Open question - why should skydiving be bigger?

[billvon 3,080]

I want to figure this out. A lot of people seem to want skydiving to be bigger, a mainstream sport that's on TV a lot. Why is that? Is it:

1. so there will be more DZ's

2. because then it will be on TV and things on TV are famous and good

3. so more people will be skydivers and skydivers won't be so 'misunderstood'

4. so tandem factories/schools/gear stores can make more money

5. so there will be more big planes

6. because the more people there are, the more public buzz there will be about skydiving and we like buzz

7. because bigger is better

I suspect that a lot of people go with 7) because it's such a staple of modern life. The big TV, the big house, the big SUV are all status symbols - why wouldn't they want their sport to be big too? But I've heard 2) often, as well - 'it would be great if ESPN had a freefly program!' And that sure ain't because there aren't enough freefly videos around.

[AggieDave 6]

Money.

More people = more money.

More money = better stuff (DZ facilities, planes, etc)

Better stuff = better stuff.

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

[markd_nscr986 0]

So I can become a Skydiving Reality TV show star or host

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004

[livendive 8]

I'm not sure how much bigger I want skydiving to become, but certainly not much. The only reason I'd like to see any growth at all is so that I can have more friends to jump with more often. I don't particularly care to see skydiving become mainstream and I'd only want to see more of it on TV in some sort of focused, subscription-based programming (e.g. perhaps as PPV in association with something like an aviation channel).

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[metalslug 36]

I dont care much if its on TV, but I want it to be bigger.
A simple illustration of this is by comparing US skydiving to skydiving in smaller countries.
Smaller countries have, on average;
Smaller aircraft, no proper windtunnels, fewer really good specialist coaches, only operate on weekends, less exposure to serious competition, .. and probably other things I havent thought of.

It's generaly accepted here in South Africa that serious skydivers will not develop any kind of world-class skill unless they spend a few years in the US or France, countries where skydiving is 'big' enough to constantly dominate the world championships each year.
For the fun jumpers; bigger planes, bigger boogies and bigger "DZ vibe" would probably be their best benefits.
On a broad scale, bigger would appear to be better in any country, for all the aforementioned reasons, even in the countries that are already big.
-

No 'mericans were harmed during the making of this post.

[Shotgun 1]

I'm not sure... but I guess for people who work in the industry, more skydivers = more money (maybe?)... or at least more job security...

Also...

When I first started jumping, I was at a pretty small dz. There were only a few other female jumpers and they only did RW - which I didn't like so much, so I mostly only jumped with men (which was ok, but I was always wishing I had other women to jump with).

Then Point Break came out and it seemed like business at the dz practically doubled overnight. I didn't like the change because it seemed like it brought a much more "macho" vibe to the dz... and then I quit jumping not long after that (for a lot of reasons)...

Anyhow, when I started jumping again - about 7 years later - I couldn't believe how many people were at the dz, and especially how many women were out there (and I don't think Point Break deserves _all_ the credit for that, but I think it had a lot to do with it)... So, while at first I was mad at Point Break for "ruining skydiving" by "making it bigger" - it turned out to be more of a mixed blessing for me because more skydivers meant more people to choose from to jump with (and therefore easier to find people who I was compatible to jump with)... Of course, the bad side of skydiving getting bigger is that more skydivers also means more people who need to be added to the "needs to be watched out for" list.

[WrongWay 0]

Personally, I like being part of a small, tight community.

I snowboard too, but I can't say that I can show up on any given day to any given slope 12 states away and bump into 3 or 4 people that know me.

If ya ask me, I think if the sport goes bigger, it loses it's worth, not to mention the fatality rates would be ridiculous.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[VanillaSkyGirl 6]

Perhaps people want more easily accessible ways of being around their passion. Some people live far away from the DZs or tunnels. Perhaps, if more people do it, then there would be more DZs. Also, perhaps the gear or plane jump costs will go down. I think that more people would be jumping much more if they weren't paying so much per jump, for gear or for coaching.

Another thing is that most people hate the misconceptions that some people have about skydiving. There are so many misconceptions about skydiving. People usually do not like to be misunderstood or stereotyped, so perhaps they would want skydiving to become better known in the hopes that it would become better understood.

Personally, I would not want for skydiving to be mainstream. It's not for everyone, mentally, emotionally and even physically. This is a very dangerous sport. Safety should come first.

Also, it doesn't bother me to be considered "different" in society. I like to break stereotypes.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Ego.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[ACMESkydiver 0]

I think I agree with WrongWay...I like small DZ's, because there are less people to feel intimidated by.

But fuck it, everyone says I have a low self-esteem anyway, I suck...I'm gonna go drink caffeine.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[Deuce 1]

Mostly number 3, not having to explain themselves, and number 5, everybody jumping out of a CASA.

After the Holiday Boogie, some of my girls and parents of my 3rd grader basketball team asked me why I missed a practice and I explained I was filming a short documentary on skydiving in Arizona. "You mean actually skydiving, or just interviewing the jumpers?" "Both" "You skydive?!" "Yeah, and I teach it too. You want to come do a tandem skydive with me?"

"Uh...."

The more of them that do tandems (I've got a couple out) the less of that inability to equate skydiving with a loving parent I have to deal with.

As to number 5, more Super Otters is good, but I like my 206 during the week.

[TomAiello 26]

Quote

More money = better stuff

More money also means more R&D, and safer equipment.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[bigway 4]

I think it is a catch 22, you can get it on tv and try to rope more people in for the tandems so alot of people can earn more money so we can afford more jumos and the latest equipment and better planes and dz facilities but there is a major down point in that.... In new zealand for only having around just over 300 skydivers and not all are current we have a big tandem operation for the size of the country and amount of jumoers, Nz dropzones combined do around 500-800 tandems a day with good weather but then the downside is a couple of the dropzones are doing over a 100 tandems a day nearly every jumping day while other are only doing 20-40. The market in new zealand is very competitive as at my dz doing only around 30- 40 a day we charge a bout $150 US dollars to 12,000feet while another dropzone a few hours away that does from 100-140 tandems a day is charging only 100US dollars and giving free t-shirt and ground video. Now there are three dz's all next to each other and they are doing the same amount of tandems for around the same price and they have 2 or 3 busses from the same company's every day pulling in and nearly everyone on the all does tandems. As a country thats main economy is tourism skydiving, and bunjee are big dollars over here and tandem master and camera men will earn around $250US dollars to $600 US dollars a day quite easily.
I myself am a big fan to get to get more people in NZ interested in jumping sports style so that our competitions can become more competitive and bigger meets. So i would like it to be bigger in NZ so that we can if it a quater of the size of the states, it would be great to have all the facilities you guys have and all the people and the amount of friends you all make. With skydiving so small in new zealand, it is the same faces year in, year out and we have no wind tunnel or bars at our dz's.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[AggieDave 6]

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More money also means more R&D, and safer equipment.

Ding. We have a winner.

More money and MUCH more national attention means a LOT of pressure for DZOs to keep planes safe as well.

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

[christoofar 0]

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More money also means more R&D, and safer equipment.

Ding. We have a winner.

More money and MUCH more national attention means a LOT of pressure for DZOs to keep planes safe as well.

Hear hear.

Although the bigger the sport gets, the bigger USPA gets... and that's not necessarily a bad thing per-se; but you would expect to see more regulation as you add more people to the sport.

Anyone who has studied human behavior in Organizations and Organizational Behavior in college well knows how institutions like to grow and perpetuate themselves...

$0.02

____________________________________________________________
I'm RICK JAMES! Fo shizzle.

[bigway 4]

I have a funny feeling that if the size of skydiving was to double in america that you guys would have alot more restrictions because of more incidents and you might even find some states banning it. You seem to have a great community for jumping in the states and maybe it should be left the way it is with sport jumping. I would hate to see the great vibe you guys have that i am jelous of be taken away by more restrictions and incidents.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[Dougiefresh 0]

The only reason I would want skydiving to be bigger is to push the sport forward. Who knows how many potential future champions never get their feet off the ground? There could be a lot of talent out there that just isn't tapped.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams

[christoofar 0]

I don't think any of the States would consider banning skydiving, honestly. Especially since it's been around for so long, the USPA serves to protect the sport, which is allowed by the FAA... and there's a proportion of the military (a very, VERY important bloc of voters) that also "jump civillian."

Thanks to some celebrity push (GHW Bush), the chances of it at least of it being banned in the State of Texas is zero. I honestly believe if it came down to that, we could probably count on him to help USPA lobby in case that threat ever did materialize.

For states like Illinois, skydiving is an economic resource with SDC and a number of DZs clustered in that area and the city of Rantoul has benefited from WFFC moving from Quincy.

Thanks to the jump waiver, the risk of skydiving shutting down like McDonald's hot coffee is low.

This smells like a SC thread now.

____________________________________________________________
I'm RICK JAMES! Fo shizzle.

[bigway 4]

sure, your reply says that it would never happen, i never really thought it would. What i think though(not from first hand experience) is that it sounds like the sports skydiving scene is at a comfortable stage, maybe if it was cheaper it would be better. The states have a good thing going with skydiving and it seems your greatest people in the country are skydivers. You guys all seem to have good heads on your shoulders and are definitley the leaders in the sport. So whatever you guys think and do about the sport, i am sure it is the right thing

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[Jskydiver22 0]

I agree...more people means more money, which means better facilities. But i also agree with wrong way that with more people, come more fatalities.

But i kind of like the fact that when i say i skydive people go "Wooooaah" Where if i said yeah i play basketball, people dont think anything of it.

I like the fact that its a smaller community and not everyone understands it.

I wouldn't mind the nicer facilities that would come along with more people though.

--I don't even know enough to know that I dont know--

[christoofar 0]

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I agree...more people means more money, which means better facilities. But i also agree with wrong way that with more people, come more fatalities.

But i kind of like the fact that when i say i skydive people go "Wooooaah" Where if i said yeah i play basketball, people dont think anything of it.

I like the fact that its a smaller community and not everyone understands it.

I wouldn't mind the nicer facilities that would come along with more people though.

Small facilities aren't that bad either... as long as you get to jump, right? It would be nice to have more mega-DZs out there that aren't on the coasts... for those who live in between FL, IL and CA.

Who knows, there is a lot of untapped talent out there who are just unaware about the sport and would probably be very good at it if they tried it.

____________________________________________________________
I'm RICK JAMES! Fo shizzle.

[BIGUN 1,429]

8) Because it is an extreme sport. A sport which demands concentration, training, effort, dedication, money and time. It's about wanting recognition. Its about wanting recognition for those who earn Gold, Silver and Bronze medals every year and yet; no one outside the community knows what they have to do to earn those.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Jib 0]

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5. so there will be more big planes

No, so there will be faster [accessible] planes and more loads but not at the expense of people you want to party with.

--------------------------------------------------
the depth of his depravity sickens me.
-- Jerry Falwell, People v. Larry Flynt

[PhreeZone 20]

Nevada tried and came VERY close to just about regulating skydiving out of their state just a few years ago. It can happen.

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For states like Illinois, skydiving is an economic resource with SDC and a number of DZs clustered in that area and the city of Rantoul has benefited from WFFC moving from Quincy.

In the Chicago area at least 1 DZ and maybe 2 have closed in the last 3 years. SDC abandoned their plans for a restraunt. WFFC is 1/3 the size it used to be and getting smaller every year it seems. The town of Rantoul actually spent a lot of time debating renewing the conventions lease after the first year since it did'nt see that great of a boost city wide. Lots of money was spent... but 95% of it was spent inside the airport and the city saw very little of it. Its not that large of an economic driver.

Personally I thnk its the ego thing that makes everyone want to make it popular or put it on TV. Do you ever see the National SnowShoe Racing champianships on TV? Those guys are running through heavy snow at paces that most people can't run in the best of conditions. Way more people snowshoe then jump.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[diverdriver 6]

Because "we" are already IN and anyone coming IN after us must pay homage to us with green bottles! It is the way of the world.

I dunno. Maybe we should ask the USPA BOD why they want to promote the sport to a wider audience? More dues income?

More memmbers means more influence in government? I dunno.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125