Skydiving Popularity

[aresye 0]

I don't know about some of you, but one aspect of our little activity known as skydiving that attracted me, was that it's such a small community. At least in regards to other activities. Most regular people we know won't ever put themselves in a place in which they jump out of a plane.

I know there's a lot of you that feel that we need to grow the sport, and I respect that decision, but what are we really looking into by it growing? I enjoy knowing that I'm part of a fairly small community. I love being at a dropzone, and knowing the people I jump with. Sitting around in small groups at the end of the day, around the fire with a few beers. It's a great part of the sport, but I fear that the more popular skydiving gets, the more these aspects will diminish.

So with that in mind, I ask you all. Would you rather have skydiving stay as a farily small community, or grow to become one of the biggest sports?

Skydiving: You either learn from other's mistakes, or they'll learn from yours.

[dynamicedge 0]

The small town vibe is one of the things that attracted me to the sport. I love how when I'm out on a typical daily routine and meet someone who also skydives (rarely happens), we seem to have an instant connection. I say keep it small. I like how at the DZ everybody knows everybody's names. That and I don't want any trouble getting a slot. Skydiving saves lives from mediocrity, let's keep it that way.

[Chubba 0]

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So with that in mind, I ask you all. Would you rather have skydiving stay as a farily small community, or grow to become one of the biggest sports?

I think other skydivers probably have a different viewpoint depending on locations.

My home DZ has a single Cessna 182 and does 5 loads of a sunny day... It would be an absolutely PACKED day if there was 20 people hanging around. I like the place being small... get to know EVERY single person by name.

Plus 5 canopies in the air at once means we can all fly completely illogical patterns and stay safe :)

[virgin-burner 1]

i probably know 50% of the skydivers in my COUNTRY.. and i'm only 1 year into the sport!

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[Deisel 35]

I love the small town vibe of the DZ as well but there are some drawbacks.
There is the matter of economics to consider. The more tandem business the DZ does, the cheaper things are for up jumpers. The more tandem students that move on to FJC, the more people available to jump with.
Also, I think that any active measure to keep the sport small means actively excluding people. This leads to a very unfriendly, clicky, skygod type of environment.
And don't forget that innovation and advancement come from new blood willing to question the status quo and push boundaries. That has always had an overall positive effect anywhere it happens.
One last point would be that the median age of skydivers goes up every year. That means that in time we will eventually die off with no one to replace us.

The brave may not live forever, but the timid never live at all.

[airdvr 197]

I'm old school I know, but back in the day the vibe was even stronger. Belly flying was the only thing there was and everybody learned the same way. We all shared the same experience.

All weekend built up to Sunday evening when we'd get all the planes in the air at once and try the biggest formation we could.

The vibe is still there but with so many disciplines it's just not the same.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[BIGUN 1,053]

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i probably know 50% of the skydivers in my COUNTRY.. and i'm only 1 year into the sport!

There's only four skydivers in your country

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[airtwardo 6]

So with that in mind, I ask you all. Would you rather have skydiving stay as a farily small community, or grow to become one of the biggest sports?

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What a GREAT idea!



I vote all of you that have been jumping less than 10 years quit and go home, it was SO much more fun before ya'll showed up!!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[JohnMitchell 14]

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I vote all of you that have been jumping less than 10 years quit and go home, it was SO much more fun before ya'll showed up!!

In all seriousness, I like the new, big sport. More people to jump with, big fast turbines instead of dinky, slow Cessnas. I like a 60 second freefall after a 15 minute ride much better than a 35 second freefall after a 20 minute ride. I like being at a DZ big enough I can work with students part time, but still have jumps with my wife.

I'm nostalgic for the old days sometimes, but I probably wouldn't be jumping as much if things were like that again.

[vskydiver 0]

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In all seriousness, I like the new, big sport. More people to jump with, big fast turbines instead of dinky, slow Cessnas. I like a 60 second freefall after a 15 minute ride much better than a 35 second freefall after a 20 minute ride. I like being at a DZ big enough I can work with students part time, but still have jumps with my wife.

I'm nostalgic for the old days sometimes, but I probably wouldn't be jumping as much if things were like that again.

Yes it's better in some ways but not so good in others. I miss those days of not having to ask someone if they are freeflying, wings suiting, or something else to see if they'll jump with you. There are a lot of people at the DZ that just won't jump with me because I do RW and absolutely can't do freeflying or anything else. I miss the days when I could ask anyone to jump and they would.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Yep, it's definitely fragmented the sport. A lot more new people jump solo, "Working on my sit," instead of getting to know the belly fliers and getting some basic belly skills.

[UDSkyJunkie 0]

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I know there's a lot of you that feel that we need to grow the sport, and I respect that decision, but what are we really looking into by it growing? I enjoy knowing that I'm part of a fairly small community. I love being at a dropzone, and knowing the people I jump with. Sitting around in small groups at the end of the day, around the fire with a few beers. It's a great part of the sport, but I fear that the more popular skydiving gets, the more these aspects will diminish.

So with that in mind, I ask you all. Would you rather have skydiving stay as a farily small community, or grow to become one of the biggest sports?

A valid concern... though many may say what you have described has already occured at many DZ's.

However, I side with growing the sport. More people means better everything... more gear, better gear, bigger aircraft, more DZ's, bigger DZ's, more voice in washington, more competition, more knowledge... everything is improved.

Granted, if everyone and their brother started jumping, a lot of things would happen that would make it feel less like a small community, but we've got a LONG way to go before that would happen. Consider: 30,000ish USPA members out of 300,000,000 americans = 1 jumper in 10,000 people. A huge number of USPA members are very new, only jump occasionally, or no longer jump, so the truly active, hardcore jumping population is probably more like 10,000, maybe less. You could increase this by an order of magnitude, and it'd still be hardly anybody compared to the general public... but man would it do a lot of good for all the buisinesses built around us.

"Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission."

[Deisel 35]

An addition to my prevoius post; last summer I took a trip from DZ to DZ starting at Skydive Chicago during Nationals and went east. I jumped in Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, and N Carolina. I met nothing but extremly cool skydivers everywhere I went and always felt like I fit in and was welcomed. And then to be able to see some of the people and places in pubs like Parachutist makes for a feeling of community that simply can't exist in some of the bigger sports. So all I can say is that I hope to meet all of you guys soon as my skydiving travels are about to commence once again!

The brave may not live forever, but the timid never live at all.

[virgin-burner 1]

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i probably know 50% of the skydivers in my COUNTRY.. and i'm only 1 year into the sport!

There's only four skydivers in your country

i thought it was 7!?

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[aresye 0]

A lot of good thought put into the responses.

The reason why I asked the question in the first place, is because I know we've all had activities that have grown exponentially from the underground. The downside to having such increasing popularity, is the lack of shine the sport has when everybody starts picking it up. Take for example paintball. There's a sport that really picked up in the past 5-10 years. When I started it was still fairly small. Not too many companies out, tournaments and fields were scarce. It was fun though, to keep a small group of friends that would go out on the weekends, and play all day. Now that it's bigger, almost nobody cares if you play paintball. Annoying 12 year old kids will get up in your face for anything you do wrong on the field.

Maybe I should rephrase my original question.

Would you want skydiving to grow enough that all the emo kids start taking FJC?

Emo Voice: "Hey...man...I can't jump with ya. I'm doing solo because I like to express myself, falling through the clouds."

Next thing we know we'll have horrible youtube videos, with depressing emo/screamo bands as the soundtrack. Oh wait, we already do! Oh no!

Skydiving: You either learn from other's mistakes, or they'll learn from yours.

[skadyver 0]

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A lot of good thought put into the responses.

The reason why I asked the question in the first place, is because I know we've all had activities that have grown exponentially from the underground. The downside to having such increasing popularity, is the lack of shine the sport has when everybody starts picking it up. Take for example paintball. There's a sport that really picked up in the past 5-10 years. When I started it was still fairly small. Not too many companies out, tournaments and fields were scarce. It was fun though, to keep a small group of friends that would go out on the weekends, and play all day. Now that it's bigger, almost nobody cares if you play paintball. Annoying 12 year old kids will get up in your face for anything you do wrong on the field.

Maybe I should rephrase my original question.

Would you want skydiving to grow enough that all the emo kids start taking FJC?

Emo Voice: "Hey...man...I can't jump with ya. I'm doing solo because I like to express myself, falling through the clouds."

Next thing we know we'll have horrible youtube videos, with depressing emo/screamo bands as the soundtrack. Oh wait, we already do! Oh no!

wtf? anyone who wants to jump should be able to jump provided they have the cash and the desire.

no offense but please dont compare a real sport with a fad......

skydiving compared to paintball....?? again wtf?

even if you begged them how many of your family or friends would jump out of a plane?

so far 0 for me..

I guess you could tell peeps that jumpers bounce on a regular basis....a friend told me that when I mentioned I was interested in jumping...

Personally, I try and educate non-jumpers as to how safe skydiving really is every chance I get to encourage them to try it!

one more question: how does a new jumper declining to jump with me hurt me?

also what if the sport decided to quit accepting new members 6 months ago or 6 years ago??

r u familar with the term "elitist"

I dont mean to be insulting but I have yet to feel skydiving is on the verge of becoming to popular...I never even met a skydiver in my life till I recently started to jump...

THE MORE THE MERRIER!! in my book

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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Personally, I try and educate non-jumpers as to how safe skydiving really is every chance I get to encourage them to try it!

Why would you lie? Anyone who jumps, or plans to jump should be fully aware of the fact they can be seriously hurt or killed. Personally I think thats a dis-service to the sport. Right now I do not accept that this sport can kill me so I do not jump, I know it can but the reward does not outweigh the risk right now. Simple as that.

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I guess you could tell peeps that jumpers bounce on a regular basis....a friend told me that when I mentioned I was interested in jumping...

Nothing brings people to the sport then a fresh death Spend enough time in this sport and you to can collect the obituarys and memorials from the USPA magazine.

Skydiving is a great sport, its a great hobby, its a great lifestyle, but it is not safe.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[piisfish 135]

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There are a lot of people at the DZ that just won't jump with me because I do RW and absolutely can't do freeflying or anything else. I miss the days when I could ask anyone to jump and they would.

I would

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[vskydiver 0]

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I would

Yeah except I looked on your profile and you are exactly what I'm talking about. Wingsuit and freeflying? Besides you aren't at my DZ. Might as well though, you'd fit right in.

[DougH 270]

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Would you want skydiving to grow enough that all the emo kids start taking FJC?

Emo Voice: "Hey...man...I can't jump with ya. I'm doing solo because I like to express myself, falling through the clouds.

I know your excited about being a skydiver, all new jumpers are proud of themselves that they glow in the dark.

But honestly man, with that attitude, get over yourself.

What makes you think that the sports founders wanted people like you to jump? Does it matter if they did or didn't?

You are jumping out of plane, it is there for any one to experince. It is cool, it is fun, but step back and realize that your not curing cancer or anything. You could only be so lucky as to have all of the "emo kids" in your area decide to start jumping and give a huge boost to your local dropzones.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[champu 1]

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I would

Yeah except I looked on your profile and you are exactly what I'm talking about. Wingsuit and freeflying? Besides you aren't at my DZ. Might as well though, you'd fit right in.

I plan to come up there for Leap for Lupus, and I will be bringing my freefly suit and my RW suit. (and if I still had a wingsuit, I'd bring that too.)

[skadyver 0]

Judging by portions of my post you quoted you did not understand my point.

Before I started to jump (which has only been a few months) my friends at the time acted like getting seriously hurt or killed is not a possibity in skydiving but a given.

Most people that don't jump feel the same way from what I have seen. The truth of the matter is using good judgement & being safe in sky can equal lots of fun with no injuries.

Statistically, skydiving is safer than driving a car, and I have had two siblings killed in car accidents (each in seperate accidents) in the last 3 years.

I also dont see how encouraging people to try a tandem is doing a dis-service to anyone.

[vskydiver 0]

I can't wait to see you! If you bring your RW suit I can jump with you. I just don't have enough strength to do that Freefly thing. That takes way to much muscle for me. It looks awesome though! There may be wing suits at the boogie you can try out. Maybe.

[DanG 1]

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Statistically, skydiving is safer than driving a car, and I have had two siblings killed in car accidents (each in seperate accidents) in the last 3 years.

Sorry to hear about your siblings, but skydiving is WAY, WAY, WAY more dangerous than driving a car. Period. It's okay to tell people how safe skydiving is, but you should do a little research first and learn that it is actually not very safe at all compared to just about everything else.

To the OP: get over yourself. The skydiving world did not suddenly change when you took the FJC like, two months ago.

- Dan G

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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Before I started to jump (which has only been a few months) my friends at the time acted like getting seriously hurt or killed is not a possibity in skydiving but a given.

Well thats just silly , your friends are more dramatic then me if they thought that. Honestly to me I think its a given though, if you stay long enough either you will get hurt or someone you care about does, and well thats hard as and in some respects harder.

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Statistically, skydiving is safer than driving a car, and I have had two siblings killed in car accidents (each in seperate accidents) in the last 3 years.

Im very sorry to hear that, I can imagine its tough on you however Ive lost more friends skydiving and base jumping then driving. Theres way less skydivers then drivers, and a driver has more time participating in the skill then a skydiver does in theirs. I have no hard facts to back this up but its on this forum, in many places.

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I also dont see how encouraging people to try a tandem is doing a dis-service to anyone.

Oh thats not a dis-service , to me the dis-service is making the sport appear safe. Yes it can be safer then what most whuffos think, but they will either decide to or not, the peer pressure to jump doesnt come till later on in the progression

I think the only way this sport is popular to the general public is stuff they would like to try before they die.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this