stacie

Thank you Bertt and Gravity Girl for good input. I also posted in the Womens Forum and got some really great feedback. I guess I will go used for now and reward myself with a custom rig when I hit my goal weight. Btw...nice feedback Jbag. I'm sure I'll get right on that phone call in a year or so. (whatever) Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

Sold all my gear about 2.5 years ago so that I would focus on college. Just graduated last October and now I want to reward myself with a custom container. In the past I had tried on a Mirage and fell in love with it. Now I have sticker shock and in reading a post I see someone had issues with the Mirage not fitting properly. This got me thinking outside my Mirage box. My previous rig was a Wings. It fit my torso well but the leg straps pooched out from my thighs creating a large ass effect. Which I have and don't need anymore help with. So how does a green jumper like myself figure out what would work best with my short, plump frame? My other battle is should I wait or should I move forward? What do I mean, you ask? Well, 2.5 years ago when I was jumping I weighed 40 pounds less than I do now. I'm working on that and hope to have the weight off in a year but I also want to get back to the air now. Does this make a difference in choosing the right fit? Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

Ahhhh! Thanks so much. Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

That would be a negative then. I had the typical two handle system. Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

Quote Is it common for students to jump with no RSL? I've never seen this but I'm young. Was it an SOS system? *** Hmmm. I'm not aware of what the guidelines were for that 3 years ago. What I can tell you is I had graduated AFF and went through the process of renting a transition rig to learn how to use a throw out and to downsize canopies at a reasonable stage. By jump 24 (still not yet an A-license holder) I was jumping my own gear, which was used and came with no RSL. A risk I was comfortable taking. So I don't know if it's common or not. Possibly for students who are purchasing out-of-production containers, like I did. Silly question I'm sure, but what is SOS system? Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

Just razzing ya about paying for pack jobs. Do you think your confidence is common? Are there jumpers that feel like not having a cut away is a black cloud hanging over 'em? Do you recommend doing an intentional cut away by a certain jump number if you haven't had one? If so, what would that jump number be? Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

Curious about the psychy behind that. For me having a cut away so early it's a relief and a confidence builder. It's not unknown and therefore not such a scary thought. Even though I've had a couple malfunctions where my mind went into emergency mode and the adrenaline kicked in once my feet hit the ground. But to have over 1000 jumps and no cut away, does that mess with your head at all? And congrats by the way. Nice job packing...or paying for your pack jobs. Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

Thanks Ray. I hope to be doing my first naked jump when I'm 80 and I want my friends to be around for that torture. Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one who cut away from a brake fire. It was jump number 24. At that skill level I was by the book and very rigid to the guidelines. I was jumping an Eclipse container which has been out of production for years. I threw both handles just like we were taught in AFF. Errr. Expensive lesson. As my slow spin gradually got faster and faster, I looked at all the possible malfunctions I could think of...except for the brake firing. When it dawned on me to grab my rear riser to stop the spin I was approaching my hard deck and still didn't know why my canopy was acting the way it was. So I chopped it. I took a deep breath and said "Here we go." Then I took another big breath and said "Lord, this better work". (No RSL) I had one of the softest openings ever and a beautiful stand up landing. Which didn't happen again until about 30 jumps later. I still hold my head high for making the right choices, but it's embarrassing to admit to seasoned skydivers. The biggest thing I learned from this is to ALWAYS CONGRATULATE someone for chopping. I can't think of any circumstances, preventable or not, that by chopping and saving your own life was the wrong decision. That's a whole lot less embarrassing then being an experienced jumper who doesn't chop because he / she thinks they can "fix it" and goes in as a low pull - no pull. Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

Jimmy, I'm very sorry about your recent and past losses. It really hurts. It always hurts. I know that you said you were done with the conversation. You've given your salutations to Nick. But I know you'll be back to see who's posted what next. I was in that boat 6 months ago. Ms.sofaking is one of my best friends. Her husband Joe was a big brother to me. Always watching out for me, pushing me when I needed it, employing me when I needed it, and making me feel like I was the best damn person just when I needed it most. I really miss him. Ms.sofaking's reply is extremely honest. I've only seen the kind of love that her and Joe had a couple times in my life. Joe's death has been a tremendous loss! As a friend I still find myself going off my deep end of grief because I'm pist at Joe for leaving Ms.sofaking and his kids with so much pain and sorrow. After 6 months (and it still feels like it's only been a month) Ms.sofaking is reaching out and saying that Nick's work is a helpful tool. She does understand loss and she understands how Joe's death being publicized has helped others. I also want to commend her on her strength through all this. She is such a beautiful person. I really hope you listen to what she has to say about this list. I had to dig a little bit for it but check out this thread. (Iowa Skydivers Drunk and Rude @ Twin Falls Outback) It may be easiest to click on my profile and look up my comments to find the post. This is a thread that begun very shortly after Joe's death. It still hurts but I've learned alot from Nick and Tom and even Sullyflyer, who I now hold dear to my heart. You'll understand what I mean if you read this thread. I bring it up, because it's a great example of sheer anger, denial, blame and tons of pain. Sullyflyer had a very valid point and it got lost through all the drama of emotions and the occassional assholes that pop in on threads to fuel the emotions for their own sick entertainment. I bet if I was thinking more rationally, the way Sullyflyer worded his post would not have bothered me as much. But, like the list, you're angry, your in denial and you just want to beat something beautiful! Then Eureka! You found a target. Mine that day was Sullyflyers thread. I think yours is Nick's list. My point is, know that people here understand loss. Is it possible that you are projecting your emotions onto Nick? (Totally rhetorical question.) Give it some thought. If so, please ask him to reconsider his resignation. It's very apparent throughout this thread that this list has helped more than it has hurt. I would much rather have someone like Nick or Tom or Sullyflyer (who's not in this thread) manage such a heart wrenching list, than someone with less respect for the beauty of life and people that these men have. And I do think that when it comes to BASE jumping, this list is a helpful tool. Not only to learn from but also in a strange way it builds a tighter camaraderie amongst you crazy f*ckers (referring to the BASE family). And that's very, very important to hold on to. Joe made a huge mistake. A very stupid mistake. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at the pictures trying to deny them. Joe was an excellent jumper. His death is very hard to make sense of. But even in his death he's given me many gifts. Him continuously teaching me is at the top of the list. Much empathy and respect ~ a wuffo to BASE Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

I had very similar experiences. I really wish AFF included more canopy skills. And at the very least, higher standards regarding canopy knowledge in order to acquire an A license. It wasn't until I cracked my tailbone on jump 47, that I decided to fix my own problem. I put myself back on the student radio until I got the opportunity to take a canopy course with Brian German. Since that course I have been able to get myself out of some ugly turbulence on final and land it comfortably on my feet. Meanwhile, I watch the others who have twice or three times my experience hit the ground pretty hard. My goal is to continue my canopy knowledge and hopefully within the next year a Scott Miller course will be within a closer proximity for me to attend. I'll also keep stressing the importance of learning canopy skills whenever I can. Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

My posts are made with much respect to the overall issue of conduct in TF. I agree that the conduct in a family restaurant is not appropriate. It is an issue that needs addressed but it will not be resolved by debating it through threads. Your point is clear. One of my points is suggesting to be even more proactive about the situation if it is as urgent as you state. In life there are only two things a person has control over, what you say and what you do. Outside of that a person has to learn how to work WITH the situation in order to get it under control. Forcing and demanding doesn't solve anything and it only makes it worse. I'm aware that information has been created already and protocols are set. If that's not getting the message across well enough, take it to the next level. Print off the information and great the jumpers at the bridge itself and verbally talk to them. My suggestions are just examples of brainstorming. I am by no means trying to imply that they are good ideas or feasible ideas. I'm just trying to instigate (sp) a basis for more effective resolutions to the matter at hand while remaining compassionate to all involved. Seek to understand before trying to be understood. I am very young to the sport and very in love with it. The points I am trying to make do not represent the technicle skills of BASE jumping. So please don't downplay my input based on my experience level. To reiterate the most important point in my original post, our friend passed and another individual announces it before close family and friends learned of the event. This IS a fact. A couple days grace would have been much more sufficient and labeling Iowa certainly was unnecessary to make your valid points. My plea is to the overall skydiving/BASE family...learn from the bad timeing of the original post and how it was labeled. All of us in Iowa and Nebraska know exactly who was there. Should any friend or family member have found out through dropzone.com is something I wouldn't want for anyone...ever. Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!

Just a couple more thoughts to ponder... You posted this less than 5 hours after his death. You advertise Iowa under the BASE forum. This is very selfish and thoughtless on your behalf. Instead of standing on a soap box, 5 hours after the loss of a life, you should have relaxed, focused on your true point and realized that this man probably has friends and family back home expecting a call after his jump. When that call is not received, many significant others keep a close eye on these threads for fear of terrible news. I pray that none of his friends or family found out about his death because you were hot under the collar and just HAD to post his death before the coroner even released the news to his immediate family. I agree a different venue should have been chosen, or maybe permission asked to EFS. BUT... my other point to ponder is I know how absolutley shocked I was to get the news and I didn't see it happen before my eyes. I highly doubt that if I had just watched my dear friend whom I love as a brother, fight for his life, jump into the river to try and save him, and learn that he didn't make it...I highly doubt I would be thinking very clearly at all. When it came time of realizing I needed to eat and a drink sounds really freakin' good right now, my mind would say "I'm hungry. Oh look there's Outback." Your comments give the perception that you have become very desensitized to death. If it's BASE jumping that has caused that, maybe you should consider taking a step back for a bit. I do hope you evaluate yourself some in that area. No out of towner needs to be blacklisted or labeled. This sort of conduct will continue to occur, especially if you are the visitor...anywhere you go and tragedy occurs. Skydivers and BASE jumpers are fairly smart people. Rather than agreeing or disagreeing with each other over and over again about the conduct of Iowa jumpers, how about posting possible resolutions such as a TF BASE committee volunteer group. The group can put together welcome packets that inform or list the expectations. I've never been to TF, but other than Woody's is there a Skydiver/BASE restaurant close to the bridge so that jumpers can burn off their adrenaline? So with all that said. Can we please stop the mudslinging? I personally don't care what threads are deleted. As far as I'm concerned, it's a learning experience for us all. The original post has validity. You just made a mistake as well and like the Iowa jumpers mourning their loss of a friend, you should also get a "get out of jail free" pass. And that's all I have to say about that. Life is short. Live, laugh, love often!