I've often complained to Crow that I should really be able to fly too. He gets to go to the coolest places and meets some very strange characters. Sometimes I get a bit jealous.
Speaking of which, here's an old picture I found of him with one of his college friends many years ago. It was so long ago it may have been painted by Breugel. Well, in reality it was painted by Rudi Hurzlmeier but I think he copied it from the Elder.
Anyhow, I wanted to fly so Crow took me to Norway to meet these guys. It's about the craziest thing I've ever seen people do and I was far too scared to try it myself. Still, it wasn't a wasted trip since I now have a contract to paint their wingsuits.
wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.
Maybe we'll move there to set up a concession stand to sell hot chocolate and bandaids. Is this what's called a leap of faith?
I found the embed link so now it's here. Yow!
How fantastic! It is so like the flying dreams I had when I was a kid...just spread my arms out to my sides, lean forward and fly!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the contract, Susan!
I sat here watching the entire video with my mouth wide open. That is too fecking cool, I tell you! A bit terrifying but very tempting. Though I'd rather have Crow's natural capacity for flight than to do it artificially. I suppose I could dream about flight again. It doesn't happen that I can fly in dreams anymore, though...
ReplyDeleteBy the way, what kind of creature is that with Crow, exactly? I love how Crow lives - glass of wine raised to beak. Assuming that's what the glass contained. It looks rather empty now...
Brilliant, fun post, Susan.
holy moly. that was something!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your blog. I am wondering what you will paint on the wingsuits... I wrote a story many years ago that had a wingmaster in it, and she created and painted wings. Maybe it was you.
Can I come with you? That was the most incredible CRAZY thing I have ever witnessed!
ReplyDeleteYou are painting the wings?
That was amazing. Terrifying and amazing. I too used to fly in my dreams and I so miss that. I would jump and then once off the ground I was airborne and could do amazing things, but very slow flying, not like this crazy too close to the edge, too fast.
ReplyDeleteI will have to go back and read what you wrote again, since once I punched that link all I could think was Yikes!
So, a contract to paint these wing suits with gorgeous wings? How cool is that!
First off, I was lying about the painting contract. Those things are made of super polymers so the watercolors and silk paints not only wouldn't stick but might cause some drag. Maybe they'll let me design the weave.
ReplyDeletethe crow - Dream flying is the coolest thing but I don't get to do it as much as I once did.
pagan sphinx - I'd feel better with Crow's wings as well. One of the guys who pioneered the whole thing is no longer with us.
I think that's Crow's old friend, Vinnie the Vole. They still get together now and again.
rene wing - It appears wingmasters are fond of appearing out of the blue and I'm delighted to meet another.
lol - Wasn't that almost too much fun? Yowza, if I was just a few years (ahem..) younger.
utah - One of the strangest flying dreams I ever had was when I shot out the roof of a tall building and landed in the middle of one of my older paintings. I wasn't quite ready then to face the metaphor of nothing really being there. I'm better now :-)
It's a very wild video indeed.
I"m with Pagan - I kept finding my mouth wide open. I couldn't believe all this.
ReplyDeleteIt reminded me of another video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUUx5FdySs
I don't want to try either one, though. I dream about flying sometimes - I'm happy with that.
And I'd like to see some of those wingsuits you'd design. Oh yeah!
Crow and his friend in that photo remind me of the couple of similar evenings with my friends in college. The nights ended in bed spins (never again!) and the friendships ended in fist fights and alienation. I was a very different guy in college...
woooooo-eeeeeee!!!! i expect you have to be in pretty good form to do that.... i don't think those guys have an ounce of fat between them. if i thought i was fit enough, i'd be tempted. ...and i'd love to see Norway. ....i think Crow and i might have been to some of the same parties, way back when... but, maybe not... i'd remember HIM!
ReplyDeleteI love that painting. And "Vinnie the Hole"---ha ha ha!
ReplyDeleteLoving the painting, too. I'm afraid to watch the video - I think it will make my palms sweat or worse.
ReplyDeleteYou better put some hooch in that hot chocolate. Yikes!!
ReplyDeleteI am with Pagan, if I am going to fly I want wings as part of my anatomy.
are those guys crazy?
ReplyDeletejumping out of bed is challenge enough for me.
a susan-decorated wingsuit would be way cool though.
royal cerulean cobalt
indigo please.
do they come with footsies and a flap in the back?
ooooooooooeeeeeeeeeee thumb phun! ;)
ReplyDeleteYikes!
ReplyDeleteYEah, that's how I go to town, since I live on a mountain. It's really tough to sip the coffee on the way though...
steve - Thanks for pointing out Kiwi! - a very sweet and clever little wingless bird.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness you and a number of my male friends have changed since college. Me too, come to think of it..
gfid - I think you're far too young to have attended college with Crow but he said he'd be happy to introduce you to the guys in Norway if you change your mind.
cdp - Yes, that's a rare piece. Vinnie hasn't looked that good in years.
lisa - You could take it but just don't show it to the Actor :-)
belette - Me too. I'd like the soft and expansive angel whites. Wouldn't you be wondering who sewed the wingsuits and how much they were getting paid?
sera - I think those would be the color of the many helium filled balloons I'd need besides the painted suit.
:D wolf - Wheeeeeeeee! but I noticed there were no girls up there.
gary - Maybe we could find you one of those hats that hold beer cans and a couple of straws.
That is indeed Too Cool for School. I've been watching this clip for about a year now and still hoot with amazement when that dude blows past the roadside observers - WOOOO-HOOOO!
ReplyDeleteOK, time to go change the skivvies...
You couldn't pay me to do that crap. I'd be the 0.008% that fails, leading to a shattering death on the rocks below.
ReplyDeletecr - Yeah, I keep imagining how those people in the car making the hairpin turn felt when they saw him speeding towards them. Yow! Fresh skivvies for sure.
ReplyDeleterandal - I think the accident percentage may be a little higher than that. One of the guys who started the thing is dead now.
Hi Susan – an amazing clip- that sort of crazy stuff is way to scary for me - but I guess the idea of flying is irrestistible to those young extraordinary fit daredevils hooked on the adrenalin run. Given updrafts close to the cliffs and flying at speeds up to 250 Kmph close to objects its seems certain their flying life is only a temporary one.
ReplyDeleteNext step is strap on a small jet engine for extra lift.
Best wishes
good idea. a chair and helium-filled balloons would def be preferable to jumping off a cliff.
ReplyDeleteand how much trouble is it to go back and find your skis after you've kicked them off?
lindsay - It's far too scary for me too but there's definitely a vicarious thrill in watching them perform death defying stunts with such grace and confidence.
ReplyDeletesera - I've shown it to a couple of friends who also thought of the cost of replacing skis. Maybe they pay poor people to retrieve them if there are poor people in Norway.
That's exactly how I feel after smoking a joint...and the farthest I can fall is a few inches off my sofa. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat was a great video, I have never heard of wing suits.
me - Me too and I'm glad my super-charged thrills are easier to obtain :-)
ReplyDeletewhoa.....now i know the human race is destined for extinction!! all it takes is a few more and all the stupid young men will be dead......making assumptions women are not as stupid, which is stupid assuming...no lawyer me...
ReplyDeleteas for those wingsuits, i'll help if i get a cut....i could use some cash and for certain, this is the wave, teehee, of the future...
sorry to be so long coming over for tea...got nabbed by some sticky fingers and haven't gotten cleaned up yet..
XO
linda - I know you've been involved in much more important business but it's nice to see your bouquet back in my comment section.
ReplyDeleteWere you thinking about lemmings? Good analogy.