HeatherB

Just to add to the whole cable thread: Had another cutaway the other weekend. This one was a lineover that cleared the wrong way...(no I had not packed it myself, and yes I've been packing for myself unless we're competing) It was a spinner. Got faster and faster. Toggle input wasn't helping. Was getting dizzy. Again, the cutaway cables didn't clear the housings but it's pretty fucking obvious when your canopy has left you, so it wasn't a problem. I just pull until the canopy leaves. No RSL and two-hands on each handle method. My midget-arms aren't a hinderance.

Damn you people, now I want real pizza!! Florida just can't figure out how to do pizza right...

And don't forget our nice 2 point 26-way dz.com record...maybe we can go even bigger this year! Someone will have to hold on to me on exit. I've been doing too much 4-way.

How'd your team do? (I don't see your scores on skyleague yet)

Fastrax just posted a 22.8 for this weekend's meet.

Glad to see I am in good company! I am plowing away at homework for one of my classes and it's killing me. I'm emailing a classmate to see if he is getting the same answers I am for our assignment. We'll see.... This MBA better be worth it.

Oops. Jihad. On a related note, I just learned that "scag" is slang for heroin.

I think we made the right call. The weather has been dodgy all day so far. It's raining a little right now... Had fun in the tunnel last night. (thanks, SCAG boys!) Hope it's nice next weekend for the FSL meet.

At least there's that big dent in the post by the bomb squad area for us to remember you by. Keep in touch and good luck in CA!

It looks like there has been a lesson learned regarding jumping barefoot, sure. But in my opinion, there are other larger concerns: 1. The no-flare. Target-fixation? Absent-mindedness? 2. The small reserve. Why? What's the point?? at less than 70 jumps? A 126 at 1:1 is not the same as a 170 1:1...we hear this time and again. Do you really want your first reserve ride to be on the smallest canopy you've ever jumped?? Ok, I'm through. edit for spelling

I hope you heal fast... Did you freeze up and forget to flare? What happened? Considering you made this big a mistake under your 150, do you really think you should have a 126 reserve?

I'll come out after classes (they get out by 5:00). Save a sunset load for me.

Well, the weather forecast for this weekend looks terrible. We're supposed to train on Sunday...we'll see what happens. Looks like I'll have plenty of time to watch some videos and study the dive pool! I am guilty of not always knowing what tail is doing. I'll work on that. Thank you to everyone for all the ideas!

So, I have all the randoms memorized. Little tricks like Crappy murphy flake and Jelly donut helped. But does anyone have any tricks/pointers for memorizing the blocks? I'm only concerned with the intermediate dive pool at this point. I've never been a numbers person.

Ditto! Eight 4-ways here. Good weather, good jumps, good company.

It sucks that you've been put in those kinds of situations. As in every sport, there are going to be some asshole guys around who think women are just there to be stared at and demeaned. I have no doubt that other women have experienced the kinds of things you've mentioned. I've experienced the "stares" but I don't feel like I've been held back because of my gender. More like the opposite. (and if I flaunted my female assets more, I'd probably get more attention, but that's just not my thing). Every DZ I've been to has seemed friendly...but perhaps I've gotten special treatment at some places b/c I'm female. Just this past weekend at another FL DZ, a couple of guys were waving as my friend (a male) and I walked by. We both waved back but then the guy said to us, with a wink, "I was waving at HER, not you." Not a big deal, but it's an example of the extra attention women get. It happens all the time. You ("You" in general) just have to decide how to deal with it. Do you want to get by on your merits and skills, or do you want to let your looks carry you along? Do you want to approach people who say inappropriate things or do you want to let it slide? (I joke around with my friends...they can get away with a lot more than strangers!) I've never heard anyone say "She can't be on X jump, she's just a girl" but I'm sure it happens. It seems like more often than not, the token girl will get invited on the load, over a more-experienced guy. That's just from what I've seen. I don't have 20+ years in the sport! Hopefully we're making progress as more and more women join the sport and the "assholes" who do make inappropriate comments will be outed more frequently though.

Wow. Visuals I didn't need. Thanks guys! Everyone else: Get your asses to Z-hills for Memorial weekend! Meet new people, make some jumps, laugh at your videos (and other people's videos), chow down on free food and hang out at the bar! On Monday you can recuperate and make more jumps. (unless you have an unpatriotic employer, in which case you should call in sick!)

I'm American, but some people call me "McBack" and I'm okay with that.

Yahoo! It's on a Sunday! I will be there with bells on. All of you central florida people should come out for this; it's a lot of fun! Silly team names and smack-talk are encouraged.

I've had 3 cutaways and I am short. Arm extension doesn't clear my cables but I never bothered to manually clear them either. I just pull until I feel both risers release and then go for the reserve. I was taught the "old" two hands on each handle method though. It has worked for me three times and is very much ingrained in my mind. I do realize there is a risk of not being able to find my reserve handle after cutting away. I have a metal handle, which is less likely to flip under a MLW and is easier to find by feel. I do a thorough check before exit. Maybe I should just get Capewells. I was taught to look at my reserve handle as I'm cutting away, but to be honest, I never looked for or at either handle any of the three times I've needed them. On one cutaway, I thought I'd chucked my cutaway handle (and cursed myself for it ) but it must have been dangling out of the housing...it was found in the peas right by where I'd landed my reserve. My answer to the poll would have to be "pull until you feel both risers release." To me, it was very much obvious when that had occurred. (no rsl)

This was an old thread...I left Sunrise about 2 years ago.

My view: Canopies were bouncing around at various times of the day, especially early in the morning and mid-late afternoon. Lots of people were landing off and not getting much penetration. I made two jumps during the calmer part of the day and the winds were still fairly strong. Not scary, but not ideal. (I like a little wind so people will land in the same damn direction, but 15-20 is stronger than I like). There won't always be someone around who will pull you aside and suggest that you not jump, especially since you are off student status and licensed. There are people at Z-hills who will jump in any kind of winds. Some of them are experienced and some of them are just dumb. (or a combination!) I wasn't jumping at that time of day due to the unpredictable winds. A bunch of us were sitting around, watching the "wind dummies" and talking about what to do for dinner, when someone mentioned there was a girl with 65 jumps going up. We all kind of cringed. The winds picked up while you (at the time I didn't know it was you) were at the boarding area with your group, and I thought "Well, she'll pull herself off now I'm sure..." We saw you walk back to the packing area and I thought "good!" And then we saw you walk back and get on the plane. Not so good. The winds picked up while your load was on the way to altitude. Fortunately, they died down while you guys were under canopy. You landed fine. You got lucky. I saw you later by the packing tent and thought "Yikes, I didn't realize it was her...she needs to be more careful." That's when I told you a bunch of us "wind wusses" were sitting around and someone mentioned you. Be safe. There's always tomorrow. When there's a big group of locals staying on the ground, that is usually a good sign.

My answer is "of course!" I've jumped without my Cypres and will do so again when it needs its next check. I've jumped demo rigs without AAD's and I'm perfectly fine with doing that as well. I have my limits, but my limits aren't related to my Cypres. In general, I don't do big-ways because I don't care much for them. I wouldn't do a big-way with a bunch of newer jumpers because the risk of people plowing into eachother is a lot higher. I don't freefly because I don't have an interest in it. I don't do tube jumps because to me the risk isn't worth it. (I've heard too many accounts of people having prematures, grabbing cutaway or reserve handles, etc). Why the hell would I want to go on a jump that I wouldn't do without an AAD anyhow??? ("Hey, this jump is riskier, but it's okay, I have an AAD!!")

Pot. Kettle! What are you, 5'4"? Don't make me come to the middle of nowhere and kick your ass.

Here we go!