base428

Members
  • Content

    1,078
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Feedback

    0%

Community Reputation

1 Neutral

Gear

  • Main Canopy Other
    Fox V-tec 285, Mojo 280, Sabre 150, 26'
  • AAD
    Cypres

Jump Profile

  • License Number
    428
  • Licensing Organization
    BASE
  • Number of Jumps
    267802
  • Years in Sport
    18
  • First Choice Discipline
    BASE Jumping
  • Second Choice Discipline
    Wing Suit Flying

Ratings and Rigging

  • Pro Rating
    Yes

Recent Profile Visitors

The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.

  1. All services for Bruce are in Columbus, IN rather than Columbus, OH. Muscle memory mistake. It would be great if a moderator could fix this in my original post above and delete this post as I can't make changes. Thanks.
  2. Bruce Kramer (BASE #509) passed away in his sleep last Friday. See below for visitation and funeral details. Bruce was my best friend and we jumped together around the world since the early 1990's. His accuracy was second to none and he was always there if you needed help (ie. chopping a tree down in a National Park with an axe for an hour to get Joe Caulfield's canopy down). He is survived by his son, 18-year old Lucas Kramer, as well as his parents (Donna and Big Dan) and a sister (Tara). My favorite Bruce story goes way back to 1998 during the IPBC BASE jumping competition in Moab, Utah. Bruce, Dave Shipman, Joe Weber, and I just met, so we decided to come together as "Team Body Bag" for this event. We were all new to BASE competitions and we never expected to do well at the event, especially with BASE legends like Harry Parker, Dennis McGlynn, and those damn "Spiders from Mars" leading the way. We were extremely shocked to be sitting in 1st place with only one jumper left to seal the deal and secure extreme glory for our team. That last last jumper was Bruce. We were already the "dream team" that no one ever heard of and Bruce simply had to jump, open, and land near the target. Bruce was better at accuracy than everyone on the team, so Team Body Bag was already figuring out how we would celebrate this most glorious win. Then Bruce jumped, snapped a brake line, and nearly slammed into Tombstone wall after a 180. In his words, Bruce's "cat-like reflexes" allowed him to stay alive and not scrape the wall. Bruce landed far from the target unhurt, dropping our dream team into 3rd place. Glory was lost. Bruce and I laughed about our 3rd place position for decades, joking about all the Red Bull sponsorships, TV gigs, and millions of dollars that we almost had. Visitation: Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 3-5pm at Barkes, Weaver, & Glick Funeral Home located at 1029 Washington Street, Columbus, IN 47201 (Directions) Funeral Service: To immediately follow the visitation from 5-6pm Reception: To immediately follow the funeral from 6pm-?. This location is three blocks South at Breedan Inc., 700 Washington Street, Columbus, IN. (Directions) In lieu of flowers, Donna Kramer (Bruce's mom) is requesting that everyone bring pictures of Bruce to the service, or make a donation to Bruce's son Lucas Stafford Kramer. I'll try to update this post with more info soon. There will be an opportunity for everyone to share any memorable BASE 509 stories at the funeral and celebrate his amazing life. Leave a message for Bruce and his family. If anyone is wondering, I spoke with Bruce for more than an hour recently and he told me to not be sad when he's gone. He was in and out of the hospital due to heart issues. He acknowledged that he led an amazing life. 13GRAND_0001_Bruce_Kramer_rockstar.tif
  3. See Amazon's post #6 above. She insinuated some of us are tax cheats.... (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  4. You obviously don't own a business. I think some of you just don't get it. If a business buys a new TV for the cafeteria, this new law will require them to fill out a 1099. If a business buys more than $600 in copy paper at Staples throughout the year, this new law will require them to fill out a 1099. The vendor will have to furnish and the business will have to collect TINs (Tax Identification Numbers) before submitting the 1099 to the IRS. Some vendors will have to submit their SSN's instead of TINs if they are a small business. Paperwork nightmare. And please stop insinuating that anyone objecting to this new tax code is simply a tax cheat. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  5. It's not new? If you are claiming a business expense, a RECEIPT is your proof if you're audited. This new law buried in the health care bill is a massive burden on every business in America. 1099s only covered contract work, not purchases, in the past. As a business owner, I'm pretty pissed at this burdensome addition to the existing red tape. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  6. Are you saying the entire Tea Party is nothing but unapologetic white nationalists? That's kind of like everyone in Congress being KKK supporters since Robert Byrd was a KKK member at one time. Fail. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  7. The New River Gorge Bridge is the site for Bridge Day, a legal BASE jumping festival held on the third Saturday of October every year near Fayetteville, WV. With 450 jumpers from 40 states and 10 countries, it's the largest BASE jumping event in the world (since 1980). Participants must have 100 skydives and jumped in the last two years. 20-25% of all jumpers are first time BASE jumpers and we offer several first BASE jump courses. We've got a diving board for the more experienced jumpers and a normal 10' wide launch platform located more than 876' off the New River. Please visit our website for further information.
  8. He was my Congressman and he lost by double digits. Not a surprise since he funneled plenty of federal money to local companies who then reciprocated with large campaign donations. It's common knowledge here. Of course, his health care yes vote didn't help either. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  9. I pay into Medicare and SS all my life, but wanting to collect from it means I can't protest against big government? Doesn't make sense to me. Aren't the "teabaggers" (your sexual slang) really concerned with out of control earmarks, constitutionally limited government, free markets, health care that doesn't tax everyone, etc.? (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  10. Well, I'm not a mine manager....so I guess I can say these things. I'm just a realist, I guess. Not sure what this has to do w/ political leanings. Ask the OP. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  11. No one is saying that technology can't make mining safer.....DUH! I'm just saying that there will always be deaths, so don't act so alarmed next time. Some of you guys will argue that 2+2 doesn't equal 4..... (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  12. It's wishful thinking that new/increased technology can keep coal miners 100% safe. That's like saying AAD's will prevent all fatalities. What about human error? What about the unpredictable movement of the earth when drilling underground? I have lived in West Virginia for nearly 40 years. There were two earthquakes here right around the time of the accident and some are questioning a possible link. I wouldn't hang the Massey CEO just yet..... (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  13. Coal mines are just like dropzones - there will always be fatalities. Coal miners and skydivers both know the risks associated with their participation. Blaming Republicans for this accident is a real stretch..... (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  14. I've only had two bad days where I've watched jumpers go in, but Christian-bashing is a daily occurrence here. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
  15. People often ask me about the best and worst things I've experienced in my 18 years of skydiving and BASE jumping. I usually tell them the best thing is the feeling of flying like a bird and doing things that most people only dream of. The worst thing is easy to identify......it's the skydivers who utilize every possible opportunity to bash Christianity. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.