PhreeZone 14 #26 June 24, 2005 Jack Jefferies, there are 2 great pictures of him swooping the bridge at Deland in 1992 in Eyes in the Sky. Airspeed '95 was the team that first brought team landings to a true single unit structure. Rickster was one of the first I saw when i got into the sport on the french mountian lake with the toe drag for the Stiletto ad. He was also one of the first I saw flying a Velo and its still impresses me watching him on Crosswind with the end cell strikes.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BirdBabe1 0 #27 June 24, 2005 Yes, Charlie kindled the fire of swoopin'. He was corrected at a dz or two for his "hook" turns. I met him when I was 13, and he was 15. He became my AFF instructor when I was 17 in July of '98. That was the spring/summer when JC Coolclasure placed 1st in all three divisions of the '98 blade comp. JC and Clint were fresh from Hawaii. I do not know how advanced their two-way relative canopy flight was at that time, but I will tell you all that I remember looking into the skies, and seeing Charlie and his best friend, Chris Visto, fly a very tight, two-way formation at full speed and surf into a parking lot at a dz in Minnesota. Awesome. Where are they now? In July, a year later, Charlie had motorcycle injury. That same week, Chris Visto died in a plane crash. His student stalled the Cessna. Chris was an extremely skilled pilot and may have been able to save their lives, but the flaps were electric, not manual, and to slow. Chris was going to coach and train with Annie and I in canopy flight. We had our sights set on the mountain and the pro blade with Reg. Charlie now flies lear jets and all sorts of fun stuff. There are a handful of guys that pushed the envelope, especially since the development of the PD Sabre. The Triathalon was big hit too. I remember the Nova and will not give my opinion of that canopy. We all can be so glad for the technology advancements, despite the risks. Let's go fly! Olivia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
veter_ 0 #28 June 24, 2005 Sonic, of course. Duh! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnny1488 1 #29 June 24, 2005 Well Sonic would say his daddy is Phil Contorno. 96 Pond swoop champion (the very first) and one of the first front riser turners people had seen here at the Ranch (from what I've been told). He was also swooping the pond back in 93 or 94 before there was even water in it. Check out the Hookin It DVD for some real throwback footage. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
courage 0 #30 June 27, 2005 Rickster. DeLand. Must've been in 88. A blue PD canopy with some sort of special coating. Size: 150, I think? Hey, Rickster! Get on here!! Here's a picture of my brother Tom in the ditch at DeLand in 1989. He's under an Excalibur 150:http://www.hangout.no/ken/skydive_delandditch1989.jpg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhino 0 #31 June 27, 2005 QuoteTom in the ditch at DeLand in 1989. He's under an Excalibur Sweet.. Is that thing crossbraced? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ianmdrennan 2 #32 June 27, 2005 QuoteSweet.. Is that thing crossbraced? Yes.Performance Designs Factory Team Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #33 June 28, 2005 QuoteWho would you consider to be the godfather of swooping? For instance, I would personally think that John LeBlanc would definately be at the top of the list. Negative. The first two absolute-bad-ass swoopers were Rixter Powell and Jack Jeffries. The creation of the PD Excallibur made possible the "modern" swoop. We all did whatever piddly turf surf we could with our Bogys and Raiders before that, but things changed the instant we got ahold of the first "real" HP canopy (which I bought brand new immediately upon it's release). I could fly my canopy very nicely, but when The Deland Gang (four way Silver medal winner at Nationals that year) got invited to Raeford to train for the world meet with the Golden Knights I was just floored. History lesson: The GK's had won both four and eight way, but opted to only do eight way at the world meet and, graciously, let the second place team take the four-way. Rixter Powell not only did video for the team, he also was their packer! Anyway, Jack and Rixter regularly went the entire distance of the beer line, barely missing the power lines on their turn. They would also rip 180 degree circle surfs like it was nothing. Jack was jumping an Excal 120 back then. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KellyF 16 #34 June 28, 2005 I think I've got to agree with Chuckie But there were enough "unknown" people swooping in the mid-late '80's that it's hard to pin the term "godfather" on one person. Jack and Rickster definately took it to a new plane when the Excalibur was introduced. I think I remember reading about them in Parachutist when I should've been paying attention to the teacher in the 9th grade Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jayfreefly 0 #35 July 3, 2005 I think your right on the money monkey. I'll ask Rickster what he thinks next time I see him. PS. don't you owe me some lunch money!Fly-Free... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marks 0 #36 July 5, 2005 QuoteI think your right on the money monkey. I'll ask Rickster what he thinks next time I see him. PS. don't you owe me some lunch money! lol..... not if you stole it... jay!!!! iu think your the godfather of swooping! you comin to skydive atlanta for holloween?. try those dj'n skills out! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muff528 3 #37 July 5, 2005 Can't leave out Gary Reich. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 7 #38 July 6, 2005 Rickster. I was talking to some of the very best canopy folks...And I asked them who they thought was the best. They all said Rickster. He was swooping everthing PD came out with. I remember reading an old Parachutist from the 80's. It had a paragraph on some guy with a tiny ass 150! ripping through the landing area.....That guy was Rickster. I think the canopy was pink and one of the first Sabres."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #39 July 6, 2005 Actually, if you want to talk one-off coolness, I can tell you that Rixter had the only zero-P Excallibur there ever was. It was solid pink. It was a 135 if I recall and he was jumping that main when the rest of the Deland Gang had gone to the first Sabres. He put thousands of jumps on that canopy. We all begged PD to sew us ZP Excalliburs back when we saw it and they told us to pound sand. The canopy was simply too difficult to sew within tolerances and they told us "Sabres fly as good as Excals anyway." We shook our heads and laughed. NOTHING flew like a brand-new Excallibur. Thank god that manufacturing techniques finally caught up with engineering possibilities. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arlo 0 #40 July 14, 2005 alright, rickster and i were talking about this thread today (he doesn't frequent the internet that much). he said he was swooping the shit outta some Stingray 145 but that was back in 1984. he also added that this dude named joey d who ran the pro shop at the ranch was ripping it up back then too. he said he remembered joey swooping like a madman and looking at it going "i wanna do THAT." god bless these little nuggets. he had no idea that his name was still "out there" or that anyone really remembered. it's pretty cool to see his reaction to this. of course, chris hayes has now started a trend of "kissing the ring" of the godfather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KellyF 16 #41 July 18, 2005 Quotealright, rickster and i were talking about this thread today (he doesn't frequent the internet that much). he said he was swooping the shit outta some Stingray 145 but that was back in 1984. I remember him telling me that he used to refer to that as the "Stingfoot" Also, at one point I guess it had "Stingray" across the bottom skin and at one point only had the N and G left- they stood for "No Good" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #42 July 23, 2005 I am no Godfather, that's for sure. The guy that taught me to use front riser carves for landing was Willie Botcher at the Ranch in 1988. Willie was the first person I ever saw do it right. Everyone else was toggle-hooking. Even Piras. Anyone know what happened to Willie? Probably off somewhere breeding... +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #43 July 24, 2005 Oh please . . . and what do you call what we were doing hooking our Piglets in . . . LOL . . . The first dedicated swooper, who thought it was something new, was that R.I. freestyle fascist chick at Lake Elsinore, I'm actually glad I can't remember her name. She jumped with Ray Cottingham a lot. She was the first person I ever head yell at a weekend jumper to get out of her way . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #44 July 25, 2005 Give us a date!! I think you are talking about Dale Stewart... +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #45 July 25, 2005 UGH! Talk about eating too much dogfood! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #46 July 25, 2005 Yes, Dale . . . I suppose it was the late 80s when Debbie Blackmon is running Elsinore. NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #47 July 25, 2005 I think the first of us were doing front riser carving approaches by about 1987. Is there anyone out there that was doing it before that? Man, this thread is making me feel old... +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #49 July 25, 2005 Brian is a great swooper, but he isn't any older than me. I know there are plenty of folks who were doing this stuff way before us. +Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beergood 0 #50 July 25, 2005 Was more of a joke. I miss ole "B". Yeah he is young just had your canopies DIALED in! I still have never seen anyone come in as fast as he use to back in the day at Z Hills! He would scare the shit out of people with the sound and speed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
