JT Holmes on 60 Minutes

[PoLaRpEaK]

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-films-jt-holmes-terrifying-run/

I couldn't find a thread and it's kind of old news already in this base/speedflying world but I thought it was worth a share. Such an unbelievable feat, and to do it twice in a day, my god.

I had the pleasure of speed flying with JT and Marshal Miller; chasing them down a 3500 foot peak this summer in the Canadian Rockies. This was after standing at the exit point with some of the gopro bomb squad as they leapt off the same mountain in their wing suits. It was probably the coolest and most random experience of my life. I mean getting a phone call from JT, discussing the beta, and making a plan for early the next morning was an experience in itself. It all went down without a hitch and everyone was stoked on the morning! Such a rad crew of people.

Here's a clip from that day:
https://www.instagram.com/p/7g5_i0HrLL/?taken-by=welleducatedskibum

 

[Rusticles]

What a fucking set on that guy........

But really, he's just playing Russian roulette at this point

 

[Malczyk]

he's just playing Russian roulette at this point

Can't agree more. Mainstream media needs to stop promoting this and maybe do a story on the chemical makeup of these people. If you see 1, 2, 3+ of your friends splat dead on the ground with all that's left is the people who love them, you'd think you'd want to take up another hobby. I know there's inherent risk in everything but come on people this is just selfish.

/rant

Discuss...

 

[Rusticles]

Can't agree more. Mainstream media needs to stop promoting this and maybe do a story on the chemical makeup of these people. If you see 1, 2, 3+ of your friends splat dead on the ground with all that's left is the people who love them, you'd think you'd want to take up another hobby. I know there's inherent risk in everything but come on people this is just selfish.

/rant

Discuss...

Is he married? Kids? I know that slowed me down a shit load. You would think that he would slow down with his age.

I remember watching a documentary on action sports athletes, must have been at least 10'years ago, but it pretty much compared these stunts to drugs and addiction and explained how the chemical release in your brain is similar. It makes sense, a number of us have probably experienced it to a small degree. But it makes sense how they just push on without any regard for their personal safety or others around them kind of like a drug addict

 

[PoLaRpEaK]

What a fucking set on that guy........

But really, he's just playing Russian roulette at this point

Can't agree more. Mainstream media needs to stop promoting this and maybe do a story on the chemical makeup of these people. If you see 1, 2, 3+ of your friends splat dead on the ground with all that's left is the people who love them, you'd think you'd want to take up another hobby. I know there's inherent risk in everything but come on people this is just selfish.

/rant

Discuss...

He's so calculated though. More so than any other wing suit athlete I know. It took him three years to get a weather and snow window to pull it off. That's patience. Obviously there is still extreme risk in it though.

There are tons of selfish pursuits. Skiing, drinking, smoking, video games, etc... I don't think someone living their life how they want is selfish. It's what we all do.

We all kick it sometime! That's beyond our control.

He's a pioneer, and who knows where his lead will take us! Perhaps wing suits will become as safe as skiing one day.

I don't think people can judge without ever having participated.

 

[Hodor]

That is fucking sick that you got to fly with JT!

Sorry to be a downer but after reading previous comments, I heard a great metaphor once for the danger of base jumping.

Two jars. One is luck. The other is experience. The luck jar starts full, and the experience jar starts empty.

Each jump you do, you take from the luck jar and add to the experience jar. The issue is that even though the experience jar fills up, one day your luck runs out…..

 

[PoLaRpEaK]

Two jars. One is luck. The other is experience. The luck jar starts full, and the experience jar starts empty.

Each jump you do, you take from the luck jar and add to the experience jar. The issue is that even though the experience jar fills up, one day your luck runs out…..

Unfortunately this seems to be pretty accurate.