ccowden

Thank you. You too, my friend.

I can honestly say that I am having more fun this summer than ever before, and it has been so far beyond anything I could have ever imagined it to be. I have never felt so blessed and my life has never felt so full! Everyday is a new experience, and with each comes more and more happiness and fullfilment! Thank you again to all of my friends who have shown love and support. It means the world to me.

Thank you. And I DO consider you to be one of my friends even though we have not met. Your friendship and support is very appreciated.

Oh, don't you worry, my sweet. I am still thinking I will come to the Halloween Boogie. I mean, how can I miss THAT?! Thank you for being such a sweetheart. You are a special girl and I am so glad I can call you a friend.

Get in line dude.

If I was looking online, what size frame would be good for me? I am 6'1" and have a 35" inseam.

Thanks for the replies. So, is it safe to assume that most "bigger name" manufacturers have entry level bikes that would suit me fine for that price range? I am just staying away from the Wal-Mart type brands?

I am looking to get a mountain bike and was wondering if anyone had some insight. I would mainly be riding it on paved roads, paved trails, dirt roads and less extreme dirt trails. I am just looking for a good, all-around, quality bike for some easy riding and fun. Hoping to spend between $200 and $400. Just need a decent bike for not alot of money. Any advice? Certain bikes to look at? Things to stay away from?

Awesome, awesome, awesome! Not only did we easily get the amount needed for a fitting tribute in the magazine, but to be able to make such a wonderful donation in Shannon's name to a place that was near to her heart, is just simply amazing! It is so cool how her love shines on through her friends and family who loved her so very much! Thank you to all who are making it possible!

Thank you for your post. I certainly appreciate what you are saying and I know you can fully understand my feelings as well. I am so very thankful to have met you and also support your decision as well. Take care in what path you choose, and I am sure we will see each other around. Lotsa love to you both!

Wow! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to make a post of support and for all the amazingly kind words, thoughts and feelings you have shared. As I read the posts, PMs and emails from so many, I am absolutely blown away at the caring and support you have all shown. I cannot begin to explain how you have all touched my heart with your kindness, and it just makes it so very clear that it has all been so very worth it. My life would not even be remotely the same without what skydiving brought me and all the amazing friends I have made along the way. I don't regret a single thing, and I am now positive that this decision is one I will not regret either. "Thank you" does not begin to explain my gratitude. I do plan to attend a couple events this season so that I can see some of you and have some drinks for the good times we shared. So, I hope you don't mind hanging out with a "wuffo" one last time!

OK, if Shannon's not a good enough reason for you, Chris has already lost many friends to the sport, including his best friend and teammate, Tommy. He's had more than his fair share of death to deal with. Even then, his main reason to take a break is his son and wife, which is a enough reason in itself. Yup- any ONE of those reason should be good enough, but you got it right, the real reason is because my wife and son are more important to me and I would rather spend the time with them rather than skydiving or taking the risk anymore of leaving them behind. Shannon's death was NOT the reason. That is just what made me say, "OK, it's time for me to concentrate on other things in my life." But again, smarter people already get this. And my friends support it. Anyone who would jump in a thread like this to be a jerk fits neither definition.

Ya know, it is funny. I was actually a little scared to post this because I wasn't sure how it would be taken. Just goes to show that I was being stupid. I should have known that everyone here would be supportive, but I could not have been prepared for the amazing support I have been shown thus far. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and who have taken the time to respond with such kinds words of encouragement and support on here and through email. I cannot tell you how much it means to me and how it warms my heart. Just affirms the fact that this is an amazing community made up of wonderfully caring people. Thank you all!

I originally had no intention of posting anything, but I feel as though I want all of my friends to know where I am with things and figured this was the best way. I don't have emails for many of you and just wanted to express my feelings to ALL who care about me and have supported me in everything I do. This is a very special community of people and the friends I have here are so very important to me. That is why I am posting. After spending the 3 day Memorial Day weekend away from skydiving and having the greatest, most fulfilling time in the world with Brennan and Cindy, and then getting the news of our dear friend Shannon's death, I have decided to take a step away from the sport. Since the birth of my son, skydiving has not even come close to comparing to the joy and happiness I find with my son and wife, and the way I am feeling right now, I just cannot justify the risk of leaving what I have behind, nor missing the time spent with them to go skydiving. The thought of my wife getting a call saying I was killed and the thought of her and Brennan finding themselves in an empty house, just plain scares me. Plus, for me personally, I am just not willing to risk what I have for the thrill of jumping anymore. There is just so much more I want to be there for and share with my son and I don't want to miss it. I realize that life is risky and skydiving is not the only way I could leave this earth, but I have always said to myself that when the day comes that my heart is no longer in it, then I will walk away. Well, my heart is still with skydiving and all the friends and family I have made through the sport, but my heart is also telling me that there is something more important to me and even the time away from that when I am skydiving is not worth missing, let alone the risks. I am not sure if this will just be a "break" or actually a final decision to not jump anymore, but what I am sure of is that I am going to listen to what my heart is telling me and take a step away. And this is NOT a negative thing at all. I am as happy as I have ever been, besides the loss of Shannon, and feel as though this is a step forward to something bigger and better, and not a step back at all. That is why the decision is an easy one for me. I am happier spending time with my son and wife than I have been skydiving lately and when I am away from them, I long to be with back with them. Yet, when I am with the two of them, I have not been longing to skydive. I have found joy and happiness like I could have never imagined, and THAT is where my heart is now. I wanted to tell you this because you are important to me as friends and it is important to me for you to know what I am feeling. I know my true friends will support me, and I cannot thank you enough for your love and support over the years. Please do not look at this as a good-bye in any way. It is not meant as a drama post and I don't want to be talked out of it. Like I said, I am as happy as ever and have no intention of walking away from my friends in this sport. I am just walking away from the jumping for now. Thank you for everything. My love to you all. -Chris

And that makes ME smile big knowing that!

Awww Paige, I am glad you got a smile from the pictures. Your gift made me, my wife, and Brennan all smile for sure.

Yes, the DVD is great! And I feel EXTREMELY lucky now to have the footage of that freefly 2 way I did with Shannon that is on there! I will watch it many, many times with fond memories. I am so grateful to Iwan for coming with Shannon and I to film our jump, and grateful to David for putting the DVD together.

FUCK! Got the news last night and then woke up to this fucking reality this morning. I will miss you Shannon! I will miss our 2ways together so much. Thank God for the beautiful jumps we got to share and for this beautiful girl who touched my heart. I just don't have any more right now.

Pretty much. The reason you had a hard opening is simply because your parachute opened hard. Sounds overly simplified, but parachutes will do that from time to time no matter what we do. Proper packing and deceleration before pulling can help to avoid it, but you will never eliminate it. It is hard to speculate exactly why you had a hard opening, but it was most definitely NOT your freefall speed at time of deployment.

No, but what your brain is computing and what the freefall computer are CAN. From the time you look at your altimeter, to the time you do something, to the time you begin to decelerate, can easily take a few seconds. Especially when you are going at speeds of 175 mph. A few seconds in freefall can add up to 1,000 feet REAL quick. So, what you are "reading" and remembering as exact altitudes of going to your belly and deploying, might not be where they actually were. But what this graph is saying and what YOU are saying are two different things. The ProTrack reads that there WAS a gradual deceleration from the time you went to your belly to the time of deployment and that your were going approx. 115 mph at the time of deployment. The only discrepancy is what you THINK happened and not what the ProTrack actually is showing. The speed graph STOPS reading when you deployed. The fall from 175 mph to 115 mph is the deceleration BEFORE deployment.

You are reading your ProTrack wrong. What you THINK the altitudes were when you went on your belly and when you deployed are NOT what the ProTrack is saying they were. That little red 'X' is where the ProTrack reads a SUDDEN deceleration at time of deployment. The spped at the time of deployment was around 115 mph, which you decelerated to from 175 mph when you went to your belly. But you obviously don't want to hear that and know more than I do about them, so good luck with finding your answers.

Your ProTrack does not read any speeds AFTER deployment. Your graph shows (hard to see exact on my screen) a sharp deceleration from about 175mph at about 3500 feet, to about 115mph at time of deployment which was roughly 2600 feet. According to this graph, you were doing about 115mph when you deployed.

Yes I see that, but doesn't the speed graph go up from around 13,000 then even out basically with variations until about 4,000 where it dramatically goes down to 115 at deployment?

Huh? The way I am reading it says that you slowed from around 170 to around 115 starting at about 4,000 feet until deployment. Am I reading it wrong?