Getting "accepted" into the sport.

[nuntiux 0]

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great post

From a really great Guy!
Deuce was my coach and is one of the person who is always here
to help you.

Samuel - Adept of Byron's Love

[NWFlyer 2]

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Relax. Learn. Enjoy.

I totally agree with this. This kind of attitude has really worked for me. I think in my case, it's helped that I've never been a "natural," so being self-deprecating about my skydiving "talents" is the only thing that *does* come naturally. Some DZs are more or less "warm" but I haven't found too many that are truly unwelcoming. If people act cliqueish, I just move on and find others to hang out with. That applies to life as well as skydiving. I don't stress too much about people who, for whatever reason, don't want to include me... there's always a group that *does*.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Rick 67]

***Personally, I think it has a hell of a lot more to do with the person's attitude than any politics.Plus it helps to have big boobs.
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fixed it for you Bucky

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!

[Hambone 0]

I haven't been in the sport very long, actually it will be a year on 19th of this month, I was brought into it by my wonderful girlfriend. that helped me to be accepted with her group of friends, mostly people that she was in school with, and her team members. I have felt that there are people that are sometimes "too cool" but for the most part people are willing to work with you and teach you and just want to hang out with you. Alot of times the feeling that people get about not being accepted or not being as close to people comes from the fact that maybe they don't stay around after the jumping is done. I feel like that is when most of the real bonding happens. We (the lady and I) decided that we were going to spend more nonjumping time at the dz. spend more weekends, hang out more, be more a part of the group. It will save us gas money and get us on the first load so i don't see a down side. Also there are amazing people in the sport that you just click with. I was lucky enough to meet one before I even started AFF, and it has helped me to no end. He has forgotten more about the sport than I will ever likely know, and is happy to tell me anything I want to know.
In conclusion, I feel like if you stay and hang out you will be accepted eventually. You can't expect to form lasting bonds with no effort, its like anything else you have to work at it, relationships in skydiving are no different.

"Crab Cakes and Football, Cuz that's what Maryland DOES!"

Yeah...You need to grow up. -Skymama

[skybytch 273]

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So Lisa, you're going to tell me with a straight face that you fully believe that there are no politics in skydiving?

I didn't say that. You said -

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Getting accepted into this sport has nothing to do with anything beyond politics and if you have become apart of the "in" crowd. Many times becoming apart of that "in" crowd involves being a near slobbering servant of a skygod who has a group of folks that follows him/her around.

I'm saying that has not been my experience in this sport. Yes, there are some people out there who act the way you describe, but the majority of those really good skydivers that I've met are not that way at all.

YMMV.

[HeatherB 0]

Hey!

We accepted you even though you have teeny A cups! Hmm...you must have mad skills.

[AggieDave 6]

Hmm. I said there's a lot of politics in skydiving. You stated "wow. I'm glad I don't live in your world" implying that you disagree with my statement. So you were stating the opposite would be true by disagreeing with me.

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I'm saying that has not been my experience in this sport. Yes, there are some people out there who act the way you describe, but the majority of those really good skydivers that I've met are not that way at all.

I would say that its the opposite. I've met a number of really good skydivers that were really good and down to earth people. I've met a lot of really good skydivers that were just jerks.

Infact while in AZ over the holidays a world class skydiver berated my wife about "line dump" when infact what he was describing was bag strip. He was flat out wrong and he wouldn't let it go, he wouldn't talk to me about it (I was standing right there and was trying to tactfully stop him), but he had to talk trash to my wife. That's just one example.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[skybytch 273]

Because my experiences have been different from yours does not make either of our experiences universal.

[AggieDave 6]

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Because my experiences have been different from yours does not make either of our experiences universal.

Nope, but its no reason for you to look down upon my experience either, as it would have seemed from your first post.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[skybytch 273]

The fact that I'm glad that my experiences with the majority of skydivers have been positive does not mean that I am looking down upon your experiences. It simply means that I'm glad that my experiences with the majority of skydivers have been positive. Of course you are free to interpret my words in any way you choose.

And with that, I'm done here.

[skydivermom 0]

Well, this sport has helped make me a different person, so I think I'm much more fun to hang around with than I used to be. I don't even buy beer (religious issues/alcoholism in family) and have had no problem at all. I just buy whatever soda they ask me to. There has been no issue whatsoever with it. So far, my experience hanging out with other jumpers has been wonderful.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[micro 0]

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Well, this sport has helped make me a different person, so I think I'm much more fun to hang around with than I used to be. I don't even buy beer (religious issues/alcoholism in family) and have had no problem at all. I just buy whatever soda they ask me to. There has been no issue whatsoever with it. So far, my experience hanging out with other jumpers has been wonderful.

I'd love to jump w/ you some day. That'd be cool. We could drink soda after.

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

[skydivermom 0]

That sounds awesome. You just live a couple of states over. I jump about an hour from the Louisiana border...and someday I'll go boogie-hoppin' (when my kids get older).

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[kallend 2,117]

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And I was a big pain in the ass.

You? Surely not!

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 2,117]

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The fact that I'm glad that my experiences with the majority of skydivers have been positive does not mean that I am looking down upon your experiences. It simply means that I'm glad that my experiences with the majority of skydivers have been positive. Of course you are free to interpret my words in any way you choose.

And with that, I'm done here.

My experience mirrors yours. Whenever I go to a new DZ I find an organizer and do some jumps. The only place I ever felt an outsider was a DZ in FL where they had no organizers and everyone jumping was on a team. Never went back there.

When I was just off student status the DZO (a bona-fide skygod in the best sense) would go out of his way to jump with newbies and introduce them to the regulars. Now his kids run the DZ, and they do the same thing.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[micro 0]

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That sounds awesome. You just live a couple of states over. I jump about an hour from the Louisiana border...and someday I'll go boogie-hoppin' (when my kids get older).

what dz do you jump at? work frequently has me in dallas and shreveport. is it near there?

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

[Vallerina 2]

Can I run with your clique, John? Or is my suit too pink?

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[skydivermom 0]

I think Shreveport (if I don't have my cities mixed up) is close to my area. I jump near Beaumont...about an hour away from the LA border. It's a really fun, small dz.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[micro 0]

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I think Shreveport (if I don't have my cities mixed up) is close to my area. I jump near Beaumont...about an hour away from the LA border. It's a really fun, small dz.

just looked it up... b.t 5-6 hour drive! ouch!

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

[chaoskitty 0]

Dude.. you just made me freakin cry. I've never felt at home at any other DZ like I did with Chris. And if I never find that again, its cool because I've had it. Good to know theres more of us still out there.

[Deuce 1]

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Can I run with your clique, John? Or is my suit too pink?

Yeah, and you are a skygoddess too.

One more strike and you are out.

Aggiedave? Are you in Field Training yet? When I was a rookie on FTO, I had one training officer I fucking hated. He hated me right back. Eventually I ended up on the carpet of the Sergeant's office for a little woodshed talk that boiled down to "You're going to have 5 or 6 officers train you. They will all train you differently. Cops need Ego to be successfull, but put yours away, do what your FTO teaches you for the next week-and-a-half and move on. When you are out there on your own, you'll find you are doing some of the things the guy you currently can't stand has taught you."

So let the retard skygods "teach" your wife all about skydiving and trust her to talk to you about what she's "learned". She's a tough little cookie, your Mrs., I'm sure you're her mentor, and she shares all that stuff with you.

That's pretty much what I mean by getting accepted into the sport. It's all about being open to learning. For the new people who want to get better, it helps to listen.

Case in point: When I was on student status and waiting on a wind hold, or waiting on something, Kieth Wyatt saw me sitting there and, being grounded for some reason or other. walked over to me (I didn't know him then) and asked me if I knew how a rig worked. I probably had about 40 jumps, swallowed my pride and said, "I'm sure I could learn more" or something other than "After I do a trick and pull the string on the bottom it slows me down a lot before I PLF".

It was also Tim Mattson (SP) watching me pack a new Spectre and not laughing and asking me "Could I show you something" and me saying "Yes, please" and learning how to pack better. Watching me pack is still like watching a horse get rendered into glue, but it's not for lack of people trying to help me and me being open to it.

None of that is politcs. It's just teachers and teachables.

Dave, I'm trying to think of an example regarding your line dump vs. bag strip thing. It's like me calling a vegetable an orange squash and you calling it a pumpkin. If we can agree that we both understand we're talking about the same vegetable, it boils down to "Oh, we call that one a pumpkin where I come from". Niether person is wrong, they were just taught vegetables a different way.

If somebody is out there telling folks to deploy their reserve into a linovered main before cutting away the malfunctioning main, then they would be wrong.

"But not if they are under a thousand feet!" howls the window-licking skygod.

"Huh" says the thoughtful, easily accepted skydiver, while they seek out a conversation regarding the subject with their trusted circle.

"Hey, Connie. If you were under a spinning mal at a thousand feet what would your EP's be?"

"Me or you, JP? I'm much better at this than you, and my response would probably be different that what you might be capable of"

[micro 0]

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Dude.. you just made me freakin cry. I've never felt at home at any other DZ like I did with Chris. And if I never find that again, its cool because I've had it. Good to know theres more of us still out there.

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

[Remster 30]

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There is a HUGE HUG with your name on it at Dublin, baby!

Stop flirting with married women.....

Remster

[micro 0]

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There is a HUGE HUG with your name on it at Dublin, baby!

Stop flirting with married women.....

she's married? well sonofawhore, so am I!

remi, you comin to dublin? hope so, cause i'm lookin forward to insulting you en francais.

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

[Darius11 12]

I have had the same kind of experience as you.

From the first tandem I did with Joey at SDLI to starting AFF at Jumptown I have been treated great and as part of the family.
I am always happy to see everyone and I feel they are happy to see me. The connection I have had with fellow jumpers is very strong considering I have only been jumping for 2 years or so.

Even last year when I went to Eloy. Wingnut who I had never met before ( we hadn’t even talked on line) picks me up from the airport after my plane was late about 2-3 hr. and when he picked me up he was all happy and in a good mood not pissed at all. There is so many examples like what he did that has happened to me in the few years I have been jumping that even if I get treated like shit a few times the positive far out weights the bad.

I have not yet met a skygod. The guys who I thought should be skygods just because of their awesome skills were the friendliest people I have ever met.

A lot of times in this sport you can’t pay back the people who have done things for you, I guess the thing to remember is to pass that kindness to another jumper who is in the spot you were once.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain