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May 18th
Home Culture People Extreme base: Jennifer Dembinski
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Extreme base: Jennifer Dembinski Print E-mail
Written by Iza Redlinska   
Sunday, 15 July 2007 15:41
She could probably group her life into three categories: professional, parachute related and miscellaneous. Although she calls herself a geek, which obviously she is not, Jennifer Dembinski does stem cell research by the day and enjoys jumping off various objects - well, not by night but during her free time.
           
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., city with a significant Polish-American population, Dr. Dembinski currently resides in Oslo, Norway, where she is conducting her postdoctoral studies in stem cell research, concentrating on cancer related topics. She has her Doctorate Degree in Virology and Gene Therapy, but extensive hours in the lab were not the only thing that she has been strongly involved in for the past few years.

            "I started skydiving in October of 2002, knowing that I would eventually get into BASE.  I had wanted to skydive/BASE jump for as long as I can remember," reveals Dr. Dembinski.  As recommended, she started with skydiving  because "BASE jumping requires additional skills and some different techniques to those learned in skydiving;" among many she lists "parachute packing and canopy (parachute) control/flying techniques."

            BASE jumping - an acronym for Buildings, Antennas, Spans [for example bridges] and Earth [such as cliffs] - has marked its modern beginnings in 1966 when Michael Pelkey and Brian Schubert jumped off El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Although they've created a new sport, the many broken bones helped to pass a law forbidding future jumps from this spot.

            The main differences between BASE jumping and skydiving are the acceleration and the air flow. BASE jumpers experience lower speeds while falling, which is a disadvantage for them because they have less control over their aerodynamics. This can make their bodies tumble in the air, which can cause problems when opening the parachute. If "off-heading" occurs, that is if the jumper's body is oriented in the wrong direction when deploying the parachute, the chance for an accident increases exponentially.  In addition the landing conditions are usually much worse, for BASE jumps are performed in remote, often uneven and mountainous areas or in cities, where there are traffic, wires and other obstacles to take into consideration.

            Her first (and second) jump took place on June 12, 2004. Within 42 jumps Jennifer  has completed the acronym jumping off all the listed objects and some cranes in addition to that. As of now, she has well  over a thousand skydives and more than 150 BASE jumps under her belt and also ...  a secret temptation to jump off a crane on a property of a previous employer.

            "There's actually a lot of physics and science involved in calculating and analyzing jumps, sites, packing techniques, openings vs. wind speeds and direction, turbulence, etc.," says Jennifer, but calling her Dr. Dembinski probably adds a lot of significance in this matter.  "BASE jumping is all about minimizing the risks, the ones you can control. There is definitely a risk to pleasure ratio (and naturally everyone has a different scale)." She admits she has felt the rush people refer to while jumping "It varies depending on the site or jump conditions, how many jumps you've already made there, and what you are planning to do during the jump."

            In addition to experience, mental and physical preparation is required. "I workout to keep in shape (especially if I'm not climbing regularly), and train specifically for the summer season that involves lots of hiking," comments Jennifer. "Every jump is different, as there are often different circumstances or risks involved with even jumping the same object.  I basically have to visualize the whole jump; the jump plan, landing pattern, backup plans if something changes, etc."

            And things can and do change every second! Even the most experienced BASE jumpers must realize this and keep a clear mind to act quickly and respond to unexpected circumstances. The fatality list is a silent witness and a reminder that even the best of the best may have a bad day. What's the reward you would ask? Jennifer says that BASE has given her confidence in life, especially during many stressful situations, when presenting proposals or research that one day might affect the health of many. She takes the approach of "You can jump off a building, you can do this...." That is not the only positive point, but rather a positive side effect. The most thrilling aspect for Jennifer is that "during the jump I feel nothing but happiness and freedom.  All my worries are left behind the moment I take that first step.  It's surreal..."
 

Jan Karski Documentary Movie

film Author E. Thomas Wood has joined veteran screenwriter William Akers and Oscar-nominated director Hanna Polak in the creation of the first English-language feature-length documentary conveying the memory and legacy of Jan Karski. Additionally, the Polish American Awareness Foundation plans to team with a host of like-minded organizations that share a desire to bring this timeless story to a wider audience. Jan Karski movie - read more...

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