Tribute to Andrea Quarisa

[guest]

Andrea Quarisa, from Rome, Italy, was an extremely experienced and extremely good Italian BASE jumper. I met him only few months ago, but we became soon good friends, he was such a nice bloke and such a good jumper, he did lot of jumps together with Tom Begic, just to mentione someone you know. He gave me lot of advices about BASE jumping, he was so technical and so cautious, very good jumper in all senses, I saw video of Andrea Quarisa performing quadruple gainers, very good jumper indeed.
One evening of last week Andrea Quarisa was in my flat supervising me to pack my Fox into my Prism, giving such precious and helpful hints. Such a packing was meant to be for participating to the Arco boogie of 6÷7 May.
We climbed up on foot early in the morning of saturday, I didn't jump because I didn't feel like, it should have been the first jump for me, I shall take my first jump later on. Andrea Quarisa did his first jump of the morning doing a two way with Alex (another very experienced Italian jumper). I stepped back down, then once down, together with Alex and other friends, we left the site, leaving Andrea Quarisa and all the rest of jumpers (Americans, Slovenians, Israelians, etc.) doing lot of jumps, there was the helicopter there, the lift up is only 3 minutes. So they did plenty of jumps.
I have known only this morning the news of the fact by Alex. I try to write them down as I heard them.
At about 15.00 of Sunday 7, after I don't know how many jumps done by him along the weekend, Andrea Quarisa did a three way together with other two Italian jumpers. He exited flat on his back for filming the other two jumpers with the video camera on his helmet. They started to finish the usable altitude, the other two jumpers waived at him to tell him to pull immediately, so he turned back to face to earth position immediately, he deployed his PC but it was too late, his canopy started to inflate when he impacted the talus, they reported that the canopy flew for a while and they saw his helmet rolling...
I already miss him, even if I am not an old friend of him, for all the things I won't be able to see any more from him, the quadruple gainers, the cable car jumps in Switzerland, and all the rest.
I am so sorry for him and for his family, for all the things the he cannot do any more, for all his life that cannot be any more, for the house he was searching to buy, for the family that he is not able any more to create, for the kids he cannot any more to have, and for all the rest I am not able to express here now.
Personally I am not a true believer, but I feel Andrea now is jumping up there among the most beautiful clouds and the most blue skies from the most beautiful mountains in the cleanest air, making a hundred of gainer and a hundred of kilometers tracking and flying, and opening his canopy and landing on the greenest lawns.
I think Andrea now is out there helping us and protecting all of us, keeping us safe.
Please, guys and girls out there, even if you do not know Andrea Quarisa (even if American jumpers like BASE 428, Mick Knutson, a jumper from Team BodyBag and other American jumpers saw and met him), please, celebrate Andrea Quarisa with a very good and very happy jump, I feel he will be able to appreciate it and to enjoy it.
Love to anybody out there.
Be careful doing the videos.
I would like to say lots more but I cannot express it know.
I wish to you all happy and safe jumps.
Blue skies to everybody

Andrea Checchia

[Yuri]

http://maxho.com/base/pp16.jpg

Andrea, i have only met you once but we had too much fun together to ever forget it. It was a real pleasure to jump with you, and i still owe you for that grand tour of Venice. Sometime, somewhere we will meet again and i will pay the debt. Fly high, brother!

Blue Skies, Black Death!

Yuri.

[Tom B]

I would like to echo the comments of Yuri and Andrea Checchia.

Andrea Quarisa was truly one of the good guys in the BASE community. He was a man of modesty, skill, experience, and friendship. I did many wonderful jumps with him over the last few years, some of which I will treasure forever. To all his family and friends (Fabio, Alex. . . .), my sincerest condolences.

Why is it that the good guys go in?

To all you budding camera flyers out there, be careful, the grim reaper and mother earth are out to get you. HEIGHT AWARENESS IS #1, FOOTAGE IS #2.

GOOD LUCK
STAY SAFE
HAVE FUN

see you in the after life Andrea.

P.S go to trak.to/base and select galleries, select europe. The second and third photo's are of Andrea and myself.

[guest]

Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Andrea Quarisa, with utmost respect, The BASE community.

Sentite condoglianze alla famiglia e amici di Andrea Quarisa, fino al giorno che si incontriamo di nuovo nel posto dove non ci sono lacrime...cieli azzurri

[guest]

I will not forget the delays we shared togheter!
Anybody knew ya will understand how much we'll miss ya!
The mountain called you and you answered to the call!
BSBD!
C-ya in the sky my friend!

[guest]

December last year I visited Arco and on my last day of jumping I landed after an early morning solo jump in the field by the gas station.
I was excited because I heard over the radio that a bunch of Italian Base jumpers had arrived. I quickly discovered that my english and bad german were going to prohibit me from communicating from the group when Andrea came and spoke to me. He was quiet, confident, generous and helpful and also spoke excellent english.
Myself and the group banded together and we took off to the top of the wall. We did a four way with Andrea filming us from the side, there was a strong wind but the team landing in the field all smiling and it was then off to Campione.

Andrea did most of the guiding and really welcomed a lost Aussie jumper. In Italy "We couldn't go to the top of the cliff until we all had a cappucino first" Andrea explained.

I have some video of Andrea launching a very nice gainer that day. He invited me to stay longer and I never really thanked him properly. I have Andrea's business card still in my wallet and regret not following it up. I am sure his loss is felt deeply amongst the small group that jumped that day.
Thanks Andrea - you were a truly kind person.

SLIM

[guest]

As one of 9 American jumpers at the Arco boogie, I can speak for our entire group when I say we were very saddened by the loss of Andrea. Many of us met him at the boogie and filmed some of his last jumps. Our hearts go out to the friends and families of Andrea.

To the Italians (Marco, Umberto, Simone, Andrea C., etc.), is there any further information on the accident? Was the video recovered?

sincerely,
jason bell - base428

[guest]

YO!!!!!
It's Simone here...
I explained to Yuri in a personal letter wath we look from a video filmed from the exit point during the accident....
The Andrea's video is not available because the camera and tape explosed to the impact....
I will send ya a personal letter to explain and I've got some nice videos of yours in the boogie...
C-YA!