The Point Was Made

[guest]

Congratulations to the BASE jumping community. Your protest made a point in the most dramatic fashion possible. Unfortunately, for you, it was just not the point you wanted to make.

Congratulations on ensuring that BASE jumping will never be legal in National Parks and will likely be more restricted not less.

Why'd you make this point? Because your own designated representatives didn't have the common sense to use reliable gear, didn't have the responsibility to use gear that they knew would be safe. Instead, a point was made about the irresponsibility of the BASE jumping community.

Sadly, and maybe sickly, your protest has become the butt of jokes and an example of conspicuous stupidity. But, don't blame the NPS, you did it to yourselves. You made a dramatic point - the NPS' point - on worldwide video and print to an audience you invited. You've set back your cause forever.

What are you going to do for an encore?

[guest]

Unfortunatley, this IS the perception the general public will have, and the tact the opposition will use against us.

Perception is reality to those holding the perception. Change thier perception and you change reality. I am saddened by what happend, but realistic in the set back the base community will endure.

Imagine what people must think, multiply it by 10, and then paint a black cloud over it, and there you will have the public's perception of base.

[guest]

We can stop paying our CJAA dues cause this shows you what your money buys. You would have thought someone would have had the common sense to limit who jumped, the organizer maybe. But obviously common sense took they day off.

Where was our infamous CJAA? You know the heard about it. It is definately a sad day for BASE jumping.

Why pay dues to a sinking ship?

[guest]

I agree somewhat with your feelings, but....
The way I see it and this is my own opinion is that the public is still pretty unaware of what is going on around them. Over half the educated individuals I speak too don't know what BASE stands for and 1/4 of the people think that we are bungee jumpers!? *NOT* I agree this caused a setback but this impact even though tragic will fade, you know the old phrase, "time heals all wounds!". This wound will heal.

We can still show the NPS and the people that as a whole we are educating and making the sport safer and the jumpers are more responsible.

I too jumped to conclusions on the possible causes of Jan's death. Was it the borrowed gear, hard pull, unsecured pilot chute or maybe brain freeze or stroke? I will wait on the investigation before I conclude anymore.

Could have the jumpers or the CJAA saved Jan that day? We'll find out by the investigation. Hind sight is always 20/20.

Like auto racers and skydivers. The accidents will continue to happen and the organizations will continue to exist and learn from the mistakes of our members. *unfortunetly*

The CJAA is not the "cure all", but if the group as a whole put's their two cents in we can save unfigurable amount of lives. The lives of possible our own kids!!

Just look at all the information jumpers are obtaining from this forum! This website *saves* peoples lives!

Best Regards and no matter how our opinions differ we need to hang together. If we don't we will all hang separately!


Blue Skies, Tim


-Jan lives on in each one of us!

[guest]

I'm not a BASE jumper but I am a skydiver and I had the privelidge to meet Jan and jump with Tom this summer. I've been reading things all over the internet today that are trying to make Jan out as some stupid idiot because she used borrowed gear.

Maybe it wasn't the best choice for her to make but she made it. It was her choice.

Everyone makes mistakes. That doesn't make them stupid. Just human. Unfortunately, Jan's mistake, cost her her life.

I'll bet every person who has criticized her for being stupid, has, at some point in their jumping career whether it's BASE or skydiving, made some kind of mistake that could have been fatal or at least caused injury. They've all just been lucky that it wasn't a fatal mistake. And if your not a jumper at all, you've probably made some mistake that potentially could have been fatal. Something as simple as turning into traffic too close to an oncoming car. Again, it doesn't make you stupid. Just human.

God Bless you, Jan. My prayers are with you.

Be strong, Tom. You have thousands of people who love you, feel your pain and are there for you to lean on.

[guest]

When a climber dies there's coverage by the online climbing sites. When I tune to this site's homepage - nothing but ads for equipment. No coverage, no editorial, no tribute, no nothing. Is the community embarassed? Apparently so.

[guest]

Dear OffBASE:

You make a good point but draw the wrong conclusions: You see, the online climbing sites are somewhat "mature;" they've been around for a couple of years and all their structures and processes are in place.

BLINC is just a few months old, and its webmaster was one of the Yosemite protest jumpers. He was also one of the people who had to view his good friend Jan's body and inspect the equipment and watch video over and over again to determine the cause of her death.

Plus he has a "real job."

So the reason there has been "no coverage, no editorial, no tribute, no nothing" so far is that, quite frankly, he hasn't gotten around to it yet. So please give us a little slack here; we've been kind of busy the last few days...

[guest]

Noway foolio you're so horribly misinformed how could one possibly begin to enlighten you. Oh, I know, just have another cup of coffee why dontya.