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It's not a mis-quote, because that's pretty much what goes through my mind when I jump. And Bridge Day is already legal.... However, the media loves to extract certain parts of conversations and headline them. Sometimes, that's the price we pay for simply opening our mouths. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

The sad part is the media twisting the story to fit their needs. Pat never said "disaster may strike your town", but rather "if disaster strikes your town, don't turn to God". (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

My wife and I finally had our wills and other medical papers drawn up earlier this year. Everything was free, since I simply spent some time online and found free forms. Our local hospital provided the living will and power of attorney forms (combined into one). (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

If anyone can help, I need a copy of Life Magazine (Nov. 11, 2005) and I'll pay you for it. It comes as part of many major newspapers each Friday. It is supposed to contain some information on Bridge Day, along with a short interview I gave them. Many thanks if you can assist. Cya!!! (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

I'm a mechanical engineer for a military contractor, but at night I operate Vertical Visions (videos, photos, event organization, web hosting, etc.). Some things I can offer include: -Mechanical design of enclosures, exit platforms, camera equipment, helmet brackets, diving boards, bellymounts, etc. using Solidworks or Autocad. -Web hosting for your domain, including Miva web stores to sell your products. I've got about 10 BASE jumpers on it already and it's underutilized. -BASE event organizing, sponsorships, and insurance. PS. What in the hell does Tom do? (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Do you have a business or skill that other jumpers may need from time to time? Maybe you own a sticker company or you're a freelance web designer? Perhaps you work for a T-shirt company or you own a sheet metal fab shop? Maybe you even do BASE rigging work on the side? As the saying goes, "let's take care of our own". You get the point. I think it may benefit all of us to know what YOU can offer the BASE community. Don't be shy. If this thread doesn't die, I'll post some things I can offer. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Is this Nathan Blaesing, the guy who jumped a daisy chained canopy at Moab? (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

I think everyone who donated should be mentioned in this thread. Here's the list....and thanks to all of you for helping out. Russel Metlitzky - $30 Jason Bell - $50 Rl - $75 Avery Badenhop - $50 Jaap Suter - $50 Anonymous - $20.20 Truckerbase - $20 Anonymous - $30 bob.dino - $20 Anonymous - $50 Nick Rugai - $20 Mike Bartlett - $20 wwarped - $20 Anonymous - $20 Anonymous - $20 980 - $40 A**hole Numero Uno - $29.66 Sky Beck - $30 Kate Cooper - $50 Ivan Betts - $20 marg/nerdgirl - $20 Anonymous - $25 Anonymous - $20 In Memory of Jeff Taylor - $20 Collin Scott - $20 Jamie Serchia - $20 Blair700 - $20 Michael Greer - $10 Abbie Mashaal - $20 TJ MacArthur - $20 James Boole - $20 Tree - $50 Paquita Winterpacht - $30 Jalisco - $20 klapaucius - $20 (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Now that I've said my peace regarding Sam's Club, take a look at the attached license plate concept. Legal? I can clearly see it......from the correct angle. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Is it just me, or is the Sam's Club policy of marking receipts before exiting their building a complete waste of time? I guess if you're not qualified to be a Walmart greeter, they ship you over to mark receipts at Sam's Club. C'mon, they watched you checkout and hand over your cash, so why should you wait in another line just to show your receipt? I am starting a collection of unmarked Sam's Club receipts. I refuse to wait in line to have my receipts signed. Sure, they yell at me when I bypass the receipt line, but I just tell them to "arrest me". Anyone else wanna join the movement? Anyone wanna bitch and moan at me for not following the rules? Have a nice weekend everyone! PS. If I opened a store where you had to show a membership card to get in, show a membership card to check out, pay for a membership each year, wait in line to show my receipt, and not accept Mastercard/Visa - I'd be out of business in a week. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

JASON'S NOTE: This interesting email is in response to the unknown jumper who kept a Bridge Day 2005 leg injury quiet until he was in line for his next jump. Apparently, his pain set in and an ambulance hauled him away while on top of the bridge. The only way we found out about this injury was via a phone call to Jan Care more than 5 days after the event. It's our policy to clip the badge of injured jumpers and provide them medical assistance (if we are aware of the injury). Since I can't respond to her (she blocked my email), I guess I'll respond here. Besides, it's too funny to not share. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

I haven't been around that long, but I do remember when pin base rigs were black death.... (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

I also emailed the author and he changed the webpage. In addition, I complained to channel 13 about the "illegal in California" comment on TV and asked for a correction. Sometimes firing off a quick email actually works. The real problem I see is the perpetuation of our sport being illegal. I'll never forget the day when some out-of-towners hassled me at the Potato Bridge and threatened to call the cops on me for jumping. The media is very powerful and if we don't correct them, nothing will change. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

I'll be at the Turkey Boogie, so look me up if you wanna hear the story (as told to me by Eric himself). (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

I've had the pleasure of jumping with Eric Ryde in the mid-90's. He's a great guy and hopefully, one day, his story can be openly told in detail to the masses (if it already isn't common knowlege). Long live Eric Ryde. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

"BASE jumping is illegal in California". What a load of crap. It's time we tell these irresponsible reporters that they need to do some research before they falsely report that BASE is illegal. I just got off the phone with Life Magazine for a story about Bridge Day where I demanded they change the same type of false verbage. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Chad's photos are here: www.picmyphotos.com the password is "bridgeday05" (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

The same ramp was used in 2004 and 2005. It is wider than the two ramps used in 2003 or the bus ramp used in 2002. There are two lines on the current ramp, so I don't think having two separate ramps is any different. Cya. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

That's some funny stuff, Jaap. Moe is a very cool guy and he's been on my BD staff for several years. Since he's a little bit "anti-computer", I decided to purchase www.moeviletto.com and put a message board on there. Now, when Moe goes to the library, he can check his messages. Stay tuned for the launch of www.moeviletto.com. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Yeah, that was the best part. $1500 in cash and prizes later, I think he's now happy that he told us his name after nailing the accuracy pad.... (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Ah.....Bryan Rapoza. I never got to drag you in front of the Bridge Day crowd and show them who won 1st place accuracy. I think you scored 12cm, if I remember correctly. Congrats!!! (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

From my limited research, climbers don't need a permit to climb or camp on most big walls. Correct me if I'm wrong on this. If we're using climbing as a model for backcountry parachuting, then obtaining a permit shouldn't be required. Does the ABP want a permit-free process like climbing, or one that requires permits and possible fees? As far as policies and laws are concerned, we are back to pre-2001. Obviously, relationships and communication have improved since then. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

We're basically back to the way it was prior to 2001. I think a rewrite of 36CFR2.17 is the next step - otherwise, we'll be applying for permits (and getting denied) everytime we want to jump and that's not the final goal. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

Since no one has really explained the jump in detail.... -Both exited the bridge Mr. Bill style with a PCA. -After opening, Bertrand Cloutier was the one holding on and he rotated 180 degrees under the canopy pilot. -The canopy pilot is now holding Bertrand by his legs so that Bertrand is upside down with his chest to the front. -Bertrand deploys his canopy, which opens perfectly. -Since their legs are locked, they go into a downplane for about 3-4 seconds and release. Very cool jump. Bertrand also jumped the "Shepard" costume last year and is featured on IMAX: Adrenaline Rush. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

All, I'm still recovering from BD. Yesterday, I traveled back to Fayetteville for a Bridge Day Commission meeting and today I took an extra day off work today just to get back to normal. Anyway, to address the "long lines" issue, I would first like to mention that the lines were the same "length" as last year (450 jumpers). I think that some of you meant to say they were "slower" this year. We did have some minor glitches, but everyone got to jump - many got 2 or 3. However, the following also must be factored: 1) A record number of jumpers rode the boom truck onto the bridge at 7am, resulting in more time standing around waiting to jump - long before the 9am start. 2) We didn't get started until 9:20am due to the rappellers, who were raising an American flag with Jon Dragan's ashes. Thanks to Bill Bird, who asked Governor Manchin for an extension, were were able to jump until 3:30pm. 3) There were 9 trains that probably ate up nearly an hour of jumping. Normal is 4 trains. 4) Many jumpers landed in trees near the bullseye and jumping was stopped. 5) Many jumpers were getting injured due to the high winds and their inexperience. Injuries in the main landing area resulted in jump stoppages. 6) High winds resulted in higher than normal water landings. If all four boats are full, then we must stop jumping. 7) Everyone made their first jump by 1:15pm. 8) Between 3:00-3:30 there were hardly any jumpers in line. I begged for jumpers to come to the exit ramps from 3:15 to 3:30 and no one was around. It embarassed me that we asked for an extention and then nobody wanted to jump. Fortunately, two jumpers emerged at 3:25pm just in time for another train hold. The last two jumpers left the ramps at 3:35pm. So, we will make some improvements in future years. I believe raising the jump requirement from 50 to 100 (or 150) might help with injuries, tree, and water landings. Maybe I'll even have some locals park their cars on the RR tracks about a mile upstream to slow down RR traffic. I do value all of your comments and greatly appreciate any feedback, positive or negative. I had a great BD05 and met many new friends. Once my mind clears up in the next few days, I'll probably begin to remember you all. We rely on a (mostly) volunteer staff that works very hard to pull this event off. My sincere thanks go out to all volunteers. Until we meet again at the exit point....... (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted.