Skydiving heros

[riddler 0]

Now is the time to give thanks to those people that made skydiving a better sport for you. I'm not talking about people that you simply like, or respect. I'm talking about that one or two or three people that taught you something valuable and made this such a great sport for you. Who are your skydiving heros? I'll kick it off:
1. Micheal Pintamo - took me on my first skydive and has been a teacher to me ever since. Several thousand tandems, and he is one of those people that just makes the sport fun for everyone.
2. Skratch Garrison - taught me how to pack, even after I thought I knew how to pack. He and his wife DJan are real assests to the sport of skydiving. Skratch is the sort of guy that remains humble even after being featured in two different articles in the same issue of Parachutist.
3. Brian Germain - a great teacher and someone who is working to advance the sport. He said ONE thing to me and suddenly I knew how to land my canopy. One of those people that finds a way to help every person he meets in at least one small way.
I've only been in the sport a year now, so I'm sure I'll meet more great people. In fact, I'm counting on it.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[prepheckt 0]

Skratch and DJan rock!!!! The greatest guy you'll want to meet. DJan's a sweethart.

"Dancing Argentine Tango is like doing calculus with your feet."
-9 toes

[JohnnyD 0]

1. Jeff Barbani
2. Martin Reeder
3. Robert Blanken
4. Jim Sellars
5. The Wiz (no matter what people may say)
6. The twins and the posse

Ah, the good ol' days.

• Quote

[skybytch 259]

1. Al Stephens. Taught my FJC, taught my JCC, taught my ICC, taught me rigging, taught me that skydiving really is dangerous when he went in. I miss him a lot.

2. Kate Cooper. An incredible skydiver, a great organizer, an excellent teacher, a wealth of skydiving and gear knowledge and a wonderful human being. She's taught me damn near everything I know about selling gear and doing big ways, and quite a lot about integrity, honesty and commitment. I consider her to be my mentor, and I feel very lucky to have been able to get to know her, jump with her, party with her and work for her.

[Jessica 0]

Quote

Now is the time to give thanks to those people that made skydiving a better sport for you.

Sangiro, as well as the Bytch and the other dz.com moderators. This place is my post-beer-light bonfire.

Everyone in Tent 4 at Rantoul.

Mandy and Ernie, fulltime instructors at Skydive Dallas.

Allen, S&TA at Skydive San Marcos.

Eric aka PhreeZone.

Tons of others.

Skydiving is for cool people only

[AggieDave 6]

Doc (Don) Stewart--my mentor, been jumping since Christ was a mess cook (he ran *the* Houston DZ aka jump club back in 1972-ish). He taught me about having fun, even when the dive goes to total shit and how to properly consume large amounts of beer after a good day of jumping (besides being one of my first jump masters and mentoring me even up to this day)

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

[drenaline 0]

1- Antonio "Tony" Tiniacos, he was my FJ instructor and is like my dz father, I can always count on him for advice and anything else.

2- Carlos VonSeidlitz, my coach and rigger, he is like a brother and thanks to him I know some stuff about rigging and alot about RW.

3- Armando Cedeño another great friend, he is also like a brother, he gave me good advices in my skydiving career and in some issues about life and friendship.

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

[nws01 0]

How about HH for having this website to inform others about the world of skydiving! Cheers, HH!

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

-Dave Davenport: given the task of taking me away and teaching me to skydive when I was a 17 year old kid. Not permitted to bring me back till I was safe. An action guy in every sense of the word; canopy designer and manufacturer for some time; and currently designing body armor, etc, for Eagle Industries.

-My dad, Buddy Blue, D-597. 66 years old and still skydiving his ass off. Hell, he still does tandems when no other TM's are around! Over 9,000 skydives and a many time conference style and accuracy champion in the 60's and early 70's.

-Rixter Powell, PD test pilot and pro vidiot. THE original swoop lord......PERIOD. Rick rarely competes anymore, but he still completly rules. Rick had the only zero-p Excallibur that was ever made (solid pink) and was the first person to regularly throw one-riser dives to final when everyone else was toggle whipping. Nuff said.

Chuck

[Vallerina 2]

Bo and Paula: I met them a little over 2 years ago when I had about 40 jumps at a Labor day Boogie where Bo was organizing. I ended up having a canopy wrap there in front of my brother (watching me for the first time), sister-in-law, parents (who had pulled up just in time to see it!) Everyone there was wonderful about talking to me about it, helping me find my stuff, etc. Bo and Paula went above and beyond, however. Since then, they continue to do nice things for me like house me occassionally, feed me, get me drunk. Also, they honestly are "there for me" if I ever have a question, need something, or just wanna hang out. Plus, it's fun to make fun of others with them! They are my heroes!

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[happythoughts 0]

Muff Bro 65 - Johnny G. If you've met him, you know what I mean. Gives back to the sport. Jumps with newbies. Teaches about the "spirit" of skydiving. Never has a bad word to say about anybody (more valuable than people think).
"There are things that are known and things that are unknown; in between are the doors.” - William Blake
Here's to the people who keep holding the doors open for me.

[jwilson 0]

1 Steve"Deadman" Morrell , He was the first guy i ever spoke to about jumping ,I never got to jump with him but just talking to him taught me alot about the sport, and he also had an an incredible outlook on life. I miss him alot.

2. Eric Lee, the first guy that ever put a rig on my back . i have yet to jump with him , but I know that one day I will .

3. Betty Kabeller , dzo Lakewales , fl. former dzo at Z-Hills Pheonix. She has always ran an awsome Dz.

theres definitely more but I gotta do some work .
Peace out

Jay

[jraf 0]

First off need to say that Muff Bro 65 is the good spirit of ZHills. Hey Asshole! Muff, muff, muff
Not much of an experience in skydiving but great experience with people! Let all those who are not mentioned not be offended.

1. Sally Hathaway - for training me not to kill myself on my first skydive, for teaching me loads, for graduating me on my AFF
2. Eric Hildebrand - for being my primary AFF JM. For all the precious advice. For becoming a friend
3. Tony Hathaway - for scaring the shit out of me as my secondary JM. I would have jumped even without a rig, having Tony look at me from behind the dark glasses.
4. Paul Megher - humility, humility, humility
5. Oren Kalb - coach, buddy, spotted me on my low hop'n'pop minutes after Joe carved into the ground - I was scared beyond imagination
6. Petersburg Igor - (Spasibo!) coach, taugh me how to smile in the air
7. TK Hayes - I know how to land in the spot I want to land
8. Pip Redvers - what can I say - Pip just wanders around and slips an advice or two. Invaluable, brilliant and conveyed in a simple fashion.
9. Judy Redvers - as above
10. Dewey - the dude who taught me about canopy contol and rear risers - the ultimate Parachitist
11. Boxman - you are a great coach
12. Khan Hildebrand (no relation to the instructor who insists on being called Eric) and Steve for not giving up and finally teaching me how to pack.
13. Janine and Geene - they know why
14. The whole ZHills Bomb Squad crowd. They know I'm a greenhorn. They advise me, tell me what not to do, keep up with my loud mouth etc.
15. Last but not least Ed Ganley of Pittsburgh Skydive - humility, humility, humility

jraf

Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui.
Muff #3275

[dida 0]

Stormin' Norman - for giving me a Hooters T-shirt when i showed him my boobies

Batman - for always telling me how sexy i am

Kentucky - for telling me i'm the best thing since Al Bundy (it's a great compliment coming from Kentucky)

Nullified - for teaching me about the dangers of lava

spiral out...keep going...

[Schroeder 0]

Larry - Up at Black Ram. Coolest guy. Did alot for me in my beginning while.

If I ventured in the slipstream; Between the via-ducts of your dreams.......could you find me?

[tigra 0]

Not in order of importance, cuz they are all up there.....

1) Ron "Ronco" Nowak- taught my AFP ground school, was an all around mentor to me throughout the student program and beyond and although I've never had the pleasure of actually jumping with him, what he taught in ground school saved my a@@ more than once. He's just an all around wonderful person.

2) Jerry Bird- had an opportunity to make some jumps with him a few years ago. What an amazing organizer. He's also the first person I have ever jumped with who told the base to go faster after people (myself included) went low on the dive. Up to then I always thought that if I went low, it was my fault and I sucked!

3) Jerry "Uncle Jerry" or "Cheese" Lenherr. Tandem Master, AFP instructor, load organizer to the newbies, world record holder, national gold medalist, etc.... One of those people who always takes the time to work with you, always willing to help out whether its pointers on a big way or leveling your trailer! Just a fabulous person, and to this day, still a mentor to me and a good friend.

4) And of course, Roger Nelson who has taught me quite a bit about skydiving and has provided such a great facility to learn and jump.

5) Isabelle (don't know her last name) who fought and eventually lost a long battle with breast cancer but would come out to the dz and jump between Chemo cycles and kept such a positive attitude through it all! Shortly before she died she had decided to take up video flying and shot video for one of my jumps. I still have it somewhere.

There are others I meet new hroes every weekend at the dz, don't we all??

maura

[MGSkyFlyer 0]

My skydiving hero is my Brother
his name is Michael Guilford A-38500
but I call him BROTHER!!!!

I wonder if all sisters feel this proud...