Home Dropzone Blues

[ep11300 0]

I will try to keep this short. I jumped at my Home dropzone for 20 years; was glad to call it home. Spent time on staff, dropzone manager and board of directors. Was pulling back from the responsibilities because I was getting tired of the politics of a few. I then moved further away for a job; this was actually closer to our neighboring dropzone by far. I continued to travel to my home dropzone because of friends and familiarity. When the board decided to raise ticket prices by $5 a jump I decided to make the neighboring dropzone my main dropzone for cost reasons and the fact I didn’t agree with the price increase. I had a couple friends that lived in between the two dz's that started spending more time at the other because of similar reasons.

I went back for an annual kickoff party this weekend and WOW, you would think I dishonored the entire sport and skydiving community. The dz even made a year end video that spent most the video ragiing on those of us who left. Calling us the “Cool Kids” and saying even though they left the skydiving continues. The tone of the video had those that spent time at the other dz feeling somewhat betrayed. I approached one of the staff and asked what was going on and I wanted to come back more often before the video, he says, “you have to do what you have to do” and that was it.

I am just wondering if anyone has encountered this before and how they handled it. I have a number of friends over there; and a couple I couldn’t care less about. Should I even be worried about it? Needless to say the new dropzone, which is a club, has never even asked why I started jumping there or what was going on at the other dz; it seems the only tension is at my original dz.

Any thoughts would be helpful; this is kind of driving me crazy.

[Icon134 0]

I don't really have a great answer... I hope you figure it out and I can certainly empathize.

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[CSpenceFLY 1]

I feel the concept of the "home DZ" has been dead and gone for a long time. You should have seen all the shit I went through ,and still do, when I started throwing my own boogies. You would have thought I screwed the DZOs girlfriend or something. it was actually worse then that cause it was about $$.

[cocheese 0]

You can't have everything. Where would you put it?

~Steven Wright.

[JohnMitchell 14]

I like DZ's that win your patronage by good planes, good prices, good employees and good times. I'm lucky to jump at one of those for my home DZ. They stay above the politics and petty bickering about spending time at other DZ's. We still travel around and jump other places, but all I hear is "tell them 'Hi' for us."

It sounds like your old DZ has lost the vibe and lost a lot of business. They raised their jump prices by quite a large margin. In a capitalistic society, the customer votes with his feet. It's too bad they waste their time looking at what everyone else is doing, instead of managing their own DZ, and giving people a reason to choose them.

Sounds like you need to keep jumping at the new place, I'm afraid. Maybe some more will follow you.

[BillyVance 34]

If they would go through all that trouble to make a video bashing you and your friends who started jumping at the other place, maybe they weren't your true friends to begin with. To hell with them.

Sorry you went through that after 20 years though.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[ep11300 0]

That's exactly what I have been thinking; it was about an hour long so they spent some time.

[stratostar 5]

There wouldn't heve been any of that shit going on when the "shortman" was alive! It' a real shame to hear that about what used to be such a great DZ with time honored traditions.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[gearless_chris 1]

Quote

I like DZ's that win your patronage by good planes, good prices, good employees and good times. I'm lucky to jump at one of those for my home DZ. They stay above the politics and petty bickering about spending time at other DZ's. We still travel around and jump other places, but all I hear is "tell them 'Hi' for us."

That sounds like my Home dz too. I started at Skydive Fort Wayne, then went to another dz for a while to do video. They closed so I went back to my original home dz, and a few others just for fun. I didn't know there was such a thing as politics in skydiving until I first wandered off. I like all the places I've been too and the people involved, but there was some one sided bickering at the new place, just not as bad as the original poster's situation.

"If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane.

My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole.

[skyboyblue 0]

wow, that's a pretty slanted view.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okTpiTlw_xI

[gearless_chris 1]

They seem a little bitter . I think I've seen the movie they used in the middle, it's called the Planet. If that's a yearend video, I'm putting way too much time into mine .

"If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane.

My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole.

[The_Don 0]

DZ drama & DZ politics to boot.. How the hell did that happen?

edit to add..

I am NOT being loud.
I'm being enthusiastic!

[PhreeZone 15]

The clip in the middle is Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[skyjumpsteve 0]

Wow! The DZ or DZO actually made that video? They treat their customers like that? By mocking them? Hope you like your new DZ....sounds like a much nicer place than the original one.

[jtval 0]

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If that's a yearend video, I'm putting way too much time into mine .

Seriously. That was a weak and stupid video. there was an hour of that?

Skydiving isn't about this bullshit it's about leaving this bullshit behind. Drag this to the dropzone and you'll only dismantle the vibe and people will stop coming.

My photos

My Videos

[stratostar 5]

I have been informed that I mistook the OP's profile as the place he left, NOT the place he is now at. That is a big relief. I have known the "shortman" from way back in the mid 70's, I have been to LSPC a number of time and been host to them as well a number of times, I have ALWAYS found that crew to be a class act and would have been VERY surprised to learn of such on goings at that DZ.

To the OP, sounds like you should changed years ago, your in a good place now, maybe I can come to visit this summer and I can steal Elmo again for a flashback road trip.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[stratostar 5]

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This video has been removed by the user.

That didn't take long.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[Andrewwhyte 1]

This doesn't surprise me at all. Dropzones are cults basically. I find that the smaller a dz is the more they tend to feel that the dz down the road is "the enemy." DZOs often tend to be so afraid of losing staff that they discourage jumping around.
There is nothing you can do about it so just carry on.

[skyboyblue 0]

oh for god's sake. We're a small dz, we're student orientated. There's nothing wrong with that. We make the best of what we have, even video. Staff is at a premium. Its unfortunate that the OP feels offended by humor within our own ranks, outsiders wouldn't understand the circumstances. Hell, he dished his own. Everyone who pitches in "owns" a piece of this dropzone. When you huff off and leave, the rest of us have to pick up the slack. you're going to get some heat. Sure we'd like to have the staff/jumpers from the "cool kids" but not the drama when you're around. The "cool kids" were given their nickname a couple years ago. not just sprung last weekend. They knew that.

Bottom line, when you steal the kegerator, which you only partially owned, under the cover of darkness...and not pay for the other half upfront...then I would expect a ribbing on a year end video.

[The_Don 0]

Quote

oh for god's sake. We're a small dz, we're student orientated. There's nothing wrong with that. We make the best of what we have, even video. Staff is at a premium. Its unfortunate that the OP feels offended by humor within our own ranks, outsiders wouldn't understand the circumstances. Hell, he dished his own. Everyone who pitches in "owns" a piece of this dropzone. When you huff off and leave, the rest of us have to pick up the slack. you're going to get some heat. Sure we'd like to have the staff/jumpers from the "cool kids" but not the drama when you're around. The "cool kids" were given their nickname a couple years ago. not just sprung last weekend. They knew that.

Bottom line, when you steal the kegerator, which you only partially owned, under the cover of darkness...and not pay for the other half upfront...then I would expect a ribbing on a year end video.

Wow. worse than I thought.

I am NOT being loud.
I'm being enthusiastic!

[skyguy78 0]

Wow, a familiar story. I myself was a jumper at the (home DZ), I decided to go check out the other club dropzone to see what it was all about. I had fun and met some really cool people. Well when I returned to my home DZ I caught a little for it. I even got called a traiter, with all that grief I started going to the club dz more. The more I got ridiculed, the more it forced me to go to the other dz. It wasnt the other dz or anyone telling me to leave home dz, it was home dz making me feel that you should hold an ultimate loyalty and fall in the ranks and fit into this mold. I was not the first to leave, I joined the ranks of a long list. Funny thing is the I dont have any bad blood. I just know that when I go back home, I go to the club because there, they accept and encourage you to go out and meet and hang out with skydvers from all over.

I feel your pain, trust me dude, been there, I never had a video played for me though. When I started jumping you were someone that helped me into the sport. See you at the club, you are in a better place.

There is a fine line between being a hopeless romantic and a stalker

[ep11300 0]

Quote

oh for god's sake. We're a small dz, we're student orientated. There's nothing wrong with that. We make the best of what we have, even video. Staff is at a premium. Its unfortunate that the OP feels offended by humor within our own ranks, outsiders wouldn't understand the circumstances. Hell, he dished his own. Everyone who pitches in "owns" a piece of this dropzone. When you huff off and leave, the rest of us have to pick up the slack. you're going to get some heat. Sure we'd like to have the staff/jumpers from the "cool kids" but not the drama when you're around. The "cool kids" were given their nickname a couple years ago. not just sprung last weekend. They knew that.

Bottom line, when you steal the kegerator, which you only partially owned, under the cover of darkness...and not pay for the other half upfront...then I would expect a ribbing on a year end video.

You don't even hang out there anymore; you work and you leave. I see you listened to all the third hand information from your bosses; the kegorator was talked about many times the day that I took it and a deal was made.

The only "drama" when we are around seems to come from the only childish martyr there; and then that gets the old guys goin. We actually wanted to be there and show that we still care and miss the place.

At least we know the work we did do was noticed; we filled quite a bit of space on the year end video.

[ep11300 0]

Sorry about the defensive response guys. Thank you everyone for the comments on this. It is hard when you have issues at a place you hold close to you; skydivers know this more than anyone. I had just been struggling with how to handle this and who I might talk to. Bottom line is I am in a better place and wish them all the best; I will miss some of them.

Thanks again all.

[CSpenceFLY 1]

I know alot of people that need to read this thread.

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Well, if you've been around the sport for 20+ years, you (should) understand Drop Zone Politics... As the Prop Turns... Under the Wind Sock... etc etc etc.

Sucks, don't it.