At Rantoul '03', I was standing behind one of the local cops in the entertainment tent (a kid about 20 years old). Chris walks up behind me and says, "Hey, you've got my crack pipe". I thought that kid would trip over himself turning around... just to see us laughing.
We talked to him for a while and convinced him to relax and enjoy WFFC. It just seemed like a good idea at the time.
One day, Chris, in a hundred years or so, we'll wingsuit together again. I'll bring the oilcan Fosters and the crab rangoon, but you owe me a bag of Scoops!
Chris was a great guy and he will REALLY be missed. He was one of the original Z hills wingsuiters and one of the first two to get his BMI rating. He was super-fun to be around and always, no matter how sick he was, positive and inspiring.
So sad to hear this. Chris won hard battles during his last years but now it is over. Eternal blue skies and puffy clouds are his playground now.
Chris gave me the first flight course in Z-Hills 2005. We flew together several jumps. Those jumps with him changed my life and addicted me permanently in the nylon crack.
Chris was the first person I ever jumped with, wasn't even off of student status yet....we walked to mock up together talking, he asked if I could fall fast on my belly...I said yes. He said "ok, cool, I will follow you out the plan". It also was my "pack n jump it" jump so I was nervous...chris was going from sit to head in front of me and took my mind TOTALLY off my nerves!!!! SO COOL!!!!!
Kelly, in part if it hadn't been for you Chris might have been gone long before this. You are an angel and are loved!!!!!!
Heart felt embraces to you and Chris's family.......
Whenever Kelly or anyone else announces a date for an ash dive or a simple celebration of Chris's life at Z, please let us all know the details. My bike is gassed up and ready to make the road trip.
I remember when Chris was first diagnosed - thought we might lose him at that time. He has lived life LARGE the last 10 years. He has shown me how valuable life is, and how it can be taken from any of us at any second. He has also taught me that I should take nothing for granted - as I frequently do. God Bless you my friend.
Chris was the first person I ever jumped with, wasn't even off of student status yet....we walked to mock up together talking, he asked if I could fall fast on my belly...I said yes. He said "ok, cool, I will follow you out the plan". It also was my "pack n jump it" jump so I was nervous...chris was going from sit to head in front of me and took my mind TOTALLY off my nerves!!!! SO COOL!!!!!
Kelly, in part if it hadn't been for you Chris might have been gone long before this. You are an angel and are loved!!!!!!
Heart felt embraces to you and Chris's family.......
he did the same thing for me when i was still a student and watching him sitfly right next to me while i was on my belly is a memory i wont soon forget
whenever the clouds starts stacking up like they do sometimes here on a hot summer day I will remember the high hop and pops we did cruisin around the haze and shootin the valleys between the clouds....I will miss you my friend thanks for all the good memories
I first met Chris in 2003 when I started to go to Z-hills to get away from the wonderful UK weather. He was very open and approachable, full of great advice and enthusiastic about my new found love of wingsuit flying. He certainly was not the average dumb loud ego-maniac skydiver. Chris was softly spoken, kind, clever and generous. We talked and got excited about the developments in the new discipline. I was a pretty new WS jumper then, but Chris took me and a few others up and we got some good pictures using his stills camera. I still haven't forgiven him for not giving me the raw images!
I went home and got the Z-hills bug bad. I went through a rough patch in the UK and found Z-hills to be a great stress reliever, every time I would visit throughout 2003-2006 Chris would be there and we would jump more. At first he would coach me, then later as I got better we would hang out and just fly. He had a true love for the sport and a great passion for human flight.
This I found to be inspirational.
I got my instructors ticket from Mr Chuck Blue in 2005. I travelled to Z-Hills to train some of my best jumping buddies and Chris helped out, taking my students up for 1 on 1 coach jumps for free after they got signed off. He loved to fly and like me didn't care much about making cash off poor students..
A really good friend of mine called Mark Healey passed away just after Chris and I taught him to WS jump. He was and still is to this day the best student I ever had. He was a natural, and on his first few jumps in a WS Chris and I went up with him and we got the shots below. It was a wonderful day in the crisp winter Z-Hills sky.
Later, we all hooked up for the first ever Z-Flock. This was early days, and we were all so eager to jump, we did a few training jumps and Chris took point, he was such a great flyer and perfect WS flock leader that we managed to get the multi coloured 4 and 5 way shots below. Note, most of these jumpers had less than 20 WS jumps, 2 had less than 10 ( the two in the red and white S3's... Mark Healey and Greg McCreery..)
I last went to Z-Hills in 2006. I met Chris then and he was still jumping. Some time around then Matt Hoover, Chris and I went up on a glorious day with some perfect clear air and bright white clouds. It was at the height of my WS skills and currency levels, ( I'm fat and crap now.......) We didn't plan anything, it just happened and I had to this day my favourite skydive. Chris took point, was his usual rock solid self and so we just flew along not even knowing where Matt was. It was such a pleasure to fly with Chris on this day, I was only ever really jumping with students or coaching newbies and having to work hard such that I would barely remember the skydive past debriefing my student. When flying with Chris who had such a great skill level things went really smooth and easy, without effort we held a tight formation for the whole jump and were barely inches apart for most of it. When we landed Matt came over all happy saying he had some awesome shots. Matt later managed to get us published on the cover of " College Physics " ( the publisher's refused to give Chris and I a free copy ! ) This jump is the last few shots below. Anyone who wants any full-res copies just pm me.
I am very sorry to hear of Chris's passing away. He will be sorely missed. My thoughts are with his family and friends.
A great skydiver, a great person and hugely courageous with his long fight. It was a pleasure to have jumped with him and shared some of the greatest moments of my life.
So long buddy.
Quote :
Me : "Can't wait to go Base Jumping in my Vampire ! I've ordered a Morpheus Rig, do you have one for all these local antenna's Chris?"
Chris : "Nah, I just wait 'till my wings rig needs a repack, hook off , fly till I shit myself, then fire off my reserve..."
Classic......
Darren
(This post was edited by dmkellett on May 1, 2010, 5:35 AM)
Thank you so much for all those pictures. He talked of you often in his love for wingsuiting. I have yet to meet half the people he jumped with over the years. I know he loved flying. He will forever be wingsuiting and flying around the clouds as he will be cremated in his wingsuit tomorrow 5/2/2010. His memorial ash dive is 5/15/10 at skydive city sunset load with memorial to follow. Love Kelly
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