Pete Gruber

[likvidskaj 0]

I've met Pete Gruber at the last World Meet; the name was stored somewhere in my mind for a very long time, but I've been lucky enough to meet him in person during the competition. I knew he was one of the old dogs (the kind I truly respect), one those who practically invented sport skydiving, especially RW. There was not much time to talk to him as I would like to (pardon my grammar) but he left a great impression on me. During a chat with BJ Worth (there's no need to point out his achievments and meaning in skydiving and BASE world, IMO), I've asked him about Pete and he said "oh yeah, he started to jump even before me". Does anyone here know something more about Pete Gruber? I would really like to know something more about his skydiving history. Thanks!

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

You mean the guy from North Carolina that generally only flies wingsuits these days?

[likvidskaj 0]

Well, I don't know about his WS flying, we didn't have time to cover all the stuff (since I had a job to do at the Meet and he was engaged in other business).

[sprtdth 0]

Among other things, Pete has always been into international skydives. I think (the brain cells ain't what they used to be) he put together the first international 10 way (10 jumpers, 10 different countries represented) in '72 or '73. When I saw him a few months ago he was trying to put together an international hybrid dive.
Yea, Pete has been jumping since before dirt was invented.
He is probably the only guy I know that has gone in, lived to tell about it , and didn't even break anything!!!

CRW Skies
Frank
CRW Diva #58

[likvidskaj 0]

SportDeath (that's the book I like to read every once in a while :-)), that's more than interesting fact about Pete! Is it possible to tell us more about that accident if that's not too intimate and too personal thing to be revealed this way?
At the Meet, Pete was trying to organise an international big-way (with competitors from each participating country) for the closing ceremony but unfortunately the weather srcrewed up everything.

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

Among other things, Pete has always been into international skydives. I think (the brain cells ain't what they used to be) he put together the first international 10 way (10 jumpers, 10 different countries represented) in '72 or '73. When I saw him a few months ago he was trying to put together an international hybrid dive.
Yea, Pete has been jumping since before dirt was invented.
He is probably the only guy I know that has gone in, lived to tell about it , and didn't even break anything!!!

Jim Woolley went in under a double malfunction and survived. But he did break his wrist.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

So did Sonny Kerr. So did GPT.

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

So did Sonny Kerr. So did GPT.

I don't know Sonny Kerr or GPT, but I do know Jim Woolley. He was doing a test jump at El Centro. It didn't work, thats why they call it testing Martha.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[sprtdth 0]

Well, the way Pete tells it, he pulled at his legal opening altitude. Has a malfunction that he thinks he can clear. Chops it, pulls reserve, gets line stretch, does a PLF. Donna Wardean said she couldn't see the PLF for the cloud of dust, she knew he bounced.
I saw Pete about two weeks after that, he was black and blue (mostly black) from the back of his heels to the top of his head. Just a hair line crack in some bone in his back. Tough old dude!

CRW Skies
Frank
CRW Diva #58