The best freeflier ?

[grosfion 0]

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the problem babylon has is the same as the one frick had initially, what they were doing was so new and inovative that the judges 1- didn't understand it and 2- didn't know how to judge

Jaja schure :-)))

[IronMike 0]

Fritz is the best freeflyer and Clint Claussen is the best canopy pilot...by far

[JFC3 0]

Yeah - I didn't want to say anything but how the hell do you guys pronounce that. I think TLS still pumps through the veins though..

"Five days? But I'm angry now!"

[wrightskyguy 1]

There are alot of good freeflyers out there but I believe that Jack Melnick from Gainesville Fl is the best there is.

John Wright

World's most beloved skydiver

[CanEHdian 0]

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In your opinion who is the best freeflier out there right now?

To be honest, I found this thread to be ridiculous at first. Then I re-read the initial post and realized that the operative word is "opinion"... and that's fair enough when considering all the responses.

But if anyone really thinks that they know who's best, hell, that there even IS a best, well...

Anyway, in the spirit of name dropping, I'd also like to mention John Matthews - and add guys like Brian Germain and the gang at FTC... because these guys are not only excellent in the sky, but true gentlemen on the ground. I'm sure that there are many more out there, I sure hope so for the sake of the sport, but I just haven't had the priv to meet them yet.

Sorry for not saying that they are the best...

Cheers,
CanEHdian

Time's flying, and so am I...
(69-way, 108-way and 138/142-way Freefly World Records)

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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Best? Best at what? Publicity? Solo freefly? Team Freefly?.......The concept of a single "best" is meaningless in freefly isn't it?

I will agree with Paul here. Some of the most popular guys are simply Masters of Self Promotion who have done nothing more than get their picture on the cover and inside a bunch of magazines. They achieve this by deluging the editors with their material. Very few of the "most popular" guys have ever placed in the top three of a "real" event, much less won, yet because they toot their own horn incessantly, they have you conned into believing that you should spend your hard-earned money at their "schools", so they can continue to skydive for free off YOUR dime. Gimme a break. If you are gonna call yourself a "team" and run a school, then you had better have some instructional credentials or some competition wins. Don't feel bad though, freeflyers, it's the same in RW and swooping too (with a few notable exceptions, such as Airspeed camps and maybe Jim Slaton's course since every member of those teams have proven records). There are plenty of people out there that have less skills than you who are getting your money because you think they must be better than someone who doesn't charge you to jump with them.

Likewise, there are plenty of people in each and every discipline who can fly circles around others in their arena, yet do not have the opportunity to get out there and show their face in competition or shamelessly promote themselves to the top (at least in the public's mind). My best example of this is in the big-way RW crowd. You would not believe how many marginal skydivers there are on those loads. But, because they are "grandfathered" in or are buddies with Jack Jeffries (or whoever), they just walk on. That, plus the unbelievably high costs to attend those things. I was going to do the 300 way a couple of years ago, but I didn't have the $1500 to waste on it at the time. I recently saw a similar thing happen to some freeflyers from my DZ who tried to get on a big-way freefly record down south, only to get turned away because someone on the load "didn't know them." It's the same everywhere I guess.

Anyway, after watching the video from the open class of the US nationals in freefly, I can honestly say I was totally impressed with the top two teams. Seamless transitions on ALL axis, great video work (how in the hell did that video guy get through the middle of that vertical compressed accordian?!); outstanding flying!


Chuck

[JJohnson 0]

Me!!!! I'm the best freeflier I have ever been in the air with. In fact I'm so damn good that ater jumping with me most freefliers won't jump with me again....obviously they can't take me showing them up. I got this one move....to the untrained eye it is a blur of movement. Arms and legs flying everywhere! Then bam! Right back to a stable sit. Man I'm good. A real legend in my own mind.
JJ

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[blueshrew 0]

I don't think you can really say someone is the best just because they placed at some competition.
If a team trains just one jump over and over, they have to get it perfect, and then it comes down to the judging which is real weird sometimes. Besides if 2 people have the same level with a 500 jump difference, then I'd say one of them just ain't talented. As for the Euro Cup, I'd say that luck was with the lesser (European) flyers. I saw a video of Alchemy and Arizona Freeflight at the World Cup, and got really wide eyes and couldn't speak for a while. But one has to consider what the training background for that jump was.

[Trent 0]

Training is what sets almost all world-class athletes apart. If there were a standard way to measure the performance of freefliers, Alchemy might not be the best... but they had the creativity to think up those moves, the discipline to train relentlessly, and the talent to make it look really good.

Training takes you from being a talented flyer, to a flyer that has discipline and fantastic fundamentals. Tons of people have talent, few have the drive to hone that talent to make them the best.

Oh, hello again!

[rapper4mpi 0]

This is a fun question in relation to freeflying. You asked "In your oppinion, who do you think is the best freeflyer" Well, there are several areas to base this on and many flyers that fit these. Innovation, skills, competition results, teaching ability, promotion of the art etc... However, there are VERY few freeflyers that stand out in ALL of these areas. If I were to make a list of the top 10 freeflyers is would go like this, in no particular order: Mike Swanson, Brian Germain, Dave Brown, Max Cohn, Rob Silver, Fransico Neri, Rook Nelson, Alaska John, John Matthews and Mike Ortiz. From there the list goes on and on to "2nd" level flyers who are better than most, but just don't devote all of their energy to freeflying to reach that top level of flying associated with SOME of the names above. Anyway, this is just my opinion.
-Rapper

[rgoper 0]

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Clint Claussen is the best canopy pilot...by far

**OT** you obviously haven't seen hooknswoop fly his vx-60! he's precise, professional and very good. he's the best canopy pilot i've seen, and i've seen some good ones. eric butts (team atair) is very good as well.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[ECVZZ 0]

I'm in no position to give an opinion on who is the best, but I can tell you that Jon DeVore is one shit-hot freeflier! Also, Steve Blincoe is really good.

Greg

[IronMike 0]

Whats hoohnswoops real name? I have been at the contests at Perris if he was there. Flying a small canopy is not the most impressive thing. Luigi flies a 46 or so and I personally think Clint is better. You should see some of the unreleased video of Clint doing stuff....He is ultra smooth.

Mike

[andreaarmani 0]

Are you happy about your last freefly jump????
.... You are the best!!!!!!!

FreeSkies@all![;)

[SatchFan 0]

I am in no position to talk about the best FFer's but I can say who's style I like the best. Max Cohn.

[freeflyz 0]

ME!

[listo 0]

well....I pose this question to all that have posted to this. Is the best free flier in the world the one person who can do all of the tricks and look like a swan while doing it or is it the person who can fly in any given attitude with the proper speed relative to what is going on .....and who is willing to teach anyone the safe principles of free flying without putting themself first. I personally believe that the best free flier in the world is that one person that is willing to teach anyone, anywhere, anything and do it all for the sake of making the discipline safer for all invlolved. The key attribute of this free flier would be that they would do this not for profit (ie, all of these large FF schools) but for the personal satisfaction that they taught someone their own personal knowledge soley for the reward of watching the so called student progress into becoming a safer free flier and to see their enjoyment that results from what they have learned and the fact that they too can fly with the most disciplined skydivers in free fall.... Again, this is just my opinion, but.... that is what this post was all about in the first place wasn't it?
Happy New Year Everyone,
BLUE SKIES,
LOOOOOOOOOONG SWOOPS!

Live today as tomorrow may not come

[gemini 0]

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If I were to make a list of the top 10 freeflyers is would go like this, in no particular order: Mike Swanson, Brian Germain, Dave Brown, Max Cohn, Rob Silver, Fransico Neri, Rook Nelson, Alaska John, John Matthews and Mike Ortiz.

I agree, but I would add Omar Alhegelan to the premier list. I have had the opportunity to jump with Omar and Max on several hybrid and tracking dives and watched them work with jumpers of various experience levels. This is one thing that makes skydiving a great sport...world class jumpers will take the time to talk to and jump with low timers!

Blue skies,

Jim

[hookitt 0]

Oh...there are so many more than the ones recognized on this thread. There's no way I could pick just one. There are so many fantastic flyers out there. Freefly can be extremely diverse. Some are better upright flyers than any one, some are just plain good at freefly video, and can do that better than any one. Some just seem to defy the laws of physics. I suppose if you don't know the laws of physics, some don't always apply.

To many avenues of falling to choose just one.

Peace

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[jlmiracle 7]

I would have to vote for Jeff Mullins. Too bad he isn't old enough to compete yet.

Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[alain 0]

I had the chance to get some coaching from frick Marco lately : great inovative flier, good bloke and bluffing coach. I'm still stoke of how much I've learned in so few jumps with the maestro my vote goes for him...
alain

[chrisempson 0]

Just came back from skydive algarve where Free Flight Paratec were training - they're probably not the best in the world but their flying is incredible! You could hear jaws hitting the floor when they showed their 2002 video - especially the clip in which the cameraman hangs onto a Paratec guy's harness while he deploys and cracks open a beer! There are some wicked head-down big-ways on that video too! They're really nice guys as well

[ccowden 0]

Without a doubt-
Jen Key of the Sugar Gliderz!

[mindcool 0]

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Since individual competitions, like the Space Games aren't around anymore

What makes you say that, Trent?
Space games 13 will be taking place in Spain, Castillion from the 20th till the 30th of September 2003.
for more details check:
http://www.1olav.com/news1olav.htm

I believe that this time there will be an opertunity to a lot more of Europen freeflyers to demonstrate their skills

Shaggy

[Snowflake 0]

Well I really think this should have been called my favorite freeflyer because no criteria was laid out. There are so many people who's ability is so far removed from me that I don't think I would be good judge.

That being said my totally biased opinion is Omar A.