Greatest Skydiving Long Weekend Ever!

[goose491 0]

Hey all,

Just thought I'd share with you the wonderful time I had this past long weekend. I think I had the best time jumping out of planes I've had since I started. Lot's of pre-seconds, lot's of new things to try.

We didn't expect the greatest weather... but got it just the same. It's like the summer just started it was so hot. Plus there were absolutely no winds throughout all of Saturday.

So Saturday morning we had a Tracking competition. Organised by Goran, there were 12 trackers involved. We'd take a jumprun perpendicular to the windline and dive straight out 90 degrees to direction of flight, tracking towards the DZ. 6 one on one races, we had to be in the saddle by 3 grand. We used the honnor system for that and thusly, it was easy to see who had gone the furthest. Some good healthy trash-talking in the plane... good to have a little competition from time to time. All involved had good fun. I was the least experienced jumper on the circuit but placed second overall!! (Thanks DZ.com for all the tips I was able to find during the week prior ) So now, I've got a free days WingSuit rental and instruction to try out!!!! Booya!

So as I'm landing from the last round, still high from my personal victory, I notice my sister Heidi has arrived. Booya again! She's doing a tandem today! (I wasn't sure she'd show) Tara, a girlfriend of mine since Kindergarden, has come to do one too. So I've got an audience for the rest of the day because my girlfriend Heather, my brother and his gal have come to watch. Before long, Heidi is gearing up. My buddy Max and I are going to chase her out... Another pre-second for me. I'm a little worried because I suck on my belly so I discuss it with the tandem master. "Gonna go real fast out the door, then real slow when the drogue is out... Oh yeah, and don't be where the drogue is." The best piece of advice was from Mick "Remember, it's cool to be there but you don't have to be there." Right! Fast, then slow... haha! They still sunk out on exit and they still floated on me after the drogue was out but Max and I kept it somewhat tight. We stayed low on the tandem and video and that was the perfect place. No need to plow in trying to take a dock. Right here, Heidi can look around and see us both... Check out that smile! Check it out! She's waving to us! She did such a good job and enjoyed it thouroughly. I was so happy to be there. We land and I go to see Tara. She also had a wonderful jump and has but one word she utters periodically for about the next three hours... "In-credible"

Some other interesting jumps: I did a solo where I went completely limp out the door and stayed as such for just over half the dive. I recommend this to all. It was interesting... I actually had to fight the tendency to right a turn or to stop a tumble... and just go with it. There's something real Zen about just... tumbling.. well, actually, I ended up pretty stable, on my back, with a very slight turn.

I also made an attempt at getting my Chicken number. LOL, Dan and KFC have a rubber chicken and if you can take it from one of them and pass it to another while headdown, you get a chicken number. I flew to Dan and took it, then flew to Sarah.This was the first time head down with something in my hands... it really wasn't any big thing to compensate for (though there happens to be a lot of wind drag on a rubber chicken)... We were close Sarah and I. I might have docked the ol' bird on her tummy once or twice but we never did transfer the fowl... Damn, next time . Point to remember (And I did good): make sure if you've got something in your hands in freefal, it's in the left one at deployment.

Another first for me was landing out on the golf-course. LOL. Good fun. People were actually playing the hole I landed on. Amazing, they really don't realise you're coming until you're actually on the ground right in front of them. Can you say: "Mind if we play through?"

So! Sunday we've got a 4-way freefly speed scramble! There was a duct tape line a few feet from the door. Time starts when the leader crosses the line and ends when the one pre-determined point is built. Cool thing to run out the door single file and try to build something. It makes for a very cool visual on the hill and a very intense feeling throuout the dive. My team came in last but I've had such a great time flying with people I don't usual fly with that I couldn't care less.


Thanks to all for the wonderful weekend guys. I can honestly say it's been the best.

Blues,
Nick

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!