patmoore

I just returned from the NASTAR Nationals in Steamboat where I learned of Shane's death. Long time US ski team coach Phil McNichol and Downhill racing legend Daron Rahlves made the announcement and were clealy upset with the news. I never had the privilege of meeting Shane McConkey. He had a huge impact on the world of skiing in his too-short life. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Hoop, you have a phenomenal memory. I indeed recall Paul showing up on successive weekends in a Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, and Corvette. He let me drive the Vette. I asked him the source of his good fortune and he said he was importing tropical fish. At the Nationals he pointed to a picnic table and said "I bet you $5 you can't do a back flip off that". I said, "You know I can". He bet anyway. He was throwing money away. At some point he hooked up with Bonnie Searles and then went in the Federal Pen. I didn't know he had died. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Last I heard Paul was the guest of the government somewhere in NC but that was decades ago. At the Nationals in Talequah in 1975 (?) the entire ZHills team was leaving in the DC3 to go home. Paul leveled off at the far end of the field came down the runway at an altitude of maybe ten feet then banked toward the tower. He pulled up hard and lifted the right wing over the windsock. Just before the plane stalled he leveled it off and headed back for Florida. I was driving back so I got to witness the stunned expressions of those on the ground. Riding with Paul was never dull. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

The Magic Forest was indeed a magic place. For location, see attached graphic. There used to be a small lake in our back yard (in New England it would be called a pond). You can see the Google Earth view of where the lake dried up in the second attachment. Monthly rent for our house was $105. Out back we kept our giant pet frog Leroy. He weighed 37 pounds and we got him in Nogales while we were out at Marana, AZ for the '69 Nationals. Leroy caused quite a stir in Lutz back then. Genus and Species as I recall were Buffo Marina. He scared the crap out of a lot of folks before they realized he was ceramic.... I was in the front yard one day when Paul Rice flew through the yard at tree top level. He was in Jeff Searles' 182 and definitely got the attention of the neighbors. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Roger, you have an exceptional memory. Ron and Linda, Mike and Roe (sp?) and Connie and I all rented houses there. The homes wiith terrazzo floors had all been relocated to the nursery when I 75 was built. We still haven't talked to Penny's dad but hope to be able to break free when we're in Tampa to hook up with all you guys. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Hey Ron! That trip to New Orleans will never be forgotten. Lance and Ruth took a commercial flight home. Have you ever been back to visit the "Magic Forest" in Lutz where we lived in the early 70s? Penny and I are coming to Tampa to see her dad early next month and are hoping to find some free time the evening of April 8th or 9th to hook up with you and Ski and Donna. We'll talk to her dad tonight to see what his plans are and how flexible ours can be. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Marvelous. Simply bloody marvelous! DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

I greatly appreciate the critique. In college Dr. Dusenberry referred to me as Conan the Grammarian. I can use all the help I can get! DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Thanks to all of you for your feedback (and catching the typo - it will be fixed when I get home). I keep threatening to get a slide scanner so the 1000+ other photos I have can see the light of day after a four decade slumber. Tuna, it's always good to hear from you. This particular segment was an excerpt from a not-so-weighty tome I'm creating that chronicles a few of my life's misadventures in the service, broadcasting (where I was fortunate to work with Hoop at the NBC affiliate in Tampa), skiing/boarding and going way back when I really tested how much my dad loved me. At 87 he still does and claims not to remember how I destroyed the convertible top of his 1949 Mercury among other misdeeds in the early fifties.... DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Hoop, I'm glad this thread was revived. Otherwise I'd have never had the chance to relive those wonderful days. Even though I was a "serious jumper" at Z-Hills, I was mesmerized by your team's exploits and rapid ascendancy in the world of RW. About a year ago I started jotting down some of my memories of my years in the sport. I don't know if it would be of interest to anyone here but I'm attaching it anyway. It's written with the non-jumping reader in mind so some of the explanations may be a bit tedious. If you'd prefer not to open attachments, I've saved it online as a PDF. Constructive criticism is always welcome. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

I have a US Team Papillon from the 1973. It's been in either an attic or the garage for the past couple of decades subjected to extreme heat and cold. Don't think I'd recommend jumping it. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Thanks. I've never been to MRG but have done a few races at Sugarbush. With Taos lifting the snowboard ban, only Deer Valley, Alta, and Mad River are holdouts. Nope, I'm permanently retired from jumping. Repeating at Steamboat will be very tough. The competition is strong. If I can make the podium in both events I'll be ecstatic. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Ironically the last time I saw Bill Ottley was at a Para Ski race in Great Barrington, MA on my oldest daughter's eighth birthday (she's now 35). I retired from jumping years ago but skiing and boarding are my passions today. I'm heading for Steamboat in a couple weeks to defend my titles. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

It was a short article by Jay Shuttleworth. All but a paragraph was included in the earlier scan. I'll try to scan the rest of it but probably won't have access to the PC with the PDF scanner again until early next week. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Found the article and scanned it as a PDF. It was from the May 1965 issue of Saga Magazine. I was a student at the University of Florida and jumping at Williston and the article blew me away. I've saved it all these years. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

I still have the article from Saga Magazine. I'll try to scan it and post in the next few days. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

That was "Aunt Margaret". She was the sister of the owner of the Wolverine and she had been an ambulance driver in the First World War. I was one of the other pallbearers that day. Strangely enough that was only time in my life I've been asked to perform that duty. I vaguely remember the Valley View but do recall Pat's Place fairly well. It was at the Wolverine that I led a 17 man streak through the bar. It was also the place I watched the live broadcast of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Great chance to revisit old memories! Jim Stoyas, Steve Snyder, Chet Poland and many more. Jerry took this photo of my ex and me over Zephyrhills sometime in the early 70s. He gave us the blown up 11x16 as well as the negative and never even charged us for his jump! He's a class act. We used that picture for our Christmas card that year and I still have the original. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Hoop - I suspect many of those were earned at the Wolverine? Found my Pope card. Aug 24, 1967. I didn't turn 21 until a couple months later. Pope Patrick the Minor. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Woodbine.... That sounded familiar. The ex and I moved to the DC area in 1976 and we found a small DZ called Woodbine. I made one jump there on October 10th of that year. The next week we drove to Pelicanland but for some reason never made a jump. That jump (number 2028) turned out to be the last one I ever made. My logbook was signed by Melanie Splendido (not sure of the spelling, the signature was hard to read). The second to last jump was in Riverview, FL and signed by the late Mac McGraw. The previous seven jumps were at a Florida Parachute Council meet at Indiantown where my logbook says I average 7.36 seconds in the style event. Unless I'm mistaken, all three DZs are now defunct. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Hi Hoop. Guess I did create a monster. I've managed to think of a few more. Lakeland, FL for one - I can't remember the name of the guy who ran it be we were getting hop and pops before noon for something like 75 cents. I do web design but don't have the time to undertake this project. Surely there's someone out here who would like to spearhead the Lost DZ website. Each listing could have photos and stories. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

I forget the one west of Mobile but they had a volkswagen shell up on a telephone pole to use for practice exits! I did a couple of competitions at Warrior north of Birmingham. Someone mentioned PelicanLand. The Pelicans and the Targeteers shared a DZ at Manassas in 1966. Back to my original question. Does anyone have the time and inclination to put together a NELSAP type of website chronicling the "lost DZs"? I suspect that contributions would come in for a long time. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Got a couple of shots. My ex and I had just made our combined Gold and Diamond Wings jumps at Riverview the night before. The very next jump the following morning resulted in Mac losing his wheelstrut. Someone retrieved it from a field and I took this shot of it with my 1973 Chevy van. Richard Bach presented Connie and me with our wings and I took a photo of my daughter (now 34) on the wing of his Dehavilland Rapide. See attached shots. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

History repeats itself. The U of F club left Williston in 1965 and headed for Kay Larkin Field in Palatka. I'm attaching a photo of myself clowning around on the wingstrut of a 172 over Palataka in 1965. Riverview and a sod farm in Brandon were other popular Florida DZs for a while. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

I was thinking about some some jumps I made at small DZ in Williston, FL in 1965. It was the home of the University City Sport Parachute Club and I was a student at nearby Gainesville at the time. I don't know if it has been used since for jumping but I'm sure there are countless defunct DZs around the country with great stories. A few years ago, a skier in the northeast created the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, www.nelsap.org and it has grown to be an extraordinarily popular site with contributions coming in daily. I don't have the time to create something for DZs but perhaps someone else would like to take the ball and run with it? Do you think there would be enough interest to warrant such a site? DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!