frost

But that changes when you use rear risers and/or toggles - you add another point to help shift the weight. I am not sure how much or how beneficial but i know i can feel the difference.

Thanks guys! I was excited to do well. But I am even more excited and happy for Pia, she got 12th place!! I don't know anyone who deserves a good result more than her, she earned it. Some of us big boys should learn from her about being tough - that chick's got heart! She never quits! I've watched her compete through two seasons of FLCPA and the regulars will back me up on this - she took more spills than most of the guys I know, but always got up laughing and drove on til the end. Congrats, Pia! Job well done!

Wait, there was GOLD involved? i didnt get any gold... WTF? I got lucky, but better be lucky than good - i have 250 bucks that proves that. Hope they didnt make a mistake in calculations and dont expect me to give that money back! Cause i wont.

Damn Paul! You're coming out of retirement? Awesome, bro. Hope to make it there sometime this season. Maybe you and Al can make it an FLCPA meet DZ for next season. SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

We all felt bad. It was like: "Hey man, great job!! That was awesome!! ... now our scores are fucked, you fuck!!!" But as far as "training for it" ... We all talked about the last years change, how it would affect things... But it's just a change in the rule regarding scoring... is it really affecting anything in the way you are going to swoop? The goal is still the same, the distance of the course is still the same... Simple concept - swoop all gates, land standing up on the middle, that's it. Sounds easy. What i am saying is - that's what you have to train for, not for a change in the rules.

From: http://www.fai.org/parachuting/node/1609

As Larry Bagley explained it to me: From the rule book: There will be no trip to Russia this year for me. Again. Disappointing... Oh well, back to hard drugs, heavy drinking and light jumping. Yay!!

Very proud to find out that the WPC is confirmed for The Motherland! Awesome! ---- and Not clear about these dates... How does this affect the US team selection process. Will USPA adjust the CP Nationals dates? Or will the selection be defaulted to last year's team? This IS a selection year for the US Team, isnt it? I guess an email to USPA could clarify this, unless someone involved with the organization reads this forum.

Search on this forum. There were at least two threads with pics and suggestions

There have been incidents, even a fatality due to carelessness, mis-rigging and poor packing of a full RDS. A buddy at the last swoop comp in Sebastian talked to a couple of us about the problems he's been having with his used RDS slider popping off the ring on openings. Doesn't need to be pointed out that this can be pretty bad, especially on terminal openings, i think that's clear. But this was a very odd and (hopefully) singular occurrence, i've never actually seen that before and i am sure it has been corrected already. The RDS slider DOES seem to wear out the lines quicker, especially thin HMA's, and especially at higher wingloadings. I find that the openings of my JVX are slightly more brisk and a bit less predictable when i use just the slider @ terminal, but i am able to somewhat correct it with a better packing technique. i think this is explained by the fact that we lose some surface area with JVX RDS slider vs stock one. With a FULL RDS, terminal openings are sweeter than with a stock slider, since there is more stuff coming down, slowing the opening. With all other canopies that have stabilizers, RDS slider doesnt lose surface as compared to a stock one, so openings should be same or even better. When you add stuff to your gear to gain performance, you have to be ready to make some sacrifices, accept higher chances of malfunctions and be even more careful with your pack jobs. If you're not ready for that - then you dont need an RDS. The requirement of being able to hit the expected result on each one of your swoops goes unspoken. Dont be the clown in fancy swoop shorts with full RDS consistently flying 50 feet above the gates.

You didnt make quite that strong of a point about him coaching others earlier. You did however point out how funny he looks in the tunnel. Twice. And the fact is: he doesn't. He looks pretty damn good. Much better than most. Or are you saying that every IBA (or locally trained) tunnel instructor can do what Ray Kubiak can right after they finish their training?? Nonsense. I have seen certified instructors that cant do half of what Olav is doing in that video, old school style or not. To answer your question: he has a ton of prior coaching experience, he is a good tunnel flyer and an awesome skydiver. So yes, i think he can safely coach at his level of tunnel skill, especially if he is coaching lighter and/or beginner people or kids as the video shows. Why do you think it is inappropriate for him to coach others? Is he unsafe? Is it unethical?

I have seen many advanced tunnel customers that are comfortable on their heads in the tunnel who have offered paid tunnel coaching to beginner tunnel flyers without having any IBA instructor certifications or ratings. Probably to offset their own costs. Right or wrong, i am not the judge. I do know that sometimes an outside coach with a lesser tunnel skill than a certified tunnel instructor can do just as good of a job or maybe even better with a novice flyer. Has it occurred to you that maybe Olav has completed certain level of IBA instructor requirements and now is coaching beginner flyers?? Either way, doesn't matter. It seems what you're doing here is making fun of him, his skills and his style of flying, rather than making a point of being certified and ready to coach. So let me ask you this then. Based on your posts and your profile you have seven years in the sport and 4000 jumps and you are very good in the tunnel. That's a lot of great results in a relatively short period of time! Good job. I noticed that you seem to exhibit the tendency to challenge the so called "fathers" of stuff here on dz.com. Your debate on atmonauts was locked a while back. Now you are making fun of Olav and his style of flying. Is it possible that you are just a cocky quick up-riser who feels the need to prove himself by questioning and challenging real, time proven experience of "senior" skydivers? Even if so, it wouldnt be that bad. But with the comments like "i think it is really funny to watch!" and "this like a Commodore 64 style technique in the age of the MacBook pro", you do make yourself look like a dick. You may be good, but there are people who are REALLY good, that will simply embarrass you in the tunnel should you challenge them. They don't laugh at those who are making attempts to learn, because they know how much time they had to put in to get there. Maybe a reality check is overdue?

linestretch and i actually had a good discussion about protecting your neck awhile ago (remember?). We talked about how the idea of putting your chin on the chest was bad one and that shrugging your shoulders for head/neck support as well as supporting it with your hands was the way to go. To OP - good post and hope you have/will fully recover. It scares me sometimes to see people's pics of their helmets with SLRs overhanging on the front of their FTPs, way off balance... experienced people too, not some new camera guys.

Odd, everyone i know that jumps a Neos says nothing but positive things about it. I've had 2 JVXs on which openings were downright scary. after a lineset change they were smooth again... I've had the same issue with a Xaos21, arguably the best opening canopy out there... I've heard first hand of velocities that scared their owners on each opening... What i am saying is: there may be bad examples out there. ALL my JVXs opened fine (except for the ones before the lineset change). Firm and not too harsh, not unlike a regular VX, perhaps softer. But not super soft and snively by any means. Mind you i had RDS sliders on all of them. I think a JVX with a stock slider is a very fine choice for a working video man. But put a removable slider on it and one should be ready for a few occasional surprises and hard openings here and there. Also, due to the offset slider stoppers one may want to rethink hiring your average DZ slacker-packer as JVX needs to be packed with just a bit more care then your regular canopy, even more so with an RDS slider. I know people that would not let any packer touch their stuff.

As compared to what other x-braced canopies that you've personally jumped? To OP: IMO, Neos is the best all around canopy that i have sampled. Especially for a cameraman. I have tried many different JVXs, many VXs, many velos and one Xaos21.

I KNOW he is not talking about my JVX!

that was YOUR ad?! good on you, buddy! I've been meaning to find out more about how a canopy INSTANTLY added 300 feet to your swoop. Tell us more, please.

Psst... I am Russian... And while the sole purpose of my stay here is bringing forth the "downfall of the USA", i must ask you to not blow my cover at this time. It's all part of the big plan and rest assured that once we bring this country down, PD will fall too and the JVX will emerge victorious! May i suggest Borat's report on the US of A as key study material for your continued education on American humor? http://www.spike.com/video/borat-humor-coach/2829271

Here is a Classified ad from a few months ago. Makes me wonder... where is this swoop wonder that instantly gains 300 feet by switching canopies? because he can probably chime in and confirm that maybe it IS the canopy and the superior technology 10 years ahead of its competition and NOT the pilot in control that make the difference.

Thanks to all for constructive input on this topic, i appreciate it. Jump prices: i indeed quoted them from an Australian blog covering the competition, didnt make the connection there to convert the AUS$ to US$ ... Still, 27USD per hop and pop is A LOT. I cannot speak for Dave, but i personally didnt mean to imply that the process was corrupt at that particular venture. But it is an unspoken but known fact, at least here in the US, that there IS a buddy system and LOTS of politics involved in the "upper echelons of power" in the USPA. Also, i was not putting Africa down, it is a wonderful place to visit, i have been there in the past and would love to come back some day. P.S. WTF is cricket??

some people just don't get it... YES! this forum is controlled and moderated by PD lovers. We all know that PD has lured in all the best pilots with their lucrative sponsorships, so now they are recruiting the forum readers too. Of course. It makes sense. Didnt you get your PD sponsorship offer in the mail yet? Well.. if the joke has to be explained... then no, you dont have a sense of humor. And that sucks for you, really.

I do agree with everything else in your post, except for a few little details. Well... yes, some do! BTW, the US Patent was filed by Bill Coe in 1988 in Florida. And also lets remember that the cross braced technology was tried and used in the early ram air designs of canopies developed in the former Soviet Union in the 70s, if my memory serves me correctly. So like you said: I guess someone already has corrected you on this . That's more of a speculation than anything else. If the new canopies exist, but not available to the masses then whats the point? They dont exist, really. BTW, I am designing a magic canopy in my back yard that will surpass ALL current designs AND will make a 100 jump novice into world champion swooper all in 10 jumps or less! I am taking 50% pre-orders right now for a TBD delivery date in the distant future, please email me for my offshore paypal account.

Doesn't PD sponsorship agreement specifically mention "no touching of and preferably not even looking at" any "competing" canopies? You can try explaining to Al that it wasn't for you, and that you were just packing it for Nick... but i think it's time to kiss your sponsorship good bye, swoop boy.

You're right CJ, there is no reason not to have a safe swoop at a higher altitude. However you are way off on the statement that all comps in Denver went without major problems. I can point out at least one fairly severe incident from each of the two years i've been there, both happening to more or less novice pilots. The top dogs will be safe and do well in any conditions, no doubt. And while your suspicion about people pushing and getting ahead of themselves is warranted, i suspect that nearly half, if not more, of the 70 people currently present at the world meet are nowhere near the level of the top 15-20 guys. Most of the Open class pilots around the world dont have the skill or the experience that the top Pros have. It's the lesser skilled pilots in the mid-bottom of the roster, the people that do this for fun but still qualify to compete, yet just dont have the ability to spend the time to train and adjust that may experience difficulties and the "negative" effects of the higher altitude HP landings. Tougher standards on entries into the world event? Is being selected in the Open class in your country's Nationals Championships not enough? Then there are SINGLE athlete teams from some countries (see my examples from the post above). Do you deny them entry into a world event? How? What standards would you use? Do you wait for them to pound in then give them a red card? And if thats done, then we might as well hold it here, since 80-85% of these top guys are always in the US anyway, so at least they can enjoy the benefits of internet and cheap jumps

You make some good points and examples. If one cant be honest with oneself, then the standard should be put in place that will do it for them. How would we do it? Here in the USA it, in a way, is the Open class CP Nationals. In other countries it is not so simple. There are teams consisting of ONE person. Lets use some real examples. Super G from Lithuania - got hurt badly. Dmytro Karpekov from Ukraine - got red carded for an erratic approach. There are teams from other countries for which the selection process was this: "Can you pay your way to Africa? Yes? Ok you can come." Literally. So in my experience, being honest with oneself sometimes is harder to do than to win a Gold Medal. P.S. please see my post below, my thoughts on this are continued there