Super BASE . . .

[Ray Losli]

I am not saying I know the secret that you swore on your mothers life you were not going to tell, but....
My head might be ready to blow up from to much info too, but...
.....dont say any more.. He ..He

...Ray Losli...

[imported_badenhop]

Live up-date from Houston rehearsal. Start watching about 45 minutes before kickoff. You may enjoy Willie, you willie will enjoy Aerosmith.

[zennie]

For anyone that is in Houston,

If you want to have a little pre/post game fun, give me a call.

832-865-6823

460 & I can show you some of Houston's other "attractions". :-)

[clint]

Should be great to watch! GO ..................

[Nick_D]

(Br)Karen called to say she couldn’t post from Houston because she can’t remember her BLinc username and password. She says the practice jumps had members of Aerosmith wearing BASE rigs and here's how the show is scheduled to go.

Aerosmith will play "Dream-On" as it's finally, and on the last note, the five jumpers will launch, sequentially, from the rafters of Houston’s Reliant Stadium. In order it will be Marta, Jimmy, Tim, Jeb, and Anne. When Anne lands the National Anthem will play and the Super Bowl will begin.

Hang onto your hats ladies and gentleman . . . !

Nick :-)
BASE 194

[zennie]

Man I sure hope the GC got good video because the network cameramen were awful. x(

Still, very, very cool jump. Congrats guys!

[Rod]

Just saw it. That was cool!!

Didn't quite understand why the band was wearing the BASE rigs, but at least Steven Tyler wasn't lip sync'n like Willie and Tobi.

Also, just curious Zennie, were the "Call the local" rules followed on this one?

Rod

[keely]

Yeah, WTF? Very cool jump and the network cameras hardly caught any of it. You couldn't even tell that it was a BASE jump. It looked like maybe something went wrong with the timing. I thought it was supposed to look like it was the Aerosmith guys doing the jump, especially since they had (empty) rigs on. Did anyone else notice Joe Perry's rig was open with nothing in it but a pull-up cord? :-)

Anyway, that was a really cool jump. Congratulations to the jumpers! Hope we'll get to see some better footage later! ;-)

BSB&D ;-)
Keely

[yexotay]

wasn't that NASA gear that they had on...you know the whole space suit preview and stuff.

[imported_badenhop]

Well, Aerosmith ARE Rockstars, and the cameras were on them. The BASE jumpers were for sure a HUGE hit with the stadium crowd! Not much coverage from CBS, but really, it was AWESOME! All the BASE jumpers are stars, and did an excellent job. The guys in Aerosmith are way cool, and they were very stoked to have BASE as part of their gig. Iiro was in the stands, I'm sure he'll have a comment when he gets on-line......

[brits]

Lol, yeah I noticed the pull up cord on Perry's rig too, whuffo friends didn't understand. Well, we're still here in houston if ya'll want to go make another jump... i believe zennie gave out the digits. C ya!

[QuickDraw]

Any details on the jump itself ?

I just watched some footage Quade has put up on dizzy, and as has already been stated, there isn't anything on the exit etc..

A way cool thing to stick in anyones c.v. though.

I also noticed that they were not immediately arrested. :o

[QuickDraw]

oops...posted twice, moderator please delete.

[clint]

I thought it was all set up good but I believe it was supposed to be that when they fell from space and then the last part when entering the stadium they should have jumped from the stadium, land near the stage and run behind it. Then Areosmith was supposed to come on stage with the empty rigs. Making it look like Areosmith did the jump! That is why there logo's were all the canopies?
That seems then it would've been the way to go but I bet CBS didn't want that to happen for some reason?
We'll have to hear what really happened.

It doesn't make sense to me the way they did it?

It was ausome to see canopies in the air during the SB though! Hopefully there will be more to come!

[Nick_D]

When Phil Smith, BASE number 1, and his good friend Andy Smith, static lined their round canopies from the inside of Houston's Astrodome in 1981 (Phil's Piglet had the hot modification of having the stabilizers cut off) they really aren’t too sure what they are doing. This is an era in fixed object jumping when people are still just trying stuff.

They tried test-dropping Cruislites and other ram airs of the day, but they kept landing in the stands. So they went with rounds. About 60 thousand fans of an auto Destruction Derby saw them the first time they jumped from the inside of the domed stadium. They had sneaked into the rehearsals and started doing tests like they were supposed to be there. After that they are hired to jump into a big league Astro's baseball game. It goes great and Phil Smith, wearing an Astro's uniform, delivers the game ball. Phil calls the jump the greatest of his career.

I’m sure the fans in the stands are amazed at the expertise displayed at this year’s Super Bowl, but it’s even better than that, the best of us just pulled off a BASE jump in front of an estimated 250 million people and none of them are the wiser.

Now, that’s BASE . . . .

Nick :-)
BASE 194

[Jimmy P]

Just back from the big game. It was supposed to be that we were doubling for Aerosmith, but they couldn't film the connecting video in time, so we just jumped while they were playing. Airtime is always a factor and we were all super bummed that they played like 2 seconds of our jump. All the rehearsal jumps and the big jump went off really smooth. The roof is 240 feet above the field and we used a double static line(one after the other) AND a pilot chute so we wouldn't have yet another black eye for our sport. All 50 jumps were on heading and all landings were about in the center of the field, so we were feeling really good, but man, the blood was pumping when we made the last jump. There was a camera on wires attached to all 4 corners of the stadium that was in the way until the last second due to the pyrotechnics on stage. They roll the camera out of the way and the wires were just behind us about a hundred feet down when we exited. We introduced one new thing each jump(the camera movement, the pyrotechnics, the stage, the dancers, the band, etc...) so the pressure was as low as we could make it. We have some awesome footage of the jump, it really is a shame that they didn't show any of it. What a funny thing, to be bummed that only a hundred thousand people saw your jump, but I guess you get a little greedy when it's legal! Anyway, nobody knew we were up in the rafters and when Marta's canopy opened and the crowd saw it, there was this roar that you could literally feel through your bones. We were five jumpers total and staggered about 3-4 seconds between exits. We exited on about the 30 yard line facing the longer end of the field on the sideline. We would open, unstow and swing out leftjust over the stands, then toggle right and set up to land on the other 30-40 yard line about mid field facing the Aerosmith stage. We had room to undershoot and overshoot, so it was actually pretty comfortable. All five jumpers flew the same pattern with about 3 in the air at the same time. All jumpers landed on the mark and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief and then a huge scream of excitement. A huge thanks to Basic Research for inviting us and being hugely professional and especially Todd for working so hard to make this happen. He never lost his cool, even after the 30th plan change. A huge thanks to Avery for helping coordinate and getting us into the dressing room after the show! And a huge thanks to Dave B., Karen, Patricia,Rob and Jesse for crewing. What a rush, maybe next year we can do a 300 way and they can show that instead of the game. Janet Jackson is not invited cause they had no room in the papers or on the news for us today!
Jimmy p

[Ray Losli]

Hey, Jimmy.... the jumps was really good and Extremely High profile. Good job on everybody.
But are you sure that was Jeb jumping with you ???
I've seen Jeb do a lot of jumps.
I could swear I saw something that Jeb would never do.
Was...Was.. there - Color ??? ;)
Bright Yellow.
That could not have been Jeb.
Jeb has never jumped with any gear that was not all BLACK.
So I just have to ask.

Are you sure that was Jeb ? :+

...Ray Losli...

[Base626]

I read the board almost every day but hardly ever post. But damm you boys & girls rocked the house. I just wanted to thank all of the participants for doing such a great job. I still get amped up evry time I watch the viedo. From the (unfortunately short) video it looked flawless. The base community was certainally due.
If you think back over the past few years it seems that every time the BASE community tries to take one step forwrd we wind uptaking 2/3 steps back. I still consider myself to be a new-commer in the sport but we lost alot of good people trough the black streek of 2000/2002, the tragedy at Yosemite, & the Royal Gorge. I hope & feel that all of the people are looking down and grinning from ear to ear to see that the BASE community finally marked one up when the spot light was on. I sure the heck am.
To all of the participants again "Right on" you are at the top of your game and I'm honored at the preformace you pulled off. I sure from its conception it has been a long trail, but in the end thanks for all the preparation and hard work. Enjoy.


Mike Davidek - Base 626
Team Comotose - ABC

P.S. Can I get on the next load?

[base428]

A lurker comes out of the shadows!!! Welcome Mike.

I agree....A big congratulations to all the jumpers at the Superbowl a few days ago. This was definately a large step forward for BASE, and you can only love the fact that Aerosmith was wearing BASE rigs on stage. It's nice to see that much coverage over a very cool LEGAL jump rather than some energy drink illegal statue stunt.

If anyone remembers, it was maybe 5+ years ago when Marta and another jumper were supposed to jump into the Superbowl wearing football uniforms and helmets. A bungee jumper practicing for a stunt in the same Superbowl died a few days before the big game during a practice jump (cord too long...ouch!) and the BASE jumping was cancelled. So this one must have been real SWEET for Marta and the rest of the gang.

Again, congrats!!!!! Great jump.


------------
Jason Bell (BASE428)
Email: jbell@vertical-visions.com
Web: www.vertical-visions.com or www.bridgeday.info

[keely]

>I’m sure the fans in the stands are amazed at the
>expertise displayed at this year’s Super Bowl, but
>it’s even better than that, the best of us just pulled
>off a BASE jump in front of an estimated 250 million people
>and none of them are the wiser.
>
>Now, that’s BASE . . . .

I always like the way Nick thinks. :-)

And I never knew about Phil Smith and the Astrodome. That's a neat story too.

Thanks to Jimmy for posting the info. Sounds like a very cool time and many fun (and legal!) jumps! And way to go on doing such a smooth and professional job! :-)

BSB&D ;-)
Keely

[K]

Hi All!

Thanks to Jimmy for the post!

Just to recap how it all came down; we took a call back in November 2003 from the production company organizing the pre-game show, and Todd and Jimmy went to scout the Reliant Stadium in December. Jimmy did 3 jumps that went perfectly, so we got on the ball and began production.

Basic Research would like to thank those customers whos orders had to be placed on hold while Francis, Rigo, and Alicia began building the 10 Vertex 2 rigs and 6 Aerosmith FLiKs that were used for this show. All of the customers have been awesome about the delay on their orders, and we again, sincerely thank them for their patience and understanding. As I promised them, this was a huge step forward for BASE jumping, an opportunity not to be missed! I hope they all got to see the brief footage and share in the glory of being a part of pulling it off.

We hauled *ss to get the rigs and parachutes ready on time, and those Aersomith logos were no simple design! The BR production staff absolutely rocked and did an awesome job! They are the unsung heros in this gig, and we could not have done it without them.

Todd worked his butt off getting everything organized, from helmets to rigs. John at Sky Systems provided the Factory Diver helmets, and he had no small difficulty with sizing and other problems that he handled with the utmost professionalism and aplomb. Todd had his cell phone on day and night, taking calls no matter where he was or what he was doing. Todd needed some help with the organizing, so he called Avery who stepped up to the plate and did a great job as co-organizer. Of course, the first string jumpers: Marta, Jimmy, Tim, Jeb, and Anne, were absolutely perfect, and the back-ups, Avery and Dave Barlia, also did exactly what was needed, when it was needed. The support staff included Rob Caster, who managed rigging on the catwalk, Patricia Roberts, production assistant, and Karen Thomas, ground crew. Avery also brought Jesse Kaltenbach (sp), who had excellent camera equipment and did some amazing footage.

So, after months of planning, we finally arrived in Houston, and took a first look at the Reliant Stadium. What an awesome venue! We got to do our first practice jumps at midnight, which was completely in keeping with usual BASE jumping hours. Using the double break cord attachment plus pilot chute eliminated the biggest worry, and after the first jumps everyone was relieved and confident that it would be a good show.

45 jumps later and with dress rehearsal behind us, we finally arrived for the real deal. The energy was amazing, the Stadium was just buzzing, and the excitement was beyond description. The jumpers, jump masters, and rigging crew went up top, and Dave, Tricia and I got the pleasure of walking around down on the field just prior to the Pre Game Show. Yes, football players are some BIG dudes! It was definitely the opportunity of a lifetime to be a part of this event.

It would have been great to do the stunt-double for Aerosmith as originally planned, but as Jimmy said, we only had like 30 changes before show time. Besides, Steven Tyler really seemed to enjoy watching the jumps live on stage...

The jumps went perfectly! When Marta exited, the screaming began on the sidelines where I was standing (you have one guess who started that...) As the spectators saw the parachutes opening the roar was just incredible! As Jimmy said, you could feel it in your bones. It was such a beautiful sight, the five of them flying onto the field....I still get all emotional when I relive it in my mind. What a huge step forward for BASE!

One of my favorite bits of the whole experience was when we were in the Aerosmith dressing room immediately after the jumps. Steven was busy signing parachutes, rigs, t-shirts, passes, taking pictures,etc., being as nice as you could ever imagine. Steven turned to Avery and said "You....you have got balls the size of a rhino!". Avery had spent a couple of days making sure that Aerosmith had time to spend with the jumpers after the gig, knocking on doors, meeting the bodyguards, and making it happen for all of us. Thanks to Avery Rhinoballs, I got a photo cheek to cheek with Steven Tyler, a kiss ON THE LIPS, and my BR T-shirt is signed by this awesome gentleman himself. (Yes, girls, Steven's lips are just as soft as they look!) :*

I personally am so proud to have been even just a small part of this event. It is definitely a moment of glory I will remember my whole life long, and I'm sure everyone else on the load feels the same way. We were all so stoked afterwards, having dinner and toasting everyone, then watching the exciting last half of the final quarter of the game on the TV in the bar. We felt like rock stars, yet humbled at the same time, to have been involved.

BASE JUMPING ROCKS!

As always, be safe, have fun, and soft landings...

Karen
BR

[imported_dansgoat]

Does anybody have any video of the jump that might get posted? I was unable to see the acutal event. Congrats to all involved! Sounds like an incredible experience!
Dan Mc

[base428]

http://homepage.mac.com/pquade/iMovieTheater10.html

[Spiderman]

Just a question from overseas (Norway). In which way are those staticline showjumps a large step forward for BASE, and in which direction are those steps taken? Just wondering. Peter.

PS. Is that true Jeb jumped in yello? In that case, that was much bigger than Aerosmith&Jannet together... Jeb?(huh,huh...?)









Spiderman, Cartoon Base Heroes(C.B.H.)
basemobil@hotmail.com

[Slim]

I am so jealous!!!!!

Knew it was going to be good when Annie told me. God what a demo!

Good One!

SLIM
Australian BASE Association

What's with Jeb wearing yellow? What a poofy colour!

[Iiro]

Like Avery wrote, the real attraction was Aerosmith and naturally the cameras followed them. Few seconds at superbowl is better than no seconds. :)

It was a HUGE publicity stunt for base-jumping for all the 80 000 people who were at the stadium! After the first canopy opened everyone there were able visually locate the exit-point. Cameras or not, the jumpers became the main LIVE attraction. Averyone screamed and pointed to the jumpers and most of them even knew to call them BASE-jumpers.

The jump left everyone at the stadium excited and happy. Everything was professionally organised and the jump featured world-class
base-jumpers. Congrats to everyone involved!!!

Iiro

[Base626]

To Spiderman,
Well I knew someone had to reply and that is why I dont hardley post. However, in reference to the steps forward or back I just simply mean that, it appears to me that, lately (in the states) everytime some major event is going on something tragic happens. I would think that Jimmy P. would agree based on his comment "Another Black Eye". That is all.

Yes I would agree static line jumps are nothing new. However, I am glad that the Super Base team took the time to Double static line w/ pilot chute attachement.

I also can't say that Base Jumping is for the general public and that this would promote Base jumping to the GP. I would hope not. I just hope that it demonstrated to the GP that qualified people can exercise good judgement, execute there skills, and perform (essentially leave it to the professionals and don't try this at home). But this is for another thread.

Hope this clears it up.
Please forward your personal email if you would like to discuss this furhter.

Mike - Base 626

[K]

>Just saw it. That was cool!!
>
>Didn't quite understand why the band was wearing the BASE
>rigs, but at least Steven Tyler wasn't lip sync'n like Willie
>and Tobi.
>
>Also, just curious Zennie, were the "Call the local" rules
>followed on this one?
>
>Rod

Hey Rod! The band did what they wanted to do, and they wanted to wear the rigs! I would have dressed them if given the opportunity to close up the flaps and all...

The locals WERE NOT called because they couldn't have gotten us into Reliant Stadium...Actually, we did have a Local on the load, Jonathon Frost, the Texans Mascot! :) He was way cool, very helpful, very sweet, and just a Texas peach! :) Brit17 tried to hook up with us in H-Town, but we were just not able to manage it...

And by the way, I was there....I do not think Willie and Tobi were lip synching. They are just excellent performers. The vid screen was a half second behind the actual vocals, I noticed that from the field, so that may have made it look like they weren't actually singing.

K

[K]

Hey Iiro!

Sorry to have missed you! It would have been great to hook up with you, but ya know, it was all so crazy! I hope you enjoyed yourself, and thanks for the excellent post on the crowd's reaction to the jumps. Wasn't the roar of the crowd an awesome thing to hear? Loved it!

Peace,
Karen

[K]

>http://homepage.mac.com/pquade/iMovieTheater10.html
>


We cannot view this clip..it's bugging the heck outta me!

Any suggestions?

K

[K]

>
>PS. Is that true Jeb jumped in yello? In that case, that was
>much bigger than Aerosmith&Jannet together...
>Jeb?(huh,huh...?)


Hey y'all! Why not give Jeb a break on the yellow FLiK??? It did have a black logo on it, everything else was black, and crapola, he got paid to jump into the SuperBowl! I bet you all would jump flaming hot pink if you had a similar opportunity! Tell me you wouldn't and we all know either you're lying or just plain stupid! :P

It is funny though...and it's not often you get a chance to harass Jeb.

:9 Karen

[Rod]

>
>Hey Rod! The band did what they wanted to do, and they wanted
>to wear the rigs! I would have dressed them if given the
>opportunity to close up the flaps and all...
>
>The locals WERE NOT called because they couldn't have gotten
>us into Reliant Stadium...Actually, we did have a Local on the
>load, Jonathon Frost, the Texans Mascot! :) He was way cool,
>very helpful, very sweet, and just a Texas peach! :) Brit17
>tried to hook up with us in H-Town, but we were just not able
>to manage it...
>
>And by the way, I was there....I do not think Willie and Tobi
>were lip synching. They are just excellent performers. The
>vid screen was a half second behind the actual vocals, I
>noticed that from the field, so that may have made it look
>like they weren't actually singing.
>
>K

K

I was just kidding about the call the locals thing, sweet. But I wasn't about the lip sync'n.

And after I read the way the jump was "supposed" to take place, I understand why the band was wearing BASE rigs.

Good job to all involved. Just call us Texans next time.

I'm just sorry I didn't watch the halftime show and see the TIT!!!


luv ya,
Rod

[Ray Losli]

Hey Karen...you are right I would even eat the ass out of a dead Moose, to jump the inside of that Dome.
>You have brought up something even more Questionable of Jebs Behavior.
You said he got PAID to jump in the Super Bowl !!!

That Means it could not have really been Jeb Jumping....BECAUSE .
He would actually have gotten A ---Real Paying JOB. :+ :+ :-)

...Ray Losli...

[base570]

OK Karen send me the pink canopy and a pass into the stadium and I'll jump it! I don't even need all of those screaming fans:P

Seriously, nice job. A great BASE jump! I'm just pissed my invitation got delayed in the mailx( . Please make sure it is address correctly next time!

Jason
BASE 570

[346]

I think you need to have QuickTime installed to view it. You can download it here:

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/

E-mail me if you need more help.

Mark

[feral]

Hey only a few people can do hot pink justice me and anne , K and base 570 take it easy .

And as for jeb I am descusted you should have had a black canopy with yellew areosmith logo on it I guess your getting soft , brings me back to when I first met that tall fu (king seppo he had little bits of blue on his canopy Man you gota love jebs love of black I know I do .........



bsbd feral

Team smack I remember the days of the BB havin pick Smilies

Inject saline in your contact's

[Tree]

Bits of blue? You talkin to ME! Whats up Feral? If the will ever let you into the USA come on up and we'll get a a couple sacks of smack and have a real jumping party. By the way, those bits of blue spelled out Adrenaline, but you're eyes were to red from the needles to read.

Luv your work mate,

Tree :-)

[clint]

I just saw "THE VIDEO"

WOW, WOW, WOW.

THe noise, the view, everything. EVERYONE should see the video!
I don't think it can be made public but if it does, The best video of BASE you could ever see!!

CONGRATS to all!

[feral]

Tree is using drug talk

this is a neg for base

Shame on you tree

No many sponsors will not get behind seppos running

Base comps worldwide

Please give tree and smack on the hand

and tree no I thought I was thick but man you are dumber than me and thats a hard thing to do because I am very dumb . the blue was on Jeb jeb you tall blowin




Inject saline in your contact's

http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/user_files/276.jpg

http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/user_files/283.jpg

[skydvr18]

I'm not sure exactly how anyone can't see this. I think that such well-planned, well-executed jumps greatly improve the image of BASE jumping. Compare these Super Bowl jumps to John Vincent's "stunt" at the SuperDome in New Orleans a few years back. He explained how he managed to sneak into the SuperDome a few days before the Super Bowl while they were preparing for the game. He told them that he was "part of the half-time show," and he wanted to make some practice jumps. He made one jump, landed, packed, then made another jump before they realized that he was NOT part of the half-time show. I'm not sure what happened to him once the people found out he wasn't supposed to be there, but it definitely made BASE jumping look bad...as well as his jumps from the WTC and St. Louis Arch.

Congrats to all involved in the pre-game show this year. GREAT job on the well-prepared, well-executed jumps, and GREAT job on taking a huge step forward for the sport.

[K]

Thanks Clint and Skydvr18!

Todd will be pleased to see your comments. His only goal was to have the jumps go off safely, and he did this in spades! Any other consideration besides safety was handled by other members of the crew, and anything Todd viewed as detrimental to the safety factor was not allowed. During the dress rehearsal the lady running the show made a comment after a jump sequence..."what do you think of that?" she asked, (those present cheered wildly) then said "they make it look easy!" They did, too, because of the planning, professionalism, and experience at hand.

The info about John Vincent is very informative and partially explains why the credential process was so stringent. If you weren't supposed to be there, there was no way you were getting in.

Gotta love it!

Karen
BR

[Jimmy P]

Just for the record...
I am not in agreement with high profile illegal jumps, never have been. Just to set the facts straight however, here is the whole story on the superbowl jump that got cancelled. The same company that hired us, hired John and Marta to jump then. This appeared in Skydiving magazine in March 1997.

The day after a bungee jumper was killed during a practice jump for the
Super Bowl, National Football League officials canceled the surprise skydive
that was to have been the pre-game show finale.
John Vincent and Marta Empinotti were slated to be the last act before
Luther Van Dross sang the National Anthem and the January 26 game began.
They were to wear New England Patriot and Green Bay Packer jerseys, make
112-second freefalls from the Louisiana Superdome's 260-foot-high ceiling,
then open and land 7-cell canopies sporting team colors. It was to have been
a spectacular surprise for both the 75,000plus spectators on hand and the
several hundred million television viewers around the world.
Three days before the game, however, a halftime show performer was
killed when she hit the ground before her bungee cord stopped her descent.
Long-time circus performer Laura Patterson, 43, of Sarasota, Fla., died of
head and neck injuries.
The bungee jump, scheduled to be the halftime show's finale, was
immediately canceled. The fatality also marked the beginning of the end for
the pre-game finale.
"We were ready to start practice jumping at 10 o'clock Friday," said
Empinotti. "They called at 8:30 and said, 'Come on over as soon as you're
ready. The bungee girl died and we're not sure what's going on with you
guys, so bring your stuff to practice.' We waited from 10 to 11. There were
obviously a lot of people involved. And then the word came: No go for sure.
John asked to talk to somebody and they said, 'There is no way to change
it.' So whoever it came from, it was the final decision."
Empinotti said she understood the NFL's decision but that the whole
situation was a bitter disappointment: "They understood the bungee thing had
nothing to do with us or BASE jumping. They even talked about doing business
together in the future, but they just couldn't take a chance of someone
getting hurt again this year. And they're right; it's not like dancing on
the floor. But when they canceled it, John and 1 hugged each other and
cried. We couldn't believe it."
Even more unbelievable than the jump's cancellation is how it all came
about. It happened on just two weeks notice, but only after years of hard
work and colorful adventures by the irrepressible John Vincent.
Vincent, 29, is a professional deep sea diver who has been skydiving for
13 years and has more than 400 BASE jumps. A longtime resident of New
Orleans, Vincent jumped there regularly during the early 1990s. Many of the
jumps were illegal. Most resulted in successful escapes. A few resulted in
police contact.
Then came Vincent's 1993 conquest of the Superdome. Long an object on
Vincent's wish list, he convinced a security guard at a monster truck show
that he was doing the skydiving act between races-and had left his pass at
home. The guard graciously gave Vincent another pass, and he commenced
jumping. He jumped three times and repacked twice before the people who knew
there was no skydiving act found out what he was doing and threw him out.

"They understood the bungee thing had nothing to do with us or BASE
jumping."

The next year, he and new wife Mary faked an argument outside the
Superdome during a Pace Grand Slam of Motor Sports event. They waltzed in
undetected, with Vincent wearing his gear under a coat. They hid out until
everyone left, then John jumped and they ran away with security guards in
hot pursuit.
Things changed the next time Pace came through. Part of their tour
included skydiver Matt Hoffman, who also happens to be a world champion BMX
trick rider who does bicycle shows between races. He hooked Vincent up with
Pace officials who had enjoyed his jumps even if they hadn't liked the way
he'd done them. After some creative negotiations, a deal was struck for
Vincent's Extreme High Productions to provide four jumps for the 1997 event,
with insurance coverage provided by Pace.
"The exact people who chased us out of the Superdome in 1994 were the
people who hired us," said Mary Vincent, Extreme High's spokesperson. "He
did four legal jumps on January 11. Superdome officials who saw the jumps
were thrilled. They called the NFL, then asked if we'd be interested in
jumping for the NFL. We said, 'Sure,' and we soon had our first meeting.
When we sat down, I said, 'So who are the teams playing in the Super Bowl?'
They were amazed. They said, 'You're the only ones in the country who don't
know,' and I said, 'Hey, we skydive.' And then we signed a contract with Bob
Best Productions the Sunday before the Super Bowl."
Vincent had previously alerted Empinotti, owner of the Vertigo BASE
equipment company, about the possible Super Bowl jump. Within a week, she
provided a Wizard shrivel-flap BASE rig in Patriot colors for Vincent, with
a matching Dragon 218, and a Dragon 193 in Packer colors. Matching Factory
Diver helmets were also produced within a week by Sky Systems Ltd.
At the same time, Vincent managed to find a $1 million insurance policy
to cover the event, and secured sponsorship from Reebok, Airwalk, MTV, the
Pace Grand Slam of Motor Sports, and others.
Mary Vincent said that, despite the cancellation, they accomplished
several important things.
"We quickly secured our own insurance," she said. "I think we've sort of set
a trend that will make it easier for other people to do the same. More than
anything else, though, was getting the help of Pace and Superdome
management. Pace gave us the first opportunity and Superdome management
followed up. They were the key elements in making it happen."
Mary Vincent said the NFL has now taken the ball and run with it too:
"They've been really supportive. We have a great letter of recommendation
from them, and they're hooking us up with all their contacts. They've been
really great. And the concentration at the Super Bowl of people who pull a
lot of money and programming strings in the sports and entertainment
worlds-it was just unreal."
John Vincent was unavailable for comment at press time: He's spending a
month working 600 feet below the Gulf of Mexico and living in a
decompression chamber between dives. Empinotti is back in Florida, building
BASE equipment - and still bumming about the Super jump that got away.
"I don't really watch football but I know what the Super Bowl is," she
said, "and the Superdome itself is a very fascinating object to me. It
really would have been an awesome jump at an awesome event.
"I saw a Packer helmet yesterday and it made me sad all over again. I'm
still not over it."

Jimmy P

[K]

>112-second freefalls from the Louisiana Superdome's
>260-foot-high ceiling,

Just so y'all know, this was supposed to read as 1/2 second delays. The scanner picked up the fraction as 112. Obviously wrong...but the writer wanted the record set straight.

thanks Jimmy for posting the story.

K

[K]

No message

[Nick_D]

Hi all,

If your TV coverage of Sunday's Super Bowl includes the pre-game show, make sure to watch it.

Trust me on this one . . .

Nick D:-)
BASE 194

[Philo]

I missed the Super Bowl since I was ice climbing at Vail, but I just saw the video and it was awesome...freakin' awesome! My most heartfelt kudos to Marta, Jimmy, Jeb and Annie! It was really good to see BASE win one in front of a world audience. I mean Janet does have a nice nipple but she does SUCK and that Timberfake is a waste of DNA. But you guys ROCK!!!!!!!!! Congratulations to the Base community it was really HOTTT! P E A C E.
My door is always open... Hey Gardner how is your ankle?