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October 26th, 1999, 05:44 PM
YOSEMITE BASE RALLY, GAMBALIE/DAVIS MEMORIAL SET FOR NOVEMBER 8
Extreme skydivers from all over the world are invited to gather in Yosemite Valley at 9 a.m. November 8 to show respect for two fallen jumpers and support for three others being arraigned on charges stemming from civil disobedience parachute jumps they made October 22 from El Capitan to end National Park Service (NPS) discrimination against their sport.
Henry Boger, Mick Knutson and Joe Weber all successfully skydived from El Capitan and were arrested and charged with "air delivery without a permit." Their equipment was seized. Jan Davis, 60, jumped fourth and died when an old shoulder injury acted up and prevented her from deploying her parachute. She landed near the base of the mountain. Four and a half months previously, jumper Frank Gambalie III drowned after being chased into the Merced River by rangers trying to arrest him for jumping EL Capitan.
The rally and memorial will begin outside the Yosemite Village courthouse where the three jumpers will be arraigned. Ralliers will display signs and banners, offer tributes to Gambalie and Davis, then march down the Valley road to the climber’s path that leads to the base of El Capitan. There they will lay flowers and tokens of remembrance for a woman known and loved by skydivers around the world – and who had vowed to one day "march up El Capitan and jump off to put and end to this discrimination."
Contrary to Associated Press reports, the October 22 protest was not designed to prove that BASE jumping is safe (it’s not; it’s dangerous) but to bring attention to a 20-year-old nationwide NPS policy of refusing to issue permits to skydivers to "deliver themselves by parachute" from one place to another within an NPS-occupied zone. In Yosemite Valley specifically, NPS refusal to issue permits has resulted in a steady stream of outlaw jumps over the years – and a steady stream of arrest, jail, heavy fines and gear confiscation for anyone caught jumping – all for a petty offense listed in the Code of Federal Regulations along with feeding the squirrels and playing a stereo too loud in the campground. Yosemite NPS also routinely charges jumpers with conspiracy when two or more are involved.
The catalyst for the October 22 protest was Gambalie’s June 9 drowning in the runoff-swollen Merced River as he tried to escape rangers who had staked out his landing area after an informant’s tip. If you are one of the BASE jumpers worldwide who was outraged by the deaths of Gambalie and Davis, and whether or not you think they died directly or in part because of the NPS BASE prohibition policy, please make your plans now to be in Yosemite Valley with as many other people as you can bring.
In addition to the rally and march, organizers are planning a special surprise for the rangers, which will be revealed during the rally. In addition, Gambalie’s parents and Davis’ husband, Tom Sanders, will be at the rally and memorial to talk about their loved ones and speak out against NPS’s treatment of BASE jumpers.
If you plan to come, bring as many friends and family as possible, because the purpose of this event is to not only publicly affirm our respect and affection for Frank and Jan’s sacrifice on the altar of NPS’s perverted policy, but to show how many of us are outraged and fed up with the NPS’s perverse behavior.
SPECIAL NOTES:
1) The organizers DO NOT support, encourage or condone civil disobedience parachute jumps during the rally and memorial. If you want to jump, you’re on your own and DON’T TELL US ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO KNOW!
2) You are strongly encouraged to bring signs and banners of various types expressing your feelings for Frank and Jan, and your opinion of NPS policies. Please AVOID PROFANITY: It’s low class and it ruins the TV shots.
3) The world will be watching so look respectable and be on your best behavior.
4) BE RESPECTFUL OF THE VALLEY.
5) BE NICE TO THE RANGERS. Many of them were on our side October 22 and most of them are also sick of NPS following a pervert’s policy.
6) SPREAD THE WORD. Tell your friends, your families, local and regional media.
7) BE YOUR OWN ORGANIZER. You know where Yosemite is, you know the time and date, so make your own arrangements to get to the Valley and be at the courthouse NLT 9 a.m. Monday, November 8. It takes about 3 hours to drive to the Valley from both San Francisco and Sacramento. But please, don’t call us; we are too busy getting ready for this.
8) UPDATES WILL BE POSTED HERE AS THE DAY GETS CLOSER.
Extreme skydivers from all over the world are invited to gather in Yosemite Valley at 9 a.m. November 8 to show respect for two fallen jumpers and support for three others being arraigned on charges stemming from civil disobedience parachute jumps they made October 22 from El Capitan to end National Park Service (NPS) discrimination against their sport.
Henry Boger, Mick Knutson and Joe Weber all successfully skydived from El Capitan and were arrested and charged with "air delivery without a permit." Their equipment was seized. Jan Davis, 60, jumped fourth and died when an old shoulder injury acted up and prevented her from deploying her parachute. She landed near the base of the mountain. Four and a half months previously, jumper Frank Gambalie III drowned after being chased into the Merced River by rangers trying to arrest him for jumping EL Capitan.
The rally and memorial will begin outside the Yosemite Village courthouse where the three jumpers will be arraigned. Ralliers will display signs and banners, offer tributes to Gambalie and Davis, then march down the Valley road to the climber’s path that leads to the base of El Capitan. There they will lay flowers and tokens of remembrance for a woman known and loved by skydivers around the world – and who had vowed to one day "march up El Capitan and jump off to put and end to this discrimination."
Contrary to Associated Press reports, the October 22 protest was not designed to prove that BASE jumping is safe (it’s not; it’s dangerous) but to bring attention to a 20-year-old nationwide NPS policy of refusing to issue permits to skydivers to "deliver themselves by parachute" from one place to another within an NPS-occupied zone. In Yosemite Valley specifically, NPS refusal to issue permits has resulted in a steady stream of outlaw jumps over the years – and a steady stream of arrest, jail, heavy fines and gear confiscation for anyone caught jumping – all for a petty offense listed in the Code of Federal Regulations along with feeding the squirrels and playing a stereo too loud in the campground. Yosemite NPS also routinely charges jumpers with conspiracy when two or more are involved.
The catalyst for the October 22 protest was Gambalie’s June 9 drowning in the runoff-swollen Merced River as he tried to escape rangers who had staked out his landing area after an informant’s tip. If you are one of the BASE jumpers worldwide who was outraged by the deaths of Gambalie and Davis, and whether or not you think they died directly or in part because of the NPS BASE prohibition policy, please make your plans now to be in Yosemite Valley with as many other people as you can bring.
In addition to the rally and march, organizers are planning a special surprise for the rangers, which will be revealed during the rally. In addition, Gambalie’s parents and Davis’ husband, Tom Sanders, will be at the rally and memorial to talk about their loved ones and speak out against NPS’s treatment of BASE jumpers.
If you plan to come, bring as many friends and family as possible, because the purpose of this event is to not only publicly affirm our respect and affection for Frank and Jan’s sacrifice on the altar of NPS’s perverted policy, but to show how many of us are outraged and fed up with the NPS’s perverse behavior.
SPECIAL NOTES:
1) The organizers DO NOT support, encourage or condone civil disobedience parachute jumps during the rally and memorial. If you want to jump, you’re on your own and DON’T TELL US ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO KNOW!
2) You are strongly encouraged to bring signs and banners of various types expressing your feelings for Frank and Jan, and your opinion of NPS policies. Please AVOID PROFANITY: It’s low class and it ruins the TV shots.
3) The world will be watching so look respectable and be on your best behavior.
4) BE RESPECTFUL OF THE VALLEY.
5) BE NICE TO THE RANGERS. Many of them were on our side October 22 and most of them are also sick of NPS following a pervert’s policy.
6) SPREAD THE WORD. Tell your friends, your families, local and regional media.
7) BE YOUR OWN ORGANIZER. You know where Yosemite is, you know the time and date, so make your own arrangements to get to the Valley and be at the courthouse NLT 9 a.m. Monday, November 8. It takes about 3 hours to drive to the Valley from both San Francisco and Sacramento. But please, don’t call us; we are too busy getting ready for this.
8) UPDATES WILL BE POSTED HERE AS THE DAY GETS CLOSER.