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newbiegirl

Question: How did you become pro?

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Here's a question: If you're sure that skydiving is your passion, how devoted do you really have to be in order to become really successful? With all the time it requires not only for training, but the time it takes to save money for training and equipment, how focussed do you have to be on the sport? If you really wanted to become a very skilled jumper, does it make sense to try to get an education at the same time, or is that just a waste of time? I am asking this for advice and also to learn about how all of you became the skilled jumpers you are today and what that takes. I am new to the sport, but I have never been so passionate about anything before (I'm sure a lot of you can relate)... I know there are a lot of people out there who keep it as purely a recreational hobby, but if you really want to be a devoted, talented, competitive jumper, what does it really take?

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Getting an education at the same time is not only possible, but HIGHLY recommended.

There have been a myriad of professional skydiving competitors of which have either held professional jobs, been full-time students or done all three at the same time.
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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To become really successful at anything, you cannot do it part time.

I have watched many of the top competitors in RW and FF since I've been in the sport and the time and devotion it takes to get to the top two spots is a full-time job.

If you're doing 1000-1,500 training jumps a season plus competitions, travel, demos and coaching there is not a lot of free time to do other things.

It's a job and just like any job you must show up everyday and put the time in.

It would be better to get your degree first and fun jump or start with a new team and learn together as often as you can. Remember to make the education worthwhile it must become a full time job too!

Then after you have your degree and you think you still want to get one of those top two medals, go for it 100%.

The top teams at US Nationals since I've been in the sport have been full-time sponsored teams with a few exceptions. Long-time team Deguello members have "non-skydiving" jobs and can finish 3rd with a surpirsing 2nd every once in a while just to keep the top dogs on their toes! ;)

Blue skies,

Jim

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Biguns say it in a nutshell.

Concentrate on your education first. In the long run, that will be your saving grace.

I would add:
As for the skydiving, you are going to hear a lot of input but what it's really going to take is time, money, training of all sorts and lots of all three.

I'm impressed with your goals...think BIG (in small-increment progressions, of course).
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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This is a great question by the way. Just my opinion to you here...

Best thing you can do is be very devoted to the sport in your first year and learn "how to learn" in skydiving. Get comfortable knowing with what it takes to stay safe, and how to apply the skills to get better on as many jumps as you like (instead of just jumping out of the plane and winging it (no pun intended)). :)
How focussed do you need to be? That is totally up to you honey. You are the sport. The beauty of skydiving is that it is a small enough sport that you have a direct influence on it.

Education? I assume you mean a real one...like formal type. I'd fucking advise that. You are going to need money here. Be prepared to work hard, and almost doubly so, if you want to live a normal life and skydive too.

Take your time and, above all BE SAFE. I can relate to your vision and, yes, probably many of us can relate to your enthusiasm. Flying takes time, currentness, imagination and belief of the possibilities of what you can do in the sky........you know what I mean, passion. :)
ps. it may also be good to pick a discipline and stick with it...i.e. rw, freefly, crew, freestyle, etc.

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getting an education is never a waste of time. it will allow you to get a good-paying, steady job so that you can enjoy your new passion, even if you never go pro.
"Don't talk to me like that assface...I don't work for you yet." - Fletch
NBFT, Deseoso Rodriguez RB#1329

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The best skydivers in the world have sponsors and Dz's that employ them. To get to that level requires a lot of jumps, which means a lot of $ or some time on the Golden Knights team.

Instructor ratings are a good way to pay your way through the sport and build experience at the same time. Being independently wealthy is even better.

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I've been going to College full time and jumping as much as I can inbetween. Gotta balance the school versus work, but definitely get yourself plugged in the DZ as well, and start doing any kinda work you can to make some bucks. I just worked my way through the system, got some instructional ratings, just graduted, still jumping, and going to get my masters. You can do it if you really want, but definitely stay in school.

USPA Strong T-I, AFF-I, Coach, Videographer/photographer.

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DEFINITELY GET A GOOD JOB OR TRADE to fall back on either if you are looking at being highly competitive with Team jumps etc OR doing it full time.

Being competitive these days is bloody hard work and commitment no matter what country you are from. Doing it full time takes a lot out of you as well and is not so much the dream job everyone thinks it is after some years of doing it.

If you are starting out do it for fun for some time and get to know those jumpers who have been there and let them guide you. Also learn to walk before you run.

Wishing you the best in your future jumping ;)

BSBD!! -Mark.



"A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

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Definitely graduate from university or learn a trade.
If you graduate from university, make sure that your degree will pay well and give flexible hours (i.e. accounting or dentistry).
Similarly, try to learn a trade that has flexible hours. For example, most construction trades (dry-walling, plumbing, electrician) allow you to work long hours over the winter, but refuse work during the jumping season.

How did I become a full-time skydiver?
I started as a part-time instructor (S/L, IAD, tandem and rigging) while in the Air Force. Then I left the Air Force and studied history and journalism at university. The year I graduated from university, there were hardly any jobs for junior reporters, so I said "I'll just work as a jumpmaster for the summer."
Hah!
Fourteen years later I am still instruct - for 2 skydiving schools and rig (repair parachutes) for 4.

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I share your passion newbiegirl.
I am 19 years old at University in UK. Getting my A license has been the greatest thing to happen to me so far in my life. I love this sport, the people, everything. At this moment in time I can not see myself doing anything else other than having a skydiving related career in a few years. I hope you make it and live your dream. There is alot of good advice here on this site.
Cheers guys.

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Quote

There is alot of good advice here on this site.




Then again, there is alot of bad advice on here also. [:/]

Focusing on getting the best education you can, to make a good living, will be the best advice in the long run. ;)


Be safe
Ed
www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

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For what it's worth, yeah - I'm devoted. Talented? I haven't killed or hurt myself more than some scrapes, bumps, bruises, and a cut foot yet (knock wood). Competitive jumper - as much as I can be - Been team jumping for the last seven years.

I don't think there really is one single level or bar of devotion that makes someone one day not quite successful and then all of a sudden successful the next.

Like most things, it comes down to experience but that, like success is subjective.

Focus - yes, that helps but never lose focus of the broader things like enjoying yourself and making it all work for you, as opposed to only focusing on being able to term yourself successful.

Education is rarely ever a waste of time but here's some perspective - before I skydived I was a hardcore fencer (foil, epee, saber plus some historical studies), taught it too, and I had been doing it for over 16 years. After I started jumping I kept after it for a couple years but it was hard to serve two master and skydiving won out. It cost me some friends and a serious relationship but no regrets. I'd get that education and with that education, work towards enabling yourself to be able to jump as much as you'd like.

If you want to become a very skilled jumper then, obviously, go out and jump as much as you can, keep an open mind, listen to what people have to say, think things through, and jump some more but understand, becoming "very skilled" is not the be all to end all - in my experience it's the journey, not the destination.

Perspective - I've been jumping for only just over ten years and have around 3500 jumps - and I'm still learning. By some measure I guess there's been some "success" in that I've competed on a National level numerous times, been lucky enough to jump with good folks who had good days and got some medals out of it, and as a video geek I get asked to jump a lot with people paying me to jump with them - but I don't do this for a living. I could but I know the situation would someday arise where I would have to make a jump to make rent or a car-payment or something when I didn't feel like jumping. No one should be jumping when they don't feel like it - that's not for me.

I think everyone probably has a different story on how they went from being new to the sport to "skilled." I was lucky. I started at a good dz with good people who were cool enough to let me along on their jumps and tell me I was screwing up when I screwed up - plus teach me how to not screw up the next time around. I tried video when I had around a hundred fifty jumps and did good but decided that I really needed to get at least a few hundred more rw jumps under my belt before I began to work at it hardcore since there's lots of variables being thrown into the skydiving mix when you're strapping on cameras and flying over people. When I did get to the point of doing vid on a regular basis (couple hundred jumps later and had my own gear) I was lucky in that I almost immediately hooked up with a good (and patient) team early on and we made a lot of jumps over a relatively short period of time so the learning curve was significant. I also have a good friend who at the time, took the time to look at my video and tell me what was good, what sucked, and how to do it better. After that I was a "known quantity" and I was afforded lots of opportunities to jump and jump a lot - which I took advantage of. I've been asked on some cool jumps into cool places and some of my skydiving friends are "famous." Still, when you get down to it - just having a great skydive and getting down smiling and packing to do it all again or talking about the day's skydives with my friends while knocking back cold ones, is to me the real success. When you're smiling, that's when it's at its best for me.

Important canopy stuff - hand in hand with getting "skilled" and being "successfull." When I first got my own gear I figured I better go with something on the seriously conservative side but my JM's told me what I needed was a little more radical but not overly so - I figured I should start with a F111 190 (I weigh 185 plus gear) but bought the recommended Saber170 (before the Saber2). Made 500 jumps on that before I downsized to a Batwing153. Made a thousand under that before I downsized to the Crossfire109. Made another probably 6-700 before I got a Crossfire104 - but I still jump the 109 along with the 104.

The point here is that skydiving is not a race. There is no hurry and to try and rush it all just means you'll be cheating yourself in some other area.

So, you want to be a devoted, talented, and competitive jumper - go for it. Jump as much as you can, keep your mind open, listen to everyone, new jumper and old, never promise more than you can deliver, err on the side of caution in all things - know that it is better to on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground, fly with your head a a swivel, when you screw-up take your lumps with grace, don't make excuses, don't blame others, don't rationalize, buy your beer, and jump as much as you can.

Good luck!

-Jerry

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