gojump

No offense, but based on the picture you have posted here, you should do some coached jumps and/or hit the wind tunnel with a good coach. You can get rid of the "chicken wings", sit up and see the skydive, fly with your arms in a more usable position, and engage your legs so you can use those new booties and be more stable and agile in freefall than you ever imagined. This is how RW is done nowadays and it does not matter whether you are a 4-way, 8-way, or big-way flyer. It's just good body flight plain and simple. I, too, never learned to fly my body properly until I had more than 2,000 skydives, mostly big-ways, and nearly 10 years in the sport. I felt confident in my flying and considered myself a good, experienced skydiver---right up until the first time I attended an Airspeed tunnel camp in 2001. Watching the pros at eye level brought me down to earth. I'm now hooked and counting the days until the first west coast tunnels open. As for your track, it is an entirely different feeling with booties, but once you learn how to use them you'll understand what all of the fuss is about.

Here's the bottom line on open-class 4-way jumpers at Perris: NO ONE TO PIN OUR HOPES ON! Andy Delk: pitching drogues for the cash to develop that pilot thing, blew his wad on Vengeance, could do a sponsored team but isn't gung ho on givebacks. Eric Jin: could do a 4-way team, but is looking at lower experienced jumpers like his mentor DanBC did. Christopher Irwin: stated that his priority for next season is to do the swoop meets and do another player-coach team (the kind where you get paid). David Van Grunigen: would move to CA, but needs to get back to Orlando regularly, has a young son. Hungry for a fast team but needs sponsorship. Will likely do another player-coach gig. Open to ideas from Perris and Elsinore. Apparently Shannon Pilcher has signed on with Majik for another season. Patrick MacGowen: Yep, has that house payment. After a second season away from 4way also losing currency (but not natural ability). Mike Kinsvater: Going big flying airplanes, but said he is doing a team with Raoul's wife Pam, other two are yet to be announced. Says it could be an open team depending on who the other two players are. We can hope for a Crossconnect Reunion (Pam/Mike/Andy/Eric), skills are improved and Pam knows how to get a team funded. Kai Wolf: German, but willig to do a guest 4way team. Pitching drogues and rigging. A legend who should coach more. Even if the tunnel draws 4-way back to Perris at the weekender/Advanced level, there's no escaping the fact that a hot open-class 4-way team is needed. For fun or organized 4-way on the weekends, head straight for Elsinore, Hammo will hook you up. Did some larger-size jumps this morning, chilly up there with the white puffies, writing to ya live from the BombShelter. The 4-way scene is so depressing I think I'll order a beer. C-ya.

...saw the post that The Rebels were nominating themselves as a welcoming committee. They are fast becoming an institution at Perris..a 4-way tem known best for its fun, and rumor has it they can actually skydive pretty well. Not a bad idea!

I jump at both DZ's, love them both. I would really rather jump than post, but since the weather is iffy... Perris has the Bomb Shelter (bar/restaurant) and Square One gear store. NORMALLY---newer jumpers wanting safe RW attention are more apt to receive it at Elsinore. John Hamilton, the DZO, is legendary, a hot flyer, and almost always ready to go jump, coach and encourage anybody . He also has some disciples there who will do 2-ways and get you on the right track. The load organizers at Perris are sweet, but not highly skilled at either flying or teaching and the loads tend to be zoo-like and can occasionally be scary. Perris needs to get more skilled RW flyers organizing loads. Sometimes you can find an experienced jumper who will pull newer jumpers together and really teach them something, but not often enough. HOWEVER there is an event at Perris December 7th and 8th. Shannon Pilcher and David Van Grunigen, two of the best RW coaches in our sport, will be doing coached loads of all sizes and the promo says they can work with all skill levels. Check that out. Jumping and learning from those guys really means something in our sport. Call Manifest at Perris (909-657-3904) and get details. Also a nice way to meet folks for the weekend. Be safe, keep it to coached jumps or 4-way and smaller regardless of where you jump.