Jason Rooney
Tutt
Al Anderson wrote:
>
> I saw most of a show last night on TLC about base jumper Jason Rooney
> doing some wild things. Thing is, most of the people talking about him
> seemed to be talking in the past tense. Like I said, I didn't see the
> whole show and since Rooney is/was a relatively young guy I was
> wondering if he met some misfortune or is he still out there. Anyone
> have info on this guy.
> Thanks.
I too saw the show. I saw only the last 15 mnutes. It was incredible! He jumped a tandem off a
bridge. The jumped a surf board off of a building onto the beach. On the last jump of the show,
his canopy hit a tree and collapsed. He landed on rocks, and said he thought he broke his back.
He was still talking about his jump. He didn't look too badly injured. Next they showed a picture
of him and put 19??-1993 below the picture.
If anyone knows anymore info about Jason Rooney, I would love to hear about it. He seemed like an
incedibly brave guy.
Bryan
Al Anderson
I saw most of a show last night on TLC about base jumper Jason Rooney
doing some wild things. Thing is, most of the people talking about him
seemed to be talking in the past tense. Like I said, I didn't see the
whole show and since Rooney is/was a relatively young guy I was
wondering if he met some misfortune or is he still out there. Anyone
have info on this guy.
Thanks.
-al- ~(:-{>-[==<
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Reality continues to ruin my life."
Calvin in "Calvin & Hobbes
"Ow, not there!"
Peter Lucas
In article <327D0F...@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu>, Tutt <zu0...@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu> wrote:
-->Al Anderson wrote:
-->I too saw the show. I saw only the last 15 mnutes. It was incredible! He
--> jumped a tandem off a
-->bridge. The jumped a surf board off of a building onto the beach. On the
--> last jump of the show,
-->his canopy hit a tree and collapsed. He landed on rocks, and said he thought
--> he broke his back.
-->He was still talking about his jump. He didn't look too badly injured. Next
--> they showed a picture
-->of him and put 19??-1993 below the picture.
-->
-->If anyone knows anymore info about Jason Rooney, I would love to hear about
--> it. He seemed like an
-->incedibly brave guy.
He may have been brave, but he was a complete asshole. Here is a copy of a
post I put on awhile back
*****************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: Jason Rooney BASE special on TLC
Keyword:
Summary:
In article <DrvtC...@gil.com.au>, sky...@gil.ipswichcity.qld.gov.au (Peter
Lucas) wrote:
-->In article <4o23lo$1...@cns.compuware.com>, darin_...@compuware.com
(Darin
--> Ninness) wrote:
-->>In article <4o1d8r$6...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, skyh...@aol.com says...
-->
-->>Guy at my DZ loaned me a tape of the show from TLC that he made the other
-->>day.. He said "You don't have to give it back to me.. this guy was a
-->>complete nut and I don't even want to show this tape to my whuffo friends.
-->> They think we're nuts already, I don't want them to use this guy as an
-->>example of us.."
-->>
-->
-->>
-->>Darin
-->
-->yes,well....that basically sez it all. I made comment on this guy here on
--> this
-->group when he was "making a name" for himself back then. He was over here
-->doing his stunts and interviews and creating a *lot* of bad feeling. He was
-->basically getting on TV and telling everyone that the reason he was doing
it
-->was to thumb his nose at the Aussie authorities, as ours are about the
-->harshest anti-BASE laws around. He always had plenty of media coverage (due
--> to
-->the fact of making sure that they were there to take his picture).
-->There are plenty of BASE guys here, and for most of them, the pleasure they
-->get is from the jump. Not from seeing their faces splashed across national
TV
-->
-->and in the rag magazines. Rooney couldn't let an opportunity go by where he
-->could puff his chest and tell everyone about his exploits and how good he
--> was.
-->
-->He was a visitor in our country who went out of his way to incite the
-->authorities to hand down harsher penalties to the people that live here and
-->pursue the same pleasure, but in complete anonimity. To all the skydivers I
-->know, he was know as "That Fucking Pommy Wanker".
-->
-->He died attempting to do one last jump of a building in Sydney, that he had
-->jumped off before. There were people there on the top with him, because one
--> of
-->his shoes was still up there. Police summized that he was walking along the
-->edge and slipped. Someone else tried to grab his leg to stop him, hence the
-->shoe left behind. His rig was closed on impact and no pilot chute was
-->attached, which means he was going to do a bag-assist jump. (More evidence
to
-->the other people there theory). But no one has come forward.
-->
-->Looks like he died showing off. Who would walk along and the edge of a
-->building with no way of getting the canopy out, if something like this
-->happened? Residents in the building heard him screaming on the way down.
-->
-->About a week before this happened, I put a post on saying that I hoped he
-->would kill himself on one of his jumps. He was creating that much trouble
-->between skydivers/skydiving, the community and the authorities. On his
death,
-->not one skydiver I know felt saddened. It was more like "<Grunt> The
arsehole
-->got what he deserved".
-->
-->We who live here, skydive here, and BASE here, now have to live with his
-->legacy of even stricter rules and regulations and harsher penalties.
-->Dont expect any sympathy out of Oz.
-->
-->Peter.
-->NB#22
******************************************************************************
My opinion of the asshole hasn't changed. He made some very good jumps, they
would have been even better if he had done them like the rest of us. Just for
the personal rush and not the pleasure of having his picture and exploits
splashed across the nation. Then leaving the country and leaving the rest of
us to the wrath of the authorities because they got their nose's rubbed in it
and couldn't do anything about it.
Peter
Trying2Fly
I found this in the archives, 1993.
In article <1993Nov16....@devvax.mincom.oz.au>,
pet...@devvax.mincom.oz.au (PETER LUCAS) writes:
> A while back I made a reply to some comments by Barry Brummit.They
> were about the English guy(Jay 24yo) travelling Australia,BASE jumping
> with the media always in attendance.And the fact that he was doing it
> to thumb his nose at the laws here.
> One of his statements was that he would'nt be around to collect his old
> age pension.
>
> His wish came true last night (15nov.),on a high rise in Sydney.
> According to a news flash on TV,he had a malfunction and died as a
result
> of his injuries.
>
> He died the way he wanted to,so I suppose that should make him happy.
>
> What it is going to do to the laws that he was so fond of thumbing his
nose
> at...we can only wait and see.
Just as a followup to this,his full name was Jason Rooney and he was due
to
return home tommorow (18th) after overstaying his visa to make a
documentary
on BASE jumping in Aust.
A witness said he saw what looked like a large bag of laundry go past his
window and then heard a thump that could be felt throughout the 25 stories
of the building.
The news article showed his body, under a sheet,with the rig next to
it.Nothing
was out.Police are speculating that he slipped while trying to set up for
the
jump.
They are also trying to locate his support crew who apparantly took off
when
he went in.(Nice friends 8-* )
He had made the same jump before,but this time.....................
May you all live long,land softly and prosper.
--
******************************
* Peter Lucas * In a world in which we are all slaves to
* pet...@devvax.mincom.oz.au * the laws of gravity,I'm proud to be
counted
* MINCOM BRISBANE * as one of the freedom fighters.
* (07) 364-9999 *
******************************
Tim
Peter Lucas wrote:
>
> In article <327D0F...@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu>, Tutt <zu0...@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu> wrote:
> -->Al Anderson wrote:
>
> -->I too saw the show. I saw only the last 15 mnutes. It was incredible! He
> --> jumped a tandem off a
> -->bridge. The jumped a surf board off of a building onto the beach. On the
> --> last jump of the show,
> -->his canopy hit a tree and collapsed. He landed on rocks, and said he thought
> --> he broke his back.
> -->He was still talking about his jump. He didn't look too badly injured. Next
> --> they showed a picture
> -->of him and put 19??-1993 below the picture.
> -->
> -->If anyone knows anymore info about Jason Rooney, I would love to hear about
> --> it. He seemed like an
> -->incedibly brave guy.
>
> He may have been brave, but he was a complete asshole. Here is a copy of a
> post I put on awhile back
> *****************************************************************************
>
but I saw a show featuring this geek where he did several BASE jumps,
including the surfboard jump. The surfboard jump was a total shithead
stunt. The surfboard had nothing to do with the jump (off a building)
other than to grab attention (ill advised, in a sport that often is
represented as stupid and irresponsible).
Anyone hear about the jerk-off doctor that did a base jump in Seattle?
He was an "experienced" skydiver, as reported by the media, with all of
about 50 jumps. He bounced off the building with an inflated canopy, and
had to be rescued off an adjacent roof by people I work with. They had
to risk their lives to save this moron.
I would love to do some BASE jumps, if, and only if, I can have the
proper training, equipment, and location to do so safely.
These morons not only ruin BASE jumping, they destroy the rep of the
skydiving community.
"What happens if I pull this handle?"
"Your nose will start to bleed."
Skydive Z-Hills
I was once told:
"If you bounce while skydiving, most people will feel sorry
for you and feel some pain, even if you screwed up. If you
bounce while BASE jumping, regardless of what you did, you're
just an asshole."
TK Hayes
body...@aol.com
>>I have to agree, the guy was an asshole. Not to speak ill of the dead,
but I saw a show featuring this geek where he did several BASE jumps,
including the surfboard jump. The surfboard jump was a total shithead
stunt. The surfboard had nothing to do with the jump (off a building)
other than to grab attention (ill advised, in a sport that often is
represented as stupid and irresponsible).>>
Actually I think BASE jumping with a surfboard is a pretty damn cool
shithead stunt. Just like another jumper's "box-man" was a pretty damn
cool stunt at Bridge Day 95 (also had nothing to do with the jump other
than to grab attention...which it did. and 400 BASE jumpers cheered it
on).
It always amazes me how easy & common it is to sit in judgement of
others...
Dave Briegs
D-18749
Team CrossKeys Freestyle Heat
Team CrossKeys Skysurf Heat
Bob Church
In article <327E02...@ibm.net>
Skydive Z-Hills <sky...@ibm.net> writes:
Ain't that the truth. Carl Boenish was showing some movies at Z-hills
the year the guy had died trying to land on the Archway. Boenish
referred to the guy as a "turkey". It seemed pretty strange coming from
Boenish. If he'd lived he'd have called him a hero.
Bob Church
l...@wang.com
In article <E0CsC...@boss.cs.ohiou.edu>, chu...@art.ohiou.edu says...
(clipped)
-Ain't that the truth. Carl Boenish was showing some movies at Z-hills
-the year the guy had died trying to land on the Archway. Boenish
-referred to the guy as a "turkey". It seemed pretty strange coming from
-Boenish. If he'd lived he'd have called him a hero.
->Bob Church
Pretty damn loose use of the word "hero".
Lee
Timasch
In article <327CC8...@bhip.infi.net>, Al Anderson
<mrb...@bhip.infi.net> writes:
>I saw most of a show last night on TLC about base jumper Jason Rooney
>doing some wild things. Thing is, most of the people talking about him
>seemed to be talking in the past tense. Like I said, I didn't see the
>whole show and since Rooney is/was a relatively young guy I was
>wondering if he met some misfortune or is he still out there. Anyone
>have info on this guy.
>Thanks.
The show opened with the statement that he died when he probably slipped
off the bulding before he was ready. The program then went on to follow
him as he wandered about Austraulia and New Zealand jumping from BASE
structures. He didn't seem to care who he got in trouble or in danger.
The worst example was when he strapped a guy to him under his normal
canopy. (with straps, not a harness). They then went off what looked like
a 200 foot high bridge into the water.
This was comented on in RS back when he died. No one from either country
had anything good to say about him. He apparantly distroyed any hope that
the jumpers in either country would get Base jumping accepted as a legal
activity.
Tim D-9813
Nick Fugaccia
>The news article showed his body, under a sheet,with the rig next to
>it.Nothing
>was out.Police are speculating that he slipped while trying to set up for
>the jump.
not only was nothing out, but there were still rubber bands
around the bag
not wanting to speak ill of the dead, but the guy was a real
fool.
akers...@aol.com
I've been reading all the responses to this "incident". I didn't see this
TV thing, nor do I have a clue what the truth about this "asshole-gonna
get killed-fell off the building-jerk
wad-fool-idiot-whatever-whatever-whatever-etc.etc.etc.. really is. But I
will say that there are BASE jumpers out there that are pushing the sport
properly (as I see it) and let's not forget them. There are legitimate
jumps now, technology that allows BASE jumpers to perform with relative
safety, and a new outlook of the sport that is changing perceptions of the
educated (myself included) people in skydiving.
I have not BASE jumped...yet. After 11 years, JM, I, evaluator, TDM,
etc...etc...blah, blah, blah, I will tell you that I am very
safe.......and ready to BASE!!! I will admit, it will have to be the right
one (Angel Falls would be nice) with the right people, but yes, this ol'
man would go for it.
I will assume you are all right about this individual, but let's be
careful not to kick BASE too hard as a discipline. Just as we as skydivers
have done and will continue to do, BASE jumpers are simply perfecting a
sport that is very misunderstood...even by us!!!
Chuck Akers
"Gravity's job is to kill you. Your job is to keep that from happening".
Peter Lucas
In article <19961117075...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, akers...@aol.com wrote:
--> I have not BASE jumped...yet. After 11 years, JM, I, evaluator, TDM,
-->etc...etc...blah, blah, blah, I will tell you that I am very
-->safe.......and ready to BASE!!! I will admit, it will have to be the right
-->one (Angel Falls would be nice) with the right people, but yes, this ol'
-->man would go for it.
I say, go for it :-)
I dont BASE anymore (well not until the right object comes along anyway!!) but
used to when I was younger :-) I'm 40 now and the last time was when I was
about 37 :-) :-)
--> I will assume you are all right about this individual, but let's be
-->careful not to kick BASE too hard as a discipline. Just as we as skydivers
-->have done and will continue to do, BASE jumpers are simply perfecting a
-->sport that is very misunderstood...even by us!!!
As I was the f**** (there's that damn word that comes before second!!) person
to post about this individual, the original thread was about this guy and his
actions and the effect that they would have on the serious BASE guys here in
Oz. BASE here is serious stuff and we have a snowballs chance in hell of ever
getting it legal........even for one day of the year. I started doing it for
that bit of an extra "rush", and after a couple, realized that it was an
extension of skydiving. After doing my jumps, I had a complete new feeling for
skydiving *as a whole*.
Peter
jos5...@gmail.com
Well let me tell you something, he was a great guy!! a very special person and loved by many. Not one of you knew him, the original post asked if he was still alive not what do you think of him!
You should be ashamed
elisel...@gmail.com
elisel...@gmail.com
elisel...@gmail.com
Jim
> You know all you assholes that slate Jason Rooney I was his girlfriend when he died and let me tell you 20 yrs later I still think about him every day and how brave he was. Not a day goes by when I wonder what the fuck happened and why was he found with one shoe on.... We all know he was with some assholes that never stepped forward and told us what went down but does everyond really need to slate him so badly!? I had to identify his body and let me tell you it has scarred me for the rest of my life. So to all you haters out there .... Spare a thought to the people that loved him before you go writing your hate mail. Elise.
I actually met Jason in Sydney when I stayed there for 3 weeks during my year out in Oz. As I recall he was working at the hostel I stayed at on Coogee Beach. He was quite a character!
One day he took a bunch of us in the hostel minibus to a bridge over a park/canyon somewhere in Sydney to watch him BASE jump. Once on the bridge he asked if one of us would hold his parachute bag while he jumped (ie. hold the bag and let the parachute eject from it when he jumped!!). In my youth & naivity I volunteered for this critical task and he duly jumped & landed safely. Looking back I don't think it was a terribly high bridge! This was around March 1992.
Around a year later, back home in UK I saw a newspaper report about his death. Very sad.
Elise, condolences go out to you and I totally agree with your sentiments - a little more respect would be nice from the "experts" on this thread.
dp6...@googlemail.com
I remember walking into my room could hardly get to my bed with all his equipment and an envelope on his bed with the words Jason Rooney stuntman extrordenair . Did think what a twat..
He loved to be the center of attention and took people abseiling and rap jumping charging to pay for his way travelling etc. He built up quite a little group and definitely had a team of people to go with him on his BASE jumps.
I left the hostel to travel and came back a month or so later at the back packers and chatted a little with him a day or so before his death. He seemed perfectly happy.
First I knew of his death was walking in Sydney and seeing a news paper stand reading "British back packer falls to his death". I bought the newspaper and was shocked to see the article and his picture.
Felt bad for thinking he was a twat but just could nt believe his so called friends never came forward to tell what happened. The police asked for people to come forward for info and just wanted to know what had happened they would nt be in trouble. Yet not one came forward.. What heroes. He always had someone driving, someone to hold the pilot chute and someone filming as he filmed all his jumps for a documentary he was making. Yes he'd over stayed his visa and heard he was going to hand himself in following that jump..
He died doing what he loved and yes was really flash etc but a sad end to a life.
silve...@gmail.com
I am Jason's sister. I felt sick to my stomach that someone could go so low as to hope that someone killed themselves. I just hope our dad never reads what you said as it would break him, even more so than he already is.
Did you know my brother? Had you met him? No, I didn't think so....everyone who knew Jason personally, school friends, people he met through parachuting here in the UK, people he met on his travels had not one bad word to say about him. He was kind, generous and a fun guy. Loved sports and living life to the full. He did have a cameraman and and editor with him when he was jumping as he was making a documentary. Both of these people became close friends of his and our family. He wasn't a show off. He loved what he did and always wanted to go that step further to get that adrenaline rush.
It's a shame you didn't have the pleasure of knowing him personally...I was had the pleasure of having him for 15years of my life.
Losing Jason at the age of 24 has changed our lives forever. Have you ever lost someone who
You love? How would you feel if people who didn't know them spoke I'll of them after their passing and was completely wrong about the type of person they was.
My brother was twice the man you'll ever be and to wish someone dead? Well, what goes around comes around.
Thank you to those who posted respectful comments, as yes, Jason does have a family who miss him incredibly.
saalbach...@gmail.com
I knew Jason most of his time in Oz,and in Thailand, did some jumps with him but left a Oz a few months before his accident, couldnt believe the news when I heard it. I have some great old photos of Jason, including some of his jumps in surgers paradise (with Surfboard). He´s always smiling and we always had a great time. strange to think it is over 20 years ago and I also still remember him.
moodycraba...@gmail.com
moodycraba...@gmail.com
Thanks.
Never met your brother, but Ian used to always speak highly of him and always carried a pic of him jumping with the surboard in surfers paradise.
All the best
layd...@gmail.com
Some mean comments about a dead guy here.
I went to school with Jason,Longford Comp. He was a good guy to me.We were in the same class all 5 years . I'm Asian and them days 81-85 there was maybe 5 Asians in a 1000.Lot of racist stuff went on , but Jason I never got it from.
He was always a bit of a daredevil, martial arts. And the only guy who actually enjoyed playing rugby and he wasn't a big lad.
Sister was called L*** , I think. Lived sort of behind bedfont shops,watermead ,hatchett etc
Shame what happened to him,
