Allballs 0 #1 February 3, 2008 Since this new guy took over hes fired all the good tunnel staff!! He got new tunnel staff!! And even some of them got fired!! I have had so many bad experiences at SVO since this guy took over. Has anybody else had a hard time or is it just me? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lana26 0 #2 February 3, 2008 I was there for a tunnel camp in December with kim and latisia but my time had to be cancelled because the fans broke and were not fixed while i was in town. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sraja 0 #3 February 4, 2008 If you are referring to Marc - I think he is a great guy. I spent 35 mins in Orlando last week and it was great. The new folks working there are not bad ass fliers but they are immensely helpful. I got free coaching on back flying and I paid for some of the best RW coaching from a kickass staff member called Ari. Marc was extremely friendly and I do know he has his own reasons for making the changes he did. Some of us may not agree but he has to run a business. As for my experience, it was fantastic and I will return soon P.S - about the tunnel being broken - it broke right after my group finished our sessions. Apparently a CPU fan controller broke - and each of these controllers cost about 20000 USD. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gravityizsexy 0 #4 February 4, 2008 Quote Marc was extremely friendly and I do know he has his own reasons for making the changes he did. Some of us may not agree but he has to run a business. No, you don't know... The changes were made for him, Him being such a great guy and all you think he would fund some kind of insurance policy against negligence (waiver covers a little more than half of blame, and thats just in civil litigation... I'm not even going to mention what comes after that), perhaps insure his staff with a AD&D policy among other practical amenities or take appropriate and obvious steps to minimize the probability of mishap, like fix the tunnel. For as many times as that thing brakes Donald Trump would be back in bankruptcy if he was paying $20k for a overheated fan controller. Probably not, but I don't see Marc Laurie in Forbes top 500. He's a businessman in the early stages of experiencing business, he tried to buy coal and turn it into a diamond. His one and in my opinion only mistake was that he didn't realize he bought the diamond He didn't research the consumer base, He applied traditional business theorem to a non-traditional market. To strengthen and fortify SkyVenture Orlando's sovereignty would have been the correct move but there is absolutely no sense in investing money turning a diamond into a diamond. It's foolishness..... a lot of really great, and I mean !great! people got caught in the mix. P.S. - Ari is hands down one of the best fliers in the south, the guy is sick.... you can learn quite a bit from him. P.S.S. - Have they pieced together the rest of their air-straightener?? "'Someday is not a day in my week'" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stormywinters 1 #5 February 4, 2008 Those people he fired deserved it!!!!!!! Cause they are great people. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RackJR 0 #6 February 4, 2008 way to go, getting in there Joe. come fly in colorado. I don't think we've fired anyone lately. although i might be next, any day now........ Say what you mean. Do what you say. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toobin 0 #7 February 4, 2008 Let me tell you something about that piece of...work Marky Marc Lurie. He actually told a staff member there that he didn't "give a F*CK about anybody there. My loyalty is to the company" whatever that means. I guess the instructors who bust their ass to show customers a good time, so they keep coming back, are not part of the company. I think by company he meant...himself. This is the kind of person many good people had to put up with since he came into the picture. Who talks to employees that way? I'm sure if you're there to spend your money he'll be your best friend, bring you coffee, check your tire pressure, you name it. Have you ever been into the bowels of a beautiful hotel? If you have you noticed that its a whole other world compared to the beautiful facade presented to the customer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allballs 0 #8 February 4, 2008 Ari is good however he is NOT a skyventure orlando employee!!! He is an outside coach who brings business to the tunnel. Getting coached sitfly by a SVO employee with only 7 skydives is quite comical BTW. I can name many SVO staff that were fired or quit because of this new guy Marc......Who are baddass. I feel for the staff who work there. THEY ARE NOT HAPPY!!! Yes the air straightner is in only took 9 MONTHS!!! That is speedy good for business service if i ever saw it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trexy 0 #9 February 4, 2008 I think the people who are most pissed of are the outside coaches trying to make a living there. Or frequent flyers ( Tunnel rats) TRUST me i go .......... All of the staff have said "Marc just doesnt like skydivers"!!! Funny when skydivers are the ones using the place!! As for the new guys , they have no clue!! Im translating back to skydiving. As for Marc if you see him face to face he does seem like a great guy, But why would he be a dick to you if he doesnt know you?? Were you not a paying customer? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hparrish 0 #10 February 5, 2008 I Guess I'm glad this guy is the way he is.........Now Paraclete is the way it is. Because we got most of those Instructors. And I'm lovin it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gravityizsexy 0 #11 February 5, 2008 Beer Pong anybody......??? "'Someday is not a day in my week'" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paige 0 #12 February 5, 2008 Quote I Guess I'm glad this guy is the way he is.........Now Paraclete is the way it is. Because we got most of those Instructors. And I'm lovin it. I second that! I live 10 minutes from the Orlando tunnel but have been to XP 3/4 weekends (including this weekend coming up). Not spending another dime at Orlando because of how far down hill things have gone. Such a shame.Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate www.TunnelPinkMafia.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefalljenn 0 #13 February 5, 2008 I second that. I am so glad to see some of my favorites from Orlando at XP now (so glad to see Dalton and Rick again). XP rocks! The staff there is world class and they all appear to be loving life. edited: I guess I actually thirded that since Paige beat me to seconding it!!! jenn Tunnel Junkie Since November 2005! ;o)~ TPM #46 Paraclete XP TPM Delegate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bowen 0 #14 February 5, 2008 I am not sure what prompted this discussion on the Orlando tunnel. “I feel for the staff who work there. THEY ARE NOT HAPPY!!!” I can speak for myself when I say that I am happy with my job. To comment on this: “He actually told a staff member there that he didn't "give a F*CK about anybody there. My loyalty is to the company" I have known Marc for a few years and that’s not how he conducts himself. “Since this new guy took over hes fired all the good tunnel staff!! He got new tunnel staff!! And even some of them got fired!!” This is a sticky one. Over the summer we lost a half a dozen or so employees. ALLBALLS forgot to mention, since he is in the know, that SVO was the subject of quit a bit of internal theft. One of our employees stole a $1,600 nightly deposit and others took property including a table to play BEER PONG on. Then there is the case of employees coming back in the middle of the night with their friends to fly for hours and hours on the owner’s dime. When Marc added up all the hours flown, it worked out to be something around 80+ hours over the span of about 5 weeks. Add that up and it becomes tens of thousands of dollars of stolen tunnel time and a HUGE electricity bill.. So I think anyone would have made the same decisions Marc made. “Getting coached sitfly by a SVO employee with only 7 skydives is quite comical BTW.” Only one of the instructing staff members that got fired was a skydiver. So how can you say its “comical” to be coached by a whuffo and “he fired all the good tunnel staff” in the same sentence? Two words. Randy Ashley. One of the best fliers and coaches hands down. 0 skydives!! Ask anyone worth asking. A lot of people started in the tunnel first and then started to jump. Thomas Hughes being one of them. On the other end of the spectrum I have seen jumpers with thousands of jumps hitting every wall in there. I have seen this first hand countless times over the last 3+ years. The best coaches are the ones that spend time in the tunnel (skydiver or rat); you don’t have to be a jumper to be a good coach. Lana26: On behalf of SVO I am sorry you lost out on your time. PM me and we will talk. Gravityizsexy: Shame on you Anthony. You were let go the day you were suppose to be signed off as in instructor. I know because I was jumping with you in Deland. Others and myself told you not to be late for work and I even hinted to you that it was a big day for you and the other trainees. After the past management let you go, you begged/cried to Marc over the next couple of months to take you back. He did and your performance was less then stellar. You even went in for a catch with a student one time and at the last moment got scared and hunched over to protect your head while the student impaled the net. Luckily the student didn’t get hurt, but what if he did? You broke your oath as an instructor to put yourself in dangers way in order to protect the safety of the fliers. You were not fired, you just stopped showing up for work. It's funny that you are defending the ex-employees, your "friends", that you yourself screwed over thousands of dollars in electricity bills and unpaid rent when you skipped town and just took off. I just wanted to give clarity from someone who has been working at SVO for some time. (If you have worked for SVO please fill out your profile in its entirety) No one here can talk from experience working at SVO with Marc except Anthony and I and I don’t know what your (Anthony) motives are for bashing him, How quickly we forget those that give second chances. For those of you that feel unhappy with the way things run, I am sorry you feel that way. Please come to us and let us know. this post is nothing but airing out laundry. this is not a productive way to give criticism. dont be apart of the problem, help us to make our place more enjoyable for all. email me or the tunnel directly. Anthony, tell Drew I said whats up! -BowenRetired Tunnel Instructor, Sky/Tunnel Coach Former dealer for 2k Composites, Skysystems, Alti-2, Wings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frost 1 #15 February 5, 2008 What is up with all these tunnel staff politics lately? Cant you people keep it professional? Why do you feel the need to spill the dirt on the public forums? Sad. Just sad. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #16 February 5, 2008 It is the most politic absorbed business I've ever been involved with. There are very few who have the class and fortitude to remain above the fray. ---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aprilfly 0 #17 February 5, 2008 There is a problem with orlando, just go to any of the local dzs and speak to a team that trains over the winter but no longer uses the tunnel for personal reasons NOT SIZE. Speak to the coachs who coach there!! Speak to the guy who showerd up to fly 30 mins coached time with an SVO instructor to work on head down and wasted his money when the staff new there was no chance of him getting headdown without the air straightner in place!! The same instructor who came out of the tunnel and said loudly " F@#K even i cant fly HD in there tonight because its so bumpy as its windy outside" How many freefliers were not aware of the problem until after there flight session? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aprilfly 0 #18 February 5, 2008 I know because of friends in Titusville who flew. ( just to make that clear) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #19 February 5, 2008 Well for all you people bitchen here about this tunnel you pony up the cost to build your own tunnel and run it any damn way you see fit, I'm sure Z-hills or Deland would be happy to let you place the tunnel on their property. As a small business owner myself sometimes you have to do what is best for your bottom line or close the doors and if people are stealing from the company not only would fire them, I would hve them thrown in jail for theft, friends or not! If you don't like the way they do business then don;t go there! If you think you can do better then shut up and go spend a few million bucks of your own cash and do as you please and hire all your buddys to give away free time and run up your bills and steal from you and lets see how long you last.you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeedToJump 0 #20 February 5, 2008 It's seems like a lot of people have a lot of problems with things that have happened at SVO, but don't have any idea what is currently going on there. The new air straightener was put in a few months ago and the air in the tunnel is cleaner and faster than it's ever been. The new staff is doing very well and the place has a really friendly vibe. The owner is currently doing a lot to get skydivers back into the tunnel. "Getting coached sitfly by a SVO employee with only 7 skydives is quite comical BTW." Why is that? There are plenty of incredibly good tunnel coaches with little or no jumps. What does number of skydives have to do with ability to teach body flight? "Yes the air straightner is in only took 9 MONTHS!!!" I believe it took about 4-5 months. "I think the people who are most pissed of are the outside coaches trying to make a living there. Or frequent flyers ( Tunnel rats)" Have you spoken to coaches or frequent flyers who have been there recently? I'm a coach there and have been there almost every day for the past few months. Most of the coaches and flyers I talk to are quite happy. "TRUST me i go .......... All of the staff have said "Marc just doesnt like skydivers"!!!" When did you hear that? As I said, I'm there almost every day and that's just not the case. "As for the new guys, they have no clue!!" The new guys are not as experienced, but no new person ever is. That's why they're called "new". They are all doing very well and have a lot to offer though. They definitely do have a clue. "There is a problem with orlando, just go to any of the local dzs and speak to a team that trains over the winter but no longer uses the tunnel for personal reasons NOT SIZE. " Most of the people I hear bad mouthing SVO are repeating the same things they have heard for months and haven't actually been there to see it for themselves. "Speak to the coachs who coach there!! " I am a coach who is there almost every day. Talk to me. "I know because of friends in Titusville who flew. ( just to make that clear) " So you're repeating what other people have told you but have no first hand experience? Also, I'm not sure why it came up, but I am not a SkyVenture Orlando employee. I am an outside coach. Toobin and Trexy - why don't you fill in your profiles so we know who you are?Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #21 February 5, 2008 Quote It is the most politic absorbed business I've ever been involved with. There are very few who have the class and fortitude to remain above the fray. And here I was, saying windtunnels were nothing like dropzones... Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #22 February 5, 2008 Quote I am a coach who is there almost every day. Talk to me. You're one of the good ones! Quote Toobin and Trexy - why don't you fill in your profiles so we know who you are? Now that would ruin their credibility, wouldn't it?---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JGarcia 0 #23 February 6, 2008 I'm reading this thread and it's quite obvious that some of you have not been to SVO anytime recently. Angela and I have been flying or coaching there at least once a week for the past several months... we are not staff members, we are outside coaches. In our experience the staff has been beyond professional, friendly, & curteous. And that includes everyone from owner, to instructors, to front desk staff. And the tunnel itself?? It's rockin' with the new air straigtener... noticeably faster and smoother than before. Bowen's already covered why much of the staff was recently let go... employee theft is definitely unacceptable, in any business. Furthermore, some of the best coaching I've personally received has come from tunnel instructors that had few, IF ANY, skydives.Just like any other business, I'm sure there are politics involved; however, that's the nature of running a business. From what I've seen, all the drama and issues have been put to rest, resolved, and are in the past. Seriously....if you're going to bad-mouth a business, at least buy a clue as to what you're talking about... you may spend a bit more time enjoying your tunnel sessions, and less time removing your foot from your mouth. So come back to SVO... I'm sure any of the current tunnel instructors (with 7 or fewer jumps) would gladly fly with you, keep you from smacking into the walls, and quickly prove your perceptions wrong. Alternatively, if you find that my 2408 skydives (or Angela's 550 skydives & ridiculous tunnel skillz) give you a warmer, fuzzier feeling, we'll gladly coach you too, and then go get some drinks together. Cheers! --Jairo Low Profile, snag free helmet mount for your Sony X3000 action cam! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeedToJump 0 #24 February 6, 2008 Quote and then go get some drinks together. I'm in! Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sraja 0 #25 February 6, 2008 Hey Ari Thanks so much for the fantastic coaching. Those 10 minutes with you now have me flying so much better on my belly. I even got that mantis crap down much better than I had before. Will see you again in Feb during Presidents day. Next time - burble flying :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
