Twin Falls Opinions: The Beginning of the End?

[jimmyh 0]

My personal opinion is that these are the natural growing pains of a sport which has established itself world wide as a legitimate athletic/recreational past-time.

Everyone just needs to keep jumping and more legal sites will open. I am basing that opinion on the models of other sports, ie snowboarding and skateboarding.

The recent BASE extravaganza in Twin was a boon to society and the sport, nothing to apologize for.

Another opinion I have is that some jumpers want more reasons to hate on other jumpers. How nice would it feel for some people to be able to say, "I told you you were bad for the bridge."?

[d_goldsmith 1]

It sucks, but the more legal sites we get, the more likely we are to be regulated and the harder and higher profile other objects will probably become.

[tfelber 0]

I don't really have a problem with an access fee for objects. I pay to take my boat to the lake, park at the airport, hunt, or fish, etc. If the money is used correctly it could improve the current situation.

Are we costing the city money? I guarantee the city doesn't think so or they wouldn't encourage us to come back.

I could see where blocking one lane of the bridge for a day would be a major inconvenience, but this doesn't happen all the time. It's actually very, very rare. I was present Memorial Day weekend and the larger orange construction barrels were much more of a traffic issue than the jumpers and we had the helicopter there four times and the ambulance there probably at least six. Normal jumping, even on high turnout weekends doesn't affect the traffic on the bridge. People looking off the bridge to view the canyon has as much impact.

There are additional costs to the city when we have a large turnout like Memorial Day but it is generally offset by the additional tax revenue.

I think that when communities; whether it be cities, corporations, families, or individuals reach a point of needing additional revenue they start looking at all possibilities. A bunch of people coming to your town to jump off your bridge would seem like a ready source of income in almost anyone’s analysis.

But what do we care. We are a bunch of out-of-control hellions that do what we want when we want and no one is going to tell us any different…Right? I think we should all get together a buy a cliff somewhere, erect a tower with a bridge to our multi-story living quarters/bar and tell everyone else to just piss off!

Or we could just pay the price of participation and be happy…

[blitzkrieg 0]

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Or we could just pay the price of participation and be happy…

happy? yes. satisfied? never.

the pay sites (BD) are great, but the free ones are truly priceless.

[sabre210 0]

The Perrine - illegal base site????

Why that would mean........

oh yeah....that would mean it would be like 99.9% of all other BASE sites worldwide.

The perrine is a very convenient luxury, not a necessity. If legal daylight jumps are the only/predominant jumps you make then i can see how it would be a personal loss, but in the big scheme of things, it's just one of thousands of objects which can still be jumped under the cover of darkness or at first light.

Having to ease back on the boogie like antics and base traffic there might not be such a bad thing in the long run. In fact i can think of numerous positives.

Surely there's a lesson here for everyone. These events are all well and good when you get the press you want, but it only takes one journalist with 'an angle' or one incident and the whole thing can easily blow up in your face.

Just imagine if that record event had seen a fatality. You'd be looking at some seriously shit caked fan right now. The same applies 100% to the UK crane boogie i was just part of. Inviting any attention (especially media attention) to any base jump is a seriously risky endeavour and you better be prepared for the 'recoil' if anything doesn't quite go to plan. It is after all a very dangerous activity and when things go wrong it can get a lot more messy than a rad wipe out at your mini half pipe.

ian

[MMK 0]

I have just returned from a few days at TF and found the people as friendly as ever. People in the hotel schedueled their trips to the bridge on our packing and some tourist guides asked us if we were willing to wait 10 minutes, so that others could come and watch. As always, we got the odd encouragement from people in cars driving past. My personal opinion of the article is that it is making a valid point. If there are 'big', 'organised' events that draw on additional resources, then those people organizing it should foot some of the bill. However, as a side note, if I had to pay a 'usage' fee, I would expect something in return, i.e. would we have 'unlimited' call on police and emergency services? I feel that if this motion should take momentum, we would need to engage the authorities and find a middle ground. Maybe it is acceptable for 'organised' events to charge an access fee, but those who jump in small groups during the week should not have to pay for the privilege. On a side note, I would be happy to pay $10 a day if it included transport from the landing area to the visitors center

Just My Penny - 'No comments are meant to offend individuals and are purely a personal view presented by myself'.

[Colm 1]

I bet at least some of those editorial authors have at least one of those ubiquitous "Support the troops" stickers on their cars. Well, it's time for them to put their money where their mouth is. Gee, thanks for the verbal support... But if they can't handle a once-in-a-blue-moon charity event that does nothing but slow down traffic, what kind of "support" did they possibly have in mind?? Being proud that their town could host a unique fundraising event would be a far more laudable attitude in my opinion... instead it sounds like they are saying, "Sure, raise scholarship money for a kid whose parent is killed in Iraq, but be sure to give us our cut."

It's Godd-mn F-ing disgusting. The authors should be ashamed.

Police and other government agencies get involved in charity events all the time. Should they bill a charity car-wash in an urban parking lot, because there's a statistical 0.0001% increase in policing costs as a result?

So they want to charge me $10 a day? To walk on a sidewalk? You've got to be f$*king kidding me. I already pay their taxes and buy their services every time I visit. I may only do legal jumps, but I can live without Twin if it ever comes to that.

If I ever (God forbid) need an air ambulance ride, I'll gladly pay. I'll pay the police department for the paperwork they filed, and I'll pay anyone else who was inconvenienced one iota due to my goof-up.

Oh, and, the people who would pay 10$ a day... how many days a year do you go there? Guess what, it starts to add up if you like to go for a week at a time, a couple times per year. Maybe you don't bust your ass year round so you can take your only vacations there. Maybe that's not the only jumping you get, though contrary to what some people here assume, not everybody has an object nearby. And, maybe, not everybody is morally comfortable trespassing. What about the locals? Do you honestly think it's even remotely reasonable for them to pay a $3,650 tax to jump year round? If you answer yes, well then, I don't usually resort to personal attacks, but you are a complete idiot. The taxes on the house I live in do not even cost that much. Will they jump every day, no, but that's not the point.

I'm writing a letter to the editor tonight. It will be polite, articulate, and as diplomatic as possible, but my position will be resoundingly clear. I hope everyone else does too.

[blitzkrieg 0]

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It's Godd-mn F-ing disgusting. The authors should be ashamed.

as much as i disagree with their "opinion", i have to disagree. newspapers are printed for one reason and one reason only... to MAKE MONEY. forget all that BS about spreading "news" and informing their "people". furthermore, an editor's page or opinion page is designed to stir up shit. more pissed off people fuel more readers and more money.

unless the paper is biased, or your letter is out of line, they should print it as well. i look forward to yours and those like it .

[Colm 1]

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It's Godd-mn F-ing disgusting. The authors should be ashamed.

as much as i disagree with their "opinion", i have to disagree. newspapers are printed for one reason and one reason only... to MAKE MONEY. forget all that BS about spreading "news" and informing their "people". furthermore, an editor's page or opinion page is designed to stir up shit. more pissed off people fuel more readers and more money.

unless the paper is biased, or your letter is out of line, they should print it as well. i look forward to yours and those like it .

You have a valid point, but their motive for printing a disagreeable statement does not change my opinion that the statement is disagreeable. I concede the "big picture" to you, but that particular "big picture" in this case will not help us keep BASE jumping tax-free.

Unfortunately, many people prefer to let their editors do their thinking for them.

I look forward to reading your letter too, should you write one... will you offer us such an opportunity?

[blitzkrieg 0]

you never can tell...

but, you are right about the "sheep". unfortunate, really.

[JaapSuter 0]

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If I ever (God forbid) need an air ambulance ride, I'll gladly pay.

Are you referring to the insurance fees that would cover such an event, or to the actual cost? If you mean the latter, do you have any idea what an air ambulance ride actually costs?

[d_goldsmith 1]

When my buddy broke his hip in TF he told me to get rid of the heli, but they insisted on checking him out and said it would be free to look at him. We asked how much it cost to ride and I think it was 10k to magic and 20k to Boise.

[RayLosli 11]

Man I just luv this statement. I been laughing for an hour.

tfelber:
..."I was present Memorial Day weekend and the larger orange construction barrels were much more of a traffic issue than the jumpers and we had the helicopter there four times and the ambulance there probably at least six."
-
.
Ya Know ? Sounds like a 3-ring circus under the Big-Top to me.. 'under the Big-Top' instead of a very large Tent. It would be the bridge. Think of it this way. On a smaller comparison it's Kinda like doing a couple BASE jumps at Bridge-Day. Then sitting down at the bottom for the last couple hour, having a couple cold beers and watching all the carnage for entertainment.
The BIG DIFFERENCE though between these two bridges is ? The W.Virginia bridge is only a 3-Ring Circus 1-day a year. The rest of the 364 days a year it is a actual BASE site that on the most part is respected and is jumped by real BASE jumpers.
but on the other hand, The Idaho bridge is a Circus 365 days a year with the parade of The Clowns leaving in ambulances and helicopters for the Tourists entertainment and the Cities scrutiny. OHhhh also don't forget ? It's the year-round, legal, daylight BASE FJC training capitol of the world also. It's Kinda Like the Circus Clown collage. Some times you get a real BASE jumper to graduate and move-on to the real jump world. But for the most it's kind of like BASE Community Collage for skydive FJC graduates with a few jumps that wana try, The Excitment of the Big-Top.
Come One Come All to see the Show. Sometimes you get a "Trained Act of BASE jumpers" then sometimes you get the Clowns. Either way you get entertainment.
.

I like this Post too.

saber210:
"The Perrine - illegal base site????
Why that would mean........
oh yeah....that would mean it would be like 99.9% of all other BASE sites worldwide.
The perrine is a very convenient luxury, not a necessity. If legal daylight jumps are the only/predominant jumps you make then i can see how it would be a personal loss, but in the big scheme of things, it's just one of thousands of objects which can still be jumped under the cover of darkness or at first light.
Having to ease back on the boogie like antics and base traffic there might not be such a bad thing in the long run. In fact i can think of numerous positives."
.

[SBCmac 0]

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It sucks, but the more legal sites we get, the more likely we are to be regulated and the harder and higher profile other objects will probably become.

Maybe for legal objects but definitely not high profile objects…

On the flip side of the coin and if you really think about it, you are regulated now. Ask yourself, if you were on an object that is “so called” not either legal or illegal can a cop us a catch 22 law to bust you? Of course they can… So in general, you are being regulated whether you like it or not… Just don’t get caught :)…

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It sucks, but the more legal sites we get, the more likely we are to be regulated and the harder and higher profile other objects will probably become.

I beg to differ... Bank robberies have become easier to do these days then back in the day; now you can simply use a note instead of a gun… Not to mention, we are not the fish they are worried about frying. If more thefts or vandalism took place on the objects we jump then that’s a different story. As long as we stick to only stealing altitude, the ROI (Return On Investment) will never exceed the cost of catching a BASE jumper on a high profile site. Economics 101… Granted there is the argument that becoming more aware of BASE jumpers will simply prove to the public where flaws already exist. And again, the movie Fight Club does an awesome example of explaining a Corporation’s greed… It takes a HUGE lawsuit and many people dieing before Corporations will spend money on something they don’t have to. Even post 9/11... For example, you should see this great video I have of jumping an Internalional Air Traffic Control Tower in America post 9/11...

Michael

BATMAN - (A.K.A. SBCmac ...)

[abby 0]

what ever happen to"the land of the free"

No way anyone is ever going to charge for jumping off the bridge, that is retarded. if they charge anything means they will be liable for anything that would happen while jumping, (like broken bones and death)

And if there is a fee to jump off who will enforce it? Tom? Honor system? What will happen if you jump and don't pay? Will you get banned for a day, a week, for ever? we might have to start jumpimg off in disguse? that will be fun. i will find a new use for all my fake ids...

I'm sure you boys and gilrs in tf will make some good news in the paper and all this will just go away,(i hope) cuz is just a good place to jump.

[beergood 0]

Did anyone else notice he forgot to mention the raffle and donation thats was made last memorial day? Its not like we as a community have not tried to give back in other means than tax money and frequenting local bars and restaurants

[dride 0]

Ray Losli has some funny ass posts. Adding to his latest, I'm not at all suprised at this article. With all the wankers that jump there, some bad shit is bound to happen. This sport has gone from a few buddies getting together, sneaking around at night, jumping, then swizzlin' down some beers---to full scale media-whoreing events.

It's only a matter of time before someone in the local community gets pissed at all the madness going on and shuts that fucker down.

I would love to bandit jump Twin someday!!!!

Out with the boogies and large public "events". Stay with the low-profile, chilled out trips with a few friends and lots of swizzlers.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

[wwarped 0]

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It's Godd-mn F-ing disgusting. The authors should be ashamed.

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So they want to charge me $10 a day? To walk on a sidewalk? You've got to be f$*king kidding me. I already pay their taxes and buy their services every time I visit. I may only do legal jumps, but I can live without Twin if it ever comes to that.

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I'm writing a letter to the editor tonight. It will be polite, articulate, and as diplomatic as possible, but my position will be resoundingly clear. I hope everyone else does too.

but will your response be accurate?

the editorial sounds as if they wish to charge organizers of the larger events, not the quiet, daily jumpers. it would be easy to charge the person overseeing an event (or people packing at the visitor's center).

it would be virtually impossible to charge each and every jumper. jumpers would STOP notifying the police, so the police could NOT ignore calls about suicides...

I tend to agree with NickDG. as we organize events, we will get more of these issues. they will lead to further organization, and eventually, a national body. jumpers will care about following the rules.

I prefer BASE jumpers being creative and independent. bandit jumps encourage those skills. high profile events do not.

I like knowing it is my decision to jump an object. it is my call. I may stand down even when everyone else jumps. when I jump, I am responsible for the consequences. getting wet, damaged gear, injuries, arrest, all result from my decision.

the editors are only responding to problems we have already created. you can argue they are wrong (and feel better), but will they listen?

this just looks like an unintended consequence of high profile activity. why not vent on the people creating these events? or do you deny a connection?

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

[hollyhjb 0]

I have to question how much sway the Times News actually has on the local community. For being the only local paper and main media outlet for Twin Falls I believe it has a relatively small impact on public policy. The majority of the time the paper is limited to gossip and quips, ususally directed to an individual or family.

It has also been grossly inaccurate on many "headline stories." The editorial is rarely local, and they are usually just trying to find something the write about. If I remember correctly, during the event last year there was an editorial about how good it was.

After years of knowing this paper from the inside and out, I would not personally rely on their editorials as an accurate portrayal of Twin's public opinion.

"I reject your reality and substitute my own" ~Adam Savage

[d_goldsmith 1]

I would tend to agree with you, and NickDG put it pretty well
"On the other hand we might be getting all knotted up for nothing. Consider the sorry plight of the small town editorial writer who has a blank page staring him in the face every morning. He has to write about something. So it was only a matter of time before he got around to us. I’ll go further and say the editorial writer is also using us. He’s using us to earn his paycheck."

But Tom said the newspaper caries a fair bit of weight. Maybe he just likes reading the paper.

Maybe the person that wrote it is trying to run for office in TF. Seems like a political move.

[hollyhjb 0]

Yeah, but I don't think Tom was around when the paper spent nearly a month debating whether it was ok for a father to keep his teenage kids from taking a drug test...or the time that the front page story was whether there should be divides on Blue Lakes Blvd or the time a kid was arrested at the elementary school, the paper said it was for drug possession; the kid really just had a pocket knife...and then there was the time (about 5 years ago) they wrote about building a new high school, the editorial said that it was one of the most supported issues: there is still only one high school.

Not to mention they can't keep an editor for an entire year. This paper is used as a launch or a fall back for writers/editors.

I lived in Twin Falls for 19 years, and my mother works for the paper. I've seen it all, and it's usually a bunch of crap.

"I reject your reality and substitute my own" ~Adam Savage

[TomAiello 25]

I'm basing my estimate of the Times-News impact on public opinion on the number of people I've met who only become interested in an "issue" (of whatever kind) after the paper runs an article or editorial about it, and the number of people who I've heard parrot back to me whatever they read in the paper about BASE jumping (no matter how accurate or erroneous, they were sure it must be the way it was because it was in the paper). These were generally well educated, intelligent folks, who had sophisticated opinions on subjects that interested them, but just seemed to pick up the newspaper's views on other topics (like BASE jumping).

That's a set of issues that are unrelated to the quality or journalistic integrity of the paper itself, which appears to be what you are driving at.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Zoter 0]

Perhaps engaging the journalist on the 'relevant' points raised in this thread might show how seriously you ( as a local) take his points.....
I reckon if people saw that the 'international' BASE community was concerned about the impact of that article it might actually make people more pro 'our' side...ie they will realise that BASE jumpers who are 'not in town' do actually care about keeping the site accessable.

just an opinion

[diablopilot 2]

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Out with the boogies and large public "events".

Best thing said in this thread.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Colm 1]

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If I ever (God forbid) need an air ambulance ride, I'll gladly pay.

Are you referring to the insurance fees that would cover such an event, or to the actual cost? If you mean the latter, do you have any idea what an air ambulance ride actually costs?

What is important here, is whether or not I fully compensate the public for any debts I incur as a result of a medevac trip.

Whether I pay for that out-of-pocket (i.e. self-insurance) or through a purchased insurance plan is entirely irrelevant to the town.

And to answer your question, yes I do have a good idea of what an air ride costs. Let me further suggest that if the alternative was death, I would pay far more. Wouldn't most folks gladly give their last dime, and their last worldly posession, if the alternative to a medevac ride was to die in the canyon?