amychmelecki

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Everything posted by amychmelecki

  1. Benji, are you coming? Bring brown sug!!!!! I hope to see you soon.
  2. I just want to remind everyone out there that our first VRW mentorship program is coming up. The dates are January12th and 13th. Contact me if you are interested.
  3. VRW Mentorship Program with Arizona Arsenal Vertical Relative Work team Arizona Arsenal is excited to offer a mentorship camp aimed at promoting and improving Vertical Relative Work skills in a low pressure and affordable manner. The Mentorship Camp will focus on training basic and intermediate 4-way VRW skills. Camps will generally be one or two days long. Camp participants will be put into 4-way teams. There will be a minimum of one Arizona Arsenal member in each team. In some cases there may be two Arsenal members on each team. If you already have a full team you prefer to jump with you may still join and we will ground coach you and debrief your jumps. Two day long camps will run like this: the first day of the camp will be a training day, the second day will be a competition day. The comp will consist of 4 rounds. The rules for the competition will be taken from the U.S. National VRW rules. We will be training the intermediate dive pool. Cost The cost for the participants is minimal. Participants split the cost of the camera flyer’s slot and fee per jump. All the mentoring is FREE!!! We will be doing about 5 jumps per day. Skills Covered During the camp we will be mentoring the following skills: getting to know the formations, dive engineering, block technique, exit technique and effective dirt diving methods. Jump routine will include dirt diving, visualizing and a video debrief. Who Can Participate? There is a minimal skill level flyers must have in order to participate in the mentorship camp. Participants must be able to comfortably fly head down, approach a three way, dock on it and fly the slot. This minimal skill level is necessary to participate in Vertical Relative Work. VRW Camera If you are interested in specifically learning VRW camera, please let us know and we will work with you specifically on VRW camera skills. Sign Up Today! There are limited slots available for the camps. The camp will be open to participants on a first come first serve basis. If you are interested in participating in one of the camps please contact Amy at [email protected]. Camp Dates • December 28th (one day camp during the holiday boogie) • January 12th and 13th • May 10th and 11th We hope that you will find interest in this mentorship program. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Amy at [email protected].
  4. The Sixth Annual Free Fly Money Meet At Skydive Arizona February 1-3 In each of five rounds you will be randomly matched with a different partner of similar flying ability. Your partner in each round will be competing against you on other teams during the other rounds. A sequence of compulsory moves will be drawn from the dive pool below. Each round will have a different draw. You and your partner for that round gain one point each time you correctly perform a move in the order of the draw. A video pool camera flyer will record the dives. Your score for each round will be added up. The person with the highest score wins. Competition Schedule February 1 (Friday) • Registration closes at 5 pm • 6:30 pm meeting for anyone interested in camera pool • 7:00 pm mandatory competitors’ briefing in the main hanger • Dive pool draw followed by draw for teams, including manifest order February 2 (Saturday) • 8:00am take off for round one • Our goal is to complete all five rounds on Saturday. Individuals can expect a minimum of thirty minutes on the ground between jumps. Since team composition changes with every round, meet management will adjust jump order to provide all competitors with an equitable amount of time on the ground. February 3 (Sunday) • Complete any unfinished rounds starting at 8:00 am • Awards Ceremony Registration The registration fee covers the cost of the camera flyers, prize money. The registration deadline is Friday, February 1st at 5 pm and the cost is $93.00 credit card or $90.00 cash discount, plus five jumps. How to Register Complete the registration form inside manifest or download it from skydiveaz.com. Pay your registration fee to the manifest office. Purchase five jump tickets at the Manifest Office. You can use block rate tickets during the event. Call the Skydive Arizona Manifest Office (520) 466 3753 for information on block rates. The registration form, registration fee and five jump tickets are due no later then Friday, February 1st at 5:00 pm. Everyone registered must attend the MANDATORY competitors’ briefing on Friday, February 1st at 7:00 pm! If you are unable to attend the briefing, you will not be able to participate in the competition. Please contact [email protected] for any questions Class Placement Each competitor decides on his or her class placement. Guidelines* are: • Beginner: 0-200 free fly jumps • Intermediate: 200-1000 free fly jumps • Expert: 1000 plus free fly jumps *this is only a guideline, not a rule Camera Pool If you are interested in flying camera pool you must be fully confident in your freefly video skills. It is essential that you are able to keep the flyers in frame and get the points on video. A clear presentation to the judges is the only requirement; the team is not scored on any artistic aspect of the camera flying. If you are participating in the competition you are also welcome to join the Camera Pool provided you have two rigs and can do back to back loads. Slots and pack jobs will be covered through registration. For more information e-mail Amy at [email protected] Rules one point is awarded for each move completed in the correct sequence of the draw. one point is deducted for any move that is omitted from the sequence. 3) If a move is attempted but not completed no points are won or lost. 4) A grip is defined as stationary contact on the designated location, showing control. 5) Exit altitude is 13,000 feet AGL. The team repeats the sequence as often as possible within the 45 second working time. In the event of a low ceiling, the meet director will adjust exit altitude and working time so that all performers in a round are scored with the same amount of working time. 6) The total number of points awarded, minus any penalties for omissions, determines the final score for the round. 7) The clock starts when any one person on the team, including the camera flyer, leaves the aircraft. 8) The first point may be taken out the door. 9) It is the responsibility of each team member, including the camera flyer, to present the sequence, including the exit, in a judgeable manner. 10) Failure to provide a judgeable presentation is not grounds for a rejump. In the event the team is out of frame or the video is otherwise unjudgeable for any portion of the dive, the part judgeable will be scored. 11) If the entire dive is unjudgeable, the judge will decide if the situation warrants a re-jump. 12) The judges’ decisions are final and are not open to protest. 13) If a re-jump is permitted it is at the cost of three slots in the aircraft. Definitions of terms used in the dive pool Hand Grip: You grasp the designated object with one hand. Hand Dock: You place an open hand on the designated object. Upright: Your head is the farthest body part from the relative wind. Head Down: Your head is the closest body part to the relative wind. 360 Cartwheel: You rotate 360 degrees to your right or left side. The axis of rotation is through the center of your body, front to back. Half way through the move your head orientation will be reversed; when the move is completed your head orientation will be the same as when you started. 360 Loop: You do a 360-degree front or back flip. The axis of rotation is through the body from side to side. 360 Spin: You spin around 360 degrees to one side, never changing from your upright or head down orientation. The axis of rotation is through the body from top to bottom. Dive Pool Open Class: Five moves will be drawn from moves 1-21 Advanced Class: Four moves will be drawn from moves 1-13 Beginner Class: Three moves will be drawn from moves 1-7 1. Upright Carve: Both performers are upright and facing each other. They perform a 360-degree carve around each other, maintaining the facing position for the entire move. 2. Upright Over/Under: Both performers are upright and facing each other. One will fly under the other, and each rotates 180 on the vertical axis to face off. 3. Upright Hand to Foot: Both performers are upright; one takes a hand grip on the foot of the other performer. 4. Toe Touch: Both performers are upright and facing. They touch all four feet simultaneously. 5. Upright 360 Cartwheels: Both performers are upright and facing each other. Each completes a 360-degree rotation on the cartwheel axis. 6. Upright 360 Loops: Both performers are upright and facing. Each completes a 360-degree loop. 7. Upright 360 Spin: Both performers are upright and facing. Each completes a 360-degree rotation on the vertical axis. 8. Mind Warp: One performer is upright and the other is head down. Facing each other, the head down performer makes a single hand dock on the upright performers head. 9. Hand to Foot: One performer is upright and one is head down. Facing each other, the head down performer takes a handgrip on the upright performer’s foot. 10. Half Eagle: One performer is upright and the other is head down, facing. The head down performer passes under the upright performer while doing a 180 forward loop, coming up on the other side in an upright orientation. At the same time, the upright performer passes over the head down performer while doing a 180 forward loop. The facing position is maintained throughout. The move is complete when each performer is in the position and orientation originally held by their partner. 11. Upright Hand To Hand: Both performers are upright. They perform a hand to hand grip. 12. Mixed 360 Loops: One performer is head down and one performer is upright, facing. Each completes a 360-degree loop. 13. Mixed 360 Spin: One performer is head down and one performer is upright. Each completes a 360-degree rotation on the vertical axis. 14. Sixty-nine: One performer is head down and one performer is upright, facing each other. The head down performer takes a double hand grip on the upright performer between the feet and the knees of each leg. 15. Head Down Hand Grip: Both performers are head down. They perform a single left-to-left or right-to-right handgrip. 16. Head Down Hand to Foot: Both performers are head down. One performer takes a handgrip on the other performer’s foot. 17. Double Dock Vice-Versa: One performer is in a head-up orientation and one performer is in a head down orientation, facing each other. The performers demonstrate a two-handed hand-to-hand dock, facing each other. 18. Head Down Carve: Both performers are head down and facing each other. They perform a 360-degree horizontal carve around each other. 19. Sole To Sole: One performer is in a head-up orientation; the other performer is in a head-down orientation, with both facing each other. A sole-to-sole dock is performed, i.e., the two performers will place the sole of one foot to a sole of the other performer’s foot. 20. Vertical Compressed: One performer is in a head-up orientation, the other performer is in a head-down orientation. Both performers take a handgrip between the knee and foot of the other performer. The front of the torsos of the performers must be facing the same direction. 21. Double Spock: One performer is in a head-up orientation, the other perform is in a head down orientation, facing each other. Both performers take a handdock on the top of the head of the other performer. Camera Guidelines Since the score depends on judgeable video, the camera flyer must concentrate on maintaining position and framing which best presents the move to the judge. Generally this will be ninety degrees to the side of the facing pair of performers and on the same level. Minimal movement from the camera position will aid the judges in determining if the team performed the proper degree of turn or rotation for each move.
  5. Thanks so much to all the ladies who made it out to the camp. It was really nice to see everyone improve so much throughout the weekend. The next camp dates are January 26th and 27th. Here is a photo that Wilmar took of us during the weekend. Amy
  6. Arizona Arsenal is organizing a few VRW events at Skydive Arizona though out the next 7 months. December 28th, 2007: Arizona Arsenal VRW Day during the Skydive Arizona Holiday boogie! Free coaching and organizing January 12-13, 2007: VRW mentorship program / scrambles competition with Arizona arsenal April 19-20, 2008: VRW competition with Arizona Arsenal May 10th – 11th, 2008: VRW mentorship program / scrambles competition with Arizona arsenal The two mentorship programs and the VRW day during the boogie will be free. We may all have to through down a little coin for the camera flyer slots, but all the coaching will be FREE!!!!! During the mentorship days and the VRW day everyone will be put into a team with an Arsenal member or you can come with your own team. Arsenal will dirt dive the points, fly the points and debrief the points with each team. If you are interested in VRW----you should definitely check it out!!! We will post more info soon regarding the VRW comp. If anyone has any questions, give me a shout. [email protected]
  7. What: Women’s Vertical World Record Skills Camp When: November 24th and 25th Where: Skydive Arizona Who: Any women interested in gaining and training skills to be part of the next Women’s Vertical World Record. Why: So during the third week next March we can shatter the current WVWR! How Much: 12 jumps and $145.00 registration fee How: Show up Saturday morning, November 24th in the Skydive Arizona main hanger at 8:00 am Please contact [email protected] for more information.
  8. What a great weekend at Skydive Arizona. Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the Hybrids. For those who could not make it, we built a 25 way or 24 way, it is hard to tell from the video. Maybe the stills will reveal more. It was 10 belly, 10 hangers and 5 stingers. There were a few other stingers there, but they did not get on------oh well, next time! Once again, thanks to all the participants.
  9. We are not sure if this goes in the RW or Freefly forum, so we are going to put it in both. Omar Alhegelan, Sara Curtis and Amy Chmelecki are organizing a giant hybrid during the Halloween boogie at Skydive Arizona. Whether you are a freeflyer or a belly flyer come and join the challenge! The goal is to make a 30-way hybrid formation. We need strong belly flyers, sitflyers and head-down stingers. The plan for Saturday is to build the 20-way base consisting of a 10-way belly round with 10 hangers. On Sunday 10 head-down stingers will be added. If you want to be in the base you need to be able to commit to both days. If you would like to be a head down stinger you just have to commit to Sunday There will be 5-6 jumps each day. If you are interested, show up Saturday morning at 8:00 am in the main hanger. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Amy at [email protected] Bring your Halloween costume for Saturday night’s party. This is the biggest hybrid that we know of-----so let’s do it!!!!!
  10. We are not sure if this goes in the RW or Freefly forum, so we are going to put it in both. Omar Alhegelan, Sara Curtis and Amy Chmelecki are organizing a giant hybrid during the Halloween boogie at Skydive Arizona. Whether you are a freeflyer or a belly flyer come and join the challenge! The goal is to make a 30-way hybrid formation. We need strong belly flyers, sitflyers and head-down stingers. The plan for Saturday is to build the 20-way base consisting of a 10-way belly round with 10 hangers. On Sunday 10 head-down stingers will be added. If you want to be in the base you need to be able to commit to both days. If you would like to be a head down stinger you just have to commit to Sunday There will be 5-6 jumps each day. If you are interested, show up Saturday morning at 8:00 am in the main hanger. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Amy at [email protected] Bring your Halloween costume for Saturday night’s party. This is the biggest hybrid that we know of-----so let’s do it!!!!!
  11. The dates for the next women’s vertical world record are set for March 20th-23rd. The event will be hosted by Skydive Arizona and organized by Melissa Nelson and myself (Amy Chmelecki). We do not know all the lovely ladies out there that have the skills and desire to be part of the next record. Please contact us if you are interested. We want to make it a big one, so we need all of you!!!!! Our email is [email protected]. We have also set up a myspace page witch we will be updating as plans unfold. http://www.myspace.com/wvwr We are holding three world record training camps prior to the record. The dates and location are as follows: • October 11-12, 2007 – Skydive Elsinore For more info contact Mel at [email protected] or (951) 245-9939 $200 registration for 2 full days of coaching and pre-registration for the Chick’s Rock boogie weekend - slots are limited! • November 24 – 25, 2007 – Skydive Arizona / Register via [email protected] / Costs will be posted soon. • January 26 – 27, 2008 – Skydive Arizona Register via [email protected] / Costs will be posted soon. The camps are great training tools for anyone interested in being part of the record or learning more about big way flying. Two days prior to the official record attempts we will be holding warmup jumps. During these jumps we will be getting an idea of slot placement for the record. Please fell free to contact us with any question. Amy and Melissa
  12. Excellent job guys!!!!! Joe, Jonny, Ilea, Darrel, Chris S, Chris L, Paul, Trunk, 9-toes and Sean, thank you so much for participating. We could not have reached that goal with out each and every one of you. The day worked out perfectly. Omar, it is such a pleasure working with you. You are as calm and cool as it gets. People can not help but be relaxed when they are in the air with you. Skydive Arizona is so lucky to have such an amazing and committed local crew! If anyone has a vision or idea you would like to see happen, feel free to share them with me. I am looking forward to seeing more cool skydives happen.
  13. Omar and I will be organizing a localz day this Saturday at Skydive Arizona. Our goal is to build a 12 way sit round. We will start with 6 ways and then make them bigger. Anyone who would like to join us is welcome. We are going to meet in the hanger at 7:45 am. We plan on doing about 6 jumps. This Localz day will provide a chance for all the Freelyers to practice flying on there bellies. (what a great concept!) We are going to build the round on our bellies first and then transition to our feet. Eventually we would like to build a giant hybrid, the biggest ever, and this kind of skydive will help us lead up to that. If anyone is interested in joining us let me know. If you have any questions feel free to write me an email. Amy
  14. Not since I have been here (9 years). But I am thinking about making an attempt this June.
  15. Last I have heard the largest completed Hybrid formation was built at Skydive Chicago in 2001. Has anyone heard of a bigger one since then? If so are there any photos out there. What ever the biggest one is I think it is time to build a bigger one.
  16. I left out one sponsor from the above list; HyPeye has given two Hypeyes to raffle off to the camera pool.
  17. The prize pool for this years $ meet is HUGE! Sponsors have been very good to us freeflyers this year. Just to give you an idea, here are some of the prizes; 4x 15 minutes of tunnel time form Sky Venture Arizona, two beautiful helmets from Cookie Composites, one liquid lens, 3 balloon jumps from High But Dry Balloons, six cases of Go Fast, 3 pairs of Gatorz sunglasses, a helmet from Square One, massages from the local massage therapists, a reserve repack from Master rigger Rebecca Roberts, product discount from Parasport, Matter Suits, Rigging Innovations, Alti-2, United Parachute Technologies, and Bonehead. Also lots of T-shirts and fun odds and ends from all of the above sponsors and there are still more manufacturers contacting me now that the PIA is over. Oh did I mention CASH---well there will be cash. The Pre-registration discount ends Friday, Feb 16th when manifest closes. You can register anytime up till the time manifest closes on Friday, Feb 23rd. The comp starts Saturday, Feb 24th at 8:00 am. For more info and registration, go to the Skydive Arizona web page. This event is a blast; last year there were over 50 competitors. I hope to see more this year.
  18. The Fifth Annual Freefly Money Meet is coming up at Skydive Arizona February 23-25. Last year there were over 50 competitors. The event is speed compulsory scrambles. Please feel free to write me with any questions regarding the meet. Attached are some photos from meets past.
  19. I am really bad at organizing letters and the order in witch they go on a page. So so sorry. See you soon!
  20. The last Sky Sisters boogie was a dream come true. The women were the majority, by a lot!!!! The normal male to female ratio was flipped around. There was about one guy to every four girls. It was so different and so cool. PLEASE DON”T GET ME WRONG-----I love you guys----all of you. However it is nice to see more then one or two girls on the plane for a change. The Sky Sisters vibe was both that of a wild boogie and a serious endeavor. The wild boogie side of things included a DJ and band every night, margaritas, daily videos of the days activities, nuddy flare runs and cross dressing. The serious endeavor side of things included 3 different women’s records and nighttime seminars. Event organizer Susie McEvoy puts her heart and sole into everything she does. Anyone who has ever been to one of her events would agree that she plans and executes a dam good time. I am looking forward to seeing old friends and meet new ones. See you soon.
  21. Skydive Arizona’s ad in January’s issue of Parachutist Magazine posted the wrong dates for the two upcoming $ meets. There are two meets in February, a freefly scrambles and a 4 way RW meet. The dates were flip flopped in the ad. The correct dates are as follows: 4-way RW meet February 17-18 Freefly 2-wat scrambles February 23-25 I am so sorry about the confusion. If anyone knows of people coming to the event, that may not visit DZ.com, can you help me spread the word!!! Thanks guys.