kkeenan 13 #1 July 25, 2011 In Reply To "Swooping isn't safe and people shouldn't do it....and I'm a hypocrite." ---------------- Below is a theory that I would like to advance. It is sort of a thought exercise, and not only do I expect a good deal of disagreement, I'm expecting a bit of hatred: Some Swoopers feel that their prestige comes from not only the skill with which they can swoop, but from the fact they they routinely survive what is generally considered to be the deadliest form of skydiving. Each new fatality raises the "coolness factor" of swooping and therefore the "perceived coolness" of each surviving swooper. In a sort of passive-aggressive reaction to a new fatality, this type of person openly mourns the death of his fellow swooper, while secretly harboring a reaction of, "Yes. There's another one that I'm better than". Swooping cannot be made safe. The entire point of it is to do something that can be brutally fatal if not done successfully. It is done in an environment that cannot be controlled 100% by the operator, so even a theoretically "perfect" swooper WILL have an accident eventually. If you play Russian Roulette in the classic way, spinning the chamber for each trigger pull, it is statistically possible go many rounds successfully, just as its possible to have a coin toss come up "heads" 100 times in a row. But if you try it, you will see that it is unlikely. Kevin Keenan_____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 July 25, 2011 Quote In Reply To "Swooping isn't safe and people shouldn't do it....and I'm a hypocrite." ---------------- Below is a theory that I would like to advance. It is sort of a thought exercise, and not only do I expect a good deal of disagreement, I'm expecting a bit of hatred: Some SKYDIVERS feel that their prestige comes from not only the skill with which they can SKYDIVE, but from the fact they they routinely survive what is generally considered to be the deadliest form of RECREATIONAL SPORTS. Each new fatality raises the "coolness factor" of SKYDIVING and therefore the "perceived coolness" of each surviving SKYDIVE. In a sort of passive-aggressive reaction to a new fatality, this type of person openly mourns the death of his fellow SKYDIVER, while secretly harboring a reaction of, "Yes. There's another one that I'm better than". [QUOTE]Some MOTORCYCLE RIDERS feel that their prestige comes from not only the skill with which they can RIDE, but from the fact they they routinely survive what is generally considered to be the deadliest form of MOTORING. Each new fatality raises the "coolness factor" of RIDING and therefore the "perceived coolness" of each surviving RIDE. In a sort of passive-aggressive reaction to a new fatality, this type of person openly mourns the death of his fellow RIDER, while secretly harboring a reaction of, "Yes. There's another one that I'm better than".[/QUOTE] We can play this game all day long!--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SRI85 0 #3 July 25, 2011 QuoteQuote In Reply To "Swooping isn't safe and people shouldn't do it....and I'm a hypocrite." ---------------- Below is a theory that I would like to advance. It is sort of a thought exercise, and not only do I expect a good deal of disagreement, I'm expecting a bit of hatred: Some SKYDIVERS feel that their prestige comes from not only the skill with which they can SKYDIVE, but from the fact they they routinely survive what is generally considered to be the deadliest form of RECREATIONAL SPORTS. Each new fatality raises the "coolness factor" of SKYDIVING and therefore the "perceived coolness" of each surviving SKYDIVE. In a sort of passive-aggressive reaction to a new fatality, this type of person openly mourns the death of his fellow SKYDIVER, while secretly harboring a reaction of, "Yes. There's another one that I'm better than". [QUOTE]Some MOTORCYCLE RIDERS feel that their prestige comes from not only the skill with which they can RIDE, but from the fact they they routinely survive what is generally considered to be the deadliest form of MOTORING. Each new fatality raises the "coolness factor" of RIDING and therefore the "perceived coolness" of each surviving RIDE. In a sort of passive-aggressive reaction to a new fatality, this type of person openly mourns the death of his fellow RIDER, while secretly harboring a reaction of, "Yes. There's another one that I'm better than".[/QUOTE] We can play this game all day long! 100% right on that..Theres 1000s of swoopers out there, maybe 10 a year die from it. Theres a science to it. some people simply fuck up, as is the case with most fatalities. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildcard451 0 #4 July 25, 2011 You are a whuffo within the sport. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peek 20 #5 July 25, 2011 I have always thought that a person can make their swooping "safer" by being more willing to abort the swoop if things are not setup correctly or if something just does not "feel right" at the moment they are about to commit to the swoop. Years ago when people were beginning to crash under high performance canopies, I sought out people who had crashed and survived. Invariably what they said was that something didn't seem right, but they convinced themselves that the swoop was going to be OK. For you folks that swoop often, how often do you abort? And is it proportional to how current you are? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaVinciflies 0 #6 July 25, 2011 QuoteIn a sort of passive-aggressive reaction to a new fatality, this type of person openly mourns the death of his fellow swooper, while secretly harboring a reaction of, "Yes. There's another one that I'm better than". If there are individuals who think like that then they are deluded. It only takes a momentary lapse to screw-up a swoop with horrible consequences. To assume that one is better than a person who does have an accident is extreme arrogance. Quote Swooping cannot be made safe. The entire point of it is to do something that can be brutally fatal if not done successfully. I would venture to say, Sir, that you are incorrect in this, at least for some of us. The reason I want to swoop is not because it is dangerous, but because it is technically challenging and enormous fun when done right. Speed in itself is fun, and that is independent of the danger. Unfortunately the two are intrinsically linked. BTW - how much worse is "brutally fatal" than just "fatal? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
