Fumio

imported_Tom Aiello · January 12th, 2004, 09:10 AM

Can anyone verify that Fumio has gone in? Hoping for mis-reported news...

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20040...dm012002c.html

Blue skies, Fumio.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@mac.com

**Nick_D** · January 12th, 2004, 11:06 AM

>Can anyone verify that Fumio has gone in? Hoping for
>mis-reported news...

Bummer . . .

I can't confirm this is "our" Fumio Kubo, but his age, reported as 37, is about right. I met Fumio at Bridge Day in 1991. He was the first Japanese with an interest in BASE jumping any of us had ever seen. His English wasn't very good, but he soaked up enough to make a successful jump from the bridge.

I printed a photograph and some letters Fumio sent me on his return to Japan in the Fixed Object Journal. Over the years I received many more letters from him describing his adventures in BASE jumping. He was a quiet and humble man who found he had Japan all to himself as far as BASE jumping is concerned. Fumio opened several sites including a nice 450-foot bridge in (Need-to-Know), Japan and became the first catalyst for BASE jumping in his home country.

To add some perspective to the above, Bridge Day 1991 is the last year under Jean Boenishs management, 265 jumpers made 550 jumps, and there are 150,000 spectators. Its the year the National Park Service demanded a list containing the names and addresses of all registered jumpers or theyd pull the permit to land on Park property. Jean Boenish very politely told them, NO, right to their faces (I was standing in the room, and it was priceless). The Park Service, their bluff called, dropped the demand just hours before the event began. (Next years Bridge Day organizer, Andy Calistrate, gave up the list without a whimper).

The best video of Bridge Day 1991 is shot by the NPS. They had a uniformed Ranger on the bridge video taping everyone and another in the landing area. Im pretty sure they still do that today, but probably without the uniforms. The hot piece of gear in 1991 is pin-type (or ZOO type) toggles to cure the problem of hard or impossible brake line releases under line-over conditions. There is also a very vocal outcry among experienced BASE jumpers because small skydiving pilot chutes and short bridles are still being allowed at Bridge Day.

Goodbye Fumio, old friend . . .

Tom, doesnt Fumios accident sound more like a tandem jump?

Nick D
BASE 194

imported_Tom Aiello · January 12th, 2004, 11:11 AM

>Tom, doesn’t Fumio’s accident sound more like a tandem jump?

Yes. The accident was reported on Japanese TV as a tandem jump. I hate trying to interpret fatalities from thirteenth hand news reports...

edit: Nick, I emailed you on the aol address that is linked on the fatalities page.

2nd edit: Report on DZ.com incidents forum says that it was a main total, drogue in tow, followed by a drogue/reserve entanglement.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@mac.com

motherhucker · January 12th, 2004, 12:05 PM

####. peace Fumio.
mh

neiljarvis · January 12th, 2004, 02:06 PM

This suxs. I shared an exit point with Fumio several times in Norway a few years ago. When we caught the ferry into Lysebotn it gave me a chance to practice my college Japanese. respect

**Iiro** · January 12th, 2004, 03:29 PM

Really sad news. :((((((((((((

Thanks for the incredible time you showed us in Japan! :)
Thanks for your great spirit at Petronas! :)
Thanks for our special missions at KL. :)

I´ll never forget the side floater you did from that Tokyo building. You took it deep, had a little hesitation, flew barely over the parking carage and sunked the canopy right before the power-lines. You were hard core. Why only the good ones die young?

You brought your son to meet us and now he has to crow up without the wonderful father you were. He will be the warrior like you were.

My deepest condolences to your family.

You are missed...

Fly free, bro

BSBD

feral · January 12th, 2004, 04:39 PM

Hey Iiro

Dont give up on Fumio yet .Fumio is a common name in Japan .

Sending very good vibes to you mate send a shout back when you hear the news

7 jumped with fumio in Norway and told me how much of a coll guy he was and when I meet him in KL she was very right ,

And he was a very good host 2 of my mates jumped with him in tokyo and he had a little party before they exited you know what I mean Iiro

feralshard@netscape.net

bsbd feral

Inject saline in your contact's

Karin · January 12th, 2004, 04:50 PM

Damn. Kinodoku deshita. Na mu a mi daibutsu x 3. Fly on bruddah.

**space** · January 12th, 2004, 05:51 PM

I made a call there to our friends, It was The "Fumio". Initial situation that I understood over the language barriers was that a drogue /reserve entanglement happened. It was a tandem. Take my translation with a grain please.
without words
space

**PerFlare** · January 13th, 2004, 06:10 AM

Dark times there is ...

Fumio was rolling with team Bautasten in Norway some years ago. That was the year he did starting to basejump his red/white GTI. We had a fantastic time.

I remember the day when we where all standing on the famous overhung bigwall in Romsdal. When I landed I was pretty upset because my flight was ... well not that good. So I just started to repack to go up again. This wall has a pretty hard hike so I was pretty sure that nobody liked to do it twice in one day.

Fumio comes over to me and ask “Flare, are you going up again?” I answer that I was and he asked “Can I come with you?” I answer that he was welcome but that he probably would feel that second hike the following day :)

He repacked his canopy and we started hiking … can still see his face when we where up there on the exitpoint again :) great memories …

My thoughts goes to his family …

PerFlare

ad · January 13th, 2004, 07:20 AM

I took the attached photo at exit 6, Kjerag, in 2001(I think...). I think it is Fumio. He was the only asian guy I ever met at Kjerag. Can anyone confirm it?
I never got to know him, but he gave me the opportunity to take this shot, wich is one of my favorite BASE photos.

atle

**PerFlare** · January 13th, 2004, 09:08 AM

Hi Atle,

Yes it was in 2001 and yes that's Fumio going for it.

I do hope you are well. See ya later!

PerFlare

**Craig** · January 22nd, 2004, 05:36 PM

>I´ll never forget the side floater you did from that Tokyo building.
>You took it deep, had a little hesitation, flew barely over the
>parking carage and sunked the canopy right before the power-lines.
>You were hard core.

Incredible. Just seen this footage in Jeb's documentary, "A Year In The Life". Available from http://www.objectjump.de/videos/jeb_2003_big.wmv (34 MB). Occurs about 1 minute in.

BSBD