base60

Wow I just found this out. That sucks. I remember riding back from bridge day with Howard and Kliff Keltner. Howard was wearing an acapulco shirt and we stopped for a beer in a hick little bar. As we walked in it went deathly quiet and then the barmaid shouts...'What the f..k is this, Miami Vice?!' Every time I met him he'd bring it up. Shit. That's a loss. He was a class act.

Oh yeah...counted too many fingers. It's not my 27th year, it's my 24th. Like it matters!!! Just thought I'd put the record straight.

Nothing wrong with d bag presuming you have a good assistent. But with SL you can go solo. SOLO.

You have to leave the SL there. Might not be politicaly correct, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. In most cases it doesn't matter and you can always change it each time you go.

Made a jump from 150 feet the other night near my house. As a side point that ushered in my 27th year in BASE! Some locals are interested in the object but when they ran the pin closed sl method by me I wasn't too impressed. That set up looks like shit. I jump velcro although I know all systems work fine. But velcro is easier to SL and I really like low jumps. Here is a new old method for static lining pins. Take off the pilot and bridle, pins and all. Break tie a static line right onto the canopy/multi. Take two cut down rubber bands like the one used on a tailgate. Larks head one to each of the closing loops. Pull the bands up through the grommets and secure them with a pinch of the SL. Tie of the SL to the strong point. Jump. The break cord can't get loaded until the pack is open and you can't get hung up because the bands will just break. Simple. This is how we used to SL skydiving gear in the 80's. But hell if pins are back we might as well dust off this technique. Cheers. Jakey. ps. Black is back!

-I start at the top and work down. Chinstrap Cheststrap Legstraps Bridle clear or SL clear SL tied at both ends Shoelaces...bigger than you might think and finally turn and make a site check, do you have everything? I've left stuff behind before I included this.

I don't know you but I think that's one of the ballsiest things I've heard in a long time. I understand it. After 24 years of base I can honestly say it doesn't do a thing for me. Nor does skydiving. Doesn't make my heart beat faster at all. But no-one gets out alive, so now you have to die of cancer, or alzhiemers or on the freeway with your spleen on the passenger seat while they cut you out of the car. Quite frankly I WANT to die base jumping or skydiving. What better way is there? Damn I'm gonna regret posting this!

47 years old 23 years base jumping It took 10 years to get the first 100 and 13 years to get the next 340. I've never really had a break. It's starting to get old now though. Or maybe it's just me.

I've base jumped a fury for years. Just gave it the line mod and toggles. Tail pocket. Most of the jumps have been very low, static line, and I do think perhaps the openings would be different past 3 seconds. I have freefallen it plenty though. Never any off headings, but then I don't no flips and flops. You also have to climb inside every ten jumps or so and look, because the line attachments and bridle will start to fail. But you can always stay on top of it, stitch in time and all that. But I'd jump my fury tomorrow no problem. It's my second gear tho. Given the chance I'll always take my Fox 225 five zp regardless of the site. Cheers. Jake.

Hey what's up. Yep I'm still alive and well in southern california. Jumping at Perris most weekends. Did a handfull of base jumps this year so I'm still in the game. All solo, all so low. Some things never change! I never thought Groundrush would be so sought after for so long. It's a shame the publisher doesn't see it as still viable. Anyway, thanks for the interest. Be fairly careful out there. Jakey.

Ooops. Just realised I should clarify something. The zepo I referred to is a Fox 225 with a zp top skin. Jake.

The other day I had to run an errand across town. Whilst there I found a 17 story building under construction. I did a quick recon and found it acceptable. So three nights later I went back and jumped it at 8 in the evening. It was a static line from about 150 feet. I ran to the car, threw my canopy onto the passenger seat, (not easy with a zepo,) and drove off. Tearing off my armour and helmet while driving I realised that no-one had seen. So I drove right around the building, parked outside the Trophies bar and grill next door and walked inside for a beer. Sweet. When I got home I filled in my log book and found that I am now entering my 21st year of base jumping. In all that time I've never been uncurrent. I've never done a backflip, jumped a wingsuit or been to Norway. But then I've never broken a bone or been arrested either. Of my 435 base jumps about 70 percent have been below 200 feet. I like it down there. About 97 percent have been illegal and about 75 percent have been solo. No cameras, no drivers, no jump buddies. I've seen a lot happen over the years. Seen a lot of people come and go. Watched base grow to become far bigger than we ever imagined it would. There are people out there doing things that blow me away. Things I will never do. My hat is off to them. Still when it gets to certain time of night, I find myself walking outside to check the wind. Nothing on TV. I'm not tired. And the whole thing starts again. I like solo base because I simply never know when I'm going to jump so it's the easiest way. It is a little freaky. I mean few people know what the last thing they're ever going to see is. For me its going to be two trash cans and a four foot high brick wall. That's the off heading coffin corner on my local building. That's where I'll lay and bleed to death. But that's alright. Because every time I stand up on that exit point and look down, I only get stronger. I have come to believe that base reaches far deeper than all the bullshit that has come to surround it. Up there at night, looking across the city. Checking your gear alone. Thats when you come close to finding out all the secrets.