RaulDuke

The Four Winds Bar - Mentioned in an old Blue Oyster Cult song - **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**

Mentors: Harry Hopkins, Steve Lapp, Bill Engle, Kate Cooper HEROS: Jerry Bird, Phantom (James Kime) **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**

I just smile and say, "I skydive to decrease the odds of me dying while motorcycling." That one gets some funny looks. **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**

OK, I see where you're coming from, and for the most part you're correct. A spiralling (or diving) canopy will be carried along relative to the ground with the wind. But how about initiating that condition? Suppose you're under a canopy wing loaded around 2.0 or more, which happens to have very light, responsive front riser input. Flying straight into a 25 knot wind, pull the right front riser down good and hard, and just as you've swung out level with the canopy pull the other front riser down, stopping the turn at a 180 and going into a dive. I'm talking agressive input. I betcha you could fold it up doing that. If you disagree you can prove me wrong. I'll watch from the ground. Course if it did crumple you'ld blame it on a gust. haw haw! **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**

I'll reinforce it. If you are flying your canopy straight towards the ground during your hook (w/ sufficient altitude of course) then the top of your canopy is fully exposed, and being pushed on, by the winds parallel to the ground. (Assuming you are not hook turning downwind) The windier it is on the ground the more push on the canopy, hence the concern of the nose folding under since you're pulling on those risers too. I've felt my canopy hiccup a couple times hooking aggresively into high winds and didn't care for it one bit. So dont bother. If it's windier then hell you ain't getting a good turf surf anyway. **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**

Dude! I jumped a suit a few times with those damn afterburners and experienced the same thing. They sucked. Probably why you dont see 'em anymore. **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**

Well, it sounds to me like you got a pretty good grasp of the situation. Especially with respect to what a pain in the ass it is to constantly be struggling at the slowest end of your fall rate envelope just to stay up with a group. It makes it tough. Just keep skydiving and shuckin weight and you'll be fine. Try not to get impatient. **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**

If you can do an 8 point 4way, you'll be a lot better than one guy I know with a coach rating. **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**

16 jumps and you havn't mastered RW?!?! What's WRONG with you man! **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**

Well, EXACT is a pretty strict word so... I'd have to say no. But only because I'm sure I've forgotten to log the occasional day of hectic jumping... Probably not shorting myself by more than 20 or 30 jumps - no biggie. **You want a toe? I can get you a toe, dude.**