billvon 2,395 #1 January 28, 2002 New topic because the Emma vs Skreamer thread got locked before I could answer two people about the skydivers and BDSM thing:>Based on some of the costumes I've seen skydiver chicks wear to Halloween parties.......skydivers are >MUCH more into it than the general pop...I danced with one of those people at the Perris halloween party - she had on a collar and a leash. "What are you supposed to be?" I asked her. "It's not a costume," she said.>i can understand the bondage part anyway, look at all the straps and buckles on a rig! maybe it's more >about being trussed up in the rig than jumping out of an airplane! I always wondered about how different a tandem must be for a true submissive - get strapped to some guy who then tosses you out of an airplane.I'm still not sure if it's that skydivers are, in general, more perverted than the rest of the world, or just more open about their own perversions. (And before anyone gets offended, I don't consider the term "pervert" to be a negative.) The skydiving community seems a lot more open to unusual people - we seem to spend a lot of time defending our own rather unusual sport to whuffos, and if someone new comes to the DZ with a shaved head, tattoos all over his skull, and enough metal in his face to set off metal detectors at airports, no one thinks much of it. Does that attitude tend to encourage people to "come out of the closet" so to speak, whether their thing is BDSM, or piercing every free area of their skin, or being gay? I'm not sure, but you definitely see a lot fewer people trying to be "normal" at a dropzone than at most other places. We seem to recognize that we're not exactly normal to begin with.-bill von Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #2 January 28, 2002 QuoteWe seem to recognize that we're not exactly normal to begin with.Hey I resent that remark! I'm entirely normal... it's all those whuffos that are wierd pull and flare,lisa--Life is tough, but I'm tougher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk 2 #3 January 28, 2002 um i think one word sums up that entire thing freeflyers (o)(o) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk 2 #4 January 28, 2002 Hey I resent that remark! I'm entirely normal... it's all those whuffos that are wierd no i think you are weird lol jk(o)(o) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NtheSeaOrSky 0 #5 January 28, 2002 Sheesh! Its not "wierdness" or "abnormality", its "UNIQUENESS" we are all very unique people!!That's my story anyway! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,395 #6 January 28, 2002 >Sheesh! Its not "wierdness" or "abnormality", its "UNIQUENESS" we are all very unique people!!Well, you're quite right, and that's how most skydivers see it (I think.) Still, we're far from normal. Dictionary says:Normal: Conforming with, adhering to, or constituting a norm, standard, pattern, level, or type; typical.Most people don't jump out of airplanes. Heck, most people don't even understand what we do, if normal whuffo questions are any indication. I think that's fine - I'd rather have toleration over "normality" any day.-bill von Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freebird 0 #7 January 28, 2002 Skydiving is the only thing that makes me feel normal. The longer you wait ........the more sense you get. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fred 0 #8 January 28, 2002 I was certain the word was normalcy, not normality, but m-w.com agrees with both.A lot of people fight against being normal themselves, and jumping out of an airplane is a simple way to escape society's norms. And once they do it the first time, they're hooked. Perhaps this is a workable theory? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freebird 0 #9 January 28, 2002 I like that theory Fred.The longer you wait ........the more sense you get. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #10 January 28, 2002 Before I started skydiving, I had kind of gotten to the point where I felt I could really be myself no matter where I was. I just sort of reached a point where I decided that I wasn't going to live my life the way others wanted me to, I was going to be true to myself and if other people don't like it, oh well.Still, I find the DZ to be a particularly welcoming place. No matter what you look like, and to a certain degree no matter how you behave ("Oh that's just so&so, he/she's always like that."), people more or less accept you as you are. For many folks, I don't think they get that accepting attitude elsewhere and that's why the skydiving lifestyle is so attractive... it's the one place where they can totally be themselves without fear of repurcussions.To the extent that people are being really true to themselves, I'd say they're more "normal" than 90% of the rest of the population."Zero Tolerance: the politically correct term for zero thought, zero common sense." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk 2 #11 January 28, 2002 id rather be weird than board/boring(o)(o) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iflyme 0 #12 January 28, 2002 Am I weird? When I'm up in the plane, I feel sorry for all groundhogs (that's the new term for whuffos - right?!?) below who are grounded, and have no conception of their meager existance on the surface of the planet. Monday to Friday we all (well, most of us) go to work in the real world with the groundhogs, talk their talk, do their walk, but come the weekend, we surround ourselves with like-minded people, and live the same fantasy they live -- WE CAN FLY!!!!! No... that's definitely not "normal" -- so once we are immersed in a group of people who are "un-normal" like ourselves, then our uniqueness can shine thru, and be welcomed the other non-conformers. Oh yeah, I gotta slip this in -- I like big boobies! Hope I'm not seen as hijacking your thread, Bill... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #13 January 28, 2002 I guess I'm lucky. My world is made up of mostly skydiving and skydivers. To me jumping out of airplanes is absolutely a "normal" thing to do; it's what I love to do, it's what 90% of my friends and all of my co-workers love to do, it's what my son is trying to gather enough money to continue doing and it's what my brother and at least one cousin want to do... Since skydiving is my world, those who don't at least want to jump are, to me anyway, not quite "normal." Hard for me to understand how anyone could not want to fly! That said, and to get back to bill's point, the openness about and overall acceptance of the various "quirks" of people who skydive is definitely something you don't often see in the whuffo world. I got way more strange looks from whuffos than from skydivers when I had the ring in my eyebrow...pull and flare,lisa--Life is tough, but I'm tougher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #14 January 28, 2002 This begs the question...Does anybody jump at a DZ with a noticiable Gay or African American population?Despite all the acceptance of alternative lifestyles (piercings, tatoos, bikers, etc) at DZ's, I've seen two African Americans do tandems, and I've never seen an openly gay person._Am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fred 0 #15 January 28, 2002 I think that's an excellent question, AndyMan.I'm still a student, just a newbie, but in my 10 or so weekends at my small single Cessna DZ, I have yet to see a single black person. We did have some amish children come to watch the newfangled air machines, so perhaps it's the area where it's located.As far as being openly gay, I don't tend to notice. There seems to be plenty of 'fag' comments on these forums, so perhaps there are some things that skydivers aren't so open minded about. I still bet we're more progressive than the general population. I don't think that the lack of blacks has anything to do with the general skydiver's acceptance, but is more likely a social issue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefallfreak 0 #16 January 28, 2002 AndyMan,QuoteI've never seen an openly gay person.Ever met Skreamer?? Whoops, he's the sheep-lover...sorry...wrong thread...lol.TripleF Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skySue 0 #17 January 28, 2002 I go with the 'unique' line, and the tolerance. Even though we might be politically incorrect most of the time, from what I've seen everyone and anyone is accepted/tolerated at most dzs. I've met one openly gay person and a couple of people from about 6 different nationalities at the small dz I usually go to. Our common passion over-rides any differences and we just get on with jumping and laughing. Apart from the jumping, the things that I really appreciate about skydiving are the acceptance, no matter who/what you are, and the variety of people you meet.Go for it ALL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,395 #18 January 28, 2002 >Oh yeah, I gotta slip this in -- I like big boobies! Hope I'm not seen as hijacking your thread, Bill...Well, since it started over a BDSM comment, a boobies mention is just par for the course.-bill von Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,395 #19 January 28, 2002 >Despite all the acceptance of alternative lifestyles (piercings, tatoos, bikers, etc) at DZ's, I've seen two >African Americans do tandems, and I've never seen an openly gay person.Yeah, the African American thing is odd. I've jumped with perhaps five black people in the time I've been jumping, and the fact that they stood out tells me that they're a very small minority in skydiving. I've jumped with several gay or bisexual jumpers, but that small number doesn't seem odd to me - you can jump with someone and not know they're gay. It's not a real important thing to know about someone if you're doing a 10-way with them.-bill von Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emma 0 #20 January 28, 2002 QuoteEver met Skreamer?? Whoops, he's the sheep-lover...Oh god not again...QuoteYeah, the African American thing is odd. I've jumped with perhaps five black people in the time I've been jumping, and the fact that they stood out tells me that they're a very small minority in skydiving.I'd say it's probably to be expected given the high costs associated with skydiving, and the typical socio-ecomic profile for Afro-caribbeans. It's the same with show-jumping.Quote I've jumped with several gay or bisexual jumpers, but that small number doesn't seem odd to me - you can jump with someone and not know they're gay. It's not a real important thing to know about someone if you're doing a 10-way with them.I agree. But I think it may be to do with the fairly macho scene at DZs. No matter how welcoming and accepting DZs are, there are still some taboos. It's a male-dominated sport and so stands to reason that to be openly gay is not accepted very well. It should be, but it's not. (Although we make allowances for Skreamer )NOw lesbians, on the other hand, are positively encouraged...as long as they're 'feminine' enough...Why is that, d'ya think? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RemiAndKaren 0 #21 January 28, 2002 what does BDSM stand for? RemiMuff 914 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E150 0 #22 January 28, 2002 Big Dick Small Mind Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk 2 #23 January 28, 2002 oh therfor skyhawk = bdsmcool :)i dont think the african american thing is money race or anything this sport was pretty much started by white ppl now dif cultures live with eachother because thats where there comfort is its more social than racial so ppl that get involved are usually encoureged by ppl they have come incontact with, this isnt always true, i didnt but overall it is anyways i prob confused you all so basicaly its more of a social thing that there are less minoritys jumping but they are there i have jumped with alot of different ppl from dif ethnic backgroundson the gay you would have to be very open to tell ppl you where gay at my dz cause there alot of comments and shit, on the same hand though i dont know anyone that would treat them different its just a big step to make on the lesbian thing thats cause it is a male dominated sport (unfortanitly um i really should stop writen long stuff cause i forget the question (o)(o) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefallfreak 0 #24 January 28, 2002 Dude,Quoteum i really should stop writen long stuff cause i forget the questionThat's ok...you did good...lolFFF Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RemiAndKaren 0 #25 January 28, 2002 Quoteonly thing better than imagining 1 girl is 2 dont be greedy.. how about 3 or 4????RemiMuff 914 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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