The F-word

[dbrutherford 0]

I am not a Felix fan but I saw another video of him on You Tube and he did do some pretty cool jumps. I agree he is a glory hog but I would be too if I had Red Bull paying for all of my activities....


DBR

[NickDG 23]

How I feel about sponsorship in BASE jumping has run hot and cold over the years . . .

Since I pre-date the practice of corporate sponsorship, even at the drop zone, I first thought there is no way this can be bad.

The first sponsored BASE jumpers appeared in the early nineties. These were in-house relationships between BASE gear manufacturers and jumpers they knew and trusted. The old Basic Research sponsored "Team Xstream" beginning in the early 90s and they had early success with the first "modern" paying BASE demo. Magic Mountain in Southern California hired them to jump from their Sky Tower on opening day. I crewed that jump and watched thousands of park guests, mostly teenagers, watch in awe.

Prior to that - back in I think, 1989, Dennis McGlynn proposed the first "meet" to be held at Bridge Day. It was to be accuracy with judges and all that – and it raised a lively debate among us who were there. The old hands weren't sure, "Isn't that skydiving shit?" But the sea change in BASE was already taking place, and the newer guys were all for it. The BASE manufacturers then started sponsoring jumpers in those early meets but again it is still all within the BASE community itself.

The jumps at Magic Mountain did not get much publicity outside of what Magic Mountain did with it. And that was the way we wanted it. We felt like we were walking a fine line – and were trying to fly under the radar a little bit . . .

The roots of Team Xstream was the core of the latest team that did the recent Super Bowl jumps and they are still keeping a low profile. While everyone in the stadium saw it all, CBS screwed up the coverage and missed broadcasting the actual launches. All the TV viewers saw were canopies landing, just another garden variety demo. It also didn't seem like too many viewers wondered where the jumpers came from – after all – it is a covered sports stadium.

Then the "just say no generation" came of age. Not having recreational drugs to treat their various neurosis like my generation did allowed some to see a void to fill and they did so with something that seemed innocuous, at first, energy drinks . . . But it proves the Madison Avenue adage that if you throw enough money and exposure at something it becomes popular because some people want & need a crowd to follow.

The latest crop of sponsored jumpers are a mixed bag. And here's where I go off the rails on this. There's Troy's "GoFast" that is certainly corporate but Troy's a jumper and that whole company started by selling rubber bands. And the BASE jumpers he sponsors tend to be both good jumpers and ambassadors for the sport.

Some other sponsored jumpers bring an "edgy-ness" to a thing that doesn't need more edge on it. I think they forget the point is – the thing we do – not who at the moment happens to be doing it. A little more humbleness would not hurt these guys. But I know humble won't sell soap and toothpaste.

And then there's Felix.

I don't know if you saw his recent interview but I've met him and he does talk that way. He's always been sort of an automaton, and sometimes I think Spacey Tracy built him out of Radio Shack parts. Did you notice how they never talked at the same time? I temper myself when talking about Felix because of two things. I don't say this about too many jumpers – but Tracy Walker has paid his dues in this sport, and as far as I'm concerned he can do whatever he wants.

The second thing is what are we worried about? I mean, I don't get into how Felix presents what he does on a guttural level, but is it going to affect me? Even if Felix advocated kiddy porn and snuff films along with his jumps we only stand to lose the privileges we gave up freedom for in the first place – so in a way the more "they" clamp down on BASE the more freedom we get back. Since no one can stop us - the future – no matter what happens – is either going to be better, or much better, there's no third way . . .

NickD BASE 194

[recovercrachead 0]

My friend tried the twin towers in the late 80s from a 182. Under shot the roof but there was a cop with his gun out. He landed in battery park and got locked up.

Track high, Pull LOW!!!