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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Jun 16, 2015 - 04:04pm PT
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We are all climbers doing dangerous sh#t, this game of "my danger is better" is lame. Enough judging already, Dean lead his life the way he needed and if you didn't take the time to tell him he was doing it wrong when he was alive you have no space to do it now.
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tooth
Trad climber
B.C.
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Jun 16, 2015 - 08:24pm PT
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If I choose to live a sedentary lifestyle, accomplish nothing, inspire no-one, and die of congestive heart failure, nobody will criticize me.
But Dean does the opposite, and there is no end to the line of people judging him from the NYT comments section to StupidTopo.
Think about it.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jun 16, 2015 - 08:27pm PT
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What scares us about death is the finality....not just for ourselves but for our memories.
Face it....all of the remembering is done early on.
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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Jun 16, 2015 - 08:43pm PT
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As the Pirate has stated: let them rest in peace.
98% of every comment on this thread is from arm chair climbers with NO BASE experience much more skydiving. Also living in fear vs someone like Dean and Graham living out of the love for life.
There are those who fear death, those who fear life and not living when the time of death comes. How many here can say when the reaper pays a visit that you lived your life with no restraint? A life true to your spirit? A life in which you gave back more than you took?
I didn't know graham but I can say that Dean Potter gave back to the base, climbing and world communities more than he took. He left both sports better then when he entered them.
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tooth
Trad climber
B.C.
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Jun 16, 2015 - 09:16pm PT
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
Jun 15, 2015 - 11:06pm PT
No disrespect, but Jimmy ate junk food
It catches up to you sooner or later.
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jstan
climber
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Jun 16, 2015 - 09:47pm PT
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How many of us reread Caesar's addresses to the senate so as to recover his contributions?
As he was leaving for retirement one friend said, "Were I to put my hand in a bucket of water
the time it would take the water to replace my hand is about the length of time I will be
remembered."
That comment was drawn a bit harshly, but it does suggest the present moment is most of
what we have. Forgetting this seems a very big mistake.
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Gunkie
climber
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Jun 17, 2015 - 05:53am PT
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If I choose to live a sedentary lifestyle, accomplish nothing, inspire no-one, and die of congestive heart failure, nobody will criticize me.
But Dean does the opposite, and there is no end to the line of people judging him from the NYT comments section to StupidTopo.
Think about it.
Nailed it.
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Bad Climber
climber
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Jun 17, 2015 - 09:04am PT
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Nicely said, Tooth:
If I choose to live a sedentary lifestyle, accomplish nothing, inspire no-one, and die of congestive heart failure, nobody will criticize me.
But Dean does the opposite, and there is no end to the line of people judging him from the NYT comments section to StupidTopo.
For a guy I never met, I sure do think about Dean a lot. I was ripping down Rock Creek Rd. yesterday at up to 40 mph on my fully loaded recumbent and trying to imagine 120 mph in a wingsuit--wow. Been studying ravens a lot lately, too.
Fly on, brother.
BAd
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Jun 17, 2015 - 09:14am PT
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I think everyone including the deceased get that BASE is dangerous and everyone seems to have some level of appreciation for statistics, doesn't seem like the time or place to rehash the rather obvious.
I think what's unique, remarkable and tragic here is their choice about living life so close to the edge of death - closer than most anyone on the planet and for quite some time.
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
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Jun 17, 2015 - 06:01pm PT
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What Dean was able to do in all these extreme sports (high-ball bouldering, speed-solo, free-solo, BASE, Free-BASE, proximity wingsuit flying, paragliding, and slack-lining) was incredibly inspiring. He was the best in so many of these sports. And not just the best but pushed the envelope and exceeded his competition by light-years. Unbelievable skill he had and his control of fear. I have the utmost in respect. When people excell so far ahead you will always have naysayers and haters. Sad but it comes with the territory.
I enjoy several of those sports but I know I will never attain the skill level and daring Dean did. But I can take his inspiration and apply it to do better in what I can do.
One thing is we all need boundaries and lines of safety we don't ever cross and these lines of safety will be different for all of us. It helps to avoid peer pressure and the "I have to do it no matter what" mentality.
In paragliding and climbing I have my own personal lines in the sand for me. It helps. I can climb and fly another day. Ultimately I want to do them until it's not possible anymore well into old age. In paragliding, altitude and speed are safety. We also fly with a reserve.
As the saying goes in free-flight, "It's better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than to be in the air wishing you were on the ground."
One last thing, accident investigation and sharing out the results is a very very important thing to do. This self evaluation is an important tool to learn to stay as safe as we can while doing the incredible adventurous sports we all love to do. We accident investigate and self-reflect in climbing, and in paragliding and hang gliding. I would hope the BASE community does this too. I'm sure they do. Perhaps not getting so close to the terrain is the best answer in proximity wing suit flying. I'm sure it's the ultimate heroin in the sport. Maybe pulling away and not getting so close is the simple elegant line in the sand that proximity wing suit flyers need to come to realize is perhaps the best answer.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Jun 18, 2015 - 05:44am PT
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Klimmer is sensible.
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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Jun 18, 2015 - 06:44am PT
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Nicely said Klimmer : )
G-d Bless You
And Bless Graham and Dean's souls
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Chalkpaw
climber
Flag, AZCO
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Jun 18, 2015 - 06:57am PT
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Yosemite never fails to deliver (like any place with big nature). I was recently in the park, doing my thing, and traveled by many places where many soul seekers have gone before. I didn't make it to taft point like my original plan. However, the place was alive with life! Once I slowed down on my own 3rd classing activities, I could see and feel that energy of Potter jumping, climbing, laughing, and reflecting. On the last day, the last summit, I was downclimbing from Eichorn Pinnacle and looked over at the horns that held the lines for Potter's "Moonwalk". It took my breath away. The capture of essence at its best.
https://vimeo.com/56298775
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Jun 18, 2015 - 06:59am PT
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Well said Klimmer. You eloquently expressed my very thoughts.
BSBD Dean and Graham thank you for the inspiration!
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crankster
Trad climber
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Jun 18, 2015 - 07:03am PT
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Thoughtful comments, Klimmer.
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Rob Roy Ramey
Trad climber
Colorado
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Jun 22, 2015 - 02:55pm PT
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They went out at the top of their game and as men who were truly free.
Never growing old or feeble, they will remain fixed in our tribal memory as boldly unconventional, daring, and visionary. While that is not necessarily immortality, it may be something close.
No matter how you measure it, fortune favors the bold player, not the timid.
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wheatBeer
Social climber
TheBronx
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Jun 23, 2015 - 08:56am PT
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In paragliding and climbing I have my own personal lines in the sand for me.
My "line in the sand" is when activities significantly increase the risk to my kids welfare.
I think it is inexcusable to be BASE jumping and involved in very high risk activities when you have children that are still dependent on you. There is no amount of reasoning to cross that line and my respect will be forever lost.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Jun 23, 2015 - 08:59am PT
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Perhaps not getting so close to the terrain is the best answer in proximity wing suit flying
This is true, but it would take all of the fun out of it.
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jstan
climber
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Jun 23, 2015 - 09:07am PT
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OK. It is a personal decision. End of discussion?
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