Hanging up the rig...

[Rdutch 0]

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After 20 years, a few ratings, a world record, several logbooks and lots of alcohol, I've decided it's time to hang up the rig. This explains why.

It's been fun. But so is hiking, backpacking, golf...

Hey Lisa, as someone that "quit" for good, I can say dont sell your gear. The best thing I ever did was quitting skydiving. The time I took off, I didnt even think about skydiving. When I finally did come back, it brought a whole new enjoyment to skydiving. Since quitting I earned my Tandem and Aff rating, and really enjoy jumping again. The time I took off helped me realise exactly why I jumped, and what I liked about the sport. The best part was my first jump back after over a year off, I felt like a first time jumper again, it was soo cool. So I agree go ahead and "Quit" just dont sell your gear. The rate that gear prices have increased, once you do decide to return the cost alone might keep that from happening. You never know, a few months from now you might want to make just one jump with your boyfriend, and having a rig will make this possible.
It was great meeting you back in Florida, one of the best parts about skydiving for me, was meeting all the cool people. This would never have happened if I was into Golf or something similar.
Blue SkiEs
Ray

Ray
Small and fast what every girl dreams of!

[grimmie 179]

I will bring my clubs to LP next summer. Bring yours. I'll buy the beer.

[usedtajump 1]

Enjoyed your blog.....sounds all too familiar. What kind of guitar?

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[LongWayToFall 0]

Man, usually I feel pretty busted after backpacking, not skydiving. Hopefully you are seeing the appropriate people about it.

Hey, on the plus side, you might be able to watch some more sharks games!!

GO SHARKS

[turtlespeed 212]

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Man, usually I feel pretty busted after backpacking, not skydiving. Hopefully you are seeing the appropriate people about it.

Hey, on the plus side, you might be able to watch some more sharks games!!

GO SHARKS

Try it as a job.

Texas Heat, 26 loads back to back - It's a long day.
That's not even doing tandems and being able to play under canopy on the way down.

It's a LONG day.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[masterblaster72 0]

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I’m of the belief that if one isn’t completely into it, skydiving is not something one should do.

I agree, because that's where I'm at these days. I will likely sell my rig in the next few months so I can buy an expensive telescope and take pictures of nebulae and galaxies from the mountains. I'll still be playing around with the sky, just in a different way.

Also, that incident a couple years back where one of the mad skillz types took out an AFF student on his first jump with a Katana left me unsettled. My attitude toward this sport hasn't quite been the same since.

Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up.

[skyrider 0]

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I’m of the belief that if one isn’t completely into it, skydiving is not something one should do.

I agree, because that's where I'm at these days. I will likely sell my rig in the next few months so I can buy an expensive telescope and take pictures of nebulae and galaxies from the mountains. I'll still be playing around with the sky, just in a different way.

Also, that incident a couple years back where one of the mad skillz types took out an AFF student on his first jump with a Katana left me unsettled. My attitude toward this sport hasn't quite been the same since.

Bye...

[livendive 8]

Preach it sister, I'm feelin' ya.

I'm not leaving the sport, but I'm definitely going to head in a different direction than I have been, for several of the same reasons you list in your blog. This season I gave up one rating I wasn't using, then hung up my S&TA hat, and this weekend will be my last running a school. I launched our new-to-us 32' cruiser two weeks ago, and next season my jumps will be limited to those I actually want to make. I’ve made some wonderful friends in skydiving, who I love dearly, and I’m looking forward to spending more of my DZ time with those who are smart enough to know I’m not just some safety nazi who gets off on berating people, and who care enough to actually listen to and consider my thoughts before discarding them as ignorant. As for the mountain dew types who are hell bent on bouncing themselves…no longer my problem. If they act like they want to take me or my loved ones with them though, well, I don’t have to be politically correct anymore. I’m not going to groan getting out of bed every Monday and walk like a crippled bear for the first few days of each week. I’m not going to automatically decline all weekend invitations just because they occur in the summer. I’m sick of taking the bad with the good and am going to try and get back to just the good. More jumps with Erin, shorter waits for sucker holes. More laughing in freefall, less wincing. More of these, less of these.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[NWFlyer 2]

Does this mean you might finally make it to LP again?

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[livendive 8]

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Does this mean you might finally make it to LP again?

Ha ha...Erin and I were actually already talking about making it over next year (versus the last three, when camping at a DZ was the LAST thing we'd want to do that weekend). However my folks have already rented this place for us and my brother & sister to join them in celebrating their wedding anniversary. Given the price they paid, and our rediscovered summer time availability, I think we're pretty much required to attend.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[jumpwally 0]

Now,,thats lookin' like a good time...enjoy !!

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[rwieder 0]

Lisa: I'm quite sure your reasons for your actions are you're own, so it don't make any difference who says what about it. I quite understand and respect why you're doing what you're doing and IMHO you don't owe anyone an explanation.

You take care, God bless.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[NZGREG 0]

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[skybytch 259]

Good luck, Dave. That's the path I tried to take for a few years. Hope you have better luck with it than I did.

Thanks for the love, y'all.

My USPA renewal is sitting on the table. Haven't decided if I'm going to throw it away or send it back with a letter explaining why I'm not renewing. The big question is - what am I going to spend that $55 a year on instead?

[skybytch 259]

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I wonder if she'll sell her rig to a newbie.

I'm more likely to give it to a newbie than I am to sell it to anyone. Most likely to a broke young female who loves to skydive but can't afford to put together a rig. Kinda like the person I was 20 years ago.

[wolfriverjoe 1,480]

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I wonder if she'll sell her rig to a newbie.

I'm more likely to give it to a newbie than I am to sell it to anyone. Most likely to a broke young female who loves to skydive but can't afford to put together a rig. Kinda like the person I was 20 years ago.

Make it a "long term loan".
As in "When you decide to get a different one, give it back to me."
That way you still have a rig if you change your mind (or if things actually change).

I've been pondering about posting to this thread.

I've never met you, but you are one of the "sensible" ones on here.
You are (were) on the list of jumpers I would make an effort to look up if I ended up in your vicinity.

It sucks that you are leaving, but I can't argue with your reasons.

Thanks for the stuff you shared on here. It made a difference to me.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[wildblue 4]

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I wonder if she'll sell her rig to a newbie.

I'm more likely to give it to a newbie than I am to sell it to anyone. Most likely to a broke young female who loves to skydive but can't afford to put together a rig. Kinda like the person I was 20 years ago.

Make sure you put a pocket-rocket in there so we can officially revoke your CN#

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[kmills0705 0]

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After 20 years, a few ratings, a world record, several logbooks and lots of alcohol, I've decided it's time to hang up the rig. This explains why.

It's been fun. But so is hiking, backpacking, golf...

Hey Lisa, as someone that "quit" for good, I can say dont sell your gear. The best thing I ever did was quitting skydiving. The time I took off, I didnt even think about skydiving. When I finally did come back, it brought a whole new enjoyment to skydiving. Since quitting I earned my Tandem and Aff rating, and really enjoy jumping again. The time I took off helped me realise exactly why I jumped, and what I liked about the sport. The best part was my first jump back after over a year off, I felt like a first time jumper again, it was soo cool. So I agree go ahead and "Quit" just dont sell your gear. The rate that gear prices have increased, once you do decide to return the cost alone might keep that from happening. You never know, a few months from now you might want to make just one jump with your boyfriend, and having a rig will make this possible.
It was great meeting you back in Florida, one of the best parts about skydiving for me, was meeting all the cool people. This would never have happened if I was into Golf or something similar.
Blue SkiEs
Ray

I have the same story Ray and have the same thoughts. For different reasons than Skybytch I was out of the sport for 7 years. I kept my gear and it was waiting for me when I did get back in the sky. I then went on to get my AFF and Tandem ratings as well.

Don't think of it as quitting... just keeping your feet on the ground for a while.

Best of luck.

Kim Mills
USPA D21696
Tandem I, AFF I and Static Line I

[cocheese 0]

It takes as much or more courage to stop jumping as it does to start jumping.

I wish you changes for the better so that you can return to the sky someday with great joy.

[BETO74 0]

Lisa. I really could not read the reasons why you are atepping out the sport but I agree with what someone said skydiving is not everything I also come to find that out in the reacent year, finding other hobbies will make you a better person, I hope ill see you and maybe make a jump sometime in the future

Regards

(My USPA renewal is sitting on the table. Haven't decided if I'm going to throw it away or send it back with a letter explaining why I'm not renewing. The big question is - what am I going to spend that $55 a year on instead? )

Plus all the rating fees!

(I'm more likely to give it to a newbie than I am to sell it to anyone. Most likely to a broke young female who loves to skydive but can't afford to put together a rig. Kinda like the person I was 20 years ago.)

Just shows how truly amazing you are! i'm lucky to have meet you years back.

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[bozo 0]

Lisa , quitting skydiving , for me , was like giving up my life. My reasons werent the same as yours but I had the same concerns and bitches.

I live by a small rural airport and the longing comes back everytime a 182 climbs out over my house.

I wish you the best of luck and dont forget you still owe me a beer .

bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

[BIGUN 1,231]

I find it interesting that several of us "original" dz.commers are having the qualitative vs. quantitative introspection. My renewal is sitting on the desk. I had to take time off from any "I" activities due to an injury while skydiving three years go. That became the beginning of the assessment phase. I surrendered all my ratings two years ago because I lapsed on currency. Over time, I reflected that it had become more work and frustration with little appreciation.

I can't blame the USPA. It's kinda like divorce, you can blame the other party, but it was good times and bad times and sometimes we just need to part ways for awhile and it may wind up permanent. Doesn't mean either party was right or wrong, it just means the social debit scale is outweighing the social credit scale.

I've got till the end of the month, so until then I'll try to focus on the good times and see if I can come up with some new goals and see if skydiving winds up on the list.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[dunesurfer 0]

Lisa
Thank you for providing a positive influence in the sport. you probably don't remember me but I was greatly influenced by you as a new jumper years ago.
http://flic.kr/p/kgroY

[amstalder 0]

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Good luck, Dave. That's the path I tried to take for a few years. Hope you have better luck with it than I did.

Thanks for the love, y'all.

My USPA renewal is sitting on the table. Haven't decided if I'm going to throw it away or send it back with a letter explaining why I'm not renewing. The big question is - what am I going to spend that $55 a year on instead?

Im still going to keep my hopes up that I get to meet you one of these days!

And I think you should send it back explaining why...

[Remster 27]

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what am I going to spend that $55 a year on instead?

What else! Cocktillios!

Remster