jimmyh

1) have you ever seen something really funny where the person didn't get hurt and you wished to God you had your camera? I have a million times. When I got the shot of that guy hitting the power lines which obviously saved him from a very serious injury, I was stoked and I was like for once, "I totally got that shot." 2) the twist in the main lift web, while looking a little ugly, in no way put her in any danger and the pilot chute would have inflated the second she let go of it. It's not like we had a restrictive device tied around it. 3) the jumper MAc has issues with has enough experience to begin his BASE career 4) Honestly I don't give a fuck, and my arguement has been misunderstood about the List from the very beginning except by Nick who obviously got every word. 5) I riducule DZ.com because a lot of the time it's very, very lame. Without DZ.com, the List would still be up. And yes I would make a great moderator because I often bring differing, if not always popular ideas. 6) I'm not selfish. You're selfish because anytime I have something to say that doesn't fit into your model of the way BASE should be pursued, you try to call me out on really superficial complaints which obviously hold no water. 7) I don't know who runs the list. I know it is a guy Named NickDG who I spoke to once about a rig for Clair. The conversation ended with him telling me that they would be happy to make her a rig after she turned 18. I said, "cool" no problem and we hung up. No big deal there, but it doesn't mean I know him. I couldn't pick him out in a line up. and as far as the guy who writes the list, I'm not sure any of us really know who that is. I'm talking abut who that man really is when he's fulfilling his role as List caretaker. 8) The List is disgusting and so is the sport wide fascination with it. That's my opinion and it has consitently been my opinion ever since the day I realized it existed. My post about the drinking game was completely facetious and sarcastic. I mean seriously taking pictures of your passed out friends and sending them to a guy who will use them as photos for their "memorial" shot on the Death List? That's almost as sick as pissing on your friend's grave. Hey bro before you try to call me out on my behavioral patterns, why don't you look at some of patterns that are seen again and again and again by the participants of this sport. I'll take this conversation private whenever you are ready.

A couple of years ago my sister committed suicide, and I saw, and still see the comletely devastating effect that the death of child has on the parents. No words can ever do justice to the absolute destruction of joy that the passing of a child, parent, spouse, can have on those left behind. As BASE jumpers, we do not own the memories of these people. I keep the poem that was read at my sister's memorial in my locker at work and when I feel up to it, I re-read it sometimes. If for learning, posterity, and the advancement of the sport, we need a list of the statistical circumstances that resuted in a fatality, which should be made public on the internet, great. Now that's an endeavor I would applaud. But the list was in very bad taste and in dire need of reworking. Can you imagine being the parent of a young man who died tragically looking at his name and number on a list, picture included of course, where the autor of the list, a man completely unknown to you, subtley implies that he was wrong for jumping in the conditions he chose to jump in and that those conditions likely provoked his death even though there were no eye witnesses with any experience that could confirm those, between the line, accusations? Ya'll probably read Of Mice and Men in high school or college right? Sometimes you gotta decide to shoot your beloved old dog yourself before somebody else comes along and does it for you. That's the decision Nick made, and i'm happy for him that he was able to do it. Thanks Nick, and I'm sorry for your loss. Those who loved the BFL will always remember it with honor and respect.

My distaste with the list began while I was teaching Clair to BASE jump. In fact, that was when I first became aware of it's existence. She got the "did you read list?" thing so many times it became apparent that BASE jumpers have, in my opinion, a morbid fascination with that list. "Did you read it? huh? did you? Did you read it again? huh? Still wanna BASE jump now? Read the List yet? You better read that list right now before you proceed one step further." Why not just, "please think about what you are getting yourself into. THis is a very unforgiving sport which has resulted in the deaths of many people and the injury, sometimes life changing, of many others." And now recently, for reasons I will never feel a need to justify, I don't think Jimmy Hall's name should go up there, and for that matter how about an alternative to the way it has been historically maintained if not a complete dismantle?

Nick, I truly appreciate the time you took with such a response. It is the spirit in which you keep that early brotherhood flame alive which I respect in you. However, when I said I don't know you, I meant I wouldn't think for a moment I know you well enough to say anything worth reading that would stand for ever as a testiment to your life or death, and more importantly you don't know me either. One phone call about a rig, and a couple of years of vicarious interaction through the sport amount to very little in my book. And be careful when passing this torch of the BFL on to the next generation. It seems like there are a number of people who would jump at the opportunity to pick up where you leave off. "Me. Me. Me. I'll do it Nick, I'll do it." Yeah, like I want that guy writing about me, my friends, or family n the event of a fatality. I'm done talking about the list now, I won't ever die because I'm immortal anyway, so it's a moot point for me. It does seem that I touched a nerve though. It almost seems to me like I committed a huge feux paus by questioning Nick and THE LIST. I didn't know they were sacred or off limits. I didn't think that a group of people who pride themselves on urinating on the graves of their "brothers" would hold anything sacred. Oh well live and learn, if not you get to share a number with those on the list, yipee.

Wait, we're out of line? Completely even? I've never stood in your line once, not even for a second, so I've been completly out of it from the beginning. And this coming from a guy who has Hunter S. Thompson forn Avatar....

Whoops, that last one was me, not my wife. She was still logged in when I posted. Alright after giving it some more thought you all are right. The list is good. It serves an educational purpose as well as a cathartic purpose, and I thought of another purpose it could serve: A drinking game purpose. The BFL Drinking Game or TBFLDG. Whenever another name is added, get together with your BASE jumper friends (participants must be BASE jumpers), and start at the top with #1. For every jumper who died before you started BASE jumping, drink. For every jumper you knew personally tell someone else to drink. If you ever made a jump with a dead (before they died) jumper, tell someone else to drink. If you ever had a similar incident but did not die, tell soemone to drink. If you ever made a jump from the same object, tell someone to drink. If you completed your BASE number requirements from an object that a jumper died from, tell everyone in the room to drink. Whoever passes out during the game gets their picture taken, and that is the picture which gets used for the list when they die.

As always when a friend of mine dies, I feel completely gutted. He will be mourned and missed as long as those who have had the pleasure to know him live. But my reason for posting about Jimmy's death is this: I want to publicly announce my complete displeasure with the BASE fatality list. Whatever service the BFL may have once served is competely over. It is my firm conviction that far from honoring the lives and deaths of our fallen brothers and sisters, the online list trivializes, mocks, and in many other ways does a huge disservice to those who have passed as well as those who are left behind. I would love to privately discuss this matter with anyone interested in this subject, but let me quite simply say right here that the BASE fatality list is distasteful, wrong, disgusting, hurtful, sickening, offensive, abhorrent, etc. etc. etc. The memory of Jimmy Hall (BASE jumping was the smallest fraction of what has made him a great person) deserves better. He deserves to be remembered with honor by those who loved and knew him. His death is a tragedy. No good has come of it, no good will ever come of it, and nothing will be learned by touting it online with a few words written by a guy who prides himself on being the guy who writes about BASE jumpers who have died. I don't even know the guy who writes the "list", but please whoever you are think very hard before you put Jimmy's name on there. edit for thread title ~TA

I remember the day I first posted regarding this thread. It was December 6: My sister's (r.i.p.) birthday. I wasn't partucularly in the mood to watch that kind of stuff, and posted my thoughts accordingly. Here's the latest youtube contribution from the same "flyer." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DcLl9_Cs1k My thoughts are posted, this time, directly on his video.

yes. numbers=legitamacy legitamcy=legality legality=no more "boo hoo my sport is changing" this sport belongs to no one.

Mac, this post wasn't intended to be ironic or cynical. This post is a exact word for word account of me taking a Slovenian guy BASE jumping. And in order to be embarrassed, one must first take oneself seriously. Which I don't, and therefore don't be suprised when I don't take you seriously either. BASE jumping is a fun sport. It is not the Holy Grail. Get over it.

Hey everybody in Slovania: all 2 million of you. There's been this Slovanian guy hanging around the DZ at Lodi lately. I can't pronounce his name (actually I never asked), and tonight I had two packed rigs, and I only wanted to do one jump. Therefore, I took him for his first BASE jump. I taught him nothing, I never asked his age, I hope never to see him again and would not be his "mentor" even if he asked. I totaly kicked his ass at shotgunning after the jump with beer that I made him buy before the jump so that I could still drink even if he died. Well anyway, I think he plans on going back to Slovania someday, and he might even tell somebody that while he was in Lodi, Jimmy Halliday took him BASE jumping. I figured that if I warn the Slovanians now, I can avoid another public tounge lashing.

No seriously, Thank you. Oh no thank you. No no, Thank you No thank you. Fuck off thank you Fuck you thank you! Your welcome

hey big mac, One of the advantages of being raised around DZs is that you accumulate vast amounts of knowlege and experience, and there are tons of examples of world class athletes raised under such conditions. The disadvantage is that the older generation will almaost always look at you as that two year old "kid." I'm not surprised that Joel is scarring other jumpers who have 30+ years in the sport. They've got to be in their 50s and 60s. It's there role to be scared for him. That's their part of the formula. Joel's part of the formula is to be the young, overly excited kid who has grown up around DZs and is now ready to start participating in whole thing. Big Macs part of the formula is to be the local, active jumper in the hieght of his BASE jumping who's best interests lie in keeping himself and others in his area alive, while preserving the jumpability of the local objects. My part of the formul is to be the guy that has no problem with the rate or way in which the sport is growing and therefore against the better judgement of others, help facilitate certain people making some jumps. However, I never told Joel to drop your name, I never even knew you were in the UK. In fact I tell people to never drop any names, period. Especially not mine. But whatever, we're all just playing the parts we have chosen. But my question to Big Mac is this: Now that Joel is skydiving in your area and wanting to get into BASE jumping, are you going to help him out or just be a complete dick?

Against my better judgement, I am going to bite on this. If you are talking about Joel, you must not know him as well as I got to know him while he worked his ass off all Winter long. He came to the U.S. specifiacally because a) he could afford to learn to jump here as our static line course is five hundred US which must be somewhere around 300 quid. Furthermore he is a big boy and maybe the UK doesn't have student gear to support his size? Anyway he worked harder than any American "child" I've ever met, Bill Dause (the boss) put him through the ringer (anyone who has ever been here knows what that means), and he not only survived the Lodi ordeal, but flourished here. He lost about 25lbs packing tandems for five bucks a pop, and soked up more knowledge than the originator of this post learned any three month period ever. I am not going to say whether I ever took Joel BASE jumping because that is between he and I. But if I did, he had enough experience to do the jump where I would have took him. Whether he has enough BASE experience or skydiving experience to buy a rig, and then go to Norway this summer after doing the requisite amount of skydives at a DZ in the UK or maybe even coming back here to Crank out a couple hundred skydives in June and July, and then taking the First BASE course in Lysebotn, who knows???? He's not a child, he's totally heads up, and I look forward to seeing him again. MAC, your post makes no sense to me. It seems like you have something to say which you couldn't quite get accross. I mean the title of the post is "thank you Jimmy Halliday" Am I supposed to take that as an ironical statement or are you sincerely thanking me for being as cool as you wish you could be?

I just re-read my posts and if you substitute the word "lame" every time you see "gay," I believe the you will get what I'm getting at.

For future reference, whenever I think somebody is doing something lame, I'll accuse them of being "gay" Please keep in mind, I am not actually making derogatory comments about whether or not peope are participating in same sex relationships.

Oh wait, I'm sorry. She just coined a new phrase didn't she???? "PROXIMITY" flying "Is everybody "proximity" flying's nowa days?" Well if you coin a new phrase, I guess you get the right to brag anonimously. "hey everybody look at me, i'm "PROXIMITY" flying." But what gives you the ok to post under an unknown username directing us to an unknown youtube user profile?????

Oh I'm sorry, the poster should get more respect from me cuz these are the tag words she put up on GAYtube... "Wingsuit BASE jumping eiger alps" Oh yeah of course you are a hordcore guy who deserves respect for what you've posted on her e .

I mean give me a fucking break........... This is what the fag posted about her video on GAYTUBE "Wingsuit BASE jumping close to trees and rocks in the Alps and elsewhere. Using a Vampire 1 wingsuit by Phoenix Fly. shot with Panasonic Lumix digital camera on movie mode at 28mm zoom duct taped to top of skateboarding helmet." Ya'll wanna help decrease the mortality rate???? Please call these people fags and not pioneers. If you are doing jumps like that, and describing them like that, you are not doing our sport any favors. But you aren't trying to do our sport favors are you? You have other motives, and tthose motives have homosexual overtones. Stay in the closet, stop posting like that, or stop jumping. jimmy halliday

HI, My name is "feakquentflyer" I'm GAY, and not only that, but I BASE jump too, and not only that, but I have enough money to buy a wingsuit and go someplace and jump off a cliff. And since I would have no idea what to do after jumping off that cliff if I had not watched a video called "superterminal," I'll do this....... I'll post a video on GAYTUBE....I mean YOU tube and then post a link to my sketchy BASE video on the dorkzone...Everybody will love me.....Especially the guys. PEOPLE PLEASE.....Don't be gay, and don't encourage people people to be gay. If somebody posts a video on youtube that would encourage other people to die, don't encourage them. -jimmy halliday

I just sent the finished copy to the duplicator, so I should be shipping out videos early next week. The Bridge Day Video is 2 hrs. 45 minutes, and every jump is included on the disc. I broke up the day into 1/2 hour incriments which can be accessed through the chapters menue (i.e., if you jumped around 10:30, you can go straight to that part of the day) or you can watch it from the first jump till the last. It starts with a quick highlights edit which you can check out here: http://stage6.divx.com/members/138540/videos/1044495 You'll need divx. Anyway, this was a fantastic experience for me and I hope to be able to do the Bridge Day video again. Thanks to everyone who purchased the video at Bridge Day, as well as those who have bought it through my website.

Sorry, What I meant was that my Bridge Day panoramics were the result of 57 photos stitched toger not 7. If I were to buy a new digi point and shoot right now, I'd go wit ha Pentax Optio S7. But that's just me, however, if dbrutherfprd's wife is reading this....can you say stocking stuffer?

Image stich is a function on my little digital elf point and shoot. You tell the camera to take pictures in stitch assist mode, then you open the program that came with the camera's software. It will find the points that need to be seemed together. It does a good job and even when you zoom in on the finished product it's hard to tell where the seams are. Those panoramics are the result of 7 photos stiched together. I think you can even do 360 degree pans but I haven't tried that one yet.

Another panoramic. Stitch assist is cool.

I think I did three. I'll put up another one where the guys in a different place