 5.10 after not getting an ounce of sleep the night before. My fingers are hurting so much that I could not be bothered typing!!!!!! Tender office boy hands you know!!!

p.s thanks for the compliments to both yourself and Tom.

And folks. My opinions are exactly that. I could be right. I could be wrong. It us up to yourselves to do your own due diligence!!!!!

Wow, I am impressed. I have a two person fan club. Your cheque (check) is in the mail.

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

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

[Zennie 0]

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Wow, I am impressed. I have a two person fan club. Your cheque (check) is in the mail.

So when does mine get here?

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

[vandev 0]

You have three....Very much enjoy your posts as i actually get allot out of them....

In the end...the universe has a way of working itself out.... "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle"

[TVPB 0]

Gosh - you BASE jumpers will do anything for money..

Stop being facetious!!!!

p.s my previous cheques (checks) are going on Nick's list. He is just not sure which one!!! if you don't get it . . . . . . . .

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

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

[TVPB 0]

Sorry guys and gals. Membership has just closed. I need some money left over to feed my kids...

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

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