Unstable 8 #1 December 28, 2003 About 4 months ago, a girl from the Kansas State Collegian sent me an email wanting to do an article about me and skydiving for a project of hers - I met with her and answered all her questions, and eventually took her for an observer ride. Well, the article she did ran this morning on the front page of the Manhattan Mercury, here in Manhattan Kansas. Overall I thought it was a good article - Some of the quotes I gave were misinterpreted, but this is just expected. In the paper, it has a close up of me against an airplane, and another of my flying a Spectre in for a landing. I hope this helps get some people in the community interested in Skydiving, maybe prompt some folks to sign up for the first jump course. Quote A weekly 'cleansing' By Maria Ladron de Guevara Dec 28, 2003 · Email this article · Printer friendly page Jumping from a plane at 10,000 feet is just part of 19-year-old skydiver Shaun Smith's weekly routine. Smith, a K-State student who's also involved with the K-State Orchestra, Jazz Combo and Jazz Ensemble, finds time to spend an average of 16 hours a week at the Wamego airport in skydiving. "Skydiving's something I've wanted to do ever since I was 10. I just couldn't do it then, so I had to wait until I turned 18," Smith said. "A few of my buddies and I signed up to try it out. They all quit after their first jump. I became addicted." Smith has been a part of Kansas State University Parachute Club for more than a year and has done 208 jumps since he started. "I plan to skydive for as long as I can. I have made up my mind that I will never quit," he said. After having jumped at least five times, students can be taken higher and higher, up to 10,000 feet. At that height, a skydiver picks up speed of 125 to 200 mph. "Once you get to 10,000 feet, you get a 45-second freefall," said Smith. "You feel like you're floating." Smith says skydiving helps him balance out his life. "Skydiving has a cleansing effect on the mind. It completely refreshes you for the week to come," he said. "We do this all year long." The story of a jump Cloudy skies and 30-degree weather didn't stop the parachute club from skydiving on a recent day. Smith put on his one-piece nylon suit over his blue jeans and orange sweatshirt, packed up his bright-colored parachute and was ready to go. "Enough of sitting on the ground. Let's go jump!" Smith shouted. With that, two other skydivers put on their 30-pound chute backpacks and got in a plane the size of two Volkswagen Beetles. With only one seat for the pilot, the skydivers sat on the floor that fit no more than four people. "We're only going to be able to jump from 6,000 feet today, so it gives us about 10 seconds of freefall," Smith said. Up in the air, suddenly, Smith shouted: "Door!" Before that registered, the rapid-blowing wind made it impossible to hear any other sounds. "See you down there!" Smith yelled as he stepped outside the plane to go hang by his feet off the wing, and be sucked off in a vacuum-like effect. After Smith vanished, his two teammates followed by letting go of the wing and diving and doing flips into the wind. "I can't decide which one I like better, the freefall or falling with the chute opened up," Smith said later. "Skydiving has not changed my life, only complemented it and helped me refine it," said Smith. "Skydiving is my passion." =========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mailin 0 #2 December 28, 2003 Hey, thats cool! JenniferArianna Frances Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amanda965 0 #3 December 28, 2003 On a positive note, the article puts skydiving into a very good perspective. Hopefully your local DZ will get some potetnial jumpers from the write-up as well! Congrats on your "15 minutes of fame." Did she get a pic in there too?Blue skies and SAFE landings! ~Amanda~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kai2k1 0 #4 December 28, 2003 Great Story. It's refreshing to see us being put into a positive light. There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpinfarmer 0 #5 December 28, 2003 Great article. We need more PR like that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian84 0 #6 December 29, 2003 Quote "Skydiving has a cleansing effect on the mind. It completely refreshes you Good quote and congrats on being the second most famous person i know Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unstable 8 #7 December 29, 2003 QuoteDid she get a pic in there too? Yeah, they sent out a photographer a couple weeks later - two good pictures, but they weren't on the online edition of the Mercury.=========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kansasskydiver 0 #8 December 29, 2003 Congrats Shaun on the achievemtn of making the paper. I will be sure to post the link on the webpage before I leave. Chris<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #9 December 29, 2003 Quote"Skydiving has a cleansing effect on the mind. It completely refreshes you for the week to come," he said. "We do this all year long." I liken it to hitting "Ctrl/Alt/Delete" on a computer. Reboots the whole system from the former week's crap. ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
