Before and now BASE jumping....

It is strange, I do remember all of my jumps up to a specific number over many years, then it kind of fades out, when I start doing more jumps each year. There is some highlights once and awhile, of different reasons. Remember 10 - 15 base jumps a year was a very active jumper at that time. We where more base jumpers in head, than in action. It gave us more time to think, and focus around each jump, that could take a month, even years from first decision/desire to make. I have to point out at that time we jumped to survive, and every little unknown detail had to be found, and every known detail had to be in focus. Many of us was lonely wolves as well, since there was nobody close around with experience. I later learned how a friend of me started, who did his first base with a DB from a crane, using a plastic bag, and also figured out that an antenna jump had to be made in to head wind. Why he figured out? Simple, the canopy will surge for air, and to make sure it was opening onheading, it had to be headwind. We had all our different styles, and approach to complete our mission to become BASE jumpers. I used a 12 meter staticline on a skydiving rig, with the bag, and the rubberbands as a DB, disconnected from the chute but with a carabine inside just to make sure the bridle would pull the chute out of the bag. This just to get some more "freefall experience" from a bridge we would freefall today. My friend did his first pilotchute asisstant to me, and it gave him bloody hands when the pilotchute teared up inside his hands, when he was holding to hard to long. My other friend busted his ribs holding to hard to far away from the fence, he just bounced in the fence quite hard. You see we progressed learning by mistakes. Se how easy it is to pilot chute assist someone today? Still a very serious matter, if they dont pay enough attention to their job, or have the experience to do so. My first building I spent 3 years from first I saw it, until I felt I had the experience enough to go and make it. I spent one week at location before I jumped it. My first single container, I packed 20 times before I jumped it. Packing pulling out 20 times, trying to find a week point, or hazards. My first jump with a single container, I do remember very well. I was stripped naked. Now I would never jump anything else than a single container.

Later I learned the new generation who just traveled around, saw an object pulled the gear out, and just jumped it. Wow it was so easy, why did we not figure out that before? I was shocked, I was frustrated, the new generation made it look so easy. How could they? They had no respect! It was so unfair! I had spent so much time just to survive, just to learn this? Got Dam it! This is also the years we do see the accident rate rise, but also the numbers of jumps being done per year changing dramatic.

Also many of my perfect objects, and future objects being burned one by one..I was angry at that time, but later I did find out they was not burned that bad anyway. Every object kind of healed up, except my big A in Oslo, and a bridge me and Tor Alex made first as well, that is burned down for good. I was on the very last load my selves to the A to make sure it went all down with me (this without braking anything or in to it). I did work on that antenna many hours many evenings over a couple of years to find the perfect way to do it. John Mjøen had been looking at that one since I first time met him in 1988. It was first jumped 1995 by me, and it was a huge goal just to nail that one. It had some security systems for the air traffic mounted, and was quite good protected. Once I made the first jump, I showed my good friend, who again showed another. The week after they had a boogie mid day at a saturday, with tv and police present. Then it started from being a low profile object to be a cat and mouse game with the security, and police. We found a new way to do the jump, they locked or secured the possibility. With two others we came along mid day with a huge long ladder on the car roof. The ladder had to be used in two steps to make it inside the antenna, quite easy but also exciting moves even for a basejumper. It ended with 2 jumpers locked up, and one on the run from the cops with dogs let loose. We got Locked up 4 hours and back out with no gear, which I had go back for the next day. Today the only way is to brake in to the location. It is a shame it is gone, on that object you could hang out for hours just watching the citylife below. God I loved that location, but i knew it was just about time before it was gone, and it was kind of a pleasure to be the one of those who finished it off as well. I know only 3 loads have been in there later.

I have met 33 of those you find in the list, some few of them was very good friends, and some I was friends with, but I did not dear to keep to close. I learned I had to choose my friends very closely, and I have turned down a good friend relationship, because of their behavior as an jumper. 2002 I was num, thats the worst year I had in sport. After this year, I started to jump more like I did when I started. More soloīs, and choose my jumping partners with care. If we where on a load, and one person showed up, I could make an excuse to not go at that time, and either go somewhere else. I had learned to protect myself, and my feelings. BASE was also very personal for me, if somebody did not show respect for the different sites, nature, or I did not feel confident with their personalities, or they expressed I was an old fart since I had my strong opinions, I did not feel responsible to be a guide, a jumping partner, or share my local information.

This is maybe what we have to rethink, and donīt make it so personal anymore. We do know we can not stop people from jumping, but we can guide them as good we can to preserve our sites.


Know you can loose your best friend!
Know you will feel untouchable when your ego grows!

Thank you for reading the old retired farts post
__________________
www.worldbaserace.com
The world fastest flying human being!
Know Your Limits

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