All I can think about is swooping...

[AggieDave 6]

The swoop, the pattern, the turn, the dive, the planeout and the control through the swoop for whatever kind of swoop I'm doing. Be it a HARD carve/winglover, or geeking a camera, or going for distance, or whatever.

The peace, focus and mental/spiritual energy that centers its self while swooping is like nothing else I've experienced. Too bad it peaks in the swoop and the swoop high is only really hit during the actual swoop. Some things are fun and help you get there, like HP relative flying, flying the valleys, cliffs and canyons of a tall cloud and similar, but nothing comes close to having the ground rush up at you during your turn then during that rush having everything slow way down. Entering the swoop everything is going in slow motion and every hair on your body is like a little radar pulling in information from everything around you.


Other kinds of skydiving are still fun, I love doing tandems, I look foward to the RW coaching I'm scheduled for this fall and the overall goal of getting my AFF-I, but there's still something about the swoop.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Squeak 17]

COPS should not be stoned

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[bob.dino 0]

On the wall of our house is an ad torn from a cycling magazine. The rider - going hard up a steep hill - is wearing a T-shirt that says "This is what I think about during sex."

[CanuckInUSA 0]

We'll be swooping the pond in CO this weekend.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[chris_h 0]

Medical insurance is good. Best wishes a long, safe, and happy swooping.

[Mickochet 0]

No, cops should be stoned, especially if they are sneaking around in an unmarked car trying to entrap people.

If you never fall down you aren't trying hard enough.

[Peej 0]

Dave, i know how you feel bro, i'm only starting to get somewhere near consistent with my swooping, but that's all i think about too. I love camera, i love filming tandems, four and eight way, i love freefly, but they are just things that get me to that part where my canopy is open, my chest strap is loose and i'm on my way to my initiation point.

edited to add: This was something tha Tonto wrote a while back that i really, really love to read.

The Swoop

When setting up the swoop, your state of mind is everything.
One must be empty of everything and one with all. Mindfulness is the goal.

Pulling on risers and looking around is unskilled labour.

The swoop is conceived in your mind’s eye, and develops in the setup.
The gates are simply the moment of birth, the distance and time the life, and touchdown is death until it is once again reincarnated in your mind in an effort to purge the errors of it's earlier lives. Thousands and thousands of lives will bring enlightenment, and with enlightenment, Nirvana.

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[piisfish 135]

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All I can think about is swooping....

is your wife aware of that ??

Oh yeah, found that on 2nd reading...

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the dive, the planeout and the control through the swoop for whatever kind of swoop I'm doing. Be it a HARD carve/winglover, or geeking a camera, or going for distance, or whatever.

Aggiedave is a wingLover

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[AggieDave 6]

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Aggiedave is a wingLover

HAhaha! That's what I get for not proof reading my post. Of course, its the obvious "wingover."

Some of yall get it, some of yall don't. I wish I was going to CO, just couldn't do it this year. Next year is a full on go. Once the dates are released I'm putting in for time off at work.

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All I can think about is swooping....
is your wife aware of that ??

Yeah, she knows. She's started playing with her front risers too, so she's starting to understand.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[airtwardo 6]

Whatever happen to those great pics of your swoop gone bad?

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[AggieDave 6]

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Whatever happen to those great pics of your swoop gone bad?

Which pics? The uneven blindman or the crumpled endcell due to hitting a gate while carving? Never been hurt from a botched swoop, so there's no truely "swoop gone bad" photos.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[airtwardo 6]

The slid to a stop at the fence ones...

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Peej 0]

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Never been hurt from a botched swoop,

Oooooooooo, I'm knocking on wood for you right now.

I was going to write "touching wood" (which is what we call it here) but that would never have sounded right to you guys in the US

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[AggieDave 6]

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The slid to a stop at the fence ones...

Don't know about that. Maybe you're thinking of that really wild off field landing I had a few years ago after riding a malfunction WAY too low.


PeeJ, I really don't care to know if you're "touching wood" for me.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[airtwardo 6]

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The slid to a stop at the fence ones...

Don't know about that. Maybe you're thinking of that really wild off field landing I had a few years ago after riding a malfunction WAY too low.


PeeJ, I really don't care to know if you're "touching wood" for me.

Yeah...THAT must be it!

It all runs together in the mush ball I call a 'mind'!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Brains 2]

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Whatever happen to those great pics of your swoop gone bad?

You mean this one???


Dave, i know what you mean. If you think it is hard on you to think about it, try going to three of the CPC events and just watching, not being able to get your fix.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[airtwardo 6]

JEEZE look at the WAKE!

The ole boy is a LOAD!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[AggieDave 6]

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Dave, i know what you mean. If you think it is hard on you to think about it, try going to three of the CPC events and just watching, not being able to get your fix.

This year you aren't allowed to hurt yourself to get out of competition. I'm pumped up, I have a new canopy ordered and I can't wait to start training with it. This coming year Smithers said he's actually going to make the meets and compete and there's been a few other experienced swoopers stating that they're thinking about competing this year as well. It should be a really fun and possibly a really compeititive year this coming year. I can't wait. I know that I'm going to have to work my butt off to keep Jason from beating me as well. If we would have had all 5 meets to completion he would have edged by me this year. I've got a new wing on the way and he said he's going to do some serious training while wearing weights for his swoop in the off season.

Oh, Jeff, keep an eye on my DZ's forums, we're planning on having a couple of swoop camps this winter with some good coaches being flown in.

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You mean this one???

That's great. How not to do a blindman, 101. Once again God smiles on children, drunks and skydivers.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Brains 2]

It seems as of late i can't go to the dz without hurting myself. I have a whole new set of problems now.

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That's great. How not to do a blindman, 101. Once again God smiles on children, drunks and skydivers.

In all fairness to you, you did do it right at that meet too so i have to throw one of those pics out as well.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[AggieDave 6]

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I have a whole new set of problems now.Crazy

What now?

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In all fairness to you, you did do it right at that meet too so i have to throw one of those pics out as well

And that, folks, is the only good swoop I got at that entire CPC meet.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Brains 2]

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And that, folks, is the only good swoop I got at that entire CPC meet.

At least you didn't have a day like DC poor guy just kept beating himself up.

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What now?

Well, five ungodly slammer openings in a row with full video and digital still setup apparently will give you some pretty good whiplash. Of course i have this numbness in my right hand so that makes SOME things kinda cool. It's all good, i should be back next weekend.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[AggieDave 6]

Yeah he was having a rough meet too. It seemed like everyone was off that meet, even the guys that placed well.

Do you have a good chiropractor? I've had really bad whiplash before. A few visits and a couple professional messages helped me a long greatly.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Brains 2]

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Yeah he was having a rough meet too. It seemed like everyone was off that meet, even the guys that placed well.

Do you have a good chiropractor? I've had really bad whiplash before. A few visits and a couple professional messages helped me a long greatly.

I have another massage scheduled for thursday and another chiropractic visit for friday.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[jjudd 0]

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Of course i have this numbness in my right hand so that makes SOME things kinda cool. It's all good, i should be back next weekend.

The Stranger???? lol

[AggieDave 6]

Holy zombie thread Batman!

Thank you, though, since I have since lost those pictures of the crashing blindman!

In the 5 years since this thread, I still love swooping. I never did that RW coaching, but I did continue to swoop and compete. I also started coaching canopy control and have enjoyed success in that venture (success being the student's success).

Last night I got a text from a former canopy student of mine who had been told she was dangerous under canopy and should quit the sport. She came to me for coaching before giving up. Fast forward to now and she won an award for safe canopy control while at a boogie this year!
If it wasn't for the recovery from a badly dislocated big toe that happened at work this week, I'd be at the DZ swooping today. I would much rather be there then taking NSAIDs and being grumpy about a painful foot...

Oh, and I still love swooping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5R9NCHrz4U

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."