mdrejhon 8 #1 March 28, 2008 Hello, This represents the 3rd anniversary of when I paid for my AFF-type program (progressive freefall) to become a skydiver! Part of my incentive to first become a regular skydiver was because I read about Deaf World Record 2005, which was happening later in the same year! I wanted also become Canada's first licensed deaf skydiver. (As far as I know, I am the only licensed one in Canada who was born deaf, not deafened later in life) For you deaf newbies who happen to be reading this, if you happen to be surfing dropzone.com, why not sign up for AFF this year -- or at least do a First Jump tandem? Then do an European vacation with a side trip to Deaf World Record 2010 that will be happening at Spain's most beautiful skydiving dropzone, freefalling near the mountains. It is like a small skydiving boogie but for deaf individuals, and since this is the only deaf skydiving group. They sound like they are organizing something amazing again! For those newbies who ask (like I was), if you see a "DWR" thread in this forum in the future, now you know that it means Deaf World Record! Read those other threads and learn about them too! And if you are a new deaf skydiver and say hello, please introduce yourself in here, to encourage other new deaf skydivers too! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robskydiv 0 #2 April 7, 2008 I'm not deaf. But, congratulations on all of your skydiving accomplishments. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toastie 0 #3 June 30, 2008 Hi mdrejhon! I am a newbie AFF student in the US. I am at AFF level 4 currently and am enjoying it. I am not completely deaf, but am hard of hearing. A few years ago I woke up with permanent hearing loss in one ear, and run the risk of losing the ability to hear out of my other ear as well. Anywho, just thought I would introduce myself! Toastie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goesky 0 #4 July 14, 2008 Toastie, Welcome to the deaf world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toastie 0 #5 July 19, 2008 hahaha thanks goesky! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #6 September 9, 2008 My friends Brian Walters and Jonathan Leach are relatively new to skydiving. I know Jonathan is interested in particupating. I will be more than halfway through with my interpreting degree by then! Hopefully I can join all of you there : )Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #7 September 9, 2008 I am going back to Perris for September 10th through 22nd, for the Perris Big Way Camp, and hopefully also the 100-Way Camp if I manage to move on to the 'next level'. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoLowTurnsDITCH 0 #8 September 18, 2008 hello! my name is Dustin Smith, I am from Hazelwood MO. I am also into interputing and i attend Florisant Valley Commuity Colledge. i am 19 years old and for this is my first time on this site, wanted to say hi and hopefully we could jump together some time and sign while free fall!!!! lol. anyways also wanted to add a thanks you for the verse. heres one i like...... Jeremiah 30:17 "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD. i had a really close to death accident. landed right off the highway and broke my ankle. ( 9out of 10 break) went right into the ER then surgy. months go by i cant do n e thing,in pain. they told me i would never be able to play sports or run agian, but then he told me how lucky i was to be alive today. i said, you are a great doctor, but who really saved me was my jesus. i heal up, and within 1 year of pain, and a mostly metal ankle, i jump out of a plane agian. and still doing it! now the verse makes more since. -thanks, DITCH PS- do u do any deaf ministry's? i do alot! good prctice for future Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mx757 4 #9 September 19, 2008 you need to take up bowling... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #10 September 19, 2008 Quote you need to take up bowling... Ouch, that was harsh. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #11 September 20, 2008 Been at the Perris camp for last weekend and the 100-way camp. We have done several 65-way jumps so far, including three that were nearly complete except for one-outs or broken grip in a loop. I now begin my first 102-way tomorrow. Wish me luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mx757 4 #12 September 20, 2008 good luck Mark.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #13 September 20, 2008 Quotegood luck Mark.. Ditto! He's come a helluva long way since the 2005 Deaf World Record in Florida. If he gets the 102 way, that'll beat my personal best 101 way. That's impressive considering I got my first 100 way at 500 jumps."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mx757 4 #14 September 20, 2008 Quote Quote good luck Mark.. Ditto! He's come a helluva long way since the 2005 Deaf World Record in Florida. If he gets the 102 way, that'll beat my personal best 101 way. That's impressive considering I got my first 100 way at 500 jumps. yea he has, but I still won't give him a pin check in airplane before exit... he got mad as hell about that! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #15 September 21, 2008 Middle-left trail plane out of 5, deep diver, third last out of the door, weed whacker slot. Six times. Yes, six 102-way attempts in one day. Catching up for bad weather. Docked 2 times (or was it 3?), I parked 3 times in my slot (ran out of time for my neighbours to dock), and went low once because someone from behind me flew under me. Essentially I've made my slot every single time - No noteworthy violations so far except being a couple degrees off-radial in my stadium, which I've been continuing to refine. It's more sensory overload of a 'breathy, wavy' 102-way attempt that I've got to resist and keep my eye through the center of the base, which is challenging with the sensory overload of over a hundred jumpers floating near you. It is still a new sight to behold. Biggest buildup was about 95 people with me included, there are still people getting low or pairs of people funneling each other due to redzone traffic. I must say these are stressful jumps. Just as 65-ways were starting to become easy, 100-way is a whole new league (of a different ballpark) and it's super stressful, being suddenly thrown as a deep diver for my first 102-way, with 101 other people depending on you to make it a complete formation. I know it's just a camp event, but -- this has been a very stressful day even if I performed well. I'll get used to it. The dives are fun. I used to go low often as a deep diver, which contributes to a large part of the stress, but I avoided that pattern and am gaining more confidence as a deep diver. That is the final frontier for me -- I believe I can now do any slot on the 100way, deep diver being the hardest slot for me. My new slowfall jumpsuit is very handy in this slot. Big stopping power and I'm almost middle of fallrate range when the base starts to get floaty, which is good. I have only jumped my slowfaller jumpsuit 10 times total, so I've had to get used to it new diveslope and fallrate range capabilities in such a hurry. It also make me a very floaty tracker too - by the end of the day, I was almost reaching the outers and floating far above (And to side of) my breakoff team. I was under them early in the day, but I think I've nailed the track in the new slowfaller... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #16 September 21, 2008 Quote yea he has, but I still won't give him a pin check in airplane before exit... he got mad as hell about that! Unannounced Pinchecks (without permission). I frequently ask people to check my pins, or they ask if they can check me ("may I?") Nontheless, I've learned to tolerate it if someone gives me an unannounced pin check. So I'm not going to be mad as hell, just prefer I know it's a pin check that someone is giving me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #17 September 21, 2008 100 out of 101 built! Everyone got in, but a whacker broke off right before the last person gripped. This was Jump #2 out of 4 planned today for our group. It's no longer as stressful and the formation was finally solid and not wavy. 30 minute call now! We shall nail it on the next jump... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FLYCOOL5 0 #18 October 1, 2008 wow that nice news for the organization DWR 2010 !!!hello guys, I'm a deaf Italian skydiver, from 4 years I 've made 550 jumps ... I will come certainly ... wow wow.... ciao blue sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites