spidermonky

Under these rules I'm Toby Candlewood.

That's what I did too and now I like it better without that little metal tip. Also I used a lighter to burn the end into a smooth unfrayed end.

I think the major difference would be the potential return on the investment. If you sponsor a race car driver for instance, you hope they win all the time. If they do, you get lots of advertising and they make LOTS of money. If they get hurt or crash a few times then you've wasted most of your money. I'd guess that the chance of getting hurt while learning to swoop is at least equivalent to being hurt racing. Since people on the PST make dirt compared to NASCAR (and a smaller audience) then investing in a beginner skydiver would be a large risk with a substantial amount of money required and a relatively low return.

Did you read it? He's reposting the helmet because he forgot to add the word "skydiving" in the original add, then he has a reference to the actual item: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=310&item=7102615979

Check out cnn.com's offbeat news for today. The 3rd or 4th pic is a BASE jump. http://www.cnn.com

Awww, that was my home every weekend of this summer...

I can be the mad scientist!

So the packing dome was destroyed?

WOOHOO! Go VOLS!

I can't edit the pics on this computer, but I'm hosting the originals here: http://web.utk.edu/~dmain/temp

Does anyone know if the DZ is alright??

I'm so nervous about this. I'm safe in Tennessee, but my girlfriend is about 30 miles southeast of New Orleans in Chalmette. It's actually lower elevation than New Orleans. Her family has a restaurant and are refusing to leave (instead they feed the emergency crews and locals that stay). She won't leave without them. I dont' know what to do. I've called her probably ten times today begging her to go ANYWHERE, she can even spend the week with me. I'm really getting scared reading this stuff.

Even their URL is ugly.

A dog limps into a bar and says... "I'm lookin for the man who shot my paw"!

Yah, it was a jumper from Knoxville. He broke his left femur and is in a hospital in Knoxville recuperating.

Hey Laurel! Can I be an official Pink Mafia groupie? How are the salad days treating you?

I've been jumping at a large DZ lately (I'll let it be nameless) and I've had a great time. They seem very concerned with safety but it isn't overbearing either. Everything was fine, until I started dating a girl who just finished AFF... The student gear here varies wildly from rig to rig. They are all Dolphins and many of them clearly aren't being maintained adequately. On my girlfriend's 14th jump, she had received a gear check from a master rigger and did a coach jump with an instructor. She had another gear check before exit. I believe the freefall involved one or two backflips but the majority of the dive was stable bellyflying. Toward the end of the dive the instructor noticed a toggle had come out and shortly after the other toggle came out too!! He gave her the sign to pull, which she did, but they instantly wrapped around each other. Of course the lines were knotted and the canopy was a spinning ball 'o crap. She did a good job cutting away and safely landed her reserve. The canopy landed dead center of the landing area and it was inspected. The toggles were held by velcro and when pressed against the risers, would fall off when the pressure was released. We've made a jump together and the rig she used for that jump needed new velcro also. The reserve cover would not stay closed. Some of the adjustable main lift webs are routed through the buckle and then essentially tied around the buckle, which made it difficult to inspect. It seems to me that as long as these rigs are used for AFF, they need to be able to handle the manuevers therein. Basicly, I'm not sure how much of a stir I should be willing to get into. I have a feeling the rigger there won't be too receptive. Any advice?

Mine was a little too baggy but it looks good and it's held up well after 30 jumps (I'd hope it hasn't fallen apart already!).

I live in knoxvegas, what brings you to these parts?

You're just going to have to deal with the fact that if you get a girlfriend she'll know you look at porn.

I think that sums up a balloon jump.

I put together a video from some footage of my first balloon jump. http://web.utk.edu/~dmain/skylog09.wmv I've tried my hand at video editing before but I think this is my best yet. Enjoy.

Anyone tried one of these? http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html Mmmmm

Palma Louca. It's a Brazilian beer that I really like. Pretty light but still has flavor.

More than once last week I had beer and honeycomb cereal for dinner!