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There'll be plenty of people doing pick up stuff, and we (Mass Defiance folk) will be filling in open slots and to shoot video as necessary. April 15th will be a good day (rain or shine) for people to connect. Should be good times.... Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Just for the swoop alarms? Then you should have got an optima and saved yourself $80. Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

if you have a rotation mal and chop while on your back.... I was spinning on my back under a small stiletto and had a beautiful skyhook aided reserve deployment. I was at line stretch horizonally - quick with perfect line groups (no twists). I can't wrap my head around your concern. If you are spinning when you chop the centrifical force causes you to move laterally away from the spinning main. The reserve pilot chute launches after this lateral movement starts (at the point your risers release) and it would seem to me that there is little chance the pilot chute being anywhere but overhead (not relative to the ground but in line with the orientation of your body. Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

The league webpage is now up and running. It can be found here: http://www.massdefiance.org/NESL.html More info for people interested in participating will be up soon. There will be free video slots and coaching for all teams (pick-up or consistant competitors)! Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

$275, if you're rig doesn't have velcro sewn over the right side of the yolk, call them. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Mike, Please keep us posted as new pages are up and running - I look forward to seeing "nationals" shots.... Best, Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

There's gotta be some mistake... http://skyleague.com/pages/scores/results.php?event=138&meetNumber=1 That's insane. Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Members of our team will be there (with promotional stuff from various manufactures... ). While Laurie and Rob are certainly the best source for all tunnel info, if you've got questions about how the tunnel can improve your belly flying skills, we can certainly share our thoughts... Rob, you've got to show to see if you can continue the raffle winning streak... Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Maybe the easiest is getting two inch tubular webbing from REI or EMS, cut it into lengths, sew one end & turn it inside out, fill with lead, use hemostats to keep it from spilling out, sew (and bind if, you want) the top. Minutes per weight.... Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

I just watched "Witness" with Harrison Ford - There's this scene where he's helping the amish community build an entire barn in one day with handtools... I say it half jokingly, but if you ever reach a point in this process that you need a 150 giddy skydivers with toolbelts, brooms, or shovels would speed up the process, you KNOW people would show up... Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Their rationale is that rapid links can ding up the slider and then the "roughed up" slider is abrasive against the lines. With soft links, the sider grommets stay smooth and therefore the lines stay in better shape. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

We can't wait to get in there! It's going to change New England skydiving forever... With the NESL and Ranch leagues coming back and the tunnel, jumpers from the North East are going to be a force to recon with this year. Great to see the fans and chamber in place... Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

I think you guys look great in those shots, keep rockin' it. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

If your AAD fires (assuming its not a misfire), I think taking a bit of time to ponder why your dumbass was so low might not be the worst thing in the world.... The cypres "reflection time" doesn't strike me as big reason to choose another device. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Lay down flat on your stomach and put your arms straight out in front of you. When you put your legs out straight and point your toes you should feel the least bit of tension. if there is a lot of slack they're too long. Another test to do is also on your belly with your arms straight out in front of your face, try to pull your legs to your butt, like you're trying to backslide. If your motion is limited by the bootie, then the bootie is too tight. People have a tendency to make their booties too tight and end up having trouble moving backwards in freefall. Watching people struggle to move backwards in the tunnel makes this point clear. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

All team members of Mass Defiance will be returning for another year. It's going to be a lighter season for us - probablly 200 jumps or so and as much tunnel as we can afford. Last year we did between 350 and 400. We'll be competing in New England NSL meets over the season in AAA and jumping in Open this year at Nats. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Muppet, from Jumptown in Orange, MA, shoots fantastic video without a site. He filled in for our team when our video guy was down and his framing (from exit to breakoff) was spot on. His tandem video and still work are also reputed to be stellar. So, it can certainly be done.... Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

I agree that it rocks. If you could figure out a clean way to log the data, it would be awsome! Something were best, worst, and average block times could be saved by date or jump number - so teams could track progress over time without having to manually enter data into an excel sheet after each jump. Thanks for the efforts - even as is, it's great. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

We breakoff at 4K and don't launch any exits unless we're at 4.5 or above. 5K exits are certainly a valuable tool to "push" you to ramp up your hill work, but why push it by exiting lower? With more and more lawn darts poppin' up every day, we FS skydivers need to watch out for each other. There's some glory in having a cypres fire if you get a knee to the mellon turning a 6 or an 18 and go unconscious... not so much when you're in the basement because you wanted to turn some points a jump that should've been a hop and pop... How's it go? "There are old and there are bold...." Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

I'd disagree. Relative Workshop's student vector is tough to beat. While the skyhook alone might make it the best bet, their adjustable main lift web design is non-abrasive and easy to use, too. Their price is right and keeping various things as options helps DZs get just the rig they need. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Got word from the meet director. The plan that Skydive AZ presented to USPA, which he reffered to as "tentative" is to have the 4-way draw on Sat. night - so scheduled comp days would be Sun. and Mon (and Tues. if need be). 8, 10, and 16 follow, in that order, with the last Sat. and Sun. serving as weather days. He warned the or the potential for change, though, stating: "Although we plan to begin 4-way on Sunday and hope to finish on Monday, it is very unwise for a team to count on this being a certainty. Weather can alter the entire schedule. Teams need to be prepared to stay through the final day of the meet to allow for weather delays" The meet ends on Sunday the 28th. Hope the info is helpful for people who need to schedule time off early. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Yup, it'll feel great after it breaks in a bit. I've had a couple new ones now, and I'd say even after the first 10-15 jumps you'll notice a big difference in comfort. Keep an eye out for "Vector-ways" at Pepperell this spring! Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

Nope you're right 21 - 29. I typed it in wrong. Don't know when the individual events are scheduled for. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

I agree that for the teams that are training hard and very serious about the meet that the dates don't make as much of a differance. However, I think it makes a big difference for competitors that what to make it in friday afternoon for the draw and have the option of catching a red-eye out of town on Sunday night if the meet runs smooth. I plan to be there early and stay through 8-way, so it don't directly affect me. I just want the schedule to be as appealing as possible to new 4-way jumpers. Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!

I know the dates for Nats are set for Oct. 17 - 29, but is there any word on the event breakdown? The reason that I'm bringing it up is that I hope there's a push to move 4-way back to Sat. and Sun. rather than starting it on a Monday this year. I heard that the change over the last to years was because Perris and/or USPA wanted to encourage more involvement in the Free Style events by holding it on a weekend, but I don't think it's fair to USPA members at large to schedule the most attended event (4-way) during the "work week." It might also be that they figure if people take off Mon. to Thurs. for 4-way and the event finishes early, that they’ll stay for 8-way and maybe even through the weekend for 16 and 10. For members that just have 2 weeks vacation, though, and might want to use those days sparingly for training and family, why screw them. Again, not saying other events don't matter, I’m just hoping to encourage the powers that be to schedule things in a way that benefits the most members rather that encourage attendance at events that have had smaller turnouts in years past. Particularly for weekend jumpers that might have a “fun” team, having 4-way run over a weekend might make the difference for them when deciding whether or not to compete. The USPA board of directors meeting is in early Feb. Please take the time to drop your regional director an email to voice your thoughts, and maybe even drop a line to Skydive AZ. Pro or Con. Ben Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website sticks!