chaoskitty 0 #1 October 16, 2006 What is your biggest challenge regarding this sport, and how do you plan to overcome it? Or if you already have, how *did* you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFFI 0 #2 October 16, 2006 Paying for it / getting as much as I need... Getting sommore... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy_Copland 0 #3 October 16, 2006 Jump 50. I was alone in a skyvan and had an open door. I dont know what happened but i kinda froze right there thinking "i dont need to pass anything, there is no one to impress and im literally shitting my pants, why am i doing this?" As i said it i was jumping and i knew the answer, because i can. So getting out the fucking door is challenge for me it seems! 1338 People aint made of nothin' but water and shit. Until morale improves, the beatings will continue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Merkur 1 #4 October 16, 2006 My biggest challenge at this moment is to get someone bring me from Houston International to Skydive San Marcos on October 26. How do I plan to overcome it: If nothing else helps - rental car. All other challenges so far are more or less money and/or time related. How to overcome them: Focus on one after the other instead of trying to achieve everything at once. M.vSCR No.94 Don't dream your life - live your dream! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lisamariewillbe 1 #5 October 16, 2006 Spotting, Ive still got door fear and have issues with this sometimes. To overcome I just continue to force myself to look out, around and down and focus on what I know the winds to be and can I make it to the dz. I always still relay on a backup spotter to make sure Im okay to exit but its nice that I jump at a DZ that will let me just hang my head out the door and try to comprehend the spot. Slowly doing this is dissolving my door fear.Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #6 October 16, 2006 QuoteWhat is your biggest challenge regarding this sport, and how do you plan to overcome it? Or if you already have, how *did* you? Figuring out how to maximize time spent skydiving and minimize the time spent at work. I finally overcame this challenge on January 1, 2006, when I officially retired from my job! Now I'm just livin' that dream, baby! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chaoskitty 0 #7 October 16, 2006 You should try flying in to AUS or SAT then. They're a lot closer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dharma1976 0 #8 October 16, 2006 my biggest challenge was the transfer to a higher loaded elliptical canopy and relearnign my set up from the moment I had a good canopy over my head... and that starts as I am getting on the plane... well that and figuring out how to jump a lot more with a whuffo girlfriend.... Davehttp://www.skyjunky.com CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Merkur 1 #9 October 16, 2006 QuoteYou should try flying in to AUS or SAT then. They're a lot closer. Well, that's kind of not possible, as it costs some hundred $ extra from Germany to fly to AUS or SAT. But thanks. M.vSCR No.94 Don't dream your life - live your dream! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #10 October 16, 2006 Consistency. Had an especially frustrating time with that this weekend; had some killer jumps where I was pretty impressed with my flying, and some where I felt like a 30-jump wonder who shouldn't have been invited on the jumps she was on. How to fix? For one thing, currency. After an extremely slow first half of the year without a lot of freefall at all, the last three months or so I've been getting back into a regular routine of jumping. But that long time without regular jumps made me realize how much my skills can atrophy (or at least get inconsistent). And, not beating myself up as much might help too."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yardhippie 0 #11 October 16, 2006 Balance. Yup, balance. Balancing enough work to keep my employed and in enough funds to jump. Balancing my marriage and being gone most weekends after working all week. Balancing the parties with a decent amount of sleep so I can jump safe and alert the next day. I havent figured it out yet, but Im working on it. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chaoskitty 0 #12 October 16, 2006 Oh dont worry, your wife was taking care of my drunk ass on friday night, so it was kinda like you were there! I have the same struggles with balance. Work.. family.. relationships.. skydiving.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chaoskitty 0 #13 October 16, 2006 QuoteQuoteYou should try flying in to AUS or SAT then. They're a lot closer. Well, that's kind of not possible, as it costs some hundred $ extra from Germany to fly to AUS or SAT. But thanks. M. Ahh.. well if I were going that way I'd pick you up.. but dammit I'm in Georgia. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chaoskitty 0 #14 October 16, 2006 Quotemy biggest challenge was the transfer to a higher loaded elliptical canopy and relearnign my set up from the moment I had a good canopy over my head... I visualize my ideal landing pattern before I get on the plane. That can change with the spot and with other traffic in the pattern and you have to deal with that as it comes, of course. What else helps you with your setup? Quotewell that and figuring out how to jump a lot more with a whuffo girlfriend.... Yes.. best of luck!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jojo69 0 #15 October 16, 2006 My challenge is Social Phobia. I have a difficult time with people I do not know. This is something that I have had since childhood. When I first go to a new DZ I have to keep reminding myself that I am safe and that I can leave anytime I want to. It is not that I think anything is going to happen but my heart races and I get very anxious when I go to new places. I get over this by taking deep breaths before I start, and just go. I have never had anything bad happen to me, it is just an unrealistic fear. Frequently I make an appointment with someone there so I have to go. Once I an there and have a few minutes to get over the fear I am fine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #16 October 16, 2006 My biggest challenge was to step forward and ask for and work for a slot to be on World Team. After it was all said and done, I realized it wasn't some thing to be afraid of, because it pushed me to perform 100% on every skydive.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jheadley 0 #17 October 16, 2006 I have a stutter and have always been self conscious of it and shy. Getting my coach rating was a pretty good feeling of accomplishment, although I still get embarassed when I stutter when teaching students who I don't know. I want to get into video but having to do the stupid interviews with tandem students puts me off from that. Also I really want to get my AFF rating but a guy told me the other day that with a stutter I will never be able to talk someone down on radio. That was probably the first time in my life I ever felt like it was a real disability. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Merkur 1 #18 October 16, 2006 Quote Ahh.. well if I were going that way I'd pick you up.. but dammit I'm in Georgia. From my perspective, that's kind of close enough. But thanks, I have found someone nice to pick me up! M.vSCR No.94 Don't dream your life - live your dream! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #19 October 16, 2006 Challenges? There have been a lot! Learning to land well took me thousands of jumps. When I started skydiving, there were no canopy control courses, and no one knew how to land these newfangled ZP canopies. Our DZO had a Monarch 190 that was so dangerous no one was allowed to even touch it. Falling straight down took me a while to learn. AFF helped with that. Come to think of it, I got most of my bigway flying skills from doing AFF. If you can match a student who's backsliding, sinking, spinning and sidesliding, you can match the end of a line. Spotting took me a while too. But after JMing at a DZ that was 1/3 of a mile from the mexican border, a mile from some 3000 foot mountains, and two miles from two jails, I learned to spot _really_ well. Nowadays it's overall coordination, learning to make turns and translates "look good" by coordinating legs, arms and body. I can do "good" turns when I think about it, but put me in a 4-way with a mirrored slot switcher and my form goes all to hell. The tunnel is helping with that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MagicGuy 0 #20 October 16, 2006 Getting on the plane and riding to altitude. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I hate the plane ride. I'm nervous as can be the whole ride up. I'm slowly starting to relax a bit, but it still freaks me out. Once I'm outside of the plane I breathe a nice big sigh of relief! Oh yeah, and not doing so many friggin' solo jumps! 50 jumps and no A License yet But I'm damn close.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reginald 0 #21 October 16, 2006 Honestly, the skills part is not the challenge; those things can be practiced and learned. Watching people get killed or have life changing injuries is the challenge. It sucks. This sport is the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had but also extracts the highest toll of anything I’ve ever known and I’m a relatively new guy. Balancing my love and enthusiasm for the sport with the toll it extracts is difficult. Listening the old timers that have seen more than I ever want to almost hurts sometimes. Some can list two dozen people they’ve lost. How does one relate the joy of the sport with the cost of it? That mental balance is the biggest challenge for me."We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trae 1 #22 October 16, 2006 One challenge I've given myself is to do a 1 minute+ wingsuit BASE flight. There are heaps of people who have already done this & doing this on a regular basis. As the playground is on the other side of the planet ( lucky Europeans ) it is a special challenge to keep aiming for . In the meantime skydiving is the perfect place to practice the necessary wingsuit skills. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites beowulf 1 #23 October 16, 2006 I have to agree with you Ron. It's tough to see friends get hurt or die. That part will never get easier. I try not to forget those that I have known that have died and especially those that are injured and still with us but unable to jump. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites TheGirlWonder 0 #24 October 17, 2006 Balance balance balance. My biggest challenge has been has and still is, pulling myself away from skydiving to maintain my relationships with my nonskydiving friends. Im still a newbie, only 50 jumps in, but im already starting to get alot of grief from my wuffo friends for never being around anymore. Ive been told many times from skydivers that its only a matter of time before I lose all my friends that arent skydivers. I love my friends and I really dont want to drift apart from them. Its just extremely hard to convince myself to stay home, when all ive done all week long is daydream about getting back to the dz. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bob.dino 0 #25 October 17, 2006 Learning in a high-stress environment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 Next Page 1 of 3 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
beowulf 1 #23 October 16, 2006 I have to agree with you Ron. It's tough to see friends get hurt or die. That part will never get easier. I try not to forget those that I have known that have died and especially those that are injured and still with us but unable to jump. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGirlWonder 0 #24 October 17, 2006 Balance balance balance. My biggest challenge has been has and still is, pulling myself away from skydiving to maintain my relationships with my nonskydiving friends. Im still a newbie, only 50 jumps in, but im already starting to get alot of grief from my wuffo friends for never being around anymore. Ive been told many times from skydivers that its only a matter of time before I lose all my friends that arent skydivers. I love my friends and I really dont want to drift apart from them. Its just extremely hard to convince myself to stay home, when all ive done all week long is daydream about getting back to the dz. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob.dino 0 #25 October 17, 2006 Learning in a high-stress environment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
