Quotes from Dean Potter

None of my friends, or anyone I know, told me not to jump with Whisper. Anyone who knows me knows that I would never put my dog in harm's way.

I'm not saying take your dog wingsuit flying. But if we can take Whisper BASE jumping or climbing, maybe you can take your dog places you didn't consider. Just find better ways to take your dog with you. They just love to be with their people and their pack.

This concept of turning dying into flying is a metaphor for my basic life principle.

I hydrate obsessively, limit processed foods, and make a conscious attempt to eat and drink pure things, organic foods. I've noticed that these things stay with me longer than processed foods and that I'm more consistent in my climbing and my life - there aren't so many highs and lows.

Part of me says it's kind of crazy to think you can fly your human body. Another part of me thinks all of us have had the dream that we can fly. Why not chase after it?

For two summers, I lived up on the Eiger for close to 40 days. It was in a tent under this overhang near the start of Deep Blue Sea. I would drink the water that dripped from the ceiling.

I've just always been terrified of having to speak in front of people. When I used to go in school and then I had to do a report in front of the class and speak, I would freeze up, sometimes I would even like tear up almost and start crying and stuff... couldn't deal.

I started free-soloing harder and harder routes, kind of proving to myself that I could take control of this, pretty much the biggest fear I had - falling to my death.

In most every other country, 'body flying' more commonly known as BASE jumping is legal and looked upon as a beautiful art. Here in the United States, those of us who pursue human flight are treated as criminals and are forced to travel abroad to seek one of man's most fundamental desires, to fly free.

My whole life I've always innovated the gear to match my pursuits. I've innovated the best climbing gear, the best slacklining gear, and definitely the most advanced BASE jumping gear.

I want my health to be perfect when I'm pushing the edge.

I'm not so good at sitting on the floor and meditating.

I love the idea that I can change the worst possible thing to the best possible thing: dying to flying.

Everybody kind of fantasizes about it, flying.

My feet look like hooves-like, fake-leather bottoms and funky toenails - and I scrub them with a big stiff-bristled nylon brush you'd use for scrubbing the side of your house.

The wilderness is infinite in what it offers.

I know I'm just as mortal as everybody else and I think about that quite a bit, but I really do feel like everyone lives with this - they're just not aware of it.

I think my dad's dream really was just to have a good family, treat them well, to keep them together, and he did everything in his power and it just fell apart on him.

I don't want to be an athlete so much. I groove more with artists and deep thinkers.

Thirty guys equals five percent die-off among active wingsuit base jumpers. That means there's a flaw in our system and you're an idiot if you think anything else. I'm smart enough to know that five percent means it could be me.

Every time I go out and do something, Hans panics and starts trying to beat me. He's like a dog humping your leg.

I had trouble focusing as a child and I still sort of do, but when you climb and you're going to die if you fall, you have 100 percent focus. That's a rarity in life and a gift to have something that brings you that clarity.

I want to live to be a grandfather, or to be doing this when I'm 80.

I was having all these thoughts, not really sure what I was doing in school. And I just said, 'I'm gonna go out and climb.' I had this great day with a friend, bouldering and rooting each other on, and I came back thinking, 'I don't like the way it feels to be competitive. I don't want to be ruled by it.'