AggieDave 6 #1 February 3, 2003 This weekend, visiting a different DZ, I saw a *scary* hi-performance landing and thought it could do some good for others to read it here. His approach was fine, nice and smooth under a Stilletto (I think), here's what was scary, he lets go of his toggles to do his front riser approaches (turn, then to double fronts), then quickly lets go of his front risers, grabbing his toggles right before he flares. From what I could tell, he just has his brakes set too short to be able use a front riser with out deflecting the tail, so that was his solution, instead of lengthening the brake lines. Yes, this seems like common sense would dictate that this is a VERY bad idea, but I figured someone here may not have heard this before and would learn something--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #2 February 3, 2003 Please tell me you weren't visiting SSM? Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #3 February 3, 2003 Nope, wasn't at SSM.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #4 February 3, 2003 The worst example of this I ever witnessed was back around 1990 at Raeford when GK 8-way guy J.C. Coffman used to do this. Also very much in vogue back then was swooping over the trees and kicking pine cones prior to landing. Anyway, old J.C. let go of his toggles, snapped a 180 front riser hook, then reached back for his toggles but missed them because he became fixated on his too-close proximity to the trees! He PILED into the trees and clothes-lined himself on a big branch about 25 feet up! It knocked his ass clean out. My vidiot, Rixter Neely, scampered straight up the tree like a squirrel and went to J.C.'s aid. J.C. woke up, shook his head, then saw Rixter-mon standing on the limb in front of him; he was visibly shaken. When we discerned that he was OK, we got him down and berated him for his stupid technique. To the best of my knowledge, he immediately let his brakes out and ceased the "toggle dropping." Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ramon 0 #5 February 3, 2003 PM who it was. I'll go chat with him/her. friendly like....that is dangerous "Revolution is an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.", Ambrose Bierce. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
listo 0 #6 February 6, 2003 letting go of toggles huh.....what a friggin idiot! Thanks for the post Dave, I needed a good laugh. That is just a good way to get three things to happen for sure. 1st it will lead to another senseless fatality.2nd, it will give us another bad rap in the general public's views of what we do. 3rd, it will prove Darwinism to be correct. Live today as tomorrow may not come Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygod7777 0 #7 February 6, 2003 i can seam to remember i read about a fatallity with this guy letting go of his toggles to use rear risers, and then missed. i can't remember what issue of parachutist, but it sounds like this guy may be the next one if he keeps this stupid shit up. later Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Designer 0 #8 February 8, 2003 Yikes!Never,I (MEAN) NEVER are we supposed to let go.Hey,if they want to die let them do it somewhere else! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CBurket 0 #9 February 10, 2003 I haven't seen someone let go of the toggles, hook it and then grab the toggles again, but in Eloy I saw a guy hook his stiletto, and swoop it to a dead stop without even touching the toggles, just left them hooked to the velcro and used the rear risers all the way. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BMFin 0 #10 February 10, 2003 Well thats different. Swooping with rear risers, thats something you could call advanced swooping, but letting go of toggles, no way ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JGarcia 0 #11 February 10, 2003 I saw the same guy do this at Eloy during the Holiday Boogie. I even got it on video because I wanted to study his technique. It was one of the Airspeed guys and, sure enough, every landing was a 270 front riser hook, followed by a surf right on the beer line as he twisted himself in such a way that his canopy was flying one way, but he was facing 90 degrees or more to the left, until the end of his swoop where he would shut the canopy down completely without ever touching his toggles. Very impressive. 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
SkymonkeyONE 3 #12 February 11, 2003 You are talking about Craig Girard. He would throw his turn right at the beer line and the bleachers, then carve hard 90 degrees right on his rear risers while dragging a foot to keep his body facing the crowd. At the very end of it he sort of "un-flips" and skids to a stop right next to the mockups. It is equally impressive over a pond, I can promise you. Others do the same thing; swooping to a complete stop on their rears. What you fail to mention, though, is that none of them were doing this on a main smaller than a 107. The smaller the main, the more difficult it is to "finish" your swoop on only rears. I can do it all day long on my staff rig (Stilleto 107), but always transfer to toggles to finish it off on my personal rigs (Velocity 75 and 79). Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #13 February 11, 2003 QuoteThe smaller the main, the more difficult it is to "finish" your swoop on only rears. I can do it all day long on my staff rig (Stilleto 107), but always transfer to toggles to finish it off on my personal rigs (Velocity 75 and 79). Agreed. If you have a nice surface to slide on (i.e. the grass at Eloy, or the gravel covered taxiway at SkyDance) and can transfer your weight from your harness to your feet smoothly it can be done relatively easily. Of course when it comes to competition, putting your feet down is bad form! Great to see you again at PIA!---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weid14 0 #14 February 11, 2003 might want to watch the video from this past years pond swooping at the Ranch... let go of the toggles, blew a kiss to the judges and continued on... dirt water dirt.... one of the Precision pilots, I can't remember who. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #15 February 11, 2003 Wasn't that Andy Farrington? Or is my memory as bad as it usually is?--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygod7777 0 #16 February 11, 2003 Quote Wasn't that Andy Farrington? Or is my memory as bad as it usually is? no, i your memory is fine. i remember reading about it in parachutist, and seeing a picture of it. impressive. and about coming to a complete stop on rears, well, i haven't tried it on my vx, or my old fx, but i was at cedertown back in decmeber, and watched tj langren (sp??) land his xaos 27 on all rears. now i'm not sure what size it was, but it still was pretty impressive. later later Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #17 February 11, 2003 Yeah. T.J. does it a fair amount of the time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck 0 #18 February 12, 2003 Jeremy Peters (Airspeed video) lands his Stiletto 97 just on risers when the set-up is right , but he probably only weighs about a buck 30. How are you liking the Velocity's Chuck? As compared to the Xoas you were jumping? The Cobalt? It will bw interesting to see how you do on the tour this year with a cross braced over your head. Good luck!!! Canuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
