MissBuffDiver 0 #1 June 10, 2005 Well almost barefoot anyway. It was a very busy day at the Perris DZ in CA. So busy that I forgot to change my shoes. August is hot in CA. so I had flipflops on when I was packing. Got in the plane, got to altitude, stood up for jump run and the floor felt a LOT weird. Looked down at my feet and saw flipflops instead of tennies. Shit no one else noticed either. So I yelled out and said I can't jump. They yelled back and said yes you can. Then all of a sudden a roll of duct tape was being wrapped around my feet. I was protesting but said what the hell my accuracy is real good. NO problem. Well I landed in the peas. My heals were almost purple. The flipflops stayed on allright. BUT...they beat the shit out of my heals in freefall.***Check ALL your gear! That means your FEET too. Sandy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fallingchip 0 #2 June 10, 2005 Quote.....August is hot in CA. so I had flipflops on when I was packing..... Damn, its only June in NC...______________________________________________ "A radical man is a man with both feet firmly planted in the air." -Franklin Delano Roosevelt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MissBuffDiver 0 #3 June 10, 2005 Aug. in the 70's. Sorry! Sandy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #4 June 10, 2005 Heh, I've been near the center of controversy here, 'cause I always jump barefoot. I have 178 jumps, and the last 174 of them have been barefoot with zero exceptions. I just really like doing it that way. I'm also really never seen around the DZ with shoes on in the first place. Being barefoot is kinda part of my lifestyle. If you're careful about your spot, your altitude awareness, the winds, your pattern, other traffic, and your landing technique, you can do it long and happily, I believe. Some people are all gloom-and-doom about it (especially now since Misty got hurt), but I don't see it that way. I'm a middle-of-the-road skydiver, not a right-at-the-edge skydiver; I play it conservatively, and if I downsize and/or start to swoop, I may have to stop jumping barefoot. As it is, jumping a Lotus 170 at 1.15:1, if there is no headwind, I have to run that thing out on landings. Blue skies, -Jeffrey-Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MissBuffDiver 0 #5 June 10, 2005 1 yr and 172 jumps cool! There is always the chance that you are not in control of your spot and or landing conditions though. Your feet have to carry you for a long time. I've been on mine for 59 yrs. I'm not preaching, but take care of your stumps [FEET] I have landed in some places where barefeet would have been a BAD choice. Not my fault of course. I lied.Sandy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #6 June 10, 2005 Quote Yes, problem. My heals were almost purple. The flipflops stayed on allright. BUT...they beat the shit out of my heals in freefall.***Check ALL your gear! That means your FEET too. Sorry you got hurt, but that is funny as all hellYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MissBuffDiver 0 #7 June 10, 2005 I didn't really get hurt. My feet stung like crap for about an hour. I acted like it was worse though. The guys carried me and my gear in from the DZ. I don't think the pain was too bad after the pitchers and laughter started. Sandy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zep 0 #8 June 10, 2005 Jumping in flipflops, would'nt be related to Reddy Redfern by any chance In the summer and depending on the DZ I love jumping bare foot From what I remember of Perris bare foot jumping = Masoquismo Gone fishing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyanide41 0 #9 June 10, 2005 If they put the duct tape on your feet, what was holding the plane together??? Seriously, who the hell take a roll of duct tape to altitude with them? JAMES Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sid 1 #10 June 10, 2005 I'm really glad that you didn't have to go to that LoPo Pete Draper, Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zep 0 #11 June 10, 2005 QuoteIf they put the duct tape on your feet, what was holding the plane together??? Seriously, who the hell take a roll of duct tape to altitude with them? Eastern block pilots survival kit, Duct tape, Vodka Duct tape, more Vodka Serioulsy most camera flyers have spare duct tape on their helmets. Gone fishing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingnut 0 #12 June 10, 2005 i've made exactly one jump with out footware on, well sort of, one of my jumps over memorial day i lost a shoe while head down and landed with out it.... felt wierd to not have a shoe on.... might tryit some more ( yes i know of risks, i also sometimes jump with no helmet, gogles or altimiter(on hop n pops)) ______________________________________ "i have no reader's digest version" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #13 June 10, 2005 Does a plane take off or land without tires ?Hell no. Only jumped without a helmet once or twice. Actually have no sympathy for those who get hurt by jumping without the proper gear. Lose a toenail because you wear sandles ? How cool are ya now Toe boy ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,545 #14 June 10, 2005 All my barefoot jumps were on rounds But I used flipflops for quite awhile with no problems -- here's a picture of me on a hoop jump. I just used a rubber band to hold my toes together, that way the thong wouldn't come off. Of course, now when women jump in thongs it doesn't mean the same thing Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #15 June 10, 2005 Back in the late 70's and early 80's LOTS of us used to jump in "old school" flip flops. The trick was simply securing a retainer band around the part that goes between your toes. When not jumping, the rubber band just stuck straight up. When you got ready to jump you just pulled the rubber band around your big toe. It'd be like "flap flap flap flap!" in freefall against your heel, but would not come off. That was the epitome of DZ stylin! That method worked just fine, well before the advent of "Teva-type" flip flops with the ankle wrap. I was never down with barefoot jumping because there were sand spurs all over the landing area at Raeford if you landed anywhere but right in front of manifest. Likewise, you never knew when you might get a bad spot and have to land out, potentially in the biggest briar patch in Hoke County. Even if you did find an obstacle free place to land, you still had to deal with walking back out. Simply not my bag. Even back in the day when the then-very-hippified Jack Jeffries jumped shoeless, he still had a set of flip-flops down his jumpsuit for walking back in. The only person I know that still jumps shoeless with regularity is Ponce. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #16 June 10, 2005 Only once. We have lots of goat heads around, and landing or walking across them on the way back to the jump shack would suck. The only time I jumped barefoot, we ended up with a bad spot and I had to choose between a road and sand/sagebrush/weeds on the shoulder. I picked asphalt & had no problems. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #17 June 10, 2005 My wife and I made several barefoot jumps onto the beach in Costa Rica and Acapulco. I only bother when there's a warm sandy beach to land on. Therwise I just wear shoes or Tevas. Did have a long spot in Mexico, with a long barefoot walk back on the hot sand. Spent a lot of time walking down by the surf to cool off our feet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #18 June 10, 2005 QuoteThe only person I know that still jumps shoeless with regularity is Ponce. I think Patrick Passe still does too when in boogie mode...Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ashtanga 0 #19 June 10, 2005 QuoteThe only person I know that still jumps shoeless with regularity is Ponce. Sven Zimmerman jumps without shoes all the time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mikki_ZH 0 #20 June 10, 2005 We jump barefoot when we are in Puerto Escondido... Picture: Fitz and PanaMichi (#1068) hsbc/gba/sba www.swissbaseassociation.ch www.michibase.ch Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #21 June 10, 2005 The only person I know that still jumps shoeless with regularity is Ponce. *** Ponce coordinated our 20 way into Kitty Hawk a couple yeras ago... It's crummy weather all week and the day of the jump I'm talking with him as we board the AC... barefoot on the ice frosted grass... At Kitty Hawk, prior to the jump we walked the LZ, Bush was coming so security was tight, we walked through metal detectors and got the 'Hard Eye' from Starsky & Hutch, manning the gates.... Roger actually had Tevas on for the stroll..the guard looks at him as says.."I hope you're not gonna skydive with THOSE shoes on!" Ponce smiles as says..'No WAY...!" 10 of us were ROFLAO! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chaoskitty 0 #22 June 10, 2005 My DZO always jumped in flip flops in the summer. He just tied a rubber band around the toe piece and popped it around his toe before exit. It was his trademark. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alanab 0 #23 June 10, 2005 lately justi has been jumping barefoot. personally i think its a bad idea and wouldnt do it myself. i think the recent incident has convinced her not to anymore though. she just bought some chacos to jump in so she can be like me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #24 June 10, 2005 Nope, never will either. I can't even walk outside barefoot! I have very sensitive feeties. ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LawnDart21 0 #25 June 10, 2005 I have about 400 barefoot jumps, another 1000 with Tevas. I love jumping barefoot. If your willing to accept the occasional scrape or sore foot, then its no big deal. In my other life I wear a suit to work, and have on occasion went to put my dress shoes on, only to be reminded of some scrape or bruise on my feet from the prior weekend's jumping.....lol OUCH. For me its worth the risk. -- My other ride is a RESERVE. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
