debonair

Check out www.300-way.com there is detailed information about how to build, how to break off and other "how-to" info regarding the 300way and large formation skydiving in general. Not a dumb question at all... ...deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

Talking about old skydiving footage, a friend of mine in the NW put together the following: Hello Cleareye fans, Dan T has a reel of 16mm film that he purchased from Randy Deluca way back when. It consist of raw footage of Cleareye taken in the mid 70's. Remember those skydives, they were pretty impressive in those days, and even more impressive now. Dan is going to have the footage transfered to video and is looking for any and all that might be interested in getting a copy. At this point the exact cost per copy is unknown because we don't know how many are going to be made. The first copy is $80.00 with each additional being $10.00. I'm getting two, Dan's getting two so the cost is already down to $27.50 each. I'm sure the cost will be under $20.00 per by the time we run this by all those that we think my be interested. A small price to pay for your own copy of skydiving history. =============== I bought a copy - I think it was $15 bucks. It has a lot of really big suits but great skydiving for the period. If you are interested, contact me and I'll look to see if any are still available. Wishing you big blue ones (skies that is) ...deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

Hi Anne! How are you since Nationals? Art got injured at the 300-ways but he's planning to get back jumping ASAP. Are you and Chris staying out of trouble (yeah, right!) --- deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

I remember the first time I jumped in the summertime without gloves. I could feel the wind rushing between my fingers - I swear I could almost see it. Those early awareness shockers when you are first learning are so amazing. Its rare that I get that sudden jolt of "oh my gosh" awareness these days - well, maybe when I looked over at all the divers heading towards the formation while exiting on the GoFast 300way jumps and thought - OH WOW, check this out! Still lovin' it after all these years... AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

I just want to say a big "thank you" to Chris for writing his article. The 300-way pilots did a fantastic job of being where they needed to be. I guess because I learned to skydive in the NW where multiple plane formations are common I wasn't worried about the close proximity of the other planes. It was truly breathtaking to see another Otter taking off right alongside my own. The row upon row of parked planes waiting for us to load up, the huge line waiting to taxi for take-off. What an amazing experience! One of my favorite memories is being on the ground after we knew we'd made the record. Everywhere there were people hugging and screaming and crying and kissing and then there was the thrill of seeing the 14 planes approaching for their fly-by. For those of us who had been on the jumps it was our first sense of how jumprun looked from the ground. If I hadn't been on the skydive, I would have loved to see that baby in freefall. I can't imagine how much sky it took up or how it looked like a firework exploding as the waves broke off. Whew! Anyway, I loved Chris' article and also Bryan Burke's because they gave me an opportunity to appreciate the event from more than my own perspective. Thanks guys! ... deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

I like the yellow rubber earplugs that have a blue plastic cord connecting them. I loop them through the zipper pull on my jumpsuit and they are there when I need them. I found mine in the local hardware store in the section where they sell drills and other noisy tools. AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

Saw an ad on overstock.com for Mystery Science Theatre DVD that included a movie called, "The Skydivers" anyone heard of it? Is it worth a rainy day? Here's the link to the ad - http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PROFRAME&PROD_ID=138905 ...deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

I vote for INF3 - the others look like standard designs (vector, javelin etc). Go for unique and interesting - or don't. Regardless, enjoy - there's nothing like a new rig! ...deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

I know several women who have quit directly because of having children. A couple were so "hard core" prior to having kids I would have sworn "no way" but they quit none-the-less. I know only a couple of men who quit because of their kids and they both had non-jumping spouses. With women, it doesn't seem to matter if their S.O. jumps or not. I do have to admit, breast-feeding while sitting on a toilet stall and hearing your name called because you are late to a dirt-dive is a REALLY, REALLY bad feeling! It's gets worse when you run out to the dirt dive and everyone wants to know what you were doing that was SO important, you HAD to miss the dirt-dive! [hmmm, should I have this thread moved to the women forum? ] ...deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

That wasn't me! AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

I made my first jump on January 15, 1983. I had just started dating a guy who had a couple of hundred jumps and he bought me a certificate for the first jump class. I had never watched him jump and had no real concept of what to expect. The dropzone was in a town called Issaquah. It was a small town, 20 minutes east of Seattle with little to be known for. There was a state park and a salmon run and a grass runway skyport tucked in the valley at the end of a large lake. There's a lot I could tell about the dropzone, the views of two mountain ranges, the Puget Sound and the emerald green of the Pacific NW but that is another story. On the morning of my first jump we drove out to the dz. All I had been told was that he was taking me somewhere "special" and to dress warm and comfortably. Imagine my surprise when we turned into the parking lot of the skyport and I found out I was going to make a skydive. It was strange, I was scared but not paralyzed. I knew that somehow it was all going to be okay. I didn't have a clue how, but somehow it would. Back then there was no tandem or AFF options. It was you, a baggy mechanic jumpsuit, high top black lace up army boots, and a bell helmet that fell forward at the slightest shift of your head. The parachute equipment included a belly-mount reserve and I had to waddle to stay upright. I was a "weeble" and I was certain I'd tip over with little effort. I had never been a "tom boy" so I had no muscles or gumption to speak of. The PLF practice jumps off the 4ft high platform was into muddy, soggy pea gravel and the fact that I was jumping down and rolling around on the ground was very much outside my own perception of myself. The entire day felt like that. I tried to pay attention but deep down inside I knew with certainty that everything would be okay. I knew which handles were important but somehow there was a disconnect with really believing I might have to pull them. January in the Pacific NW is gray, cold and rainy. I was muddy, damp and dressed in baggy rags. My boots were too big and the gear too heavy. I was supposed to be first out and the plane circled at 2600' as the jumpmaster spotted for me. The door opened and the noise and wind assaulted my senses. The JM told me to "climb out there" - I rocked forward but had no ability to move. He grabbed me and sort of pushed me out the door. I reached out for the strut but couldn't pull myself out, the force of the wind and rain was too strong. With help I got out there on the step. I looked back in and he said "go ahead and hang" the concept being that you hung by arm strength until he told you to let go. HA! As if that were possible. My foot slipped and I fell partially off the step. Suddenly I had the strength to hold on. I hung like that, half on and half off waiting for instructions because I was incapable of thinking for myself. He drug me back into the door frame and we did a go-around. Then, back over the spot - out he pushed me again. I tried to do my job but let go with both hands and fell backward with my feet still on the step. My arms were straight out and I remember thinking "sky, I'm not supposed to see sky" and then the thought "when the parachute opens, it will turn me the right way." The static line snaked past my outstretched arms and the 26ft round canopy opened. The JM took pictures and I am captured back to earth, eyes partially obscured by the helmet, arms out and static line snaking up. Months later at a dz party my JM, who has had a few too many whiskeys corners me and drills me "why are you jumping?" He tells me in a very prophetic way that to stay in the sport is a serious decision. I must not jump because of my boyfriend, because to stay with skydiving means that I will see death. And, because the community is small, it will be friends who will die. Am I jumping for the right reasons? Am I up to whatever may come? The choice of whether or not to be a skydiver is a serious one. Its almost 20 years since my first jump. I've seen dropzones die, airplanes crash, and strangers as well as friends die. But I have also lived a life where I breathe freer than I ever imagined. Where I have looked down at the earth and wondered that out there were so many people who never looked skyward and would never know the possibility of human flight. I had tried explaining to non-jumping friends and family but in vain. I have argued my right to live my own life. Argued that being a parent does not mean choosing to be tied to the ground. I still try to explain but I have resolved myself that those few who question still will question forever. Skydiving was a chance encounter for me that opened my mind in a new way. I am more than I was because of it. I can't seriously imagine life without it. It's me. It helps define who I am and keeps life and all it's everyday trials and tribulations in perspective. There is NOTHING like the freedom of going full speed out the door and into the air. Lord do I love it. Happy anniversary to me.

I stopped for 6 or so months from when I was 5 months pregnant until my daughter was 2.5 months old. AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

Not complaining about this thread being moved, but I didn't realize the Women forum was limited to women-related skydiving topics - there have been several posts about breast implants and other non-skydiving female interest topics. AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

If you saw my earlier posts you know my mom's not a fan of my skydiving. She does however, have a great sense of humor. I received this from her today. http://www.send4fun.com/pages/flash/boobies.swf Enjoy! AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

I used to advocate that you should learn how to fly your body before your suit. Of course, I also made fun of the people who showed up with full face helmets and booties when they first emerged and now "I-R one". But seriously, rarely do "belly fliers" make a jump without a jumpsuit so why practice sometime like that? If you are going to be doing horizontal RW then by all means get the booties. Start flying with them right away because they can make HRW moves crisper. I noticed you are in Australia but when you get the chance, bring your new suit (with booties) to a wind tunnel and you'll ramp up on your skills dramatically. Once you log some time on your suit, go back and make a few no jumpsuit dives during the summer and you'll soon appreciate those booties! Good Luck and Enjoy! AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

When people ask me what it feels like to freefall, I try to put it in a way they can relate. Think of a nice day, you're driving along with the window down. You put your arm out and feel the wind tickle your skin. As you pick up speed the pressure of the wind on your arm wants to push it back and you have to fight to keep it out straight. When you are skydiving your body (not just your arm) is feeling the strong, comforting pressure of the wind. You don't feel like you are falling, you feel supported. When asked "weren't you scared when you started?" Yes, of course. But remember back to learning to drive. Think about your first time merging on the freeway - your mind was almost overwhelmed with all the things you had to remember to drive safely. Now you don't give it a second thought. As you learn and practice, you get more familiar and comfortable. Once you learn to relax you open yourself to fully enjoying the experience. If riding in a plane is flying, then riding in a boat is swimming. You know that's not true. Soooo... get out there - and FLY! ...deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

Hey Vint - You'd never recognize Grubb (well maybe you would, he still looks the same) but he's living in Arizona, happily married and using his "real" name. I don't know if anyone down there even knows him as Grubb. I saw him during the 300way jumps and he looked great. ... deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

Let's see, it had to be late summer 1992 in the Pacific NW. Someone had organized a "boogie" over in Sequim, (the banana belt) WA. From Seattle it was about 4-5 hrs to drive there and a bunch of us decided to make the trip despite a storm system forecasted for that weekend. We drove to the local regional airport (which was going to serve as our DZ) in the middle of strong wind and a rainstorm. There were a number of "younger" jumpers and a few of us "experienced old-timers" all sitting around, huddled in our cars and vans because the airport had no facilities what-so-ever - well okay - they did have a port-a-potty. That first day was a washout and we went into town to the local pizza parlor where food fights soon erupted and many beverages were consumed. The next day was clear but the winds were honking. The DZ is near the water and nearby are the Olympic Mountains but we had a pilot we trusted and we couldn't stand sitting on the ground any longer. A few of the less experienced but jump-hungry newbies got on the load with us. The winds were so strong, we exited out over the water knowing that we'd be blown back. A couple people wanted to do cross-country (a common thing to do in the winter when ceilings are low and winds are high). Our skydive wasn't memorable. We rarely had video in the NW back then and so there was nothing captured to review later. When I opened under my 220 cruiselite I was going backwards REALLY fast. In fact, I couldn't really tell where I was heading because I was afraid to make a turn and look. I tried glimpsing over my shoulder and saw a cow pasture coming up fast. I was relieved - at least once I cleared the fence it was pretty clear. I was praying for help and cursing myself because usually I'm pretty conservative about jump conditions. I thought about a PLF but before I knew it, my heels and then almost immediately my head hit the ground. My canopy remained inflated and I started windsurfing backwards through the cow pasture at an amazing rate of speed. I knew I had to cutaway but I was almost hypnotized by the rooster tails of water that were rising up alongside my face. I saw people running after me and Rocky Kenoyer who was the closest couldn't catch me. I finally cutaway and came to a sudden stop. I laid there for a moment or two appreciating that I was alive and uninjured and then... I stood up. I looked down at myself and I was covered from head to toe, jumpsuit, helmet, gloves, shoes, gear with what was now liquified cow manure. If I hadn't had a Factory Diver helmet I'm sure I would have had a concussion and perhaps been drowned by the rooster tails of watery poop. Only 2 people landed on the airport and one of them, a newbie, broke his hip and never did come back and jump much again. Despite being grossed out and being a laughingstock, I considered myself pretty lucky. The drive back to the motel we were staying at was unbearable - I was like a drenched cat, wet, soggy, smelly and miserable. Of course, my only option was to wash everything in the bathtub of the hotel. Unfortunately poop doesn't rinse well down the drain and you can't really appreciate how much poop I was dealing with unless you'd been there. I was incredibly disgusted with the situation and myself. It was the last time I made a REALLY really stupid decision about jumping in bad conditions. Not too many people around who remember that story but for some reason (perhaps the current winter weather situation) it came back to me today. I thought someone might enjoy it and share their own "no shit" story. Blue skies. ... deb AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

The picture is of Tom Slocum, also injured during the 300ways. He missed the record by 1 jump. Bummer! AZChallenger JFTC99/02 GOFAST300 STILLUV4WAY "It's nothing 1000 jumps won't cure..." - Jeff Gorlick, Seattle Sky Divers

Art had surgery last night on his knee. He had separated his patella tendon from his kneecap and torn chunks of bone off along with it on landing just 2 jumps before the record was broken. I saw him last night, right before he left for the hospital and the bruises on his leg run from his thigh all the way down to his ankle, front and back of his leg. It is an impressive rainbow of purple and red. Wendy (his girlfriend) gave me an update today. He is staying at her house for a few days. His leg is in an immobilizer that is expected to stay on for up to 6 weeks. After that he will get a brace that will allow a limited range of motion which will be increased during the recovery period. Art hopes to get back in the air by May and I have my fingers crossed he will. A number of people have sent requests for email/snail mail information so here it is: Art Bori 3733 98th St SE Everett, WA 98208 cutaway@eskimo.com Email Now may be a great time to order a new helmet or gear bag from Art since he will be stuck at home for a while. He greatly appreciated the kind words and good wishes on the card everyone signed and sends his congrats to all for the 300-way success despite being bummed out about missing the actual jump. Drop him a note if you get the chance. Blue skies Deb "debonair" Henry Wacker 4 - J2A Go Fast!