SkySlut

This is great!!!!

Yeah, I agree...it does send up some red flags to me. I could see it if you were a 90 lb girl who had to jump student gear because they didnt have anything smaller...then they quickly progressed, like the progression in question, to get comfortable until they get themselves to a 1:1 w.l ratio, give or take. This is not the case though.

You are 100% correct that people cant accurately and shouldnt really judge over the internet...but what if their "instructors or mentors" on their DZ tell them that he/she shouldnt be jumping that canopy??? I know of quite a few DZs down in florida that when a person such as this walks up with their logbook and canopy...they will tell them that they can not jump there. I have seen it.

Fact is: Most deaths and injury in our sport comes from pilots under a fully functioning canopy. Bill Booths post a while back was great. It said something to the effect that the number of deaths in our sport stays constant over the years. As the sport gets safer with equipment, people still need to push the boundries past their skill level. (something to that effect) This fact is unfortunate. It only takes seeing a good friend or not so good friend either kill themselves or seriously hurt themselves once to change your opinion on this issue. Its a numbers game. You could do 2 jumps and hang around a dz for years keeping your eyes & ears open and gain more information than a person who has 35 or 100 jumps that is on the DZ and "has their eyes & ears closed". So jump numbers arent the biggest issue, just part of the whole "experience".

A good friend of mine told me when I started this sport that "you will see someone or know someone in this sport die...if you stay in it long enough". Well, I have seen several since I started in 2000. Thats not a long time. Along with the number of jumps you have comes...experience and with experience comes...seing some really unpleasant things in this sport. Thats how it works.

Again, seeing someone get hurt/die is one of the worst things...typically if you arent directly watching, the sound will let you know exactly what happened and usually prevent you from turning around. Its a sound that you will never forget and you hate to hear.

Some food for thought.

No worries...think about all you have accomplished so far!!! Most people in Europe dont get that many jumps in the first 2 years of skydiving...it will come....just let it happen when it happens. Sometimes taking a break is a good thing...sometimes getting another interest in another aspect of the sport can rejuvinate your energies...depends on you. That is something you need to figure out. good luck

I agree. I remember when she started in Sebastian...what 9 months ago??? For most people 100 plus jumps for their first year is pretty good...never mind 9 or so months. Sometimes is it good to take a break and get things into perspective.

ps. sorry if I got the length of time wrong. it was a guesstimate.

Man, you are on fire tonite with the quips!!! Keep em coming. Another funny one...hehehehehe

yep...I know that it is inconcievable, but there are plenty of people that refuse for multiple reasons to use them. Either they dont trust them...usually the older skydiving crowd. Or you find some of the "viking" type that dont believe in using them. I know people that get free cypres' and refuse to jump with them...believe it or not.

Go hang out at Capt. Hirams for a good day of well deserved cocktails!!!

I am glad that you wrote that stuff down...its good to do that and take a step back and look at that stuff.

It sounds like you got some frustrations going on other than skydiving. I have felt the same way, hated everything...I was considered terribly successful in every aspect of life. 200k a year, new convertible mercedes, etc...but I was miserable...once I was able to "stop" and really enjoy the importance of living and not getting all hung up in myself and what I am "supposed" to do in life...thats when I got really successful...at least from my own internal self...I cant wait to wake up in the morning now. Everything comes from within...wether its skydiving or life.

You know that you may want to check out Dr. John DeRosalia's book "Mental Training for Skydiving and Life". I have owned about 4 copies of it because everytime that I lend it out...it never comes back. Its got some really good stuff in there...no matter what you have going on in your life or skydiving career. Its also good bathroom material too.
edit,,,My yearly earnings are most likely under the poverty line...but I got a big shit eatin grin on my face all day long!!!

yep, seem silly to me too...but I am sure that there are people in those countries that are required to have them that refuse to turn them on...out of principle. I guarantee it.

whats that??? Have them or turn them on???

oh, that was worth waking up for today...funny!!!!

Odd you mention. While I was at the riggers course. 22 lbs. without the seal thread, by the way. I packed one up that was a real bitch to close...I thought that it would be really tight and a hard pull. When we did a pull test. I capped out at around 35 lbs. The rig was laying on the ground. We put the rig on and pulled it...well under the 22 lb pull force required. Easy to pull. Just thought that I would mention that the angle of the cable and its housings made a huge difference.

Sweet...see you there...Carp is still in Bali...that hippie bastard!!!!

Here is the thing...once you stop trying...things seem to fall nicely into place. Sometimes trying too hard is the worst thing for you. I am speaking from a zen point of view here...please do not confuse this with any safety related topics.

"Be the ball, danny..."
edited to add/ There are some techniques that you can learn to get yourself "in the zone" or you could get yourself a kickass coach that can teach you the muscle memory, the visualization, the relaxation, and all the other intangible aspects of this sport. Preperation on the ground (more than in just the sport) will help you. Success in this sport comes with time and experience. If it was easy...everyone would be doing it. Everyone goes through their times of frustration and most people will tell you that once they gave up a bit trying and let things happen...it just seems to work for them.

edited again to add. What other sport can you practice 60 seconds at a time??? I cant think of any. You have how many jumps??? OK, take that and multiply that by 1 minute of "practice"...how good do you think a tennis player would be after x minutes of "practice"? You gotta put this into a bit of persepective. Its skydiving that we are talking about here, yeah, it can be dangerous...but this is really cool shit...fun as hell. Why get bent out of shape about something like this. You are putting "yourself" in the way of your future goals. Its skydiving...lighten up, have a good time while you are at it.

Let yourself make mistakes. I encourage my students to make mistakes. we learn by making mistakes. Ever see a baby learn to walk??? they fall down all the time, but if they never got up...they would never learn to walk. It may take 100 times to learn something new, but if we quit at 99 times...who cares??? We gave up. Nothing new was learned. I would venture to say that you did not become perfect at anything that you have ever learned in your life the first time or 100 minutes after you practiced it for that matter. Keep things in perspective and let the learning process happen. Let yourself make mistakes (with a coach for safety reasons)...figure out what is too much and what is not enough...let yourself go...and learn.

I think that I have been watching too many Star Wars movies or something.

no wonder he hasnt responded to my emails...those bastards!!!!

He isnt stuck in PR doing roofs w/ hot tar is he???

I figured as much
edit to say...oh, yeah...plus a beer!!!

Quote

Hippee New Englanders rarely do.

Damn straight, brotha!!! Spread the love. You stopping over to SNE...this year???

yeah, I got the chance to hang out and drink some beers and eat Hershey Kisses with them while they were on tour in Hershey Pennsylvania...weird combo...

Cinderella was also there...things were fun right up until Jeff Labar hijacked the tourbus and started playing crash up derby in the parking lot...but that is a whole different thread...I digress.

you know what struck me odd??? I was watching Ozzy's first interview since he nearly died on a 4 wheeler and they said that 370 something people die a year in the US on a 4 wheeler. Thought that it was interesting. Personally, I dont like to drive my car faster than I can fly my canopy. Yeah, it sounds weird...you should see the look on my In-Laws faces when I say that. They dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

good story...nice Tshirt too...

Thanks for all the legwork...I owe you a beer!!!

Interesting little tidbit from the USPA...I sent in my requirements for an A license and they sent me a B instead...I guess they figured that I was ahead of the game for some reason. When I did get the license, I was already B qualified...so I never got an A license "officially". Way to go USPA!!!! Whoooohoooo!!!

Interesting thought. Rookie Rigger, myself. That would be a good thing to have. I have just been starting from the top (pc & freebag) and working my way to the bottom (rig) checking everything. Good question.

Well, I just got off the phone with Para-gear and they said that they would make it within 5 minutes and have it shipped within the next hour....hows that for customer service...damn, they are good.