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kallend

Personal vendettas...

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But I now also avoid wingsuiters



Sounds a lot like you and Kallend are the drama queens.
The drama mostly seems to be centered around money, BOD meetings and 'records'. Avoid those things, and you'll see the wingsuit crowd is nothing but awesome people.

Whatever drama there is, it stays on the ground, and the air is all fun and awesomeness.



+1000!!!
gravity brings me down.........

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Oh, for FSM's sake, could we PLEASE stop sniping at each other!
I got into this shit because so help me god, I love to fly. After nine years riding the winds dedicated exclusively to mastering the art of Bird-Fu it still blows my mind that I even get to DO this, let alone with awesome people all over the planet.

I have close friends on both sides of virtually every single major division and drama we've had since wingsuiting began, since long before there were enough of us to break up into opposing camps and start fighting.

I just got back from Hungary where I engaged in all-out rampaging WAR in competition against the finest pilots who could make it to the event. In flight, my mental state was that of annihilating anything that takes me on. And in between jumps, I saw no trace of hostility, backbiting, no conflict whatsoever. Seems we all understood the spirit of the thing, and nobody was AGAINST anyone else, really, just all came to shine, show off what we got, take your best shot, try to do better.

We all just milled around freely sharing technique, tips and tricks. There was some Italian guy, what a maniac, drove all the way from Italy on a friggin' Vespa! Now THATS hardcore! Think it was him, had been having trouble with his GPS and with controlling an Apache in a comp attack setup dive. To me, this guy was a MAJOR threat, I saw his performance potential, only thing holding him back was tuning trouble with the suit, if his GPS and suit instability hadn't given him issues he'd have fought me to a standstill on day 1. Soon as he came to me about it, I freely gave him all the stuff I spent the season training hard to learn, very expensive knowledge, I had a bucketload of technique developed around the suit, so I gave it away all my secret ninja weapons and tactics to anyone who asked, to help them compete.

I fly Tony's gear because right now his suits deliver more brutality on demand than anything else I can buy, plain and simple, and since I'm all about performance, distance and time specs, thats my choice... OMG, so what was I DOING consulting Jarno and the Phoenix-fly team for advice? Hell, I was fraternizing and even drinking with the Enemy, oh, noes! They don't buy into the suit wars crap. Neither do I. I spent half the event comparing notes hanging out and talking technical flying with Martijn Maas, Robi's current reigning freefall time champion. I'd been itchin' to meet the guy that did THAT much damage to the scoreboards that fast.

I don't get out as much as I'd like but I do have a habit of popping up at most or at least some of the best events and by now I know damn near every major player on the planet on a first name basis and I gotta say the one thing that hurts about being an active pilot on the scene is seeing how many of our greatest names refuse to talk to each other, have grudges against each other, and now, won't even attend each others' events.

I know how hard it is. Anyone familiar with the wingsuit circles I run in is probably familiar with some of the stories about the wingsuit scene here, its inception, growth, collapse, restart, growth again...

The people with whom I had disagreements? are still my friends. I DO. NOT. PLAY. THESE. GAMES!

Am I the only one left in the thick of it who still understands what we came for?

I'm now making a very deliberate effort to maintain my friendships on both sides of every divide we've got because goddammit, you people were my heroes! Still are! I am privileged to walk and fly in your company! Shit, if someday I screw up and make a famous crater, if it ever came to that, I couldn't think of better people to DIE with!

Stop responding to each other with anger! Just... fucking... STOP IT!

For fucks sake guys, we're birds! We, are the freest human beings who have EVER LIVED! The first 4 or 5 years were GREAT! Seemed like we ALL had each others' backs, there was incredible mutual respect from all to all because we were ALL new at it and just doing it at all was superhuman, pioneer deep-blue-hero shit!

What the hell happened?

Now, I worry about offending one friend by attending an event held by another. Given the quality of such friends I seriously doubt they will take offense, really. Because my friends know me, know what I'm about, and know they don't have to watch their backs when I'm around because I'm watching THEIRS.

But come on, guys! Imagine what we could do if all the bickering camps just dropped their grudges and actively and deliberately united and worked together instead? Bring each other up instead of knocking each other?

Maybe I'm just what happens when you cross Sam Kinison with the Care Bears, but call me naive or call me cynical, I never thought wingsuit pilots of all people, would wind up so divided.

I'm with Chuck. Fuck all this. Lets go surf clouds. Together. Whoevers with me, just get on a load.

I still remember why we're doing this.

"Through the stormfront we will ever surely pass, to stand as neverending light"
-B
Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

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If you go to events and actually fly none of this Internet BS exists. I shouldn't worry about it, only about 1% of skydivers invest much time here. I really wish I wasn't one of them.
Summer Rental special, 5 weeks for the price of 4! That is $160 a month.

Try before You Buy with Wicked Wingsuits - WingsuitRental.com

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Fantastic. I recommend either Szalon or Steffl. Or the stuff the Ukrainians were drinking. Samagon I think they called it. I could have driven my rental car from there back to Budapest just by exhaling into the gas tank. Great stuff!
-B
Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

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If you go to events and actually fly none of this Internet BS exists. I shouldn't worry about it, only about 1% of skydivers invest much time here. I really wish I wasn't one of them.



Not sure I agree with that. A lot of the "Internet BS" is the product of stuff that happens at events. Add Internet access and time, and you get more sniping... Personally, I love coming back to this forum for the same reason I slow down to check out the car crash on the highway...
Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography

Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

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What happened 8 years ago?



I made my first wingsuit jump.;)


Children....I made my first one at the Easter Boogie at Louisburg in 1999 back when Jari barely spoke english. He did, on the other hand, get laid A LOT.


Well, I was just trying to identify an event that coincided with the decline of wingsuiting.;)
...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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If you go to events and actually fly none of this Internet BS exists.



A confrontation at a recent event is what prompted me to start this thread.

Jeez, guys, it's just skydiving. Anyone would think it was a presidential election.
...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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If you go to events and actually fly none of this Internet BS exists. I shouldn't worry about it, only about 1% of skydivers invest much time here. I really wish I wasn't one of them.



With all that fly's around on the internet, I am finding myself more and more purposely ambivalent to any response on what is here, especially the fighting.. Simon, your post is the voice of reason!

Scott C. :)
"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

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If you go to events and actually fly none of this Internet BS exists. I shouldn't worry about it, only about 1% of skydivers invest much time here. I really wish I wasn't one of them.



Not sure I agree with that. A lot of the "Internet BS" is the product of stuff that happens at events. Add Internet access and time, and you get more sniping... Personally, I love coming back to this forum for the same reason I slow down to check out the car crash on the highway...



The few fights I have broken up at the DZ were still a whole heap less effort than this typing can be...
Summer Rental special, 5 weeks for the price of 4! That is $160 a month.

Try before You Buy with Wicked Wingsuits - WingsuitRental.com

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If you go to events and actually fly none of this Internet BS exists. I shouldn't worry about it, only about 1% of skydivers invest much time here. I really wish I wasn't one of them.



Not sure I agree with that. A lot of the "Internet BS" is the product of stuff that happens at events. Add Internet access and time, and you get more sniping... Personally, I love coming back to this forum for the same reason I slow down to check out the car crash on the highway...



The few fights I have broken up at the DZ were still a whole heap less effort than this typing can be...



Which makes me realize, I need a Fight Breaking Up Instructor Rating.
Summer Rental special, 5 weeks for the price of 4! That is $160 a month.

Try before You Buy with Wicked Wingsuits - WingsuitRental.com

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Agreed brother !! Perhaps if all the drama, fighting, agendas, and sky god attitudes could be dropped then some folks would consider returning to the flock.

The roots of most of this started with empire building (money and business yes, but more so egos). Who could secure the most notoriety?

A sad reflection on everyone.

Can we not just long for the perfect sunset cloud surf again?
WSI-5 / PFI-51 / EGI-112 / S-Fly
The Brothers Gray Wing Suit Academy
Contact us for first flight and basic flocking courses at your DZ or boogie.
www.thebrothersgray.com

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What happened 8 years ago?



I made my first wingsuit jump.;)


I think I made my 100th wingsuit jump around that time:P


I made my 200th wingsuit jump about that time.

44
B|
SCR-6933 / SCS-3463 / D-5533 / BASE 44 / CCS-37 / 82d Airborne (Ret.)

"The beginning of wisdom is to first call things by their right names."

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What happened 8 years ago?



Not that I can speak for JP but based on the time line I would wager a guess:

1 The inception of the birdman factory wingsuit instructor program were all of the great knowledge of wingsuiting came from and who had all of the authority to dictate everything wingsuit to others, even those not flying birdman brand suits. A template still being abused today just the same as it was then..... or

2 Wingsuiters training other skydivers to fly wingsiuts with no "USPA" instructing credentials, as in no coach or instructor ratings and lack luster skills....... or

3 A healthy combination of both above.

Theses are just my guesses.

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