Portrayal of BASE and Skydiving in the News

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I have always been an individual that doesn’t really care what others say about what I do. Whether someone approves of my actions or not, or if they bad mouth what I do has never been a deciding factor for me. I truly never cared.

I find that skydivers and BASE jumpers are really concerned with how they are portrayed in the media. I am curious to find out some of your opinions on that. Why do you care if someone write a bad article or a good article, or of someone’s name was mentioned? Does any of that really matter?

7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer

[JaapSuter 0]

It's because a negative reputation can damage things beyond the individual, like the sport at large; for example through new leglislation.

[chachi 0]

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or of someone’s name was mentioned?

do you think peoples names should be mentioned? i wonder how many people make decisions about to jump or not jump with people based on previous accidents or mistakes.

[JaapSuter 0]

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Do you think peoples names should be mentioned? I wonder how many people make decisions about to jump or not jump with people based on previous accidents or mistakes.

In the press, I'd prefer names not to be mentioned. Here on the forums, I'd prefer names not to be mentioned unless the person is okay with it himself. In private conversations within the BASE community, I have no problem with names being mentioned as it part of the reference checking unknown jumpers ought to do on each other.

If you are referring to my recent cliffstrike in British Columbia, I have no problem mentioning that it was me that hit the cliff. I kept that information off the forums for a little while until the press settled down. But the BASE community itself knew the day after the incident that it was me. I have been working on an incident report this past week and it'll go online shortly. Now that the press has quieted down, I have no problem publicly announcing that I'm a stupid cunt.

If you are referring to the fact that the two of us haven't done a whole lot of jumping together, that's understandable. I'd much rather take that off the board. Drop me an email or give me a call. You have my number.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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I have no problem publicly announcing that I'm a stupid cunt.

You're not a stupid cunt. Any one of us is susceptable to having a bad exit resulting in a off heading opening (especially on the type of jump you made). The important thing is that you survived and didn't die. Remember if/when you decide to make another jump, I have a spare rig you can borrow.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[SabreDave 0]

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I have no problem publicly announcing that I'm a stupid cunt.

Liar!!! He is a stupid cunt.....really, I know him well and he reall really is!! NOT because of the cliff strike but just in general. I love you like a sister Jaap, not like everyone elses sister, like one I wouldn't touch in that kinda way.

I'll be out in May, I expect U to have gear by then Jaap-attack! Whoooohoooooooo

SabreDave

[base736 0]

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... like one I wouldn't touch in that kinda way.

You're fooling nobody. What was is Jaap calls you? Pooky?

In the name of remaining on-topic, though... What would naming names publicly do to improve matters? Those who need to know, know. Half of what was written on the recent cliff strike didn't even get the sport right -- do you really think the guy sitting down to read the paper with his coffee cares who was involved?

As to the positive/negative press issue, Jaap is absolutely right. The more people are let to believe that BASE jumpers are reckless people, the more they'll feel a need to protect somebody from themselves, or to save me the 0.4 cents (do the math) that it cost me for the most recent rescue.

Edit to add: p.s. 0.4 cents well spent...

[huckfinn 0]

When you spend a lot of time explaining base to your family and friends, that you aren't a "thrill-seeker" and don't have a death wish, it's frustrating to have that negated on T.V. Just wait till your mom calls you and says what she saw on the news...

[bert_man 0]

I hear ya. The media talked to my family about BASE long before I did, and as a result it is still a rather heated subject at family gatherings.

-Ghetto
"The reason death cannot frighten me, is because life has cured me of fear."
Web Design
Cleveland Skydiving

[TVPB 0]

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I have always been an individual that doesn’t really care what others say about what I do. Whether someone approves of my actions or not, or if they bad mouth what I do has never been a deciding factor for me. I truly never cared.

Lets give some extreme examples of caring and not caring. Would you be offended, pissed off, angry, or happy if I took a "dump" in your kitchen whilst you were preparing dinner? Would you be offended if I slashed your lines and pulled your reserve just before you were about to do a jump you were really looking forward to doing? What if I slipped my tongue down your throat wihout your permission??? As I said - extreme examples, but . . . . . .

Lets look at it another way, what if someone actually cares for you and they want to offer some advice that will keep you alive, or develop your complement of skills, or keep you in the clique of some local society that you are a part of (there are benefits to belonging)? Would you just ignore this and not give a shit?

It is true to say that there are many negative people in society, people that lack achievement orientation, and people who just don't know. If you listened to all of them your life would be less adventurous, unfulfilling, etc. But you are also a part of society. The fact that you inhabit buildings, earn money, have employment, etc means that you have decided to become a part of society to the extent that you have to sacrifice some (NOT ALL) of your anarchistic desires.

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I find that skydivers and BASE jumpers are really concerned with how they are portrayed in the media. I am curious to find out some of your opinions on that. Why do you care if someone write a bad article or a good article, or of someone’s name was mentioned? Does any of that really matter?

Now for media attention. If someone does something that the general public deems as daring and the perception is created that it is illegal, and the authorities could not catch them, how do you think the local authorities would feel? If I was a cop in small town America, and some punk kept robbing my local businesses and I could not catch them, do you think I would feel like a failure? Do you think that maybe I would like to make amends and prove to the community that I am capable of fulfilling my perceived duties? Do you think I might talk tough and act tough on the off chance that I caught the offenders? It does happen. Both for crime . . . . . and for BASE jumping.

Just ask those jumpers that have had rifle buts smashed against their skills whilst they were trying to protect the identity of their colleagues. Just ask those local jumpers who cannot access their local object because some out of town punk came flying through town and thumbed his nose to the local police whilst jumping in broad daylight. Just ask those jumpers who have been grilled by authorities because some "jumper" atttempted something well beyond their ability and ended up severely injured or dead.

Being independant, trying to live and achieve beyond the constraints of a "safety conscious, conservative society, and exploring your personal boundaries is one thing. Saying I just don't give a shit what other people is another thing entirely. One is about pioneering, excelling, contributing to society. The other is just plain selfish and stupid (IMHO).

TO answer your questions directly:

r.e. skydiving - I don't care what they say in the media. It is an established activity and INDUSTRY, and it will be next to impossible to stop it from occuring. Hence I will always be able to participate (selfish huh). Media can have either effect on the industry. r.e. the authorities - more accidents just means more paperwork and more scrutiny. That is not good nor fun.

r.e. BASE jumping. Accidents are NOT good for the sport!!! Just take a look at all the hard work that goes on around the world to keep objects open after accidents. Look at Bridge Day, the Fjords of Norway, the big walls of Italy, the National Parks and Public land areas in the USA, various sites around Australia, etc, etc, etc. There are a lot of people trying to keep these open to jumpers and minimise the intervention from the non-jumping public and authorities. This makes it easier for you and me to turn up and jump.

If you respect their efforts, then we will always be able to jump locally instead of having to travel far away. Jumping locally means we can remain current. This improves safety and decreases the likelihood of accidents at the "tourist" BASE sites. It means that knowledge AND experience can be spread further and in more detail (no hiding or running required - hence you can spend more time at the sites - this is valuable).

Media attention attracts the pepsi-max generation of jumpers which increases the likelihood of accidents at a particular site. There are more severe injuries nowadays at sites that were relatively incident free years ago due to the type of jumper being attracted to the sport.

It is a well known theory/fact that a skydiving accident will attract these type of people to slydiving. That is all well and good when they are taken by an experienced Tandem master. But this is a lot more difficult to control in BASE jumping.

Hence, you should care. Because there really is a lot more at stake than just your desires. If someone else beat you to it, you may not even get a chance to try the thing you really want to do.

Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck

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

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In the press, I'd prefer names not to be mentioned. Here on the forums, I'd prefer names not to be mentioned unless the person is okay with it himself.

But whats the big deal if names are mentioend or not. You are proud of what you do...why hide it?

7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer

[JaapSuter 0]

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But whats the big deal if names are mentioend or not. You are proud of what you do...why hide it?

I'm human enough to admit that I'm only proud when everything goes well, and even then only in relation to a certain group of people. Laymen have seen it all after they've seen one BASE jump of ya. They lose apreciation quickly.

When shit goes bad, pride quickly turns into embarrassement and humility.

Plus, pride should not take priority over care for objects and fellow BASE jumpers. So when given a choice between satisfying our own pride by letting the media in on things, and leaving an object intact, we should strive for the latter in my opinion.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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I find that skydivers and BASE jumpers are really concerned with how they are portrayed in the media. I am curious to find out some of your opinions on that. Why do you care if someone write a bad article or a good article, or of someone’s name was mentioned?

Because I don't like creeping arround at night, staying up past my bed time, or getting up before sunrise I'd prefer BASE jumping yahoos not do anything to encourage the closure of existing legal cliffs and bridges.

While I like hiking sometimes it's good to be lazy. It's nice to get invited to use the inclined railway under the tallest suspension bridge in the US. It's nice to have permits to build landing areas in foreign national parks so I can hitch rides by helicopter instead of horseback. People being stupid make the organized events less likely. Idiots who jump in high winds and need to be medivaced by the Army make governments less likely to issue permits.

Being invited to swoop the town fishing pond is fun. Not being allowed to jump into a huge field for my wedding because a jumper landed on a spectator doing a stadium demo on live television is not. Fortunately most skydiving is done at small general aviation airports away from the public so stupid skydivers have fewer opportunities to screw things up for the rest of us.

Many skydiving operations have full time staff they can use to apply pressure when things are not going their way. There's enough tax revenue to keep city council out of things. BASE jumping usually doesn't have those protections.

[wwarped 0]

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In the press, I'd prefer names not to be mentioned. Here on the forums, I'd prefer names not to be mentioned unless the person is okay with it himself.

But whats the big deal if names are mentioend or not. You are proud of what you do...why hide it?

BASE jumpers need to control risks. mentioning names can unnecessarily add risk to some jumpers. these may include:
- attracting the attention of law enforcement (how about the rumored "list" of the NPS?)
- penalties from employers
- denial of an insurance claim
- your family discovering you jump 5 times a month, NOT 5 times a year
- I wouldn't put it past a lawyer to use such information to claim a person is an "unfit" parent

I'm sure I can come up with more. every jumper must define their own comfort level. the rest of us should respect jumpers with more conservative views.

DON'T PANIC
The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse