pullhigh

Hell, it had to be safer than landing the backflip... I'm actually a huge FMX fan. Thise guys are the tops of extreme in my book. Ganja

As in a motorcycle? Or do you mean a mountain bike or scooter? It seem like Jason Bell has some footage on his site of some scooter and/or bicylce stunts, but I have not seen any dirt bike stuff anywhere. Sounds awsome, having a passion for both sports, I'd love to see the video. Ganja

My bad... It is still early here, I'm just waking up...

Ward, Congratulations, until I read your reply a couple of times, it took me a while to figure out why were speaking for Mirage. I hadn;t heard you had gone to work there, congratulations. I'll be honest, my first impression was that the mod might have had something to do with it. I think that'd be about anyone's knee jerk reaction. I have since done alot of digging around and looking at things, and I have found that not to be the case. It looks to me like a lazy spring launch for whatever reason must have been the culprit, along with as Pendejo says, not looking over his shoulder. I do have one quesiton about the mod though. And I'm sure if I kept digging, I'd find the answer somewhere, but since you're here... When SSK first developed the CYPRES, they said that the cutter head had to be below or behind the spring somewhere. Has that changed? I know a few manufacturers, including Mirage have it above the spring now, but is it just done, or is there something from SSK approving this? (In writing) I'm just trying to figure it all out. Ganja

Sometimes I fell like Timex must be sponsoring Leroy... He just keeps on ticking and ticking... Leroy, you seem like a nice guy, but you need to learn to let go sometimes. Ganja

Some things we'll never know for sure.... The rig is now at Mirage, and we are awaiting the details of there findings. Ganja

I notice you're a scuba diver, dive master.... If I go swimming and hold my head under water can I count that as a scuba dive? Would it help if I took a ballon and took a couple of breaths of air from it? Ganja

From the time he cutaway, from the time anything came out, he would have been pretty close to back to terminal I'd say. There was no evidence of any tangling or snagging. Jumper said that he never felt anything wrappped or snagged on him anywhere. I think looking over his shoulder might have cleared it from his burble, but some things we'll never know for sure. Ganja

Now that's a great reason to be jumping an underized canopy...

I, along with a couple of others, witnessed this past weekend a cutaway and reserve deployment that somehow resulted in a horseshoe configuration. The jumper was an old-timer who just became re-current after years of not jumping. The rig was a Mirage G3 (with new mod) and the reserve is a PD176. The jumper deployed his main at approx 4500' agl and it sniveld until he cut it away at approx 2000' agl. The jumper went back into freefall, and got stable again. I cannot testify to what altitude he was at when he pulled his reserve ripcord, but what I was was this: I saw the reserve bridle in a horseshoe type of configuration, with no pilot chute visible. I never saw the pilot chute or freebag leave the container, and the jumper got a reserve parachute just as he passed below my line of site (trees between us). I'd guesstimate it to have been about 500' agl. At some point, the CYPRES did fire, but it is not what deployed the reserve. The cutter had fired, but the loop was not cut. The jumper is fine, and all gear was recovered. The only thing noticeable about the container or freebag is that the reserve pilot chute spring has a slight bend in it (maybe 15-20 degrees). The Mirage has a very strong spring, how could this have happened? For the bridle to have been out, the container had to have opened. It seems hard to believe that a 40 pound spring would not have gotten out of the burble, unless there was some other issues. Ganja

Back and ribs are about 99.9%... shoulder is about 85%. I could handle opening, but I couldn't climb a tall ladder to save my ass yet (too much shoulder movement). I've made a coupld of skydives, but haven't flik'd yet. Ganja

Yes, I do consider myself somewhat sane... lol I agree with that whole heartedly. I was consumed by the idea of base once, and lost a close frien to it right before I was going to make my first jump. It was about 3 years or so later when I got "the calling" again. Base was something I had seen on videos, I had seen jumps at a Bridge Day not long after my first skydive, but not somehting I really had an interest in. The one day, out of nowhere, I got this strong desire to persue it, andlearn everything I could about it. I'm not sure if any of that makes sense or not, but in my heart, I truly beleive that bas found me, I did not go out looking for it. Is it fair to assume that some jumpers truly think that they WILL die base jumping? Am I in the minority thinking that it is a calcuated risk, and can be done relatively safely? Don't get me wrong, when I'm on the edge, I know the risk is there, and I obviously accept that, but am I wrong to think it's not the way I'll die? I'd like to thnk I'm going grow old just like my friend that don't base jump. Just not too old... lol I don;t want to linger here forever. Ganja

So Avery does that mean you wish you had never started? I'm asking, because I read that as you telling someone else that it's not worth it. Is that truly the way you mean it, or is it just your way of saying "evaluate the risks"? Ganja

I'm not photo expert, but I doubt it's been tampered. I could easily see my kids doing that. Of course there mom blames me for everything crazy and stupid they do. Ganja

You know...I fully expected that from someone, but I didn't really think that it would be one of our own... I believe that some sort of redemption will be in order here...remember, the tar and feather daze are making a comeback. Now 704, I didn't imply that I would not be living up to the honor on my 100th, but let's look at it from another standpoint... Does anyone really want to see me naked? Ganja

Some people put saftey before your NC traditions 704... lol Is 700 the only one in the NC crew to not do his 100th naked? Ganja

I remember seeing that video, sort of an arched rock formation on a beach... I'll look at home and see if I can find it. Ganja

Not directly intended for meeker, but... Am I supposed to be scared just reading some of this stuff? Ganja

Thanks for the post, the life you saved might have been mine... When I bought my rig last year, it came with those black rubber bands, and I really liked the feel and texture of them. I ran out of them and had been using the brown ones, but just kept forgetting to order some of the black ones. I sure enough would have bought some if I had seen them laying around somewhere. Now I know better. It has me wondering about one of my openings though, 220' pca from a B, I seemed to open lower than normal, I wonder if it might have been a factor... I guess I'll never know for sure. Maybe TJ didn't give me a freefall assist afterall.... Ganja

That would be no problem at all. No telling what the weather will be like that time of year, could be warm, could be freezing. SC weather is totally unpredictable when it comes to winter seasons...

If you're going to be staying overnight, there's free camping on the DZ, or if you want a room, The Comfort Inn gives an excellent skydiver rate of under $40.00 Ganja

It mostly depend on where you are coming from, or what area of SC you'll be passing through. If you're coming down I-77, there's Skydive Carolina www.skydivecarolina.com (Twin Otter). If you're coming down I-95, there's Blue Sky Adventures www.blueskyadventures.com (Grand Caravan). Both are good friendly DZ's, but both are usually only flying on the weekends. Occasionally Skydive Carolina flies during the week, but I'll call ahead for sure. Ganja

I assume you mean for Thanksgiving weekend? If so, Jalisco's better half is coming with him and last I heard was wanting to do some hiking and such and was looking for someone to come along with her. Ganja "I wanna go" Rodriguez

So being from SC, should I just go ahead and sell my rig since there'll be nothing left to jump? Ganja "Can't we all just get along?" Rodriguez PS I have not jumped with any of the guys bickering in this thread, so give some of us Carolinian's the benefit of the doubt if we come to your neck of the woods.

Ahhh... That makes pefect sense Tom. Ganja "Young grasshopper" Rodriguez