ESPN Filming BASE FJC

[sitflybaseboy 0]

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can't we all just get along?

No, That would be way to easy!!

BASE 1043 Night BASE 160
BASE is to skydivers as skydiving is to whuffos

[SLAMBO 0]

hey tom, i did the sickest double gainer from the top rail when your film crew was there. sucked it down low too.

i would think that after your students did their first base jump, they would be super pumped. right? wouldnt it be nice to give them a hi-5 in the landing area and tell them how good they did? i thought you learned from your instructor...watching your instructor walk off the bridge doesnt allow anyone to learn anything from you, except that you dont feel like jumping. mmmmm I-Hop! i hear they sell fruit cups there.

[crashcrew 0]

I'm not Tom's crew... and it wasn't that sick.

[SkyDaemon 0]

"One becomes a critic when one can no longer be an artist"
--Flaubert Gustave.

And then there are those people who never were, or ever will be artists... simply critics. I'm constantly amazed at the inverse relationship between experience in the sport and one's willingness to loudly criticize others.

Many new jumpers are respectful of those who have been jumping longer than they have. Some seek the wisdom of those who have survived many years in the sport because they want to know more about the history of the sport and how to learn from the mistakes others have made over the years.

However the loudest critics of the sport (and veteran jumpers) seem the be non-jumpers and new jumpers. Many (new) jumpers go through phases of jumping: the newborn careful first few jumps phase when they're appreciative of the guidance of their seniors, the growing up phase where they start taking more and more risks in order to develop their skills, the adolescent phase where they start making friends in the community, get to know others, develop online and offline popularity, and start touring the circuit, acquiring jumps, and then the teenage years, where they are the baddest ass people around, they wear their base number on their shoulder like a badge of honor, let the entire planet know that they are of the elite clan of adrenaline junkies, and post every moment of their 'ultra sick' footage on any venue that they can. Their 'non-jumping' friends often fall into the background or get tired of hearing about how 'this building is soooo jumpable'. Some never leave this stage. They make their occassion jumps, or perhaps just strut around the dropzone wearing their 'badass BASE rig' and remind skydivers how dangerous BASE is. After watching a few more additions to the fatality list these jumpers remind themselves that they're the 'good' jumpers who won't end up dying because they're so good. Then after a few close calls, they realize that they can, in fact, die in this sport. Most sober up, either from their own close calls, or when one of their truly good friends die. Some never do.

It is amazing, though, how those who have been in the sport for a number of years, lost friends, attended their funerals, had close calls themselves, and acquired numerous jumps from numerous objects, are criticized by those with far fewer years in the sport, far less experience, and far less knowledge. Those who eventually grow up, and are individuals of integrity, will look back on such comments with shame and apologize for them. (note that both components are necessary).

One can learn a lot about a person by listening to how they talk about others.

-=Raistiln

find / -name jumpers -print; cat jumpers $USER > manifest; cd /dev/airplane; more altitude; make jump; cd /pub; more beer;

[mindtrick 0]

dude stop picking on Tom A he has way more base jumps then you dude

[SLAMBO 0]

thanks for putting my ego back where it belongs.

In all seriousness, I dont think espn filming is a bad thing. I dont wear my base rig at the dz to show off either, i dont skydive as much as i used to. I think walking off the bridge after putting your students off isnt the best way to teach an fjc. it shows less involvement in the student during the most important part of the course: the jump.

[avenfoto 0]

i bet you a thousand "radical" dollars that if one of toms students asked him to jump with him...

he would do it.

[wwarped 0]

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it shows less involvement in the student during the most important part of the course: the jump.

it's a teacher/student relationship.

on a daily basis I see relationships that would not work for me, but apparently work for them. it does not matter if it is personal, work, social, etc. if Tom's students understand, I guess my opinion is NOT important.

you interact with others in ways I don't get. but so? if you and your buddies are on the same page, oh well.

(Tom's students felt cheated, that's something different.)

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

[base283 0]

Excellent post!
take care,
space

[CReW 0]

<>

I'd say at least that much of it is accurate.

[SkyDaemon 0]

Tracy, (Space)
Coming from you, I consider that a compliment of the highest quality. Thank you.

Be well.

-=Raistlin

find / -name jumpers -print; cat jumpers $USER > manifest; cd /dev/airplane; more altitude; make jump; cd /pub; more beer;

[crashcrew 0]

Just FYI - Tom did jump while we were there. Story should air in October on a new ESPN show.

[lploscar 0]

Am I missing something here? Shouldn't the people that took the course be the ones that have an objective opinion about this? I took Tom's course, and it did not bother me the least that he did not jump with us... En contraire, it helped me a lot! The footage of launch/opening/body position and the rides back after the hike were not the only benefits... I am a (very) slow packer, and Tom remaining at top helped me put more jumps in. One more thing (that's been pointed out already): Tom had a rig on and was ready to jump (if needed) every time we walked on the bridge. Hi 5's in the landing area?! Common...

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -T.S. Eliot

[Jamesm 0]

I also was on Tom's course, I'm bit offended you think I need Tom to jump as well just so I can Hi 5 him in the landing area...

I'll be honest I wasn't sure how the course would be run, being that BASE is unregulated and unstructured, Tom gave me exactly what I was after a structured well run course that covers all the things a mentor might not have time to or you might not learn about until you have done 20 jumps the wrong way. In terms of Tom not jumping with us he did make several jumps on the course and I was one of the people he was packing for instead of jumping. If I had to choose which was most beneficial out of seeing someone jump or being able to make another jump myself because that person packed a rig for me.....I think the answer is pretty obvious.

[Ghetto 0]

Sounds like your BASE mentor didn't hug you enough.

I took Tom's course in December '05 and didn't mind in the least that he didn't jump with us most of the time; in fact I felt a little guilty while he sat at the top of the bridge packing in 17-degree windy weather while we hiked out instead of jumping, so we could make another one before having to go back to his house to pack (it was kind of crappy out and there was only a little space under the bridge to pack one or two rigs at a time)

He did make at least one jump while we were there, to show us the way to climb out.

If you think that someone needs to literally hold a student's hand the whole time and even be there at the bottom to give them a High 5 after their jump, then maybe you don't quite get why some people enjoy BASE.

After they land from opening their first tower solo, nobody will be there to high five them and tell them how rad it was, and sometimes that can be pretty cool.

If you're satisfied with landing from your first jump at the perrine and high-fiving your fellow FJC-mate(s) and waiting until you hike out to get a cookie or a pat on the back from your instructor, then you probably won't be bitching about tom not jumping during your course.

If you want to cuddle with your mentor and get a reacharound after your first base jump, talk to slambo..

Web Design
Cleveland Skydiving
"Hey, these cookies don't taste anything like girl scouts..."

[wwarped 0]

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After they land from opening their first tower solo, nobody will be there to high five them and tell them how rad it was, and sometimes that can be pretty cool.

some of my most rewarding jumps have been solo.
standing at the bottom, knowing I succeeded. not distracted by others.

Miles jumps hard and hikes out fast. he is amazing. I doubt he could set the incredible pace he does if he always needed others to high-5...

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

[Jamesm 0]

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Miles jumps hard and hikes out fast. he is amazing. I doubt he could set the incredible pace he does if he always needed others to high-5...

are you serious??

yeah umm he sounds just dreamy........

[Ghetto 0]

aww how sweet, maybe you two should hook up

Web Design
Cleveland Skydiving
"Hey, these cookies don't taste anything like girl scouts..."

[wwarped 0]

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Sounds like your BASE mentor didn't hug you enough.

sniff, sniff.
maybe THAT is my problem. I guess I'll add it to my list of topics for therapy...

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

[SLAMBO 0]

If you think that someone needs to literally hold a student's hand the whole time and even be there at the bottom to give them a High 5 after their jump, then maybe you don't quite get why some people enjoy BASE.

After they land from opening their first tower solo, nobody will be there to high five them and tell them how rad it was, and sometimes that can be pretty cool.

If you're satisfied with landing from your first jump at the perrine and high-fiving your fellow FJC-mate(s) and waiting until you hike out to get a cookie or a pat on the back from your instructor, then you probably won't be bitching about tom not jumping during your course.

If you want to cuddle with your mentor and get a reacharound after your first base jump, talk to slambo..

sorry guys i never took a fjc, so i must be mistaken. i just think about how i would want to do it if i was to teach one myself, and i think id like to jump with my students. however you might die if you took one from me so i wouldnt recommend it. if you went in ghetto wouldnt be able to toss your salad, actually he would still bang you in the ass i think so its all good.

[SkyDaemon 0]

Always strikes me as strange how often homoerotic references get brought up...


-=Raistlin

find / -name jumpers -print; cat jumpers $USER > manifest; cd /dev/airplane; more altitude; make jump; cd /pub; more beer;

[Ghetto 0]

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if you went in ghetto wouldnt be able to toss your salad, actually he would still bang you in the ass i think so its all good.

I'm sorry, you must have mistaken what I said as an offer.. but at least you understand which one of us would be wearing the bra and panties in that scenario, so its all good

Web Design
Cleveland Skydiving
"Hey, these cookies don't taste anything like girl scouts..."

[Ether 0]

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Always strikes me as strange how often homoerotic references get brought up...

It's a socially acceptable way of shrugging off the feelings of affection and bonding that men feel when they do fun (or dangerous) things together. There are some interesting psychological studies about it.

Looking for newbie rig, all components...

[HydroGuy 0]

Oh Ether.....

Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

[NZflygirl 0]

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fun (or dangerous) things

Is that an inclusive-or or an exclusive-or ?

“Knowing love, I shall allow all things to come and go, to be as supple as the wind and take everything that comes with great courage. My heart is as open as the sky.” -- Kama Sutra