Localism

[space]

What BASErs know, but few non-BASErs ever see, is that in the culture of BASE jumping,("localism") is an aggressive, xenophobic one which is ostensibly about preserving the best sights for those most deserving of them, but which is really a primitive and vicious defense-of-territory mentality.

Modern BASE points to ?? as its father, yet his Garden of Eden version of jumping is about as far as you'll get from the heavy scenes caused by the pools of hate that have floated in sites around the world: the toxic spills of localism. Of course, if we as BASErs look to our heritage, what do we do when we see a history of raids, massacres, and internecine conflict throughout history? Are we doomed by cultural genetics to duke it out over our tiny slices of paradise and the short-lived jumps we do?

A common conception sees BASErs as laid-back, care-free and "zen." The enjoyment they get from flicking a superb spot and working it well is an inward one that puts them in direct contact with their nature. But such notions of the BASEing monk should be expunged and replaced with another bald icon: the violence-prone, jack-booted fascist. Fueled by overpopulation and scarcity, each successful jump becomes both a conquest over self, and a sense of entitlement for every future good jump that rolls in. Moreover, their simple presence at a given BASE spot over time entitles them to access over "tourists."

I don't know if there is another sport/art/lifestyle on the planet that offers as phenomenal an experience as BASE jumping and yet is cursed with human behavior in a classification with sharks and gangbangers. BASE jumping is an amazing thing to do, but seen through the prism of localism, it comes off looking pretty lame.



I have transposed this from another theme as a joke.
Ha!
Take care
space

[Tree]

Nice post Space,

But what does it all mean? Maybe it should have been called "Call the Localisms Rule".

BASE is great, but there will always be people who are just to cool for it. They can and will do whatever they want, whenever they want. I mean, BASE is all about freedom, right? On the other hand, BASE is all about community. Although the community keeps growing and its too big to know everyone, it is always possible to pay respect to your fellow jumper when you are in their area. At what massive price does paying this respect come? A simple phone call, and then, yes, pay heed to what those folks tell you. They know the score and will keep you from paying other steep fees. And so it has been from the begining, but it has gotten further and further from that.

So yes you can run around BASEing and doing as you please in the name of freedom, by all means. Just don't complain when you fu(k up, do something stupid, and pay a steep price financially and personally.

Everything has a cost.

Tree :-)

[Nick_D]

Fear Not . . .

BASE jumping has a life of it's own now and none of us, through design or stupidity, will ever prevent it as long as there exists a curious boy (girl) with access to a sewing machine. Carl Boenish said once, “The Genie is out of that lamp.”

BASE jumping is experiencing the same thing surfers did in SoCal after the movie, “Gidget,” came out in the fifties, but BASE jumping has a million more beaches and a million more waves. Since I’ve stayed in one place for a while the cycle of jumpers continues to come through, and some you know and some you don’t know. No matter what happens that will never stop.

How we wind up in history may be more of a concern. I hope it’s as an extension, the best example so far, of something that’s bigger than us, and nothing like we thought of in the beginning. As the very real manifestation of humankind’s ageless quest for flight the way people first dreamed of it.

Nick :-)
BASE 194