starkmtn

Are you in AK??? "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

I'll second what Wendy said - getting a cut from the pilot is vital and you should be firm about your desire for one. You don't need to hear the stall horn going off but there should be a noticeable change in airspeed and engine sound if you're getting a good cut. Body position is also important - maintain a good arch. Sometimes we CRWDogs get lazy about body position, as evidenced from the highly entertaining "exit cam" on big-ways! I also shove my nose in straight towards the tail. My setup is all but designed for brisk openings (mesh slider, tail pocket with one stow), and I rarely get really badly slammed. When I do, it's usually due to body position, bad cut, or taking a long-ssa delay. Stark "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

I always knew our organizers were prescient, but I'm still a wee bit surprised to see that "The List" is current as of October 3, 2007.

Actually, there are several. There are Them Toadsuckers, who will initiate you either through a CRW jump containing at least one other TS or through the usual method (see the cup in my avatar for the Toadsucker emblem); the CRWDivas, who will initiate you when you are a member of a jump that is _over_ 50% female; and the Chico Wrap numbers, which can be earned by, well, getting in a wrap with Chico. Oh yeah, and there's the Newbie Suckwads. I'm NS #1 but there are still plenty of low-digit numbers to be handed out. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

I'm going to reply on the off chance that you're not a troll, though I suspect that is a possibility. People are "all about jump numbers," as you put it, because these numbers can often (though not always) offer a fairly good approximation of ability and attitude levels. Those with between 100-500 jumps are in a dangerous time when they have just enough experience to think they know it all, but not enough to realize they don't. It is similar in flying. There is a reason that the time between 40-250 flight hours is called "the killing zone." It's why one's second year in school is called the "sophomore" year. It comes from the Greek words for "wise" and "stupid." There's a natural human tendency, more pronounced in males than females, to go through this phase. And I would bet dollars to donuts you're a young male. So in other words, you expressed abject ignorance about another discipline in the sport, and thought that was amusing. If you've only been in the sport two years, it makes it that much tougher to truly know what you are and what you're not. As time goes on, you meet more skydivers, hear more stories, and pick up more information, both good and bad, to round out your understanding of this sport. Two years into it, I thought I had a good idea of my limitations too. And actually, I probably did, looking back. What I didn't have was the gut-level knowledge of what I knew in my head. It took several years of jumping and several hundred more jumps for the words of another jumper to fully sink in: "You can do everything right and still die." If you don't take anything too seriously, then you are disrespecting those who have died and left behind not only loved ones but also incident reports and the ensuing discusions on dz.com. You are disrespecting those who are alive and trying to help you along your path in this sport. And most importantly, you are disrespecting and endangering anyone with whom you jump. Look, this sport is FUN, no doubt about it! We skydivers are fun people and we all do this "just for fun." And the reason we get to geek the camera, crank out a gazillion points, fly in inflatable rafts (or on an inflatable doll like I got to! ), zoom through fjords in wingsuits, watch students' faces light up when they figure something out in midair, shoot accuracy in the dead of winter onto a ski slope, feel the rush of building night formations, and tell all these great stories around a fire is precisely because we are serious about a few things. I'm a fan of ravens and I like your quote. Here's some related food for thought: “Does wisdom perhaps appear on the earth as a raven which is inspired by the smell of carrion?” -Nietzsche "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Many of you probably already know, but I thought I would post it here just in case. PJ (Paul Joseph a.k.a. crwpj a.k.a. darnknit) died this past Sunday in a tandem accident at Cross Keys. The incident thread is in the incidents forum and there is a condolences/remembrances thread in the Bonfire forum. Also, there is a memorial page at: http://www.crwdiva.org/pj-memorial/ It would be nice if a bunch of crwdogs who knew him would post their memories and/or pictures of PJ to the page as it would be a user-friendly way for non-jumper friends and family to see how well-loved he was. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Hi everyone, Unfortunately, fellow CRWDog Marcie Lovell has gotten a lot of practice this year with setting up memorial websites for CRWDogs we've lost, and she has been kind enough to host a memorial page for PJ. The URL is: http://www.crwdiva.org/pj-memorial/ If people can post their pictures and memories (even if you just cut and paste from your dz.com post here), I think it would be a really nice way to remember PJ and could be something his non-jumping friends and family could see and be a part of as well. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

PJ was, and is, very dear to my now-heavy heart and always will be. In 1999, I showed up all alone at ZHills with just about all my stuff in my car and no where to sleep but said car. That night I met two people who changed my life; one of them was PJ. When I told him that I was eager to learn CRW, he and the other person vowed to teach me. They followed through, taking me on my first CRW jump and opening a door to a world of wonder, laughter, and the incomparable family that is the CRW community. PJ was one of the three who helped me get my first night 4-stack. He was a cutup, a hell of a funny guy, with a brain that was fun to play with. PJ knew when it was time to be a wise-ass (and a great one at that) and when it was time to look down his nose with steel in his eyes and be serious. The PJ I remember was serious about giving his friends his loyalty, and about getting it in return. He and I saw eye-to-eye on that point. He was a shoulder to lean on during some incredibly rough times and even though we didn't talk often after we went our separate ways from the 'Hills, we kept up via email now and again. I always emailed him after every CRW accomplishment, and he always shot one back right away with a "way to go" kind of message. He seemed genuinely proud of the fact that he'd given me my start. PJ, wherever you are, "I've got your six..." "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

De pagina was leeg. Hoe zegt je "tease" in nederlands? ;) Kunt je het adres a.u.b. controleren? Zei ik alles dat goed? :) Groetjes... "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

When to start CRW depends largely on you and also on with whom you start doing it! If you seek out experienced, safety-conscious CRWDogs with whom to learn, you can start now! If you go out with someone else who is relatively inexperienced, well, I don't recommend that. Anyone who takes you up to do CRW for the first time should give you a thorough safety briefing beforehand that covers what to do in the event of various "inconveniences" or emergencies that could arise - basically a FJC for CRW, just not as long as your first FJC was. Where are you located? If you post your DZ, I'm sure several people here can point you towards some good CRWDogs who might take you on. Unless, of course, you live in Greenland. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

I concur - I'd much rather lose a shoe and get out of the mess than keep my shoes and whatever else is attached. For ankle protection, I always wear thick socks for CRW (light wool hikers or heavy cotton) and leave it at that. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Skyfish, The Crazy CRW part of the Perris Camp is not only suitable, it is designed for newbies! I highly recommend going to that. Depending on progress, some newbies from Crazy CRW can go on to participate in some of the remainder of the camp. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Do we get a "replied to Chico" number? :) "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Let's call them "people with 'F' on their driver's licenses" to make everyone happy. :) Add Shireen to Wendy's list. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

You spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round. :) "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Which begs the question - why was he doing CRW with it? "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Get a qualified CRWDog to take you up! :) What's your home DZ? "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Don't forget H_P_V. It's been estimated that 1/4 of sexually active women may have it now and many don't even know. Women, if you get an abnormal Pap, make sure they run an HPV type test for you. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

It's going to take another 9/11 before Americans give him the political capital to act. What do you mean by political capital? More money? More of our civil liberties? More manpower for "war without end?" I'm not being an a$$, I'm being serious. I'm intrigued as to what you feel we could give our government and our country as far as political capital in order to BE safe from terrorism (not just FEEL safe). "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

I'm assuming you're not even going to try to back that up... _Watch_ that "news" show sometime. It's pure entertainment. It's actually funny as hell if you forget the fact that so many Americans actually think it's "fair and balanced." It is not a factual representation of what goes on in the world. I have absolutely no problem with that in and of itself. Everyone has a right to "spin" any way they want - be they left-wing, right-wing, moderate, etc. But tabloid journalism should not disguise as "news." Watch it sometime. You may agree with their outlook, but anyone with any critical thinking ability will see that it's clearly biased. Unfortunately, we concentrate so little on critical thinking in schools today that it's truly difficult for many adult Americans to actually use that skill. :( "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Well wait, if people go to that site, they're not exactly going to get an unbiased factual description of who she is. I suggest a news site instead. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Perhaps because the kind of people considered likely to hurt themselves may have a mentality that makes them likely to hurt others too? If someone shows that they don't learn from mistakes, don't take advice well, etc., then they very well may indeed hurt another person. There are people who have done things that could have or did get themselves hurt, and it has made me think twice about jumping with them, because that same mentality could hurt me. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

I'm thinking: Amo cabras muy mucho Or Realmente amo cabras But I am not a native speaker so I'm not sure. "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

What is meant by direct vs. indirect slider control? And what _are_ the bennies/drawbacks? :) Only a CRWDog for now but looking to do first BASE sometime in the next year... :O "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

Is it truly volunteering if you're poor and can't get enough money for college without taking the Army up on their offer to trade you college money in exchange for 8 years of your life and the freedom to say "this isn't right?" Is it truly volunteering if you can actually sign up when you're 17 years old? You can't DRINK for 4 more years but damn you can sure sign away your life! Is it truly volunteering when they can come into school and give you a mug and a pen and a keychain and talk to you about how great it is to make a man out of yourself? Is it truly volunteering when the proportion of minorities in the armed services is significantly higher than in the general population? What, do black people just like to play with guns more than whites? Or is there some sort of systemic pressure that causes some to be more likely to "volunteer" than others? This mother is angry about an entire system that coaxes young men (and women) into the armed services with glossy ads and cute phrases like "army of one" and "a few good men," sends their propaganda to _eleven-year-olds_, draws overwhelmingly from the ranks of the poor and minorities, and then sends these people into battles that do not serve our country well at all. Yes, you're right, he did make the decision. But if it's a poorly informed decision, and is engineered to be that way, can you not understand her anger? "You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan