CanuckInUSA

Absolutely not!!! Talkback has so much fluff to begin with (hey check it out, I put a hat on my cat and took pictures, now everyone look at me ... sort of stuff). Talk about boogies in Talkback is just a bunch of people sharing their experiences or better yet letting others know about up an coming boogies. If someone can tell us about their politcal views (or if they've gone swimming) in Talkback, then someone should be able to talk about what great or bad time they had at a given boogie. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

0:8:0 Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Nope sorry dude. I'm a figment of your imagination. You didn't really talk or jump with me in Eloy. It was all in your head. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Sounds like the Vision is for you then. You did the right thing. You demoed and found something that you like. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I failed my first attempt at Level V (I probably should have failed Level IV) and I was 1/2 way towards failing my 2nd attempt when the light in my head clicked. I wouldn't say that skydiving has been easy for me, but ever since that moment, things have made sense. Relax and it'll come to you as well. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Crossfire2. You won't be disappointed. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Freeflying: This is one of my favorite disciplines and I like so much because it's a challenge, it can be graceful and I seem to constantly experience new things. RW: I have virtually no interest in this area but do believe that new skydivers must gain some experience here before venturing into freeflying. Tracking: This is a lot of fun and it's an important skill to have. I still have plenty of room for improvement, but I am slowly getting better. Swooping: Another discipline which is fun, but the margin for errors is slim and one really needs to be smart about approaching this area. Knock on wood ... I have yet to hurt myself swooping, but I have been in the corner and it's not a good place to be. Crew: I don't have any real Crew experience, but this is a good thing to have and I'm sure sometime this year I will take one of the Crew Dog's intro courses. Wingsuit: I only have one wingsuit jump to date, but I am seriously considering putting together a 2nd skydiving rig which I will dedicate to skydiving wingsuit flights. It's a long way off, but I would like to do some wingsuit BASE jumps before I check out of this life. Skysurfing: I have virtually no interest in this area. Freestyle: Looks good when women do this, but it looks gay when a guy does it. Dang what other skydiving disciplines am I missing besides accuracy landings which I don't really get into? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Happy birthday Denise ... and may you have many many more. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I know you're a cool person (plus I know women prefer men with hair and don't want to hijack this thread), so I'll let that comment slide. But ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Back in the late 80s and early 90s I worked as a volunteer ski patroller for three years and a pro ski patroller for one full season (skiing 7 days a week) and two of those volunteer years were at a major ski resort in Western Canada (Lake Louise). I have seen and treated enough death and carnage on the mountains and I'm always scared when I ski with uninformed skier or boarder friends who aren't thinking of the risks they may take without paying their dues learning how to carve controlled turns (often on ice). But I still view skydiving as more dangerous than skiing. Of course skiing/boarding is dangerous as well. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I voted no. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I totally agree with you here. When I was taking Hooknswoop's canopy control class last year, he mentioned comfort levels. My swooping comfort levels are much higher than a lesser experienced skydiver. But the comfort levels of a Pro Swoop Tour skydiver are way above my own. It's about risk management and tolerance ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Even though I have yet to make a BASE jump, I view skydiving as a walk in the park compared to the dark side. But I also know and accept that I might not survive my next skydive. Here's how I view skydiving compared to some of the other things I do or have done (keep in mind I'm talking about people who may push a little in the sport, but aren't idiots waiting to crash). - Skydiving is an order of magnitude safer than BASE jumping. - Skydiving is safer than riding a motorcycle. - Skydiving is safer than big-wall multi-pitch rock climbing. - Skydiving is safer than ice-climbing. - Skydiving is safer than high altitude mountaineering. - General mountaineering is safer than skydiving. - Top roping (or single pitch rock climbing) is safer than skydiving. - Mountain biking is safer than skydiving. - Skiing is safer than skydiving. - Flying an airplane is safer than skydiving. - Skydiving is safer than flying an airplane in the mountains. Dang ... what else have I done which might be considered unsafe? - Skydiving is safer than unprotected sex with an unknown partner. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Compared to what other sports? It'll all depend on our different experiences and what sort of sports we've participated in (I think skydiving is more dangerous than rock climbing, but at least one other person disagrees with me). I don't think this poll is all the relevant until we have some sort of apples to apples comparison and that isn't likely to happen. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Have fun in Sebastian you lucky ... I won't say it. I had a great time passing through the not long ago and hope to be back again. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

That was hilarious. I especially liked the black guy when he said "now what was I saying?" or the guy who said "the CN Tower isn't the only thing that is high". Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I am someone who is just getting into BASE myself, so I can't be of any service in this area except to say that you should read the "Getting into BASE" and "My First BASE Rig" articles first. They are just one person's opinion (God knows not everyone agrees with everything which is written), but it's a good starting point. As to skydiving and being a pilot. I was a licensed private pilot before I ever did my first skydive and I loved flying, especially my solo mountain x-country flights I've done here in Colorado (dangerous yet beautiful stuff I tell you). But in that time, I've started jumping and I hate to say it, for the time being I've given up on my flying because trying to do the two at the same time was just too darn expensive. Now I wasn't planning on becoming a ATP, so giving up my flying (for the time being) wasn't a hard decision. I'm only saying this because skydiving profoundly effected the outlook I had on my life (one can only wonder what BASE will do to me), and I thought I'd give you a heads up. As far as getting into BASE and talking on these forums, it'll help if you don't hide your identity (people are much more likely to trust you when they know who you are) and get some skydiving experience. In fact get a lot of skydiving experience before you ever think about doing a BASE jump. The only thing in common between skydiving and BASE is gravity and the fact that we rely on a parachute to save our bacon. It's okay to research BASE, but get some skydiving experience first. Who knows, maybe skydiving will scare you enough that BASE will no longer be in the equation. Personally I am not afraid to jump out of an airplane (heck I've done it enough), but a certain fear does exist in my head with BASE (and I view this fear as a healthy fear). By the way, congrats on your solo cross-country. I thought my solo was neat, but my first solo cross-country flight was when it dawned on me that I was in the process of becoming a real pilot. Just don't rush into BASE and learn to be a good skydiver first. BASE jumping is not skydiving. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

My balls aren't big enough yet. Of course when I started skydiving, I said I wouldn't be a swooper and while I'm currently not a bad ass swooper, I do swoop. So maybe my base philosophies will change. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I actually think I can use myself of an example of someone still able to view this sport from a newbies perspective. You see I haven't been jumping long at all (only 18 months). But I have had enough experience and close calls to know that the dangers do very much exist in this sport. It wasn't all that long ago, that I viewed this sport from the "hey it's not all that dangerous" point of view. But times have changed. I grew up quick. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

It's possible that I haven't done enough rock climbing. I have lead some trad routes, but I am very much NOT a bad ass rock climber and only have limited multi-pitch route experience and no big-wall experience. I know I have been sketched out on some exposed class 4 (or low 5s with no ropes) and have always considered those dangers more risky than your typical skydive. But I do know that I have had closer calls in skydiving whereas I do not believe I have a single close call in rock climbing (maybe going back to the fact that I haven't pushed myself enough in rock climbing). And that is what I base my opinion on. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

So are you. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I'm not sure about skydiving ... I'm sure freeflying will become more organized with big-way multi-point slots and all that working for those with the skill and talent. But for the base jumping community, look for some very interesting things to develop in the years to come (tons of birdman base innovations are likely to evolve). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Without a doubt, most of the skydiving incidents are a result of a series of bad decisions which compound into one really nasty incident. But random things do happen more often in skydiving than they do in rock climbing (of course WX in rock climbing can add to the randomness just as it applies to skydiving). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Ah yes ... the whole Sunnydee123 comes into play soon (at least the 123 part does). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Happy birthday Israel. Are you planning on doing any more binge drinking like you did in Eloy? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over