In the 1980´s, American Carl Boenisch founded the "American B.A.S.E. Association", a union of all BASE jumpers around the world. To get your own BASE number, all you have to do is become a member and then parachute jump off all the following:
B- Building
A- Antenna
S- Span (bridges)
E- Earth (cliffs)
These four initials make up the word B.A.S.E.
Every B.A.S.E. jumper who wants his or her registration code has to enter all their jumps in a log book and send it to the “American B.A.S.E. Association”, in the USA. Jean Boenish, wife of the late Carl Boenish, who died many years ago in an accident while jumping off the “Troll Wall” in Norway, heads the “American B.A.S.E. Association” and is in charge of distributing the B.A.S.E. codes.
Felix Baumgartner got his registration code in 1998, and has since made it his trademark. With the help of the “Ideenwerk” agency in Salzburg, he developed the 502 logo which is now copyrighted all over the world and has become the lead icon in Felix Baumgartner's marketing strategy.
The 502 generation was born.
