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skydive_n8

Todd J.

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Thanks Lynn.
Keep writing if it's helping you to get through this, please.

Todd was eating a whole apple pie sitting next to me on the couch during the CRW class, so your stories make me smile. I remember the two of you swapping sparklie eyed glances and smiles at each other during the class. It was refreshing.
With a mouthful of apple pie he leaned over and asked me if Jim was an IT guy, because he seemed really smart compared to most CRW dawgs. That made me laugh.
Last I saw him he was wearing his FEED TODD shirt. Very appropriate :)He made me laugh every time I talked to him.
And stories about Todd still make me laugh.
Keep 'em coming friends, because I don't understand coping with this, but hearing good things about him helps.
Blues,
April

Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want.

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I haven't been able to come up with words to describe how I feel but let me say this: Todd was one of the greatest people I've ever known, anywhere. He was always around to help out and had a wealth of knowledge about skydiving and flying that he was always ready to share.

I remember how when the whole crew would be out at the bars, many times me and Todd would be on the edges of the group just sharing flying stories because I was taking it easy since I was flying the next day and Todd was taking it easy so he wouldn't pass out early.

I'll always remember how he went to great lengths to help out students/newer jumpers especially with packing and gear advice. When I got a new canopy for my rig he must have bagged it a dozen times or more and was happy to do it, never asking for anything in return. He's done so much free rigging for me (and tons of other jumpers) that I can't even remember all of it. Any little thing that I would mention, he'd always take a look at it and fix it (usually right away) even if it was just a cosmetic thing. I'd try to pay him and he'd say, "No that's ok, It's just what I do."

For me, one thing that really stuck out was the day that I first started flying at Wissota (I had been jumping there for a bit over a year) and after we had put the plane away, he walked up with a couple beverages and handed me one. He looked at me and said, "Good job, buddy."

There's so much more to Todd than that. I feel extremely lucky to have known him for the two years that I did. He always inspired me to do better in everything, not just skydiving.

Blue Skies Todd.
Paul

"It's like a hamburger, with cheese on it"

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Thank you Lynn for more great stories... Todd on the lawn mower is his factory diver.. HA!
My favorite story is the demo into the View in the dead of winter, and he's wearing shorts. He lands and does the polar bear plunge, and then we forgot to bring him his clothes. The video debuts today...
We will miss you brother! Beasts and Jager bombs all around!
Karl and Merriah
Team Flew-id
Making freefall pretty since 1998

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A couple of weeks ago I had actually asked Todd if I could mow the lawn in my jumpsuit and helmet. He told me it sounded like a pretty dumb idea, but I was welcome to if I wanted.
There's no such thing as free will; everything is dictated by the Uncertainty Principle.

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When I starting jumping Todd had not yet returned to jumping from his previous incident. I will never forget the first time I met him after I road my MX bike to the DZ(motorcycles were another passion of his). I went and asked Marty who the goofy Todd was that was rambling on and on to me outside. At first I did not know what to think of him. In the end he became a great friend.

He got me off wrong track and into serious flying a canopy the right way.(even if I broke a lot of rules doing it). You see, there were/are a few guys, including the DZO that do a snap toggle hook landing. I was impressed from the first time I saw it. I bought a rig a month into jumping with a pd190 and got everyone's attention when I started working my way lower with 180 degree snap toggle hooks. It was fun but certainly not appropriate. After learning that night about f111 vs zp and toggle vs riser, I borrowed a saber 150 for quite a few jumps until I had enough jumps to get a stiletto 107. Every one was freaked and did the right thing by trying to get me to slow down. Todd who was not even jumping took a different approach. He taught me how to swoop! He knew I was passionate and I was going to anyway, so he wanted me to do it right. Now I still pushed it and Todd shook his head sometimes, but while he was unable to jump he was skydiving vicariously through others and he truly enjoyed watching efforts pay off in other people. He never lost that.

I lost a great bunch of videos when my camera was stolen, but there is one that I would have loved to post. It was winter and Todd and I were the only ones at the dz other than my girlfriend and the pilot. We came in tight to the clubhouse and landed in the peas. Todd was first with pov video. His shadow was awesome going over the roof. As soon as he stuck the peas he whipped around to film me taking the identical approach and line in. I landed exactly were he was standing in the peas with my mug inches from the camera while he fought to keep his balance as he leaned back to get out of my way. The best part of the video though is the audio capturing the excitement in the way Todd so often expressed it! It was pure Todd. He lived it. Was he excited about his landing? Most certainly. Was he excited about mine? Absolutely. But I think another part of it for him was that he just filmed me doing his approach… his turn…his line…ect... And he taught every single bit of it to me. He loved to teach. And we came into each others life at the perfect time. He needed a project like me and was passionate about it. I needed him to get me through the curve and since he was not jumping he would never miss a landing or a chance to debrief.

He was a great skydiver and I learned much more that just canopy flying from him.

Thank you Todd. I love you! You were a great friend.

Josh
That spot isn't bad at all, the winds were strong and that was the issue! It was just on the downwind side.

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Alicia and I regret not being able to make Baldwin today for the Todd tribute, so we're doing the next best thing.

We are having a West Coast Todd Jacobson Memorial...we're supplying green bottles for the dz bonfire, and I'm gonna hoist a few beers and tell some tall tales starring Todd.

Does anyone know when Todd's ash dive is going to be?

The attached pics are from the WFFC website. I wish I could attach ten-year-old VHS tapes...

Erik Prime

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Many of us in the South will be raising our glasses and remembering the good times we had with Todd. He had extended WFFC family at West Tennessee Skydiving in Memphis, and here at Gold Coast Skydivers in Mississippi.

Please keep us updated on plans for his ash dive or any future plans or tributes.

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It takes away the hurt a little bit, knowing that skydivers will be destroying brain cells in Todd's name from coast to coast this weekend...New York, Los Angeles, Mississippi, Tennessee, and his home turf of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota.

Here's one of the stories I'll be telling...The demo in Phillips, when Todd and I planned to entertain the whuffos with a downplane. Instead, we had a canopy wrap, my first and only, and at low altitude, but Todd was calm in the saddle and talked me through a clean separation. The crowd was totally in awe. One of the old-timer pilots approached Todd and said, "That was quite a stunt. You had some of those guys fooled into thinking something was wrong." Todd threw his trademark smirk and said, "I planned that. Wasn't it awesome?"

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The Beast (Milwaukee's Best Ice). All it took was two....Two Beer Todd (maybe 3 or 4 on a good night).

Today was unbelievable, and it went by so fast.

Todd's ash dive date has yet to be decided. Planning for the future isn't my strong point right now. All I know is that it will be at Wissota, date to be determined.

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Todd's memorial day at Skydive Twin Cities was indeed amazing! The drop zone was positively packed with fellow jumpers who loved him, as well as many of Todd and Lynn's family.
We started jumping around noon and continued until sunset, and many great jumps were had by all. My favorite was a chick way with Lynn, Jamie, Monique, Erika, and Mary. After getting ourselves some extra altitude:):), we launched a six way zipper, which didn't work out perfectly, but we got it together quick. We went to a round, with a missing slot for Todd, because he would want to be on a jump with all these boobs. Lynn and Jamie made sure to rub their nipples for good measure. Them Lynn and Mo flew together and we added some pods and spun the 3 ways like crazy, close and fast. I'll never forget seeing Lynn's hand on Mo's face shield as we slammed them back together - Ha! We made it through the dive twice (nipple rubs both times) and back to the top before tracking off giggling inside our helmets. Todd would love that one....
Lynn brought out many photos of Todd, as well as his first logbook, and I learned something new... Todd did freestyle!! There are entries on several jumps, including details about doing T’s and flipping them… who knew?? :o There was also a D-bag made out to be a card box (very cool) and I made a short memorial video showing his fantastic 4 way skills, his usual antics, and the trademark cheesy grin. Of course we made sure to HIM him a couple times.
Today my heart hurts… I miss Todd, I love Lynn… But, to honor them both, I will continue to train and coach students for free as much as I can, since I know they are both very much about paying it forward. For all of you reading this, if you want to honor Todd, take a newbie up on your own dime... he would love that!
M
xx

Team Flew-id
Making freefall pretty since 1998

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The "Boobie Dive" was definitely a great tribute to Todd yesterday. He would have been honored to be on a jump with 6 sets.

Todd - You were the first person to PM me on dz.com encouraging me to jump in the winter, and more importantly to jump at Wissota. I will miss your quirky humor, your wacky stories, and your overall "awesom-ness." I will never forget the "awesome" 4 way we did at Pumpkin Toss right after our "awesome" tossing of the said pumpkins. Who came closest to the car in the field? Oh yeah, we did!

Thanks for all you did for Skydive Wissota and this sport. Your presence will always be with that little club. I'll miss jumping with you this winter out there!

BSBD my friend.
Dinger

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It sounds like Todd's logbooks were a hit at Baldwin. They are hilarious. I used to read them on rainy weekends at the dz. He would always write how awesome and fast he was.

Everyone's logbook was fair game. If you forgot yours at the dz, Todd usually enhanced it with an entry or two. Here's an entry I found in my logbook from 1999: "Todd is so good. Best ever. Wow! I wish I could be like him."

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Everyone's logbook was fair game. If you forgot yours at the dz, Todd usually enhanced it with an entry or two. Here's an entry I found in my logbook from 1999: "Todd is so good. Best ever. Wow! I wish I could be like him."



Funny thing is that there were one or two similar entries in Todd's log book that appeared to not have been in his handwriting!!! Care to confess, Gag????

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I'm in the same boat with all the Wissota folks. Just ...

He did what he loved and he shared that enthusiasm (and his farts) freely. We should salute that and keep that tradition going.

Every time I look at my rig, I will forever remember Todd caressing it like a newborn baby.

Time to kill brain cells.
Why don't you just go to the police station in a red clown suit and let everybody know what we're doing here?

I have a phobia for moobs. Thanks, youknowwhoyouare.

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As my dog, Lucy, adjusts to living full time with her new brother, Jedei, There are several Todd-Jedei stories that have run through my mind. Keep in mind that I already admitted that Todd was far from normal.

Jedei definitely has a mind of his own. 99% of the time Jedei will do what his is told, but that's only because it's what Jedei wants to do. The other 1%, there is nothing you can do to get him to cooperate. The fact that 99% of the time he "does what he's told", made him the perfect dog.

Todd often left Jedei outside when he'd go run errands, to the gym or what not because Jedei would not come when he was called, but Jedei would always be there to greet Todd as he drove down the driveway.

Back in June, Bob, Jamie, Todd and I were getting ready to go to Baldwin for the 2nd NPSL meet. Jedei wouldn't go inside, and it was getting late, so Todd decided to leave him outside. As we drove away, and Jedei watched from just enough distance, Todd rolled down his window, stuck his hand out, decided to declare his human dominance and yelled, "Yeah, look it you fucking dog!!! Its called a disposible thumb!!!"

Jedei is definitely a beagle dog...a hunter. And sometimes he gets into things he shouldn't. This late winter/early spring, Jedei found something "good" and decided to roll in it. He stunk!!! I threathened Todd that if he didn't clean Jedei a little bit, that Jedei was going to have to sleep outside because he wasn't going to sleep in the hanger with us smelling like that. He finally mumbled "Ok", and called Jedei into the clubhouse bathroom and closed the door. Ten minutes later they both emerged. Todd went into the clubhouse shower, stripped down, took a shower with Jedei and washed him with whatever soap was available, which happen to be Ax Body Wash. Jedei has been forever known as "An Ax Man" just like the commercials. And Jedei has never smelled better, nor his coat softer, than that night.

I owe beer for today. It was the first time that for a split second I forgot that Todd was gone. I had a thought that my first instict was to call Todd and tell him about it. I got 1/2 way through the thought and remembered. I hate normal life. I hate knowing that there are no more memories created. No more new stories.

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Two years ago today, I finally gave into Todd's spell and we shared our first kiss. One year ago today, Todd was feeding me breakfast in bed and handing me a bouquet of flowers, with the price tag still on them.

Todd knew how I felt about flowers...waste of money! On Valentine's Day when ever the flower delivery people would show up at work, all the women in the office were eager to find out who they were for. Meanwhile, I was sitting there saying outloud, "Those better not be for me!! I'll hurt him if they are. He knows better than that!" He knew that if he spent a bunch of money on flowers, something that will eventually wilt and be thrown away, over buying me a few jumps he would be "in big trouble". Todd bought me flowers four times while we were together. Every time he was sure to leave the price tag on them to make sure that I knew he didn't spent anymore than $3-7 on them (less than a hnp). And he never paid over inflated prices during periods like Valentine's Day. They were always during random times where it was truely a surprise. But by doing this, he was able to surprise me on our last anniversary.

Todd always claimed to have struggled to write in the cards he got me, but after going back and reading them the last month, he knew exactly what to say. Or if he didn't know exactly what to say, he somehow managed to say the perfect things, even if the "present" that came with it wasn't.

On Valentine's Day 2007, he handed me a card and two half eaten bags of candy. He said he ate some to make sure it was okay. He also knew that I am not a big candy fan. So after having a piece of each of it, I handed the bags back to him. Todd forced the innocent, confused look he would often get and said, "Huh? Wha? You don't want it?" Watching him devour the candy was far more enjoyable than eating it myself.

Happy Anniversary, Todd. I love you and I miss you!



Todd's Ash Dive is schedule to take place during Skydive Wissota's Annual Pumpkin Toss Weekend: Oct 24-26th. Todd loved P-Toss weekend so it just seemed right to do it then. We're planning late morning/early afternoon on Saturday, the 25th for the jump, but will work it in anytime after if weather is an issue.

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todd was and still is an inspiration to me. i remember when i took my static line class and he came swooping in. del told me not to move. he landed 10 feet away from me. i was totally awestruck. i told him that was awesome and he said "its what i do."
i worked with todd at sfr. before i ever skydived when i talked to him at work all he talked about was how great of a skydiver he was. i remember seeing his leftover pies and forks laying all over the plant. it sucks that the breakroom is so clean now. its still hard for me not to see him there every morning. i miss him so much.
he made me feel welcome at the dropzone from day one.
on my 19th jump i had a 2 out situation and i cut away my main canopy. when i realized that this reserve was most likely packed by todd. it brought a smile to face. when i landed lynn said "todd saved another life."
the following sunday i went to the dropzone to jump and mary gave me his seal from that reserve that i flew. i had to go outside and sit down for a moment. i shed a tear everytime i look at that seal.

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