dwaine

[brothermuff65]

although i have only been into base jumping since b.d.2000 at which time i first saw dwaine jump i have admired his ability ever since and have been there especially at twin falls and seen him jump many times i only recently (labor day at twin falls ) got to meet him and interact and be around him at a close range and laugh and joke i really got to appreciate how great he really was at this sport as well as being one hell of a nice guy that was willing to help others and show them things to be safer dwaine you will be sorely missed by all of us that you have touched blue skies and fly free brother

[cygnus]

Attached is a picture of the very first BASE jump that I ever saw on a Labor day Weekend when I would take my very first leap. I have never been so inspired to jump into a big giant open space as when I saw this man leave the bridge with such poise. I definately feel a loss with this most recent event but I have gained so much in the spirit of jumping learning from his postings on both a technical and emotional level. His thoughts and opinions always seem to find balance in both his experience level and my own basic experience level. He will remain a true mentor in my thoughts on BASE as I have images like the one attached which seem to bring clarity to the concept of "exploring to discover".

Kim and I send our love out to family and friends.

kris and Kim

[d-dog]

Orignially posted here:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/foru...gi?post=694684

Some photos of Dwain:

http://dwain.e-raist.com/images/

There are times in life when we laugh, and there are times when we cry. Then there are times when we do both at once, this is one of those times.

Dwain was the unquestioned best of the best in the sport of BASE, a leader in all areas over so many years. Dwain was also my best friend, and someone I'll miss more than I can possibly imagine. Dwain taught me BASE; I taught him to climb. He taught me to surf; I taught him to dance. We spent so many hours together over the years: driving to objects in the middle of the night, coming back from surfting on the Oregon coat tired and wet and hungry, sitting on the sofa at Nik's watching movies, generally goofing off.

In all the hundreds of hours we spent together, I dont' think we ever really disagreed about anything. He was the only person in the world with whom I was completely comfortable, never feeling anything but at ease with a kindrid spirit. Even in moments of extreme exhaustion, and certainly in moments of incalculable danger (and we certainly shared far too many of those little adventures), we seemed to just operate on the same frequency.

The only time he ever got really mad at me was when I stole his rig in Malaysia and jumped it for all the world to see, thanking "my dear friend Dwain for this exceptionally careful packjob." Even that anger faded fast as he cracked his crooked grin and admitted he'd have done the same thing in my position.

We were just kindred souls, too similar on too many levels to be anything but soulmates by default. I shared his highs and lows, he shared mine. I shared in his stories of sexual adventures, he shared in my stories of chemical excess. We shared so many BASE adventures, opening objects and jumping in conditions no sane person would consider. I was probably the only person who could follow him off many exits, and I did a few he wouldn't repeat himself. He taught me aerials, I rotated gainers faster than he did.

We laughed so goddamned hard together, so hard our stomachs hurt. We laughed at ourselves, and at the utter absurdity of the world. Dwain and his plans for his cult, talks about technical stuff and about BASE gear. Hundreds of emails back and forth, countless phonecalls late at night, relationships started and ended. Depressions, high points, low points, boredom, total excitement, driving and hiking and climbing and jumping and flying and soloing and rolling together.

And now he is gone forever.

I think that so many people around the world know Dwain as the absolute ruler of BASE. Sadly, so few really got to know him as Dwain. Me and Slim and Karin and Ray and DJ and Tom and a handful more saw the really beautiful sides of him. #### the jumping and the technical brilliance, the really great parts were the sardonic humor and the hairbrained plans that he'd take just a step further than anyone else, and that sometimes came together in truly spectacular accomplishments.

And, of course, Nik. Dwain never really got over the loss of Nik. Few knew how close they were; they, too, were absolute soulmates and they seemed to balance one another's highs and lows. Both with enough ego to spare, neither took the other too seriously. When Nik passed on, the world changed. It was the end of an era, something Dwain and I knew at once. The house where we all gathered, the weekend trips, the crashpad after late-night parties, the barbequeues. . . it all died with Nik, and a big part of Dwain died too. We mourn loss, but can our mourning undo it? No.

Dwain saw and lived through so many horrible moments in BASE, and they rode heavy on his soul. Try has he did, he could not shake feeling responsible even though he knew logically he was nearly always the one who quietly held people back, prevented tragedies, pointed out errors before they happened. Now, I carry the burden of responsibility as Dwain leaves us all behind.

I knew this call would come someday, much as Dwain and I joked about growing old together and telling stories of days gone by to while away the years. Some people burn so bright, it is as if by some law of energy conservation they just can't go on like that for long. Loving Dwain meant loving and accepting that part of him, too - and that was never easy to do. I've twitched for years when the phone rings and I suppose I'll go to my own grave doing so. Just too many calls that one never wants to hear.

Frasier already misses his dear, dear friend. The adventures the two had together! Funny how Dwain bonded with dogs, I am sure Sabre will miss him dearly as all the rest of us do. I feel for his family terribly; to have lost someone like this, someone who reflected so much the love and caring of his parents in how he embraced life. He was such a beautiful soul, even the parts of himself he didn't like. There is no light without darkness, and Dwain had both in ample supply. The light he shared with all the world. The darkness, he kept mostly to himself. I wish I could have taken more of that darkness from him, enough to more than balance it all out. I know he did that for me, over and over again.

I miss him so much, it feels like my world has lost one of it's dimensions and is utterly flat. I'm angry and crushed and confused and bitter and remorseful and contemplative and just so, so sad. A big part of me died yesterday, and I'm trying to make sense of how life goes on from here.

Dwain was a brilliant man, a genuine friend, and an enigma even to himself. He as my best friend, someone I'll never forget as long as I live. He's touched many lives, but it is the impressions he left on me that feel the most empty right now. He and I spoke for hours and hours last week, we laughed and we cried and we shared the old times. I'd give anything to share just a bit more with him, as there's nobody else who really knows anymore.

I send condolences to his many other friends, and to his family, as well as thanks to the many dear friends of mine who have sent their good thoughts and kind wishes. Even though I know it happened and I knew it eventually would, I just can't accept that he is gone.

"Like a flower pressed flat and dried, we try to hold on to the past and say, this is exactly how it was the day I first saw it. But like the flower, the past cannot be trapped that way. It loses its fragrance and its vitality, its fragility becomes bitterness and its colors fade. And when next time you look on the flower, you know that it is not at all what you sought to capture, that that moment has fled forever."
Robin Hobb, Fool’s Errand, p. 661

Peace,

D. Spink
BASE 715
last student of Dwain Weston