Toobin

Let me tell you something about that piece of...work Marky Marc Lurie. He actually told a staff member there that he didn't "give a F*CK about anybody there. My loyalty is to the company" whatever that means. I guess the instructors who bust their ass to show customers a good time, so they keep coming back, are not part of the company. I think by company he meant...himself. This is the kind of person many good people had to put up with since he came into the picture. Who talks to employees that way? I'm sure if you're there to spend your money he'll be your best friend, bring you coffee, check your tire pressure, you name it. Have you ever been into the bowels of a beautiful hotel? If you have you noticed that its a whole other world compared to the beautiful facade presented to the customer.

WOW buddy, get over yourself. I created this thread because I believe it to be an interesting topic; Tunnel flying a passing fad, as it was put before. I dont believe it to be, and that is what some people here have been tryin to state. Originally i was commenting on an older post about tunnel flight that caught my eye. That other thread got shut down because you made some generalizations about tunnel flyers and you got put in your place by that guy, and THAT pissed you off, plain and simple. He proved a valid point which proved your theory to be incorrect, so you had to go make it personal, in public, as you have with me, maybe because you felt you didnt have a leg to stand on, bringing up my anonimity, as if that had anything to do with anything. I WILL give you this; he picked a hell of an example to compare with. Derek is a dam good flyer. Your point was well understood, sir. We've all read what you typed. I agree tunnel flying doesnt make a skydiver....I never said that(go read it again). They compliment each other. A good tunnel flyer can focus on the life-saving skills needed to make it back to the ground safely, because he has one less thing to worry about when he steps out of the plane (like being stable). That is all I'm trying to say. That is my agenda...to make people think about safety across the board. Anyone who thinks that tunnel flying doesnt help you be a better, safer skydiver is probably someone who hasnt been to the tunnel. Maybe they did and just didnt like it. They like the thrill of the jump, not this synthetic freefall that keeps you too safe for comfort... I dont know about anyone else but the possibility of death gives skydiving that certain exitement, does it not? Getting away with it, cheating death!? Thats just my opinion on that.

I created this post so I could thank freefly steve for his positive post in part I of this most interesting installment, before it got shut down. TY for passing on the good times to your daughter, Steve. Kids are the future of any entity, no matter how you look at it, so its people like steve who have a big say in deciding if the tunnel is a passing fad or not. We all (well most of us) know what tunnel time does for a new skydiver and that's not going to change. It is my humble opinion that as long as there is skydiving, there will also be tunnels and people who will want to go to the tunnel, to get BETTER AT BODYFLIGHT. Maybe because they're a little nervous about the jump. Maybe they are already confident but they want to sharpen their skills a bit so they can focus on the other life-saving aspects of an actual skydive. Any way I look at it, the tunnel can only help you become a better, safer skydiver, and bashing that idea only proves someone's lack of foresight, and/or their ignorance towards the sport. Sometimes people get humbled in the tunnel after the whole "Oh, I dont need an instructor in there with me, I have 3000 jumps!" scenario. Then they see that the tunnel does have something to offer them and stick around, or they get too embarrased by their performance in the tunnel after their comments and never want to go back there again(which is rare), and sometimes end up adopting the whole notion that this tunnel flying isn't skydiving and thats why they sucked and they're goin back to the dropzone. Tunnels arent trying to take over or replace skydiving, they compliment it. As was painfully clear, JP's theory on tunnel fliers was WAAAY OFF and there was someone there (JR was it?) to correct him by the use of the Derek Cox example, which I believe is to be accurate, and sometimes the truth hurts, and thats ok. I dont think its easy for anyone to admit when they are wrong. Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned. Buddha Drop that coal, JP lol

I know this post is a bit old, but it made my eyeball twich in confusion ....you ARE being sarcastic, right? Oh and as far as the tunnel being a passing fad.....look at them now I agree, there really isn't any value to 4, 5, 15 minutes of straight doing RW or anything else to help reinforce good habits. Quote

Wow. Someone doesn't have a clue