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yurbai

Why do people skydive?

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All the responses hit home with me! The reasons are all that and more, its in my soul.
Adrenaline release is one of my driving aspects. Its one of the sports that pegs my fun meter and balances me. I am definitely off kilter and can get short if I go too long without some jumps. Makes facing another high pressure work week seem plausible. Saw a great poster showing some RW where the caption read "Studies have proven it is impossible to do this and think about work at the same time" How true!

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DAMN that was a cool account, thanksB|! I have to say, reading your story is like i've found my lost brother - it's pretty much identical to me (even down to the dream of being an astronaut etc, realising what its all about on a tracking dive etc).

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

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I started like TheBachelor, just wanted to do it ONCE to see what it was like and have experienced it, thats all

Did one static line - totally blanked, no recollection of the bit between being in the door and being under canopy - so thought, well I'll just do it once more so I remember it this time :D by then it was too late, I was hooked - yay :)

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I have some friends who got into the sport right after we all graduated highschool. I've always wanted to try it. I saw it on T.V. when I was young and it looked awesome. Well I let ten years go by without seeing my three friends from school. Then last January I googled one of them. After emailing each other for a while I went and visited them. When I saw what they had accomplished I was astounded. I was also sorry I didn't go out to taft and jump with them years ago (maybe I could have ten thousand jumps under my belt like they do). Now I just had to find out what freefall felt like. So I did a tandem to see what it was like. I've always been a nervous and hyper person. I found freefall to be very soothing in a way. Almost like that's the only time my mind is "quiet" There's a serious zen to this. So now I'm waiting for my tax return so I can pay for my AFF jumps. I'm trying to figure out what I can sell to by my first rig. I've got jumping on the brain and there's only one cure. Sorry for the long post but hey you asked! :D

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I NEVER wanted to do it and my best friend taked me into it 8months after his roomate talked me into scuba. I said yes, and prayed for rain.
I fell in love with the sport.
took 5 years off and came back as a novice that wished "I SHOULD HAVE NEVER STOPPED JUMPING!!!":o
I'm veery happy a find deep spiritual joy in jumping.:)
I now enjoy getting my self back up to par so I can do more with friends @ the DZs.:)
_______________________________
If I could be a Super Hero,
I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year.
http://www.hangout.no/speednews/

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Granted I have a long way to go, and I need to wait my turn. Hubby is going first. I only know one way to answer If you fall in love with it the first time, you will always love it- it becomes apart of your soul. I enjoy the AWE-FREEDOM and AAAHHHH- I'm FLYING. I haven't got the chance to jump with my friends yet, but I'm sure that is a high too. that is the best discription I can give you.-Caress:)
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being
right.

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Well, I do it because I like challenging myself. In our sport you can be the best of the best, and still not be at the top of your game, still not know everything. That's what I love about it. I could skydive for 60 more years, win 10 world championships, get every license, rating, and award there is, and still never be finished. It's all about a constant effort to better myself and have fun at the same time, all while enjoying life with the most amazing, colorful people I've ever met.

By the way, watch your wing loading, pal. ;):P

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

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why do you guys jump and how did you start?



Well, please let me elaborate on this as follows:
I SKYDIVE BECAUSE IT'S THE F*##IN GREATEST THING ON EARTH AND IT BLOWS MY MIND EVERY TIME AND GIVES ME THE BEST KICK EVER AND I SIMPLY LOVE IT AND TO MAKE ME STOP YOU'D HAVE TO FRIGGIN KILL ME!!!
... and so on and so forth. :D:D:D
Does that answer your question?

Oh and how did I start: With a tandem from the Pink Skyvan. I was hooked for life exactly 3.8 seconds after exit. Started AFF 2 months later.

Ich betrachte die Religion als Krankheit, als Quelle unnennbaren Elends für die menschliche Rasse.
(Bertrand Russell, engl. Philosoph, 1872-1970)

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I usually just read these responses and nod, but since everyone has a different reason why they started jumping, I thought I’d share mine.

The simple explanation is that like any kid, when I was young I wanted nothing more than to be able to fly like Superman. Once I reached kindergarten though, I had realized that such a dream would never happen, so I became set with idea of becoming an astronaut so maybe someday I could at least float around in the space shuttle during an orbit. Of course, once I reached middle school, this too became a squashed dream when I realized how much math I would need to learn to become an astronaut. Being an “A” student in everything but math (mostly C’s) only made it more disheartening. So, even though I was only 13, I decided the closest I was going to get was skydiving. I began to learn all I could about the sport and started to save all my money (I worked as a golf caddy on the weekends), so by the time I was 16 I could convince my parents to take me to Vegas and sign a waiver saying I could do AFF. I remember it as if it was yesterday, I was so excited to be finally doing something that I had put three years worth of savings into, only to spend it all in one weekend and not even finish the course. I walked away broke with 7 jumps under my belt, only to have gotten to level 5. I realized three things that day: 1. Never put all your eggs in one basket (I had been saving for 3 years for only 3 days worth of training). 2. Just because you try to study up on something doesn’t mean you are prepared for it. (I was scared out of my mind the entire time). 3. Yet, given those first two, when faced with such difficulties in life, if you consider yourself serious, you should never give up (the most difficult things will always be the most rewarding). So, on my 18th birthday, I was at Perris finishing my AFF after being uncurrent for over a year. Even then though, I still had doubts as to whether this was going to be something I could do, or even afford, but I just kept suppressing those feelings and kept on jumping despite the difficulties. I had two reserve rides and a broken leg after six months after coming back into the sport, but I kept going.

The ultimate reward finally came over a hundred jumps later though. (I was committed to the sport by this time, but I couldn’t really pinpoint why yet). I remember being the last one out on a tracking dive over Elsinore and realizing I was going to have to do a fair amount of swooping to get down to the group. So, I went into a hard dive and really cupped my body to catch up. I was amazed at the distance I had just closed as I quickly was working my way up the line to the lead of the flock. It also helped that we had some clouds coming in to give a better sense of not only my speed and distance, but just the raw beauty of it all. Anyway, I came in above and dropped down to the lead’s leg and lightly grabbed on. He smiled and gave me a cheer. All of sudden though, as a joke, my more experienced friend tackled my legs from above and dragged me down out of the group. He was laughing at me and I was so pissed that he had ruined my moment that I started chasing him across the sky for a while. Quickly deciding it wasn’t worth it though, I started to float back up to the others. I ended up getting right back to where I had been before (much to my amazement). As we began to thin out, I remember looking down at the ground and seeing people driving around on the earth below. (Briefly thinking to myself how unaware they all were of this endless world above them). I quickly turned on my back to see if anyone was above me and I caught a glimpse of my friend smiling in my direction about 200 hundred feet up. I waived bye to him as went to dump his chute. I subsequently turned over and did the same. Letting out a huge “Whoo-hoo” upon being under a safe canopy, I reflected on the great jump I had just had, and it hit me that all my dreams have already come true.

Skydiving isn’t about falling and doing tricks in place like all the whuffos think it is. Skydiving is about flying, pure and simple. About owning the sky, being able to go anywhere you want to while you pass through the space. About doing what our mind says is impossible and making it possible. Superman couldn’t have done the moves I did on that jump, nor taken in as much of the earth below him as I did in such a short period of time. No astronaut has ever hit these speeds floating around in their cramped vessels. Besides, at most, an astronaut will make only 3 missions, I can jump for the rest of my life. And lastly, kind of in line with the more philosophical quote by “The111,” flying isn’t something that can actually magically be attained; it’s a state of mind. Once you believe you are experiencing the emotions and actions of whatever the true feeling of flying would be, you probably already are. It’s like being love--it’s not really anything more than a set of emotions, there’s no substance to it, you can’t define it, you just know it when once you reach it. Ten years from when I started, I now know why I skydive; I skydive because it allows me to fly, just as I’ve always wanted.

I don’t bother with all those life/death discussions whuffos will drag you into. We’re all going to the same the end, and it matters little to me how I get there, I can’t stop it. If during my time here I can experience things outside the box, I will. Skydiving has taught me that if you can dream something up in your head, no matter how improbable, it probably exists in your head because it is somehow achievable in life. It's no mystery why the sport's disciplines keep expanding, people think stuff up and give it try. What can't we do up there? And, if all that isn’t enough for you, it’s just a hell of a lot of fun.

Sorry, that kinda got long.



*Wipes tear from eye...*

BRAVO.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

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>>I jump for myself, and for no other reason. I was standing in line at a supermarket, and the checker was telling everyone who came through about how he made a tandem and how great it was. I thought, "gee, that sounds fun". So I went out to the same DZ he did, and made a tandem jump. Afterwards, I just knew. Most tandems never take AFF, but for some it's more than just a roller coaster ride. It's been the most rewarding experience of my life.

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I have wanted to skydive for YEARS. My ex and I at one time planned to do it together, when the kids were older. That fell through just like the marriage.

I never got over wanting to know what it was like to jump from a plane.

Last summer I attended several air shows and was always in awe of the demo teams.

I was seriously considering it last August. I flew with a friend to Archway and visited their DZ. We watched some of the jumpers come in to land.
It was growing on me more and more.

I went to Wichita to the air show in September. The Air Force Cadet demo team was there.
They were having so much fun.... I knew then I was Going to do it.

Two weeks later I did. Five days after my 45th birthday.
That "only want to do it once" thing has turned into 17 jumps so far. If it weren't for our horrible mid-west winter... there would have been many more...
there still will be ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
earthbound misfit

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nice paraglider you have, Vleisie

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I started by a tandem may15 2002, was a present for my 30th bday.
wanted to freefall since I was a kid and started too late. But now I feel it's the best thing that happened in my life, each time a bit more. And even more now that I am trying to fly my wingsuit.
Becoming a bird
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Fumer tue, péter pue
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ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579

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for me it the sence of freedom and control . i know sound funny but I wouldn't have made it through the last year where i work if it wasn't for skydiving on the weekends , i'm sure its the same for everyone the more you jump it only gets better and better , i've just started jumping every weekend and can't get enough , i must admit jumping a king air is alot better then cessna 206T at my local dz BUT I will never party like i do at my original DZ , Roy and the boys heres to memories i will never forget (i still remember every single jump i've done ) i know it's only 54 but that over 1 whole year and i can't even remember whose pc i fixed last week
:S

_________________________________________
SO many places to jump so little time !
_________________________________________

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It's my expereience that skydivers, to a person, be they trembling newbies, tough-as-nails military guys, crazy freeflyers, cranky old safety freaks -- all, deep down, share one thing: we all go to extreme lengths to experience joy. At some level, we're all five years old and in love with the idea of being able to fly. For this I forgive skydivers their many and varied personal, political, hygienic and stylistic eccentricities...

----------------------------------------
'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.'
- T.E. Lawrence

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My first jump was the day after I graduated high skool. Me and my then girlfriend went together as graduation presents to ourselves. A bunch of others said they would, but we know how that goes. It rocked our worlds, of course. 3 years later, I made a second tandem jump, not really planning on it, the opportunity happened to present itself. After that, I couldn't take it. I couldn't allow myself to not be involved in something so bitchin. So I went through AFF and all, and here I am, most of my waking and sleeping moments preoccupied with jumping....

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I did it just to piss off my dirtbike ;) It never gets ridden any more..

Serious, I just like the fun rush.. I did a Tandem about 3 years ago and then another last Sept. Just decided it would be a cool sport to try so I signed up for AFF. Nothing spritual for me , just good old fun.

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I published a book that didn't sell, got way down depressed and read a book to get me out of the funk. The author had you list ten things you always wanted to do but never did. I wrote the list and on the next page the author said, "Now pick the most frightening thing and do it!"

Haven't been down since, but I sure have been scared, thrilled, amazed and pumped! Woohoo!
"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

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It looked cool and I want to do something bold, plus my now husband wanted to do it too- so i took him for his birthday.
I hated the freefall but loved the ride down so i went back up. The second time was better as we flipped out.
After that it became addictive (the rush & freefall)and challenging.
Quote

I don't do roller coasters but I will jump out a plane!

;)

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