Why We Compete

The Washington Post's Eli Saslow was online Monday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. ET to discuss Why We Compete, a series exploring why sports endure and what they mean to people. In Part Six: Adrenaline, he writes about BASE jumpers who trek to a bridge in West Virginia to jump, fly, and conquer danger in a way that leaves them wanting more.

A transcript follows.

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Eli Saslow: Thanks for reading another Compete chat. Again, I had a great time going out and writing about BASE jumping. Fascinating stuff. And again, the end product that we managed to pull together is really a credit to a ton of people: To Bonnie Berkowitz, for hauling all the way down to West Virginia to report the great graphic that ran with the story; to Greg Manifold, for designing another bang-up package; to Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, for editing the story and providing popcorn during the process; to Whitney Shefte and the other folks at Washingtonpost.com for putting together great audio; to Robert Earl Keen, Reckless Kelly and Chris Knight for making the drive to West Virginia so enjoyable.

But perhaps most of all on this one, Preston Keres traveled into the woods for the third time during the Compete series and again came back with some wonderful photos. He also edited and compiled the video/photo slideshow that ran with the story. Then again, Preston owed a little something back to the good folks of West Virginia, since he basically wiped out the state's supply of pork chops, pizza and sour cream.

Anyway, on to the questions now. If there's anything I don't get to here, or anything you think of later, please e-mail me at saslowe@washpost.com. Only two parts left of the Compete series, both to run in December, so keep tuning in. Thanks!

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Cleveland Park, D.C.: Were you tempted to jump?

Eli Saslow: This seems like a good one to start with, because the answer is simple: NO. NO, NO, NO.

In fact, I got into a heated debate with a few folks upon returning from West Virginia: Would I rather make one jump off the New River Gorge Bridge, or simple amputate my left arm? And honestly, I think I would amputate my left arm. I'm not a huge fan of heights, and I felt nervous just standing on top of the bridge. Compound those nerves with the whole psychological hell of stepping up to the jumping platform, in front of 100,000-plus spectators, and it basically seems like something out of a nightmare for me.

A part of me absolutely admires the gutsy-ness of folks who stepped over the ledge, but I will never count myself among them.

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Washington, D.C.: I've enjoyed all the why we compete articles a lot, but there isn't much info about you available on the Web. How long have you been with The Post? How long have you been a sports writer? Are you married?

Eli Saslow: Thanks for being interested. Not much information about me on the ol' Internet, huh? Well, I guess here's a good chance to change that:

I'm 25, and I've been at The Post for a little bit more than three years now. I am not married, but I'm schedule to be -- or engaged, as the terms goes -- for this summer. I'm a fan of country music, particularly Texas-style. I'm from Denver, Colorado, and my parents still live there. I also have two brothers (one of whom, perhaps, submitted this question) who live in Syracuse, NY and Los Angeles, respectively. Hope that helps...

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West Virginia: How many times does each jumper get to go? I'm thinking about trying this next year, but it seems like an awful lot of trouble for one jump. Is it possible to just go and go, like six or seven times? I've heard about other BASE jumping sites where people can go 15 or 20 times in one day.

Eli Saslow: You wouldn't be able to get in 20 jumps at Bridge Day, but if you're an experienced jumper, you might be able to get in four or five -- with some luck. Most first time jumpers only get a jump or two in, because it takes them much longer to pack their parachute safely for the next jump. Also, it take a pretty long time -- about 30 or 40 minutes -- to ride a bus up from the bottom of the bridge back to the top, and the line of jumpers is also pretty long -- sometimes 50 or 60 people deep.

I believe I heard the record number for jumps in one day is six, but the average is probably more like two or three. There are places -- particularly at a bridge in Idaho -- where beginning jumpers can take a course and get 10 or 15 jumps completed their first time around. If you're looking for a lot of jumps fast, that might be the better way to go. That Idaho bridge, though, is only about half as high as the New River Gorge Bridge.

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Portland, Ore.: It would have been nice to hear from the family of Heather Loughlin or other BASE jumpers. The activity is so selfish in a way, because the jumper's friends and family have to live with the idea that their loved one might die that day. How is Heather going to handle that issue now that her family knows about her BASE jumping?

Eli Saslow: That's a very good question. Heather, in some ways, has a less complicated situation since she is not married and doesn't have kids. But many of the other jumpers -- maybe even most -- are married, and do have kids. Those jumpers said that, although they continued to jump after they had families, they became much more cautious. Those committed jumpers now take fewer risks and execute every jump more carefully, they said.

Heather avoided telling her family about her jump, but you're right: Now they know, and they're probably going to be worried about her doing it again. I'm not sure how Heather will handle it, but I can safely make one guess: She will keep jumping regardless, or doing something similar, because this is the kind of stuff she loves to do.

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Chicago: Has Heather jumped again since Bridge Day, and is she going to? It sounds like a lot of these people get addicted pretty fast and start doing crazier and crazier jumps. I'm wondering what's next for her.

Eli Saslow: Actually, funny story...Heather called me a few days ago, so probably less than two weeks after her jump, and she left me a voicemail on my answering maching that said something like: "I've been riding really high off that jump for the last few weeks, but it's starting to wear off. I guess it's time to go do something else."

That's really how Heather works. As she explained it to me, she really thrives off these sort of thrills and experiences. I'm not sure if she's going to jump again (although my guess is yes) and I'm not sure when (although my guess is soon), but I'm positive that she will do something that will get her adrenaline firing in the next few months. She's not the type that can sit still at a desk for long.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: I am resending a question about national pride (men's rugby and women's soccer)

Hi Eli,

We had communicated on your other article-- Whitman soccer sports injuries. In your series, you have not covered national pride. Rugby, as in the recently completed World Cup which South Africa won, has some of the most determined national pride you will see in games, as it is not about money paid to players, nor about TV coverage and ratings, nor about the ego of individual players -- it is all about the team

Women's soccer has that too, because TV ratings, while increasing, are still way behind men's World Cup soccer. It is again all about national pride, playing for your country. Will you be covering that aspect in this series or in a sequel?

Eli Saslow: Thanks for checking in, and for the wonderful story idea. I think some of the stories have touched on pride a little bit, and maybe even a little on national pride. The story about the Mexican football team, which was the fifth part of the Compete series, touched a little bit on the idea of representing a whole nation. That said, both of your story ideas would be worth looking into -- probably not in the Compete series, since the end of it is so near, but some other time, for sure.

Anybody else have story ideas that you wish were included in the Compete series? Please, please, please feel free to send them along. It's a selfish request, actually. I'm always looking for things to write about.

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Cumberland, Md.: It seems like Bridge Day combines three of people's worst fears: death, heights and being in front of crowds. Did anyone go up to the plank and then not jump? And do people scream on the way down or are they shocked into silence?

Great stuff!

Eli Saslow: Thankyou, kind Cumberland resident. While I've got you here, let me just chime in that Mark's Daily Grind in Cumberland might be the best coffee shop on the planet. Right there, on the cobblestone main street. Great place. I'm actually trying to get a little golf vacation arrainged to Cumberland as we speak, but a few co-workers are bailing out of me. One guy hurt his pinkie, another guy has to work...you know how it goes.

But anyway, I actually did not see anybody step up the platform and not jump, and I think the crowd is really responsible for that. If anyone feels like stepping back from the plank -- and I have to assume there are many who do -- they're compelled to step forward instead because of simple peer pressure. It would take almost as much courage to walk away in front of 150,000 as it takes to jump into thin air.

I was told by the Bridge Day folks that only a few people have ever stepped up and walked away, which I think actually makes sense. Remember, these people have traveled from all around the country and made a bunch of logistical sacrifices to get on top of the bridge. By stepping down, they'd be wasting a lot of energy (although maybe saving a whole lot else).

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EDGEMONT: Which is your favorite "Why We Compete" article so far?

Eli Saslow: Wow, tough question. The honest truth is that I've enjoyed working on all of them. These are the kind of stories I love to do: long and ambitious, with lots of collaboration with photographers, designers, editors, etc. I really like stories that require a lot of forethought, and all of these have qualified. From a writing perspective, the BASE jumping story was probably one of the easiest to execute, so that makes it one of my favorites. The suspense in the story was so obvious and easy to capture. That made it fun to write.

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Bethesda, Md.: This article was by far the most stunning of the series. But I'm still not sure I understand the "Why We Compete" aspect of it. Specifically, what is that brought Heather Loughlin and the others to want to do this? Yes, I understand there's an adrenaline rush, but what is it that is missing in someone's life that he/she feels the need to challenge death? It's not quite Russian Roulette, but it's not far off.

Eli Saslow: Thanks for the thoughtful question. I'm thrilled you liked the story.

I think, in this case, what brought Heather and other to do this is actually pretty simple: They wanted to step up to the ledge, face fear and then conquer it. They wanted to stare down insecurity. They wanted to create such a memorable experience that it would make a major impact on the way they experienced life.

I'm interested, also, by your comment that there must be something missing in these peoples lifes. Throughout the Compete series, I've gotten a few questions like this, and I think it's worth thinking about. If somebody risks so much on competition -- on running an impossible marathon through the woods, or BASE jumping, or sinking their savings into raising dogs -- does that mean they are compensating for some hole in their lives? I'm not sure I think that. More likely, I think the people featured in these stories compete because they want to discover something more about themselves. Heather and others at Bridge Day definitely accomplished that. They stepped up to a ledge, looked 900 feet down, and somehow managed to trust themselves, trust fate, trust whatever and fall. That's a pretty illuminating experience, in some ways.

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Bethesda, Md.: Have you written, or thought of writing a story on rock climbing? I loved it in high school because it was almost the opposite of competitive, and given as an alternative to the team sports, pairs of climbers working together to achieve/complete climbs. Most of it remains sort of counter cultural and anti-competitive I think.

Eli Saslow: That's an interesting thought. I'd love to write about rock climbing sometime. I think a lot of BASE jumping and rock climbing destinations are actually similar. Moab, for instance, is a major hotspot for both, with its huge red rock slaps that tower up out of nowhere. Rock climbing would absolute be an interesting thing to write about. Even in the much-overlooked climbing genre, it seems pretty overshadowed by mountain climbing these days.

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Arlington, Va.: I've been skydiving twice. Hang gliding and BASE jumping are two things I've always wanted to do. BASE jumping though, is there any way to legally do it without having the min 100 skydive jumps? Any places that do that?

Eli Saslow: Good question, and I don't have an answer I'm 100 percent sure about. I know that most BASE instructors in the U.S. recommend AT LEAST 100 sky dives before a BASE jump, because it takes that much time in the air to really get accostumed to flying. The theory goes that, after 100 skydives, you would have the know-how and the comfort level to be able to make some mid-air adustments and handle your equipment. The average BASE jumper at Bridge Day has actually made more like 1,000 skydives, as crazy as that seems.

That said, I'm sure you could BASE jump, somewhere, without having skydived much. It would probably require a lot of waiver signing, etc., and it might not be the safest approach. Tom Aiello, the instructor at Bridge Day, is a pretty blunt guy, and he teaches BASE out in Idaho. I'm pretty sure that he'd tell you to skydive first. A lot.

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Anonymous: Having seen these people up close, please tell us what exactly is wrong with them? Do they just have nothing better to do in their lives than throw themselves off a bridge and risk dying? I can't think of any reason to do this, especially if you have kids or parents and people who love you. I'm convinced anybody who steps off that bridge has a death wish. If not, what a wast of lives.

Eli Saslow: That's certainly a strong opinion, and one BASE jumpers are used to hearing. But, actually, having spent some time around them, the suprising thing about BASE jumpers is that they are really...normal. Really normal. If they didn't have parachutes on their backs, you'd never be able to pick BASE jumpers out of a crowd. The ones I talked to were polite, fun, well-spoken and interesting. For them, BASE jumping trips or just like fun buddy trips. I talked to a Washington-area guy, a father and a retired police officer, who was traveling down to West Virginia with his sons. I also talked to a mother whose son had recently passed away, who was going down to Bridge Day to jump and hang out with old friends. They're a pretty normal crew. Except for, you know, they're tendency to jump off random objects.

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Eli Saslow: Thanks again to everybody for writing in. Don't hesitate to contact me after-chat hours at saslowe@washpost.com. I look forward to talking on here again in about a month or so. Until then, take care and be well. Have fun -- and try to accomplish that without taking too many chances.

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