Submit Article

Skydiving News and Articles

Select A Category

Pick a Category

Events

Disciplines

News

General

Gear

Safety

Spectra Ripcord Service Bulletin

MANDATORY PRODUCT SERVICE BULLETIN FOR SPECTRA RESERVE RIPCORD
REASON: EXCESSIVE URETHANE COATING
Spectra Reserve Ripcord
Part #:

024 029 001 SPECTRA RIPCORD-24.5"

024 029 002 SPECTRA RIPCORD-26"

024 029 003 SPECTRA RIPCORD-27"

024 029 004 SPECTRA RIPCORD-28"

024 029 005 SPECTRA RIPCORD-29"

024 029 006 SPECTRA RIPCORD-30"

024 029 007 SPECTRA RIPCORD-31"

024 029 008 SPECTRA RIPCORD-23.5"
Lot #:

UPT-2014-01

UPT-2014-08

UPT-2014-10

UPT-2014-11

UPT-2015-02

UPT-2015-03

UPT-2015-03a

UPT-2015-03b

UPT-2015-03c

UPT-2015-03d
LOT # UPT- 2015-04 AND LATER ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THIS PSB
BACKGROUND
The Spectra Reserve Ripcord system has been in the field now for over 5 years. During that time, it has performed as expected; generating consistently low pull forces because Spectra cord has a very low coefficient of friction. (A similar Spectra main ripcord system has been in use for 15 years on our Sigma Tandem systems).
To prevent minor fuzzing and color loss, and to make the finished Spectra reserve ripcord easier to thread through the housing, the finished ripcord is lightly coated with the same polyurethane compound used by Spectra line manufacturers to increase suspension line life. This process increases housing drag slightly but still keeps it below that of stainless cable.
It has recently come to our attention that some Spectra ripcord cables manufactured in late 2014 and 2015 were coated with the wrong mix of polyurethane and water, possibly resulting in higher pull forces because of increased housing/ripcord friction. While we believe that this affects only ripcords manufactured from December 2014 to May 2015, we are going to consider all 2014 ripcords suspect.
While have been no reported hard pulls in actual use, we will replace all affected ripcord cables free of charge. Because this will take time, we have devised an interim solution that will keep all affected rigs in service until the replacement Spectra ripcord can be installed.
PROCEDURE
1. The interim solution must be accomplished before the next jump on the equipment.
2. The replacement ripcord must be installed at the next scheduled repack, no later than December 31, 2015. After this date, all containers with affected spectra ripcords are grounded until the replacement is made.
Interim Solution
The rig owner, or a parachute rigger, can perform the procedure; the reserve does not need to be opened. It should take no longer than a few minutes.
In this video the procedure to complete the interim fix is shown. As noted in the bulletin, these steps are to be taken prior to your next jump and installation of the new spectra ripcord should take place during your next scheduled reserve repack.
1. Put the ripcord side of the harness over your knee
2. Remove the ripcord handle from its pocket
3. Grip the other end of the ripcord just above the pin
4. Applying moderate downward pressure to remove the slack, slide the ripcord back and forth in the housing for 10-15 seconds at 2 cycles per second. Look at the ripcord pin as you perform the procedure to avoid moving it or breaking the seal. This will smooth the excess polyurethane coating thus reducing the pull force
5. AFTER performing step #4, spray a one second burst of pure silicone spray (available at hardware stores) into each end of the housing. This will serve to further lower pull forces. We have not tested any other lubricants, so it is important to use only a “pure” or “food grade” silicone spray because other ingredients might damage the bungee cord inside the ripcord. DO NOT spray the silicone before step #4, as this will make the housing too slippery to smooth the polyurethane
6. Slide the treated ripcord back and forth in the housing under moderate tension 5 times to evenly spread the silicone. Again, be careful not to break the seal
Although this procedure will restore normal pull forces, it will require periodic re-lubrication with silicone spray at monthly intervals, and it must be considered a temporary solution, to be used only until you install the replacement ripcord cable.
As a reminder use a Sharpie or similar permanent marker, and put a visible dot on the ripcord data sleeve. This will represent the initial treatment performed in June.
When you re-lubricate in July, put a second dot on the backside of the data sleeve, a third in August, and so on, until the replacement can be installed. This will allow any jumper to keep track of the monthly lubrication while the interim solution is in effect.
Replacement
When replacing the Spectra reserve ripcord, the rigger will reuse your existing handle and RSL pin
1. Take a clear photo of the ripcord data sleeve. We need to know your ripcord length.
2. Write down your rig serial number.
3. Go to UPT Vector for more information on requesting a replacement of the Spectra reserve ripcord
UPT is working as quickly as possible to build replacement Spectra reserve ripcords, and will get them out as soon as possible. Until you obtain and install your replacement, you may use the current one as long as you follow the directions of the interim solution.
If you elect to replace the ripcord cable prior to the due date of your next reserve repack, the rigger who did the original pack job, may be able to install it without opening the container. After resealing the container, the rigger must indicate this PSB has been complied with on the packing data card. The original (next) repack date remains the same as it was before ripcord replacement.
DISCUSSION
In the US, maximum allowable pull force is 22 pounds (10 Kilograms) with the rigger’s seal in place. This force, measured at the ripcord handle, is a combination of the force required to move the pin, the housing friction, and the force required to break the seal thread. The standard does not specify how this is to be measured, but there are basically only two ways, which could be called “Static” or “Dynamic”. The static force is measured by pulling the ripcord handle very slowly while it is attached to a hand held spring (fish) scale. To measure the dynamic force, where a ripcord is pulled quickly, as in real life, requires a digital scale with the correct sampling rate and peak force recording ability. Our tests using such equipment show that dynamic pull force is often less than half of the static pull force.
This research confirms an important fact of which all jumpers should be aware: A quick "jerk" on the handle will give a much easier pull than will a slow steady application of force.

By admin, in News,

my fiction story

The sand scratched at her toes as Bailey tramped down the beach, attempting to keep herself upright on the uneven surface as she clutched the hem of her maxi-dress in one hand and allowed her heels to dangle from the opposite hand’s fingers. She was drunk already, after only her third flute of champagne. She’d always been somewhat of a lightweight; her mother even teased her about it, endlessly.
Another flaw to add to the list, she thought bitterly. Unmarried, childless, starving artist….gay. Her mother could never truly accept that last part. She’d thrown a fit the night Bailey had finally shoved her way out of the closet after the tenth—and final—attempt at a blind date. She just couldn’t take it anymore. Mom had acted exactly as she’d predicted, thrown Bailey out of the house, screaming while her daughter sobbed. The scared teen girl had taken a cab, and what little she could carry on her back, to her father’s place in the hopes that he wouldn’t react as badly. Surprisingly, he didn’t and welcomed her in with open arms to his studio, surrounding her with drying paintings of the sea and mythical creatures.
“There’s not much room,” he’d said, as if apologizing for his kindness, “but we’ll make some, huh?” He’d used the self-made corner kitchenette to prepare them both a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches and hot cocoa. Then he spent all of that night telling her stories of the mythical sea creatures he loved to paint. About the lonely Loch Ness Monster and the spiteful sirens; the stories reminded Bailey of her childhood and she soon found herself drifting to his voice. Like a lullaby. When she’d woken up the next morning, she had twenty six messages from her mother; half of them were of her frantically asking where her darling daughter had gone, as if the previous night hadn’t happened. The rest were half-hearted apologies that she never acknowledged thereafter. Bailey wouldn’t have gone back if it weren’t for her father’s insistence.
“You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t try to work things out, Bay,” he’d said, using the childhood nickname that her mother had always hated. “I know I do.” Bailey didn’t know how that was possible, but his words were sincere and so she went. Upon her arrival home, her mother wrapped her in her arms and pressed kisses all over her face. She rubbed her back and rocked back and forth on her feet and whispered her love in Bailey’s ear, but all Bailey could hear was the lack of apologies on her tongue now. Even the simplest ‘sorry, honey’ would have made everything better. But it never came.Mothers never had to say sorry, she guessed.
That was over five years ago, though, and now, as Bailey walks down the beach, away from her youngest sister’s wedding—which came far too early, in Bailey’s opinion, considering Lydia was only 19 and still foolish—she wondered if the look of distaste her mother gave her when she talked to anybody of the female gender was intentional or not. Whether the lack of interest in Bailey’s first showcase—a series of paintings inspired by her father—was because she was too distracted showing off pictures of her first grandson and doctor son-in-law or because she really did not care for Bailey’s chosen career, so similar to her ex-husband’s. Her father had not made it to his youngest daughter’s wedding. His poor heart hadn’t been able to make it this far and he’d passed on some thirteen months before. He’d left the majority of his paintings to her and a few select ones to his three other children; a fairy in a jungle of overgrown daffodils for Kate; a dragon flying over the sea for Sean; a beautiful sorceress for Lydia. They all had theirs framed and hung in their family homes, but Bailey’s remained in the studio. For now. Until the lease ran out two months from now.Then she had no idea where to put them.
It was the one thing she’d been stressing over all night, as she watched Lydia say her vows to Vincent, her boyfriend of a year, and denied three young men dances, as her mother glared at her while she talked to one of Vincent’s sisters, who was married anyway. She’d barely given any thought to marriage or children of her own until the Best Man made his speech and it hit her just how far she was from either of those things. Then she’d drank three glasses of champagne and snuck away from the festivities. She doubted anybody noticed, anyway.She must have walked a mile down the beach before she reached a dock that stretched a few hundred feet outward. The wood was warm as it met the sanded skin of her soles and she reveled in it as the ocean breeze blew through the straggly strands of her sandy blonde hair. She’d always been complimented on her hair, and her cornflower blue eyes, by everybody but her mother who detested the length Bailey preferred.She clenched her jaw and shut her eyes against the thought of her mother; no good came from that. When she opened them again, she was at the end of the dock, her toes skirting the edge of the rough, splintered wood. There was no guardrail and for a hopeless moment, Bailey thought of jumping into the dark blue depths to see where they would take her. Anywhere was better than here.
But she didn’t. She stayed on the dock. She sat down, allowing her shorter than usual legs to dangle below, feet barely submerged in the comforting coolness. She took a deep breath and allowed her muscles to relax for the first time in hours.But when she felt something brush against her toes, she tensed once again, her feet immediately retracting from the water until her knees were pressed to her chest. She watched the water with wide eyes, and her heart pounded when she noticed a shadow in its depths. It didn’t move for a long while, but then it did.A crown of white hair rose above the surface, a pair of dark green eyes appearing beneath the wet bangs. Then there was a nose and then a pair of think green lips. The creature’s skin was a pale—but not sickly—green and its cheeks were rounded, the chin pointed slightly. Not of it was unattractive. It, in fact, looked like a she.This was confirmed when the shoulders and torso also emerged. Bailey looked away, embarrassed as she discovered this beautiful…woman (?) was topless. The naked woman tilted her head at that.
“I’m so sorry,” Bailey said, shielding her eyes. “I didn’t know you were here; I should…I should go. I’ll give you a little privacy.” She began to stand. “Privacy?” the woman asked, her voice lyrical and carrying a strange echo-quality. “What does this word mean?” That’s odd, Bailey thought to herself. But she’s probably a foreigner. “Privacy,” she explained, settling back down, “is when you want to be alone.” “I do not,” the woman said. “Nobody wants to be alone. That is absurd.” “Why?” Bailey asked. After all, she wanted to be alone. She usually was alone. “Because when you are alone, you are likely to be lonely,” the strange woman told her. “Nobody likes lonely.” Bailey had no argument for that. So she changed the subject: “Why are you swimming out here naked?” she asked.“Naked?” the woman asked. “What is this word?’
Bailey sighed. This woman, though her voice was strange, was obviously not unfamiliar with English; she should know this word at least. “When you don’t wear clothes,” she sighed, exasperated. “Where are your clothes, by the way?” “I know not what ‘clothes’ are, nor do I believe I have them,” the woman said, squinting her eyes a little. “Your tail is strange.” Bailey’s eyes widened at that and turned her head to stare at her bottom. She didn’t have a tail. “What are you--?” She practically fell into the water at the sight of a large, scaly, navy blue tail that appeared just next to the woman, her heart pounding as she realized what, exactly, she was dealing with here. “Are you a…?” She couldn’t even finish her sentence as the tail swished, almost appearing to be involuntary and she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. This cannot be happening, she thought to herself. Sirens don’t— But then she opened her eyes at there she was, a siren looking right up at her, tail still swishing behind her, head tilted and hair beginning to dry in the hot summer air. “I am Serena,” the siren informed her. “My name is ironic, I know, but I was named by my human mother before I received my tail.” “R-received?” Bailey asked. “You mean…you weren’t born with a tail?” Serena shook her head. “Sirens are rarely born; there aren’t enough males to fertilize us.”“Then how…?”
“My mother passed when I was a toddler—I do not even remember her name or her warmth—and my stepfather, who they tell me was a heartless man, brought me out to the ocean to drown. My adoptive mothers saved my life and gave me a tail so that I could survive with them in the ocean. It’s the way most of us are made.” “Mothers?” It was a stupid thing to get stuck on, truthfully, but it was the thing that rang most loudly for Bailey. “You had more than one?” The siren nodded. “Of course. With very few males to populate us, sirens often mate in pairs of females, if at all. Female mates bond for life and raise their adopted offspring together. Only sometimes do you see a male and a female siren with natural-born siren children. But that is not how I was raised.” Bailey’s entire body began to tingle at that. She had never once considered the possibility that she...that sirens…that… Her mind with swimming with the information she’d just received.
“How do….is it possible…can an adult human become a siren?” she asked. She had not expected those words to come tumbling from her mouth, but they did. It was also at that moment when she discovered that that was a question she was very interested in knowing the answer to. She leaned forward, her dress falling down her thighs as she waited for Serena’s answer. The siren frowned. “I don’t know,” she said, deep in thought. “I don’t recall ever meeting a human before this day. Usually, we are not allowed to come above the surface.” “Usually? What changed that?” Bailey asked. “You kicked my head,” Serena informed her with a slight glare. “Sorry,” Bailey said. “I am unharmed,” Serena assured her, “but I do not know the answer to your question. I would have to ask my mothers. Will you be here again tomorrow?” The beach was far out of her way—the studio and her apartment were both on the other side of town and it would take at least a half hour to get here at any time of day—but she nodded, anyway. “Yes,” said Bailey. “I will be here.” The siren nodded. “Then I will meet you when the sun is highest in the sky,” she said. Noon, Bailey’s mind supplied for her. I can do noon. “Deal,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Serena.” “I will see you tomorrow as well, Human,” Serena replied and disappeared beneath the surface. “Bailey!” the woman shouted after her. “My name is Bailey!” Serena surfaced a dozen feet away. “I’ll see you soon, Human Bailey!” she called, then waved and dove under once again. Bailey watched for a few moments, as her shadow moved farther and farther until it was gone, the setting sun glittering over the horizon. Her entire body continued to tingle in excitement as a smile spread across her lips.

By dorkwriter, in News,

GRAVITAS - LED Wingsuit Video

Regardless of how you feel about the sponsor giant, Redbull have continued to show what a large budget can do in terms of both stunt orchestration and production quality of video footage. One of Redbull's latest productions, titled GRAVITAS, puts together the ingredients of wingsuit pilots, drum and bass and LED lights to create some stunning skydiving eye candy.
According to Redbull.com, the pilots, Marco Waltenspiel, Georg Lettner, David Hasenschwandtner and Dominic Roithmair exited at 13 000 feet with LED lit wingsuits. Once in flight they began their choreographed maneuvers to the music of Camo & Krooked.
Other companies involved in the project include Paranormal Unicorn and Frame Fatale.

By admin, in News,

Swoop Challenge Round Up and Results

The best skydivers in the world had an epic day in Copenhagen taking part in the first professional freestyle skydiving contest ever held in the heart of a major city. The Swoop Challenge CPH Invitational, took place on the famous Copenhagen Lakes, Friday the 12th June. A total of 19 international athletes from 11 countries participated, 16 of them making it to the final in Copenhagen.
70,000+ spectators created an intense atmosphere at the Peblinge Lake, whilst the live broadcast on national TV , and 200 million reached on Snapchat's 'Copenhagen Story' helped in making the event a huge success, as the city took advantage of the first Danish summer day basking in the sun and warm temperatures throughout the whole event.
The Swoop Finals were the culmination of 5 days of intense parachuting in Denmark as the Swoop Challenge consisted of a Swoop Qualifying at Dropzone Denmark in Herning, the Swoop Night Lights, a spectacular air show in the Copenhagen Harbour on Thursday, and the the climax, The Swoop Finals on Friday.
American superstars led the way
The sunny and warm weather made conditions close to perfect for the spectator, however the wind direction and strength was unpredictable causing problems for the athletes during the warm up and two competition rounds, with many ending up in the water next to the landing platform (6 meters wide/25 meters long).
At the end of a dramatic and close two rounds of competition, it was American superstar Noah Bahnson, one of the top names of the sport, that took home the Swoop Challenge title along with a first price of $7,500. In a close second came Nick Batsch, USA, ($5,000) (both are former swoop world champions) and David 'Junior' Ludvik, USA, ($2,500) rounded up the podium in 3rd.
"I have never swooped in front of this many people before and it's just amazing in this beautiful weather and on a great course here in the middle of Copenhagen. We normally don't get to see this setup in skydiving because swooping competitions are held out on skydiving centers in the middle of nowhere on a small pond, so it's fantastic what the organizers are doing bringing the competition to a major city for the first time. Copenhagen is an amazing city from the sky and it is beautiful so see the city from above and landing on the big lake. We have all had a great stay in Denmark attending this fantastic Swoop Challenge event," the winner Noah Bahnson says and adds:
"My last swoop is up there among my favorite swoops of all time, it was too much fun," Noah Bahson said on live TV while watching his swoop freestyle trick after he was announced as the winner.
World premiere of a difficult and dangerous trick
Another American, Gage Galle, attempted something that has only been attempted once, and never been caught on camera before: The barrel roll swoop, a very difficult inverted manouver, best performed over water, due to the high probability of a crash. Even though this trick has never been successfully completed, Gage chose live TV to make his attempt. He succeeded with the barrel roll, and despite crashing in the water exiting the trick, the judges gave him a high score, and for the first time ever, a barrel roll was caught on camera with the crowds going crazy.
The world tour dream is alive
The idea of Swoop Challenge and the motto 'Swoop to the People' was only formed in 2013, and after a trial event last year, the big test of the setup was Friday's competition. Next step is taking the concept to other major, spectacular cities around the world:
"What a fantastic day. The 70,000+ spectators in Copenhagen had a giant party, and the crowd created a unique atmosphere around the lake. We have been working extremely hard to build this event over the past two years, and it all became a little more complicated due to the weather forecasts, that made us reschedule on short notice, but despite that, Swoop Challenge was a great success and we are thrilled and proud. 70,000 people chose to stop by the lake today, and this makes it clear to us, that it is possible to unite the beauty in extreme sports and the heart of a historical, cultural metropolitan. After today's success we are dedicated to carry Swoop Challenge across the borders and create a world tour, but it is only attainable, if others are willing to support us. Our athletes, whom are the among the best swoopers in the world, have all said, that it was amazing to jump in Copenhagen," says George Blythe, co-founder of Swoop Challenge.
"Swoop Challenge was organized with great success. It opened our eyes and gave us world class parachuters in the skies above Herning and Copenhagen. With this great event, Swoop Challenge has achieved to take event planning the to the next level, and shows us a new way to use spectacular arenas for sporting events. The international athletes tells us, that they have never experienced a more beautiful place to skydive than Copenhagen, and it proves, that the concept of Swoop Challenge is on the right track," says Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, the national sporting event organization that works to attract major international sporting events to Denmark and that supports Swoop Challenge financially.
Dane Webber close to a sensational podium
The only competitor from Denmark, the Danish swoop champion, Christian Webber, had a great day on home ground, and was sitting at a sensational 2nd place after the first round, after super star Micah Couch, USA. The Dane, who is employed full time and only jumps in weekends and 7 weeks a year on training camps was by far the one with fewest career jumps at 2,800. The Dane followed up with a solid second round to take home an impressive 6th place finish on home ground to the delight of himself and the Danish spectators.
Top-6 - the total number of point attainable were 100 per round (200 total after 2 rounds)



1: Noah Bahnson, USA - 140,80 points (60,60 and 80,20)

2: Nick Batsch, USA - 140,01 points (58,32 and 81,69)

3: David Junior Ludvik, USA - 133,49 points (58,75 and 74,74)

4: Patrick Kaye, USA - 126,28 points (57,00 and 69,28)

5: Curt Bartholomew, USA - 123,53 points (57,68 and 65,85)

6: Christian Webber, Denmark - 112,32 points (63,76 and 48,56)


-----


7: Cornelia Mihai, Romania

8: Billy Sharman, South Africa

9: Gage Galle, USA

10: Petter Mazzetta, Sweden

11: Abdulbari Qubaisi, UAE

12: Martin Reynolds, England

13: Micah Couch, USA

14: Chris Stewart, New Zealand

15: Leigh ‘Macca’ McCormack, Australia

16: Kristian Moxnes, Norway
Tukes Iwamoto from Japan, Kenneth Gajda from Denmark and Jeannie Bartholomew from America were the three athletes not qualifying for Swoop Finals, but they each had a chance to perform at the Swoop Night Lights on Thursday evening in the Copenhagen Harbour.

By admin, in Events,

Swoop Style Masters at the Scalaria Air Challenge 10th Anniversary

Falling from 1,500 meters at
speeds in excess of 130 kilometers per hour, this years “Swoop Style”
competitors will yet again risk their lives to take home the prestigious title. This
relatively new sport, only made possible through recent advancements in
parachute technology, has become one of the most highly anticipated events at
the Scalaria Air Challenge each year because of the extreme skill and bravery
needed to participate. Competition is fierce as participants jump from a
helicopter 1,500 meters above the ‘seepromenade’ and soar down through
obstacle courses at dangerously high speeds in hopes of landing on a small
platform on the water. Speed, line and accuracy are the ingredients for success.



“Swoop Style Masters” will take place for the third time this July at the 10th
anniversary edition of the Scalaria Air Challenge in St. Wolfgang im
Salzkammergut, Austria. Top athletes from around the glove including Bill
Sharman, Patrick Kaye, Julien Guilho and the Red Bull Skydive Team (with over
10,000 jumps will descend upon the
Air Challenge in order to make history for their sport. However, Swoop Style
Masters is not the only event at the Scalaria Air Challenge that will shock and
awe. Constantly pushing the limits of what is possible, it is an event that
originally began as a small gathering of seaplanes on the beautiful Lake
Wolfgang and has turned into an internationally recognized spectacle in the air,
on the water and at the resort. This year, the event will celebrate 10 Years of
outstanding performances, celebrity appearances, and inspiring exhibitions, with
over 30 flying guests including:

Dornier DO-24 – the only seaplane of its type
Lockheed Super Constellation
Red Bull’s Flying Bulls – the whole family
Baltic Bees – 6 jet formation
Red Bull Air Race World Champion Hannes Arch & Pete McLeod
Felix Baumgartner | Red Bull Stratos Jump Hero
Blacky Schwarz – Red Bull Cobra Pilot & Helicopter World Champion
About scalaria – the event resort: Nestled in the Alps, scalaria event resort is
an ideal destination for meetings, presentations, conventions, ceremonies and
banquets. The resort leaves nothing to the imagination, offering 4 unique event
facilities, 20 meeting rooms, 400 beds in impeccably styled rooms and 360-
degree views of the Salzkammergut and Lake Wolfgang. The elegant blend of
traditional and contemporary styles are an attraction to international brands,
such as Red Bull, Nike and Aston Martin. For more information, please go to
www.scalaria.com.

By admin, in News,

Depth and Breadth: The Red Pill or the Blue Pill

Is it better to be a jack-of-all-trades or a master of one? Is it best to aim singlemindedly for depth, or to barrel out into the wild blue yonder of breadth?
If you don't know me, let me introduce myself: Hi. I'm Queen Breadth. The beginning of my airsports career some years ago coincided neatly with critical mass in a pile of new disciplines -- and, conveniently, with my own launch into location independence. Suffice it to say, I was more than happy to race around the candy store with my hungry paws in everything, everywhere. It was manic, it was orgiastic…and it was, in hindsight, perhaps not the best idea. Before I had 150 jumps in my logbook, I had 27 dropzones on the list. I started skydiving, BASE jumping, paragliding and speedflying concurrently enough to be worthy of a tidy facepalm. I got my BASE number in four jumps. I've jumped, hucked and flown on five continents. The Venn Diagram that represents the jumps and flights I've done versus the jumps and flights I've done in new places, with new equipment, in new conditions…well, to be honest, it's pretty much a circle.
And guess what?
If you show up to a plane, a launch or an exit point with me and you have depth in what we're doing, you're going to be, like, "seriously?!"
Seriously. Because -- in all this sexy, sexy breadth -- I've hardly gone to depth in anything.
There are a flurry of reasons I'm besotted with breadth, of course. Breadth is a beautiful thing.
Breadth gives you flexibility. It forces you to flex the muscles of your judgment; to strengthen them. It requires boldness, but it teaches you to respect the vast library of stuff you don't know. It requires a wide understanding of conditions, and the patience to watch them tell their story to you over the course of hours (sometimes, in the foot-launched stuff, days). It encourages you to develop a unique, procedural approach to novelty that serves you everywhere else in your life. Breadth fills your life in the sky with adventure, introducing you with automatic intimacy to people and places you'd otherwise never have met.
But breadth has a dark side. Breadth can kneecap confidence, as it requires you to play in the shallows of an ocean of unknowns. Where depth offers long-term mentorship, breadth offers friendly, experienced passers-by who gauge your skill solely by what they see in clip on Facebook. …And breadth costs a friggin' arm and a leg in excess baggage fees, believe you me.
So then, winking at me from the other side of the bar, there's depth.
Ah, depth.
Depth gives you the confidence of complete focus; if you use it correctly, depth can be a very busy workshop. Working systematically within a certain set of accustomed variables, you can add and subtract one or two and be able to rather scientifically observe their impact. Depth provides a meditative space to make adjustments, removing the big question marks from your gear and surroundings. A bonus, off-label benefit: depth has a way of delivering the assertiveness you need to express any necessary boldness in outside disciplines (to a point).
Depth can also dig ruts so deep that they become nearly inescapable. Depth provides rich soil for absolutely gonzo complacency. Depth can result in problematic overconfidence. It can also atrophy your judgment -- one the one hand, you can feel undeservedly godlike in situations where you're quite literally out of your depth; on the other, elements that are simply unfamiliar can easily feel reflexively unsafe. Most nailbitingly (for me, at least), depth can push you into uncurrency outside the blinders.
I think, as in all things, it's about finding a balance. Perhaps depth and breadth are the X and Y axes of airsports. After all -- and I'm a living example of this -- neither depth nor breadth work well in a vacuum. But I also think it's about making a conscious choice, and making the trade-offs in full acknowledgement. Doesn't depth work best when you unscabbard your sword and tap the shoulders of what you really want to do? Doesn't breadth work best when you approach it as an adventure-with-airborne-benefits, not as a snarl of jumps to dash between like a semi-crazed corgi in an agility contest? Don't happy athletes strive for both depth and breadth in their right season?
Right now, I'm choosing depth. I'm writing this from a wind tunnel in Slovakia. This summer, I traded my accustomed nylon here-there-and-everywhereness for the singular delight of not just doing a bunch of cool stuff in a bunch of cool places but really, deeply learning -- for the fibers of my body to understand, and for the nuances of the practice to be etched forever in my System 1.*
Mindfulness of depth and breadth is counsel I wish I'd received at the outset. It may have adjusted some of my early decisions -- not to be more conforming, but to be more aligned with deeper, autotelic goals. And I wish I could share it with more people: The kid who toddles in with the singleminded goal of wingsuit BASE. The new jumper who does something different on every load, running from the feeling of underachievement into the waiting arms of novelty. The guy who tells me he'll try a paragliding flight "after [he's] done with BASE jumping."
Where do you sit on the depth/breadth spectrum? Am I missing part of the story?
* There's a reason there's a link here. Seriously: Read this. It'll change your world.

By nettenette, in General,

Swoop Challenge Hits The Copenhagen Lakes

The centre of Copenhagen will become the stage for a world premiere on Saturday June 13th. The famous Copenhagen Lakes in the middle of Denmark's capital will host the first ever professional freestyle parachuting competition ever organized in the heart of a major city as the Swoop Challenge CPH Invitational gathers the world's top athletes for 6 days of intense parachuting in a unique format.
The philosophy of Swoop Challenge is to take parachuting to the people. The action packed and intense parachuting meets the urban and cultural settings of a vibrant big city in a unique blend of culture and extreme sports in beautiful settings in Denmark's capital.
The best athlete after the two rounds will be crowned Swoop Challenge CPH Invitational 2015 champion and will receive a USD 7,500 first prize. Second and third place finishers will receive $5,000 and $2,500 respectively.
Innovation of the sport
The Swoop Challenge CPH Invitational 2015 consists of six days of parachuting: A training camp and qualification, a grand air show in the Copenhagen Harbour and the competition day on the Copenhagen Lakes with more than 50,000 spectators watching.
The professionalisation of the sport, the brand new competition format and the idea of having parachuting in urban areas has never been seen anywhere in the world.
“We’re turning everything upside down and bringing extreme sport into the hearts of cities where people can experience it right in front of their own doors rather than out in the middle of nowhere where it usually takes place. We like playing with the contrast of extreme sports within a cultural and historic city while really focusing on the live experience for both spectators and viewers alike," co-founder George Blythe says.
Image by Anders Bruun Larsen In 2013 he and co-founder Michael Kattrup Lassen came up with the idea to parachute in the middle of major cities, where people naturally are. In August last year with the help from a lot of friends they showcased the sport and had 14 athletes doing one display jump each to test what was possible. The outcome by far exceeded the expectations of the duo and they partnered up with other experienced persons in the parachuting and event world to pull off the next step of their plan: The first professional freestyle competition ever to be held in the center of major cities.
"We know from last years pilot project, where we held a display with 14 jumpers, that parachuting in the heart of cities was very interesting. Back then we had no idea what was going to happen, but 20,000 spectators turned up at Peblinge Lake with both national tv stations, DR and TV 2, covering the event. This success gave us the drive to follow our dream of developing a full-blown competition in the middle of cities where the world’s best athletes would be brought to town. We now have some the world’s best that are very excited about the idea of Copenhagen and we’re really looking forward to presenting them to the thousands of spectators at Peblinge Lake Saturday June 13," George Blythe says.
Best extreme sports athletes in the world
Athletes from 11 countries are coming to Denmark and among the are multiple world champions and top athletes of the sport. They visit Herning and Copenhagen to take part in a competition of the highest international level and in a format none of them have seen before.
Image by Aleksander Horup "One of my favorite disciplines in swooping is freestyle, and I love being able to swoop in very unique places. The opportunity to swoop in downtown Copenhagen in front of more than 50,000 spectators is awesome and something like this has never happened before. Swooping in a major city is a big dream and I am glad to be a part of such an amazing event," says American Curt Bartholomew, the defending swoop world champion from 2014 and 2012 and the 2013 World Games and World Cup champion.
The 20 athletes will be attending a training camp and qualifying in Herning at Dropzone Denmark where they will compete for one of the 16 spots in the Swoop Finals in Copenhagen.
Athletes from 13 countries are competing:


Abdulbari Qubeisi, United Arab Emirates, 4,600 jumps

Billy Sharman, South Africa, 8,642 jumps

Chris Stewart, New Zealand, 5,100 jumps

Christian Webber, Denmark, 2,800 jumps

Cornelia Mihai, Romania, 7,000 jumps

Curt Bartholomew, USA, 6,900 jumps

David 'Junior' Ludvik, USA, 14,500 jumps

Gage Galle, USA, 8,000 jumps

Jeannie Bartholomew, USA, 3,000 jumps

Kenneth Gajda, Denmark, 11,000+ jumps

Kristian Moxnes, Norway, 8,000 jumps

Leigh McCormack, Australia, 4,830 jumps

Martin Reynolds, England, 5,500 jumps

Micah Couch, USA, 10,000 jumps

Nicholas Batsch, USA, 7,250 jumps

Noah Bahnson, USA, 10,000+ jumps

Patrick Kaye, USA, 15,000 jumps

Petter Mazzetta, Sweden, 7,500 jumps

Tukes Iwamoto, Japan, 10,000 jumps

Support from official Denmark
Both the City of Copenhagen and Sport Event Denmark are supporting the event and look forward to see this brand new initiative:
"This is the first time a professional freestyle parachuting event takes place in the heart of a major city, and Copenhagen is the perfect venue with the lakes as the iconic backdrop. The setup is creative and unique in a way we haven't seen before and it correlates perfect with Copenhagen's image as a both historic and cultural capital and an urban and innovative city. When it comes to Swoop Challenge, Copenhagen shows that this is a city that loves sports events in the heart of the city," says Carl Christian Ebbesen, Mayor of Culture and Leisure in the City of Copenhagen. The city supports Swoop Challenge financially.
"In Denmark we organize a wide range of international sporting events on land and water, and with Swoop Challenge now also from the air over Herning and Copenhagen. The Swoop Finals in Copenhagen will be the first, professional freestyle parachuting competition ever held in the heart of a major city, and Copenhagen will once again be showcased as an event destination of the highest international standard," says Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, the national sporting event organization that works to attract major international sport events to Denmark and who supports Swoop Challenge financially.
PROGRAM FOR SIX DAYS OF INTENSE PARACHUTING June 8-13 2015:
Swoop Qualifying Monday to Wednesday June 8th to 10th, Dropzone Denmark, Herning:
Training camp Monday and Tuesday and qualification Wednesday for 20 athletes. The top-16 in the qualifying rounds will attend the Swoop Finals in Copenhagen.
Swoop Night Lights Friday June 12th, Nordre Toldbod, Copenhagen Harbour:
Spectacular airshow over Copenhagen in front of Toldboden and CPH City & Port Development's headquarters. From 18.00-20.00 (6-8pm).
Swoop Finals Saturday, June 13th, Peblinge Lake

Two rounds of competition at Peblinge Lake in front of Kaffesalonen’s platform, where the total score after two rounds decides the winner of the Swoop Challenge title. From 13.00-18.00 (1-6pm)
For The Whuffos - How Swooping Works
The participants jump out of helicopters in 1.500 meters/5000f and deploy their parachutes shortly after, as the focus is on the actual flight in the parachute, not the free fall aspect.
The small and aggressive parachutes, called canopies, enable the athletes to fly fast towards the ground. When arriving above the course, the swooper dives the canopy towards the lake's surface to reach speeds of almost 150km/h and prior to contacting the water the swooper levels out the flight.
The last stage of swooping consists of freestyle tricks on the water with high speeds before landing on a platform right in front of the spectators. 22 tricks currently exist and can be combined into different combos. There will be two rounds and five international judges will score each jump based on the turn towards the water, the actual freestyle swoop and the landing.

By admin, in Events,

Inside The Funny Farm 2015

You know that one time of the year where you are forced to go home and spend time with your family and you have to do it but don’t really want to? Yeah funny farm is nothing like that. At all!
Mid April, 120 excited farmers travelled from all over the world on the yearly pilgrimage to a cattle farm near Westmar, Queensland, for a week of kick ass jumping and a lifetime of fond memories. The coach line up this time consisted of return farmers, Domi, Mox, Anna, Reader, Dougs, Jeff, Boagsy, Munting, Blakey and Macca.
New recruits Luis Prinetto and Jason Petters joined the Farmily this year too. For the first time farmers it can be a daunting boogie, as its 6hrs from Brisbane, no flushing toilets, no reception and the nearest pub/store is 30mins drive away. But those who dare to brave it are richly rewarded.
Mad Skills From All Around The World
This year differed from previous years. It was open invite and the concept of this year’s farm was to not only keep improving the level of flying, but to also incorporate multiple disciplines in each jump. At the start of the week it was kept simple and easy, combining only two types at the same time. Woody and Griggsy helped skill up the XRW crew and the Dubai wingsuiters added another layer of innovation as people got their skills and confidence up the complexity of what was being attempted increased. By the end of the week it became important to get to the emplaning area early because it was a creative process to work out exit orders because the normal assumptions about exit order did not apply.
Some old farmers returned which added the special vibe that is Funny Farm. Douggs was in charge of everything comical, so that the hot shots didn’t take themselves too seriously (which becomes challenging when Elad is slow mo-ing every rad manoeuvre and bathing you in day tape glory). Swoop comps involved directives like the running man, the turtle and some other crazy names which were always accompanied by laughter and an animated explanation of how they were to be performed, including historical information of who won these comp categories in farms gone by.
After a recommendation from Robbie that only already competent swoopers participate, this advice was ignored by Spready who though he would give it a go anyway, not successfully. The comps were embraced by the mega swoopers who added entertainment to their exceptional skill and created a daily gathering at the pond to watch the triumph and failure. Luke Scab was a key leader in the commitment to running the pond every jump and quickly ran out of dry shoes but was a crowd favourite and didn’t need the services of Kenny the Gold Coast lifesaver who was on standby.
No Shortage of Variety
The day tapes were epic and long trying to keep up with all the new and cool things that were being done by so many groups each day. There were wingsuiters chasing the Yak. XRW with wingsuiters, canopies and planes. Full loads of Static mixed formations being carved around by a plane loads of movement flyers. Heaps of wingsuiters and freeflyers tearing it up in every orientation. Douggs’ ‘barely moving forward jumps’, Ariel silks from a tandem with canopies, and much much more. The United Nations could take a leaf out of our book for bridging the cultural divide. Just watch the video its MEGA!
With the exception of Spready’s inspection of the bottom of the pond and Jeff’s in-flight seminar on drag differentiation. Everyone was safe during the week which keeps the event in good spirits and stops Robbie from increasing his angle as he stomps across the landing area towards the jumper who has made a questionable safety choice. You know if you are getting out the protractor as he approaches and it is anywhere from the 80-45 degree angle you need to start making excuses fast. The Convery brothers are always manage to rile up Robbie and Irish continued to stir up Robbie after hours with his MC gig, must be something about the Irish Ranga combo that causes fireworks and entertainment to the crowd.
Ready was the hero of party night for epic vision that at first glance appeared to be a dead tree. Which he erected in the landing area and set it alight, a leaf blower turned into a flame thrower as they pumped oxygen into the burning 3m log. With the regular camp fire covered in cooper flakes burning green, the flaming tree spewing heat and light into the sky, some flares being thrown around and the flashing lights on the drone flying overhead, was visually spectacular and was quite an experience for everyone with a bit on.
Funny Farm is hard to describe accurately, just trust me when I say if you ever get the chance to come, make it happen.
This is one event that for sure couldn’t happen without endless support from sponsors the Australian Parachuting Council, South Queensland Parachuting Council, Cookie, Downward Trend Rigging, LVN lifestyle and NZ Aerosports and the Mulckey Family who allow their normally tranquil farm to be turned into our playground for one week a year.
Stats from the Week
2992 slots, 225 loads, 14500 litres of fuel, 224 Cartons of beer, 120 Jumpers, Two Caravans, One 182 and a YAK 52. Heaps of Kouta, Feckin Bewm. Who’s Hungry and gooood could be heard too.
And Major Lazer ‘Lean on’ played approximately 45 times.
*** Disclaimer: some of these stats might not be entirely accurate*****

By admin, in News,

Love Across The Risk Continuum

Here are two irrefutable facts:

Anyone who is doing more than me is a sketchball.
Anyone who is doing less than me is a pussy. Funny? Kinda...but if you've spent any time around airsports, you know how true that is.
I'm sure there are myriad examples that demonstrate the universality of this bilateral ruleset, but for the purposes of discussion here, I'll use it to illustrate the most difficult part of being -- and loving -- an airsports athlete: risk asymmetry.
Risk Identification
Risk identification is a spectrum phenomenon. You can picture the risk continuum as a horizontal line, marked evenly from 0 to 10 to illustrate the range between total risk intolerance and extreme risk tolerance. To avoid using value-implicit words like "high," "low," "more" and "less," I'll use your mental picture of that diagram to describe two differential places on the scale like this: left and right.
Each athlete identifies him/herself somewhere along this continuum. Generally, he/she "picks a spot" in the early career and holds to it as a part of his/her identity indefinitely.
Empirically speaking, it seems to take a significant external event (i.e. a close friend's death, the birth of a child, a marked risk tolerance shift in the athlete's close collective, etc.) to effect a change to the athlete's self-assignment on the spectrum. However, one event does not seem to affect much more than frustration, resentment and rebound: the intense friction caused by risk asymmetry.
If you have any engagement whatsoever with airsports, you're no stranger to this phenomenon. Most saliently, risk asymmetry is uncomfortable. It can disrupt your focus on planes, at exit points and at launches. It can cause you to swell with illogical self-satisfaction. It can launch you into an absurd fit of anger. It's a strong trigger point.
When another athlete posts a video online that inspires your "sketch rage," you're experiencing risk asymmetry.
When you hear another athlete grumbling about another jumper's antics at the table next to you at the DZ pub and you roll your eyes, you're both experiencing risk asymmetry.
When your partner expresses the desire to kick up (or dial down) their demonstrated risk tolerance and you formulate an argument against it, you're experiencing risk asymmetry.
The third example is what I'm keen to address here. If you love somebody, whether as a lover, family member or close friend, you'll naturally want them to demonstrate a position on the risk continuum that matches yours exactly. Unfortunately, ain't gonna happen. This phenomenon has depth-charged many a partnership. Luckily, it doesn't have to bust yours.
1. Remember: all relationships are risk-asymmetric.
Even if you haven't yet experienced an incident that highlights the risk asymmetry in your blissful union, be aware: it's coming. No two people sit in precisely the same place on the spectrum. Have your tools ready.
2. Make it a conversation.
Curious? Take two pieces of paper and draw out a ticked line across both. Title each one "Risk Continuum." Mark a 0 on one side and a 10 on the other. Give one to your loved one, then go into separate rooms to place yourselves on the spectrum.
When you're done, come back together and talk about it. You both may be very surprised at where the other self-identified -- and why. This insight can be gold.
3. Don't escalate.
It's easy to get very dramatic about someone else's decisions in airsports. The temptation is strong to throw around life-and-death hyperbole in order to turn up the volume of the argument.
Right-spectrum and left-spectrum partners use this fallacious logical crutch equally. That's a shame, as it's a totally ineffective strategy. No matter what side of the spectrum you're on, you can expect a similar result: your sparring partner will simply tune you out, and you'll be exhausted.
4. Expunge the word "selfish" from your vocabulary.
Left-spectrum folks: You are not selfish for wanting your loved one to be safe. Right-spectrum folks: You are not selfish for wanting to explore to the edges.
You are both selves, and you both want things from your lives. One's desires are no more inherently important than the other's. "-Ish" is a diminutive; when you use it, you're demeaning both yourself and the object of the descriptor. Stop.
5. Try on a different feeling.
A partnered pair of my good friends, both of whom are airsports athletes, framed this one perfectly for me. "When I get upset," she told me, "I just try another feeling on for size, to see how it feels." Angry? Try pride. Despairing? Try curious. Browse until something fits you better.
6. Choose the relationship.
If you don't want to keep a risk-asymmetric relationship, that is by all means your prerogative. Even if you're related, you have the choice to open up enough distance between you that the other's choices do not actively and perpetually cause you pain.
However: if, after deliberation, you decide that you want to keep your relationship active, you need to choose it -- and choose it like it's your day job. Choose it over venting to your friends. Choose it over angry SMSs. Choose it over passive-aggressive sulking. Choose it over deciding to stay angry. Choose it over and over and over.
It's key to note that "choosing the relationship" doesn't automatically mean the choice of the relationship over the choice to participate in the frictive activity. Instead, set expectations that ritually emphasize the relationship's mutual importance.
For instance: the right-spectrum member communicates with the absent left-spectrum member at certain pre-determined points in the activity, and the left-spectrum member always responds with a phrase of encouragement. This must be done with religious adherence; if so, it can help both parties enormously.
7. Don't kick yourself.
None of this is easy. Not one tiny bit of it.
It's not easier to be on one side as opposed to the other. It's not easier in any unique configuration of relationship. It's not easier when you're both athletes, and it's not easier when you're not geographically contingent, and it's certainly not easier when either or both of you are pretending to want something you don't want.
If you're struggling with this, you're not alone. Look around you in the airsports community: we're all right there with you, whether or not we're talking about it. Take heart, and take the hand of your pussy/sketchball partner. They need you, too.

By nettenette, in General,

Point Break Remake Trailer

For those skydivers old enough to remember the early 90s, they will also surely recall the movie Point Break. Released in 1991, Point Break was centered around a group of surfers who robbed banks while wearing masks of ex-presidents. An undercover agent, Johnny Utah, was sent in to the world of the 'ex-presidents' as they called themselves, to gather information. Johnny Utah however, finds himself forming a bond with those he is trying to help apprehend.
Despite the scenes of surfing and action, the movie has been best known for the skydiving scenes, which while certainly not the best, were some of the most memorable to viewers. It was clear that story and script were never high on the priority list, and the film focused almost entirely on the action sequences, of which there were quite a few.
Point Break was the kind of movie you either bragged to your friends about loving, or the guilty pleasure movie that you kept in an unlabelled VHS container and only watched once the kids and wife were asleep.
Well, good news for fans of the original movie is that the ex-presidents are back, and this time they're at least twice as extreme and in 3D. The remake of Point Break is set for release later this year (25 December) with the first official trailer now released. In the 24 years that have passed since the initial movie release, the ex-presidents have evolved to not only be surfers and skydivers, but masters of almost all extreme sports, from motorcross and snowboarding to BASE jumping.
The movie will be released in RealD 3D, so you can make sure that you feel immersed through the likely unrealistic and exaggerated stunts (assuming they stick to the original formula). And who wouldn't want to experience quotes like "The only law that matters is gravity" in surround sound. It's not clear yet how the plot of the remake will differ from the original and which scenes will carry over, but from the trailer we can already know to expect some tracking and BASE jumping, and one thing is for certain, dropzones are likely to experience higher tandem requests in the first quarter of 2016.
Jokes aside, it's difficult to gauge what to expect from the remake, and perhaps it seeks to give us just that which it did over two decades ago, this time without Swayze and Reeves - but instead with more stunts, more sports and more over the top action.
Are you going to be adding this to your watch list, or to your avoid list?

By admin, in News,