Have you ever made a fool of yourself at a new D.Z.??

[steve1 5]

I pulled into Skydive Oregon the other day with plans of burning off some of my rustyness before heading to Lost Prairie. There's lot's of nice folks there and I soon found myself on a load with some really good jumpers. We introduced ourselves, and noone seemed very impressed when I said I had a whopping 550 jumps. First I met Huey who had about 2,000 jumps. Then there was Luey who had about 3,000. And then there was Duey who had about 4,000 and jumped with the Air Speed folks in Arizona. And Sparky who just returned from a big way camp at Perris. And then there was Grumpy who had more jumps than any of them. And then there was also a girl who was a whole lot more experienced than I was.

At any rate we had time for a very quick dirt dive with a whole shit load of points, and then we had to throw our gear on and run to catch the otter. Of course I wanted to make a good showing. After all these really experienced jumpers allowed me to jump with them. My head was swimming as I was turning on cypresses and dytters and started throwing gear together while trying to remember the dirt dive. I don't think anyone was too impressed when the noticed several new tear holes in my jump suit. I had a little accident with a barb-wire fence a few weeks earlier.....

Saying that I was over-amped may have been an understatement. We planned to pull a six-way out of the door. To my surprise we pulled it off. I had ahold of a couple grips, and we were still on the hill, when this girl starts shaking my arm to let go, so we transitioned to the next point. We ended up in a bi-pole. So far so good. About then someone starts shaking my leg, so naturally I think it's time for the next point. Immediately I turn a 360 (as planned) that would make even Dan Brodski take notice. I mean I turned this 360 so fast that it would give most folks a nose bleed. The only trouble was that no one else was going on to the next point. And not only that but I quickly found myself over Huey's back (because I didn't turn flat enough or watch where I was going). At any rate I banged off his side and somehow got back into the bi-pole again so we could go on to the next points. All in all it recovered okay but I'm sure these jumpers were wondering where this new Dip-Stick Montanian was from.

When we got down on the ground I could tell by everyone's body language that they weren't too impressed with the new guy on their load. You ever feel like crawling in a hole?....At any rate Sparky allowed my to jump with him on the next load. It only had a few points and we dirt dived the hell out of it with creepers and all, so the new guy wouldn't forget again.

I made a point of appolligizing to each of these folks for my mess up. Everyone was real understanding until I got to Grumpy. With a real sad look on my face I said, "Gee whiz Grumpy, I'm sorry. I really had my head up my arss on that jump."

With an evil look in his eye he said, "You got that one right!"

So I'm still licking my wounds on that one. I'm heading to Lost Prairie this morning and hope to leave within the hour. I'll keep you posted.

Does anyone know why they call Mad John...Mad John? I'm just wondering if I should jump with him again this year. Right now my ego is about the size of a pea.......Steve1

[Kramer 0]

Steve-

Bit of advise: You've made 550 more jumps than I have. I make my first one in two days. So just remember, yeah...ya had a rough day. But for every one of those guys with thousands of jumps who look down on you, there are hundreds of beginners like me who look up to guys like you. Fly on.

-Kramer

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

[riggerrob 558]

Yup, except that my mistakes concluded with searching for my cutaway main in a forest.
Or how about the time I missed the country completely, landing a borrowed reserve in a French swamp!

[boyfalldown 0]

Does anyone know why they call Mad John...Mad John? I'm just wondering if I should jump with him again this year. Right now my ego is about the size of a pea.......Steve1

[ChileRelleno 0]

I can guarantee you that every one of those jumpers has "overamped", forgot the next point, bounced off somebody else, stolen air, funneled formations and in general caused mayhem on more than one jump in their history. If they (particularly Grumpy) respond to you with disgust or other snobbery then "SCREW THEM!" and their holier than thou skygodliness.

After 34 states and 60 DZ's I'm glad to say that I hardly ever run into really rude snobs and skygods, granted there can be some folks who are cliquish but I usually break this barrier by being my normally extroverted self and sometimes standing in the center of the packing area introducing myself and loudly asking for someone to play with.

ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414
Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868

[davelepka 4]

Bummer man, all those practice jumps, and you come along and hose their chances of winning the nationals, and their chances for competing for the world cup. Oh, wait, this wasn't a competition dive, this was a fun jump, with a guy new to the DZ.

For all their experience, these jumpers have not learned how to have fun, and be understanding of the mistakes that people (themselves included) make form time to time. Don't be so hard on yourself, shit happens, and those jumpers were wrong to A) expect a guy they have never jumped with to perform at a set level, regardless of jump numbers, and B) to give you a hard time about it after the skydive.

Next time, look for some jumpers who still remember how to have fun, and you will have a much better skydive (regardless of points).

By the way, making a fool of your self at a DZ needs to involve nudity, and usually, toilet paper.

[BikerBabe 0]

Dude, if you ever get to Skydive Suffolk in Virginia, ask the DZO (Larry Pennington) if he remembers "swamp girl".

Yep, that's me. 2nd jump ever at this DZ (just a visitor), and I land out in an honest-to-god swamp. I couldn't get out because the underbrush was so thick, and they sent their Cessna looking for me. When they did find me (after a couple of hours), turns out I was maybe 100 yards from someone's yard.



At least they were nice enough to look for me...

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[freakydiver 0]

Mad John is one of the friendliest organizers I've ever had the plesaure of being around. I miss the good old days at Lost Prarie hanging around him. If anyone sees him tell him Beavis says hello.

BTW - There was a lonely three way going on at my home DZ, I walked by and asked them if they wanted to make it a four way. Grumpy here at our DZ just flat out said "NO." Not "No thanks, come find us after this load though, or this is a coach jump" - Just plain NO. I think that type of shit is lame. Aren't we all on the same team here??

Lost Prarie next year, marriage this year )-:

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

[dropdeded 0]

Ah, Chile's in the house. Yeah, I think it took you all of a couple minutes to find a play mate at Taft.
Bill did his level 7 sunday, and his first solo.

I will be out there making a fool of myself in a couple weeks, soon as my school loan comes in

dropdeded

------------------------------------------
The Dude Abides.
-

[Jumpervint 0]

First jump in Tooele, UT in 1978 - malfunction and cutaway. But the second jump was even more impressive. I put my rig back together, but got the main in backwards. Opened up to a perfectly flying canopy, only headed in the wrong direction. Managed to land it with a rear PLF, but the DZO did mention he was going to have to watch me for awhile.

Vint

ps- See you at Lost Prairie next weekend!

. . . . .
"Make it hard again." Doc Ed

“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free” Nikos Kazantzakis

[JohnnyD 0]

Look on the bright side, at least you know which a-holes to avoid.

[rendezvous 0]

OH ! Ya ! plenty of those. Took out one of the guys in a 4 way I was doing. On a point I was trying to do, I dropped a bit, moved forward and moved back up in a 360 turn only to find myself in someone elses slot. Took him out and then funnelled the whole formation. How much I wanted to forget that jump later on.

[Iflyme 0]

They sound like the sort of folks who aren't worthy of your time!

[Stacy 0]

my first trip to CSS in NC. we got there late and just had some beers, met the locals. i loaned a sweatshirt to someone who was cold, they were going to return it the next day. got rainy, etc, never saw them again. I went to manifest and asked if they could page the person who stole stacy's shirt.

i TOTALLY had that worded wrong, but Nancy Fayard anounced it with a grin. they started calling me stacy the topless cross keys manifestor. ugh.

__

[freakous 0]

Quote

i they started calling me stacy the topless cross keys manifestor. ugh.

__

And now the rest of us will too!

• Quote

[freakydiver 0]

You got that right!!!

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

[Amazon 7]

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I pulled into Skydive Oregon the other day with plans of burning off some of my rustyness before heading to Lost Prairie.

I made it down there for the first time jumping there a few weeks ago... People seemed friendly enough. I barely made the load. The gear check took forever after filling out the BOOK called the waiver. I finally reset my cypress and got the rig on in time to run for the group people standing on the side of the runway waiting for the otter. It had just fired up and had pulled onto the end of the runway. The organizer stopped me from crossing the runway as the Otter was coming to pick them up...( it was still 300 yards away for chrissake but I still felt the the orphan stepchild of gumby or sumpin till it came to a stop in front of the skygods).. made the one jump..... and it was 7 pm on a Sat. Thank heavens I went out as a Solo Freeflyer and to gawk the scenery for my first jump..... old habit... seeing what the freakin DZ REALLY looks like from the air. I only have about 75 jumps since I re-entered the sport after 22 years....but last week I did enter 8th on a 10 way so I guess I remember a little bit about flying my body. I packed up and left when the last load of the day couldnt get enough people to fly the otter.. they wanted to BBQ and party....WHAT... no sunset load????

I dropped in there 20 years ago... I lived in Oregon for 20 years just 25 miles away... and the vibe was odd even back then... I did not go back to jump and only started jumping again at a nice friendly little DZ up here in WA.

I will go back and hopefully the vibe will be better next time.. who knows...

Man I am heading off to Lost Prairie tomorrow I hope I can get on a few jumps at least....I only have about 525 total jumps but I do have my POPS card... and my SCR... I used to have an SCS. but cant find my numbr from 1976... I need to reapply again I think.

I just saw the weather channel ............ 95 in Kalispell... whoa...I am gonna roast.



Amazon

[D22369 0]

Everyone screws up from time to time, dont let it get to you, forgiveness is just a case of beer away!!
LOL,

Have fun at Prairie, get on the mad John loads if you can, he is a great guy and very fun to jump with, watch out for the "barely sober loads"...whoooaaa, they can be a bit.....chaotic.....
take a bunch of pics of the naked bar dives for us that cannot make it this year.

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[ccowden 0]

Well it's a good thing some of us make mistakes-

Otherwise we would all be as perfect as the guys you jumped with!

We ain't here to have fun- we're here to do RW!

[JoHawley 0]

I hate it when people get angry of frustrated about either themselves or others going wrong. If it goes to plan then - hey wicked! If it goes wrong - ah well, but hey wicked we just did a jump!

[canopywhore 0]

2nd jump at a new Dz I broke my femur on a solo hop and pop.

[DHead 0]

It is a bit off for them to treat you like that. Some of my more memorable jumps are the ones that go terribly wrong, but they've been with friends mostly. (I did take out the base of a 16-way, and while coming back in I did fly underneath someone else, but people werent too upset.)

But Bad starts: first time I went to Hibaldstow in the UK, first jump I did a low turn they werent happy with, then 2nd jump I apparently pulled low. Not the best of starts.

[usedtajump 1]

Oh God, talk about embarrassing, the first time I ever jumped at a big DZ was at Z-Hills in 1979 when I had 60 jumps. I had gotten my rig back from the rigger the night before from a reserve repack, did a hurried reinstall of the main, packed and got on a private jet in Dallas heading to Tampa with dreams of skydiving glory in my head. Finally got to Z Hills, got on a DC-3 load organizer load, exited with the wrong group, opened with my canopy in backward, landed waaaay off the DZ, hiked back to my car, went back to my hotel and did other things besides skydiving that weekend.

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[vonSanta 0]

First jump here; static line and was guided in radio. Followed instructions to the letter and landed in a tree.

Pretty embarrasing.

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[jtval 0]

i was at skydive mesquite...first jump at that dz for me. it was the 1st load in the AM.
I was invited to an 8 -way star....wel Im tlaking with all my new skydwelling comrads during the ride up! I was the 1st chaser to go out....DUMBASS...I forgot to undo the seatbelt! LOL


I still made it to m yspot first but I hadda let everyone else go! LOL

DOH!!!

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