cloudseeker2001 0 #26 December 2, 2003 Damn........ Well, on to the next adventure! "Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance, others mean and rueful of the western dream" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cloudseeker2001 0 #27 December 2, 2003 HAHAHA......It seems Dropzone.com is quickly becoming THE site for people who used to skydive, but don't anymore, but still like to talk about it! "Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance, others mean and rueful of the western dream" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sducoach 0 #28 December 2, 2003 I was going to take up knitting but I've sewn my fingers together doing a canopy patch............... Derek taught me everything I know!!!!! Blues, J.E.James 4:8 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kramer 0 #29 December 2, 2003 Grr... I'll give you a dollar and be your best friend if you start jumping again. Now c'mon... -Kramer The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #30 December 2, 2003 QuoteI'll give you a dollar LOL- it would cost me $112.25 to re-new everything. Minus your dollar, that still leaves $111.25. Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dagny 0 #31 December 2, 2003 Well, congratulations to you for making a decision you are clearly happy with! This isn't the first time I've read about someone ending their instructing and/or jumping career. Surely it won't be the last. And as someone who newly discovered the sport, I find it difficult to understand...not so much the part about dz politics wearing on a person, but on not jumping again. I was thinking about it all today and realized that I only started skydiving three months ago. I wondered how long the fire inside will burn...you know, the one that calls you to get up to altitude yet again? Now I'm wondering....is it best to continue in the sport, spending all this money I can barely afford to spend when veterans of the sport are leaving with a smile on their face and praising the freedom that comes from cutting away from skydiving? Is it worth it to invest myself in something I may learn to dislike? Personally, I'm thinking....yes, ride it till it burns out....and yet, in the back of my mind, I wonder...should I? Your opinion?Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #32 December 2, 2003 QuoteI find it difficult to understand...not so much the part about dz politics wearing on a person, but on not jumping again. When I had 100 jumps or so, a really good skydiver at the DZ w/ 2k+ skydives, AFFI, up and quit. I couldn't understand it. He was where I wanted to be and he was throwing it all away? Now I understand why he quit. QuoteYour opinion? Be careful. Don't expect to change, fix, or make anything in skydiving better than it is. Don't get any Instructional ratings or even shoot video for money. Pay for every jump, don't barter for even a single one. As long as the amount of time, effort, and money is worth the return, jump. The day the time, effort, and/or money is simply not worth the return, walk away. Ignorance is bliss. If I didn't know what I know, I would still be jumping. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrpayne 0 #33 December 2, 2003 I don't understand why you feel its necessary to post something like this. If that is how you feel fine, but why are you even posting much less moderating a skydiving forum if that is how you feel? I have over 2000 hours of dual given but I wouldn't even think about telling an enthusiastic flight student that flying isn't as much fun as it used to be(it's still fun! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Kris 0 #34 December 2, 2003 Actually, I see Derek's point. Truth be told, I'm thinking about giving up my rating as well. I can see myself heading down the road he's on and I don't like it. So, it makes me think a little more seriously about weighing the benefits of either decision. Thinking is a good thing.Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mjosparky 3 #35 December 2, 2003 QuoteI was thinking about it all today and realized that I only started skydiving three months ago. I wondered how long the fire inside will burn...you know, the one that calls you to get up to altitude yet again? Derek has made a decision that is based on his experiences and his amount of involvement in the sport. I have never held or wanted to hold an instructors rating. I became a rigger because of my interest in how things work. The fire still burns in me and will, I suspect, for the rest of my life. I do not think Derek is saying Skydiving is bad, but the activities that go on around the sport of skydiving are at times just so much bull shit. You must go where your fire leads you. Do so with all the passion of a young woman/man in love. Enjoy and be safe. When the enjoyment is gone, then think about moving on. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Faber 0 #36 December 2, 2003 Ironic,skydive has turned into a mony-mashine,we makes tandems and gives freefall courses to people who only want to try it as if they tryed a rolercoaster. Thouse who are a part of that mashine will some day be tired of their 2. job,that once were their hobby. Its your desission and i respect you for what you deside to do whith your life. I had a burning fire to get ratings and so on,i were stopped for the person i am,today im happy that i wasnt allowed(becours of me BASE jumping,which means in some eyes that i would be less carefull in skydiving). Today i most BASE,but still showes up at the dz,get 1-2 jumps a month.and feel fine about that.. Stay safe Stefan Faber Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Hooknswoop 19 #37 December 2, 2003 QuoteI don't understand why you feel its necessary to post something like this. If that is how you feel fine, but why are you even posting much less moderating a skydiving forum if that is how you feel? Honest question. QuoteI have over 2000 hours of dual given but I wouldn't even think about telling an enthusiastic flight student that flying isn't as much fun as it used to be(it's still fun!). Would you lie to them? Would you not explain why you had decided not to fly anymore? Maybe others can avoid the pitfalls I fell into. It is not my intent to have people fell about skydiving the way I do now. Actually, the opposite. Hence my post. I think that other jumpers looking at my situation can avoid what has happened to me. I wouldn't be where I am at if I had understood why that 2k+ jumper had quit back when I had 100 jumps, but I didn't. I have worked hard at flying a canopy, Instructing, and RW. It would be a shame to throw away what I have learned and not pass it on. Why moderate? Give back a little. I had people share their knowledge with me along the way. I do wonder how long before what I know becomes 'dated' and the value of my input begins to decline. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites kai2k1 0 #38 December 2, 2003 Its kind of ironic. Derek youre getting out of the sport and I just made my first solo. I sad to see you give it up, but i also realize that if something is not fun anymore, dont do it. That's the words i live by. There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Brains 2 #39 December 2, 2003 Derek i commend you for making a decision about what you want in life. I sat at the dz one day listening to a guy say much the same thing as you.(Hammerhead) He said that at 5k jumps he would walk. He walked before he made that many.(as far as i know) I was in awe that a person as skilled and knowledgeable as he was could do that. Canopy pilot, aff I, rigger, videographer, tandem I, everything. I still get enjoyment from teaching students to skydive. I am a new tandem I and i am enjoying that very much as well. However, as soon as i no longer think that what i do is worth it, i will NOT hesitate to walk away. Congrats with your decision and i hope you enjoy yourself in ways that you couldn't before.Jeff Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ZoneRat 0 #40 December 2, 2003 Sounds like more than simple burn-out... Hey, when it's time to move on, it's time to move on. Nothing wrong with that. I applaud the fact that you both recognised it and took action. Well done. How long have you been in the sport, Derek?“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites TribalTalon 0 #41 December 2, 2003 hmm. well it sounds like you've thought long and hard about it and i wish ya the best of luck in your endeavors. I do definitely see how if you're deeply involved in the dz politics how you could easily get burned out and tired of all the bs. plus i guess after a while it just gets old. hopefully you come back some day!! (to skydiving) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Hooknswoop 19 #42 December 2, 2003 QuoteHow long have you been in the sport, Derek? 8 1/2 years. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ZoneRat 0 #43 December 2, 2003 I was told that at the PIA symposium a speaker claimed the average skydiver stays in the sport about 5 years. 8.5 years. Yeah... that's a long time to do anything, really. (Snowboarding, btw, IS a hell of a lot of fun... ). But whatever turns out to be your next passion, good luck and Go Big.“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JoeyRamone 0 #44 December 2, 2003 Attitudes are contagious, don't bring others down your road its not good for the sport. *** You don't get it, I have over 400 jumps and walked away from the sport this year. I did one Jump this summer and that was it. I totally understand why people leave the sport, but to stop jumping does not mean one can not still be involved. What a lame comment. People can mentor, share good and bad experiences and still be associated with people in the sport. Way to many egos in this sport and way to many people I know are getting killed. To many drugs and drunks. There was many times people should not of got on the plane and did, fuck that someone who has been parting all night, has 3 hours of sleep and wants to get on the same load as me, kiss my ass. Hell everything is about beer this and beer that. Just wait until you get to go drag your friend out of a corn field, ya might think twice. My family and kids are more important to me then jumping out of a plane, I was glad to do it hard for a few years but time to move on. Hell read half the post on this forum, a bunch of kids talk all the time Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites billvon 2,462 #45 December 2, 2003 >I was thinking about it all today and realized that I only started > skydiving three months ago. I wondered how long the fire inside will > burn...you know, the one that calls you to get up to altitude yet again? A long time, if you want it to. I started in 91, back when a Monarch 190 was black death, students had round reserves and no one had heard of the Cypres. I got every rating I could, jumped as often as I could, even moved to California at least partly so I could jump more. After getting all my ratings I became the S+TA and chief instructor at San Diego and spent 2-3 days every week working as an AFF-I and tandem master. I did that for two years, and loved it. To me, being an instructor was the pinnacle of achievement in skydiving. After years of learning, finally I was teaching other people - and they thought I knew what I was talking about! Then I started not loving it so much. The tandems I'd take up, jump with, and sometimes injure myself landing - they'd just disappear, and you'd never see them again. Didn't seem worth it, and definitely wasn't worth the money I got paid to do it. So first I restricted myself to no tandems over my weight (170) and then finally gave up tandems. Around that time I got in something of a battle with the DZO about mandatory cypreses. It didn't affect me since I already had one, but I really disliked making them mandatory for everyone else. It was his DZ and all, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to support it that much any more. I guess it made it seem less like _my_ DZ. About another year went by, with me working off and on at Brown, and I noticed that it was starting to change from a small DZ with a mix of jumpers to a tandem and AFF factory. It didn't affect me much, since I was doing a lot of AFF, but never doing fun jumps was starting to take its toll. So I started going to Perris and Elsinore more often. When I got there I realized that I _couldn't_ work there - and that was really nice. No more manifest chick calling "Beeel? Beeeel? We have another AFF . . ." Since then I've been doing most of my jumping at Perris and Elsinore. I was into big-ways for a while, and I did the Arizona 300-way and got on World Team for this year. My next new thing is wingsuits; I've put 100 jumps on one since late summer. I think the key to preventing burnout is to keep changing your focus; even 4-way gods get bored after 4000 team jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LivingInClip 0 #46 December 2, 2003 While I do not understand your reasoning, I congradulate you with doin' something you are happy about and I can almost grasp what you mean. I can see how if , you are under all the politics and pressures that the sport would lose it's fun. As with anything, when it's simpler it is funner. Speaking of which, I see a lot of people enter the sport and think they are going to become instructors / shoot video (and which they may) and in general make a second job of the sport. For me, I don't see that. It would take away of the simple fun I get out of it. Goin' to hang out at the DZ, gettin' to jump and land. None of the pressure. As for comments about too many ego's - ego's are in any sport or hobby. You're going to meet people who just want to show off and you are goin to meet people who are complete dicks and there are goin' to be people that are great to hang out with. Either way, best of luck in any new adventures you decide to take up, because we all know the basis of being a skydiver is the "rush". :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Faber 0 #47 December 2, 2003 QuoteMy family and kids are more important to me then jumping out of a plane, I was glad to do it hard for a few years but time to move on. yes indeed family comes into first place.and it sounds like your happy on your dessision,now why cant you let other people have the same fun as you did? QuoteHell everything is about beer this and beer that. Just wait until you get to go drag your friend out of a corn field, ya might think twice. hopefuly most acsidents dont happen becours of drunkship,sounds like you had an bad experience QuoteHell read half the post on this forum, a bunch of kids talk all the time Happy you went over your childhood and stayed alive... Life is about making choises,hopefuly we all make the right dessisions for just us to make a perfect life in our eyes... Stay safe Stefan Faber Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites The111 1 #48 December 2, 2003 Here's my two cents. Hook: I can understand that there are things associated with the sport that may have worn you down, but the sport is still exactly the same. You get on an airplane, jump out, and do what you want in the air, and land. Surely that physical experience is still enjoyable to you, regardless of all the side issues you encountered with the social scene? And I do understand why you'd want to stay around on DZ.com and share your knowledge, but the irony of that is that you ostensibly loved the sport but got burned out on the social aspects of it... so you're quitting the sport (which you loved) but staying active in the social aspects (which you got burned out on). Shouldn't it be the other way around? (i.e. quit the social scene but keep the sport) I'm sure the feeling of swooping is still an amazing rush even for you... if you are fed up with the DZ's you've been to, there's nothing stopping you from making a few hop n pops from some small no name DZ a few times a month. You can't tell me you won't miss the sport itself. Then again, I miss BMX and never ride anymore. Mainly because I'm more scared of big ramps than I am of skydiving. But when I still had the balls I rode entirely by myself for years in a skatepark where there was no BMX scene, always surrounded by skaters. If you love something you'll do it for that reason. My dad has surfed by himself (mostly) for 35 years and he still loves it. Care to explain any better? www.WingsuitPhotos.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bill2 0 #49 December 2, 2003 I'm just curious, do you think that you will ever take up a hobby, or already have one, with the same intensity and commitment of time? I know what you mean about getting burned out when doing something fun as a job. I used to teach martial arts and spent a summer working as a diver during college. I got tired of both and eventually stopped doing them. Occasionally, I want to get back into them but just don't have enough enthusiasm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Hooknswoop 19 #50 December 2, 2003 QuoteSurely that physical experience is still enjoyable to you, regardless of all the side issues you encountered with the social scene? Yes, I still love jumping, but at some point all the other crap out weighs the actual jumping. Do 10 jumps, for me that is 10 rides to altitude, 6 minutes of free-fall and anout 12 minutes under canopy. The rest of time, I'm hanging out at the DZ. QuoteAnd I do understand why you'd want to stay around on DZ.com and share your knowledge, but the irony of that is that you ostensibly loved the sport but got burned out on the social aspects of it... so you're quitting the sport (which you loved) but staying active in the social aspects (which you got burned out on). Shouldn't it be the other way around? DZ.com is very different from the social sceen at a DZ. QuoteI'm sure the feeling of swooping is still an amazing rush even for you... if you are fed up with the DZ's you've been to, there's nothing stopping you from making a few hop n pops from some small no name DZ a few times a month. You can't tell me you won't miss the sport itself. Ya, I'll miss jmping, but I can't go out once a month and do a hop and hop w/ my current canopy. It wouldn't be smart. I am not going to spend $1400.00 for a new main to jump it 10-15 times a year. I should have a bigger reserve if I was only going to jump 10-15 times a year, do that's another $800.00. I would need another container......... I don't want to send USPA $49.00 to jump once a month. It simply isn't worth what I would have to spend to jump a little. I have been thinking about gettig into BASE hard core, but that is stll up in the air. That is another $1700.00 investment. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 Next Page 2 of 3 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. 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Kris 0 #34 December 2, 2003 Actually, I see Derek's point. Truth be told, I'm thinking about giving up my rating as well. I can see myself heading down the road he's on and I don't like it. So, it makes me think a little more seriously about weighing the benefits of either decision. Thinking is a good thing.Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #35 December 2, 2003 QuoteI was thinking about it all today and realized that I only started skydiving three months ago. I wondered how long the fire inside will burn...you know, the one that calls you to get up to altitude yet again? Derek has made a decision that is based on his experiences and his amount of involvement in the sport. I have never held or wanted to hold an instructors rating. I became a rigger because of my interest in how things work. The fire still burns in me and will, I suspect, for the rest of my life. I do not think Derek is saying Skydiving is bad, but the activities that go on around the sport of skydiving are at times just so much bull shit. You must go where your fire leads you. Do so with all the passion of a young woman/man in love. Enjoy and be safe. When the enjoyment is gone, then think about moving on. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faber 0 #36 December 2, 2003 Ironic,skydive has turned into a mony-mashine,we makes tandems and gives freefall courses to people who only want to try it as if they tryed a rolercoaster. Thouse who are a part of that mashine will some day be tired of their 2. job,that once were their hobby. Its your desission and i respect you for what you deside to do whith your life. I had a burning fire to get ratings and so on,i were stopped for the person i am,today im happy that i wasnt allowed(becours of me BASE jumping,which means in some eyes that i would be less carefull in skydiving). Today i most BASE,but still showes up at the dz,get 1-2 jumps a month.and feel fine about that.. Stay safe Stefan Faber Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #37 December 2, 2003 QuoteI don't understand why you feel its necessary to post something like this. If that is how you feel fine, but why are you even posting much less moderating a skydiving forum if that is how you feel? Honest question. QuoteI have over 2000 hours of dual given but I wouldn't even think about telling an enthusiastic flight student that flying isn't as much fun as it used to be(it's still fun!). Would you lie to them? Would you not explain why you had decided not to fly anymore? Maybe others can avoid the pitfalls I fell into. It is not my intent to have people fell about skydiving the way I do now. Actually, the opposite. Hence my post. I think that other jumpers looking at my situation can avoid what has happened to me. I wouldn't be where I am at if I had understood why that 2k+ jumper had quit back when I had 100 jumps, but I didn't. I have worked hard at flying a canopy, Instructing, and RW. It would be a shame to throw away what I have learned and not pass it on. Why moderate? Give back a little. I had people share their knowledge with me along the way. I do wonder how long before what I know becomes 'dated' and the value of my input begins to decline. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kai2k1 0 #38 December 2, 2003 Its kind of ironic. Derek youre getting out of the sport and I just made my first solo. I sad to see you give it up, but i also realize that if something is not fun anymore, dont do it. That's the words i live by. There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #39 December 2, 2003 Derek i commend you for making a decision about what you want in life. I sat at the dz one day listening to a guy say much the same thing as you.(Hammerhead) He said that at 5k jumps he would walk. He walked before he made that many.(as far as i know) I was in awe that a person as skilled and knowledgeable as he was could do that. Canopy pilot, aff I, rigger, videographer, tandem I, everything. I still get enjoyment from teaching students to skydive. I am a new tandem I and i am enjoying that very much as well. However, as soon as i no longer think that what i do is worth it, i will NOT hesitate to walk away. Congrats with your decision and i hope you enjoy yourself in ways that you couldn't before.Jeff Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZoneRat 0 #40 December 2, 2003 Sounds like more than simple burn-out... Hey, when it's time to move on, it's time to move on. Nothing wrong with that. I applaud the fact that you both recognised it and took action. Well done. How long have you been in the sport, Derek?“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TribalTalon 0 #41 December 2, 2003 hmm. well it sounds like you've thought long and hard about it and i wish ya the best of luck in your endeavors. I do definitely see how if you're deeply involved in the dz politics how you could easily get burned out and tired of all the bs. plus i guess after a while it just gets old. hopefully you come back some day!! (to skydiving) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #42 December 2, 2003 QuoteHow long have you been in the sport, Derek? 8 1/2 years. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZoneRat 0 #43 December 2, 2003 I was told that at the PIA symposium a speaker claimed the average skydiver stays in the sport about 5 years. 8.5 years. Yeah... that's a long time to do anything, really. (Snowboarding, btw, IS a hell of a lot of fun... ). But whatever turns out to be your next passion, good luck and Go Big.“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeyRamone 0 #44 December 2, 2003 Attitudes are contagious, don't bring others down your road its not good for the sport. *** You don't get it, I have over 400 jumps and walked away from the sport this year. I did one Jump this summer and that was it. I totally understand why people leave the sport, but to stop jumping does not mean one can not still be involved. What a lame comment. People can mentor, share good and bad experiences and still be associated with people in the sport. Way to many egos in this sport and way to many people I know are getting killed. To many drugs and drunks. There was many times people should not of got on the plane and did, fuck that someone who has been parting all night, has 3 hours of sleep and wants to get on the same load as me, kiss my ass. Hell everything is about beer this and beer that. Just wait until you get to go drag your friend out of a corn field, ya might think twice. My family and kids are more important to me then jumping out of a plane, I was glad to do it hard for a few years but time to move on. Hell read half the post on this forum, a bunch of kids talk all the time Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,462 #45 December 2, 2003 >I was thinking about it all today and realized that I only started > skydiving three months ago. I wondered how long the fire inside will > burn...you know, the one that calls you to get up to altitude yet again? A long time, if you want it to. I started in 91, back when a Monarch 190 was black death, students had round reserves and no one had heard of the Cypres. I got every rating I could, jumped as often as I could, even moved to California at least partly so I could jump more. After getting all my ratings I became the S+TA and chief instructor at San Diego and spent 2-3 days every week working as an AFF-I and tandem master. I did that for two years, and loved it. To me, being an instructor was the pinnacle of achievement in skydiving. After years of learning, finally I was teaching other people - and they thought I knew what I was talking about! Then I started not loving it so much. The tandems I'd take up, jump with, and sometimes injure myself landing - they'd just disappear, and you'd never see them again. Didn't seem worth it, and definitely wasn't worth the money I got paid to do it. So first I restricted myself to no tandems over my weight (170) and then finally gave up tandems. Around that time I got in something of a battle with the DZO about mandatory cypreses. It didn't affect me since I already had one, but I really disliked making them mandatory for everyone else. It was his DZ and all, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to support it that much any more. I guess it made it seem less like _my_ DZ. About another year went by, with me working off and on at Brown, and I noticed that it was starting to change from a small DZ with a mix of jumpers to a tandem and AFF factory. It didn't affect me much, since I was doing a lot of AFF, but never doing fun jumps was starting to take its toll. So I started going to Perris and Elsinore more often. When I got there I realized that I _couldn't_ work there - and that was really nice. No more manifest chick calling "Beeel? Beeeel? We have another AFF . . ." Since then I've been doing most of my jumping at Perris and Elsinore. I was into big-ways for a while, and I did the Arizona 300-way and got on World Team for this year. My next new thing is wingsuits; I've put 100 jumps on one since late summer. I think the key to preventing burnout is to keep changing your focus; even 4-way gods get bored after 4000 team jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LivingInClip 0 #46 December 2, 2003 While I do not understand your reasoning, I congradulate you with doin' something you are happy about and I can almost grasp what you mean. I can see how if , you are under all the politics and pressures that the sport would lose it's fun. As with anything, when it's simpler it is funner. Speaking of which, I see a lot of people enter the sport and think they are going to become instructors / shoot video (and which they may) and in general make a second job of the sport. For me, I don't see that. It would take away of the simple fun I get out of it. Goin' to hang out at the DZ, gettin' to jump and land. None of the pressure. As for comments about too many ego's - ego's are in any sport or hobby. You're going to meet people who just want to show off and you are goin to meet people who are complete dicks and there are goin' to be people that are great to hang out with. Either way, best of luck in any new adventures you decide to take up, because we all know the basis of being a skydiver is the "rush". :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faber 0 #47 December 2, 2003 QuoteMy family and kids are more important to me then jumping out of a plane, I was glad to do it hard for a few years but time to move on. yes indeed family comes into first place.and it sounds like your happy on your dessision,now why cant you let other people have the same fun as you did? QuoteHell everything is about beer this and beer that. Just wait until you get to go drag your friend out of a corn field, ya might think twice. hopefuly most acsidents dont happen becours of drunkship,sounds like you had an bad experience QuoteHell read half the post on this forum, a bunch of kids talk all the time Happy you went over your childhood and stayed alive... Life is about making choises,hopefuly we all make the right dessisions for just us to make a perfect life in our eyes... Stay safe Stefan Faber Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The111 1 #48 December 2, 2003 Here's my two cents. Hook: I can understand that there are things associated with the sport that may have worn you down, but the sport is still exactly the same. You get on an airplane, jump out, and do what you want in the air, and land. Surely that physical experience is still enjoyable to you, regardless of all the side issues you encountered with the social scene? And I do understand why you'd want to stay around on DZ.com and share your knowledge, but the irony of that is that you ostensibly loved the sport but got burned out on the social aspects of it... so you're quitting the sport (which you loved) but staying active in the social aspects (which you got burned out on). Shouldn't it be the other way around? (i.e. quit the social scene but keep the sport) I'm sure the feeling of swooping is still an amazing rush even for you... if you are fed up with the DZ's you've been to, there's nothing stopping you from making a few hop n pops from some small no name DZ a few times a month. You can't tell me you won't miss the sport itself. Then again, I miss BMX and never ride anymore. Mainly because I'm more scared of big ramps than I am of skydiving. But when I still had the balls I rode entirely by myself for years in a skatepark where there was no BMX scene, always surrounded by skaters. If you love something you'll do it for that reason. My dad has surfed by himself (mostly) for 35 years and he still loves it. Care to explain any better? www.WingsuitPhotos.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bill2 0 #49 December 2, 2003 I'm just curious, do you think that you will ever take up a hobby, or already have one, with the same intensity and commitment of time? I know what you mean about getting burned out when doing something fun as a job. I used to teach martial arts and spent a summer working as a diver during college. I got tired of both and eventually stopped doing them. Occasionally, I want to get back into them but just don't have enough enthusiasm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #50 December 2, 2003 QuoteSurely that physical experience is still enjoyable to you, regardless of all the side issues you encountered with the social scene? Yes, I still love jumping, but at some point all the other crap out weighs the actual jumping. Do 10 jumps, for me that is 10 rides to altitude, 6 minutes of free-fall and anout 12 minutes under canopy. The rest of time, I'm hanging out at the DZ. QuoteAnd I do understand why you'd want to stay around on DZ.com and share your knowledge, but the irony of that is that you ostensibly loved the sport but got burned out on the social aspects of it... so you're quitting the sport (which you loved) but staying active in the social aspects (which you got burned out on). Shouldn't it be the other way around? DZ.com is very different from the social sceen at a DZ. QuoteI'm sure the feeling of swooping is still an amazing rush even for you... if you are fed up with the DZ's you've been to, there's nothing stopping you from making a few hop n pops from some small no name DZ a few times a month. You can't tell me you won't miss the sport itself. Ya, I'll miss jmping, but I can't go out once a month and do a hop and hop w/ my current canopy. It wouldn't be smart. I am not going to spend $1400.00 for a new main to jump it 10-15 times a year. I should have a bigger reserve if I was only going to jump 10-15 times a year, do that's another $800.00. I would need another container......... I don't want to send USPA $49.00 to jump once a month. It simply isn't worth what I would have to spend to jump a little. I have been thinking about gettig into BASE hard core, but that is stll up in the air. That is another $1700.00 investment. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
