Douva

I fail to see what her country of origin and political associations have to do with this. Besides, we've already established we can't win a war with them, do we really want to get involved again? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!! We can always count on you, Mike. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

You scare me. But I still miss hanging out with you. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I'm with Lewis Commercial Realty, Inc. It's a familiy business. I'm based out of Austin. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I usually brag that I am proud of the fact that I dress very well for a forty-year-old man (I'm 26), but for once I thought it might behoove me to update my look a little bit. I was originally going to do a traditional navy pin striped suit, but my dad said he thought it was "too much" for the convention. He didn't want me to look like I was trying too hard, since a lot of guys would just be wearing slacks and dress shirts. I ended up doing slacks and a sports coat one day and slacks and a polo shirt the next. It worked fine for the convention, but now I'm trying to refine my "look" a little bit. I love traditional diagonal striped ties. I'll have to run down to the Brooks Brother's outlet and check out their selection. Hambone, who do you do commercial real estate for? You weren't at ICSC, were you? Edited to add: The dress at the convention was pretty traditional, but it also ran the gamut from very casual (actually saw a couple of guys in shorts) to a few guys in the old pinstriped power suits. More casual (but still traditional) suits and sports coats were the norm. I don't recall seeing anyone else in that cut of suit, but I'm not sure that alone precludes its use for future business functions. Any suggestions as to what color dress shirt I should wear with the suit? Yes, I have gorilla arms. My facial hair has been discussed on DZ.com before, and it looks fine. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

The cut was what bothered my dad/boss too. The main thing he didn't like is Ralph Lauren's shorter, tighter jacket style. It's a little hard to see because I have my hands in my pockets, but you can see it in the second frame of this attached photo. He also wasn't a fan of the flat front and tapered legs on the slacks, but primarily it was the jacket that bothered him. The dark, pin striped power suit is overkill for most real estate settings. I was hoping something like this would be a nice compromise, but I may just end up going back to a casual sports jacket and slacks. The attached series of photos includes a second picture of me in the suit, taken before the suit was tailored, that shows the length better. Ignore the slacks in that frame--They were too long and riding too low because they still needed to be fitted. The attachment also shows the different cuts to which I'm referring. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

A few weeks ago, before going to a real estate convention in Vegas, I posted a picture of an old sports coat of mine and asked if it was too dated. Though some people liked it, a lot of people thought it was a little out-of-style. In an attempt to update my wardrobe, I picked up this suit on sale, before my trip. However, my dad/boss talked me out of wearing it at the convention, saying it is too contemporary/trendy for a business setting. Now I feel like I'm yo-yoing between extremes. What's your opinion? I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

That would be Rowdy Roddy Piper in They Live. Sometimes before I exit, I shout, "I came here to skysurf and chew bubble gum....." Robert "Lemur" Harris started that at Nationals a couple of years ago. We were on the ride to altitude, and he shouted the first part, not thinking anyone else would know the quote. I finished it with, "And I'm all out of bubblegum!" After that, it kind of became my thing. I also like doing "I know it's hard for you, Johnny! I know you want me so bad it's like acid in your mouth! But not this time!" before exiting. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Cessna 182 Cessna 210 Cessna 411 Cessna Caravan Cessna Grand Caravan Beech Queen Air Beech King Air Beech Twin Bonanza Pilatus Porter De Havilland Twin Otter Douglas DC-3 Short Skyvan CASA 212 Bell 412 Helicopter Hot Air Balloon Boeing 727 Jet I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

All it takes is money. I have the want, the need and the dream. Just no $$ and no desire to go bust my ass to raise the serious $$ it would take. Haven't spent much time around that area have you? There's this little thing called the DFW Airport that has an assload of flights flying over this area (its in the landing pattern for a couple of the runways) every few minutes of every hour of every day. Honestly, I don't think a lot of people would seriously notice the noise of the tunnel. Especially if its built in the right spot that its over on the Six Flags/Ball Park side of the highways. If I recall correctly, that whole area is pretty industrial, except for the entertainment venues, so noise ordinances probably wouldn't be an issue there. I was speaking in generalities about the problems these prospective entrepreneurs face. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

The sad fact of the matter is that you can be doing everything right, have all the right safety devices in place, and still die. You won't be saved by an RSL or an AAD if someone corks under you while freeflying and breaks your neck or if you get into a nasty CReW wrap or if somebody turns into you on final or if you're inverted and spinning at 120 RPM, with one foot still attached to a skysurfing board. Once you decide to board a jump plane, there are plenty of factors outside your control. Only the fearful and the weak minded delude themselves into believing they are ever fully in control. Earlier today a friend/former student of mine wrote and told me she was horrified by the events of this past weekend and asked how I deal with the realities of our sports. This was my response: The skydiving community is relatively small--about 30,000 active skydivers in the U.S. That's equivalent to the student body at an average university. So inevitably, you're going to know people who are injured or killed. There is a point where you reach what I suppose you could call a "battlefield mentality." You start to simply accept that people you've met are going to die, and you just hope that it won't be anyone close to you. I've been lucky so far, in that I haven't lost any good friends. I have, however, seen good friends seriously injured, and I've been casually acquainted with a few people (like Girlfalldown) who died. It's never any fun, but you grow to accept it. When I heard that Girlfalldown (Shannon) had died, I really wasn't surprised to learn that someone I knew had died, but I was saddened to learn it was someone I was kind of fond of. I didn't know her well. Aside from being on a big way tracking dive with her at the 2004 Holiday Boogie, I really only knew her from our discussions online. That's the reality of this sport--Occasionally someone you've crossed paths with will be killed. The same would be true if you were an avid rock climber or snow skier. It's all part of the price we pay to experience a life beyond what most people will ever know. As several people have said online, and as I've said many times in the past, students should never be conned into believing skydiving is safe. You hear a lot of talk about safety statistics, but statistics can be used to prove either side of most arguments. The truth is, we're jumping out of airplanes two miles above the ground and falling toward the earth at the speed of a NASCAR race. That's not safe. Neither is scaling sheer rock cliffs, sliding down snow covered mountains on fiberglass boards, or speeding along the sidewalk with wheels bound to your feet. We all take risks in life. In skydiving, the important thing is knowing how to balance those risks and knowing when to draw the line. By belly flying you accept one risk. By freeflying you accept a slightly greater risk. Wingsuits and CReW increase the risk a little more. Canopy swooping increases it even more. Skysurfing increases it a little further. And BASE jumping increases it further still. What is an acceptable amount of risk to me, a single guy with no kids, may not be an acceptable amount of risk to you, a married woman with children. That's a choice only you can make. But remember that just because one person enjoys BASE jumping or skysurfing or whatever, that doesn't mean you have to. Each person must draw his or her own line in the sand. Every skydiver needs to understand that jumping out of airplanes is a gamble. We don't choose the hand we're dealt, but we can influence how heavily the deck is stacked against us. In the end, It all comes down to honestly evaluating the risks, both physical and emotional, and weighing those risks against the benefits. Blue skies, Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

That's probably easier said than done. I foresee some serious real estate hurdles to putting in a wind tunnel. Unless you're doing a recirculating tunnel, there are the obvious noise ordinance issues. Beyond that, I'm guessing that a lot of these groups trying to raise the capital to build wind tunnels will have trouble getting ground leases because the wind tunnel franchise business model doesn't have a long enough track record of success. Most land owners are going to be skeptical of the idea of indoor skydiving, to say the least, and they probably aren't going to be terribly thrilled at the prospect of having a building on their property that can't be utilized for any other purpose if the business owners default on the lease. If you do a ground lease for a restaurant and the business owners default, you simply lease the building to another restaurant. If you do a ground lease for a wind tunnel and the business owners default, you have to find somebody willing to tear down the wind tunnel in exchange for the leftover parts and scrap metal. What this means to the prospective wind tunnel owners is that they're probably going to have to purchase their land, and not only is that a significant up-front cost; it also limits the number of locations available to them. A significant increase in up-front costs means an increase in the amount of the initial loan, which means higher loan payments, which means they have to charge higher prices for tunnel time, in order to compensate for their higher overall operating costs, which means they get fewer customers. Supply and demand is kicking their asses before they're even open for business. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I only had one PM from her. It was sent on May 29, 2005. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Sometimes, knowing something in your head and understanding it your heart are two different things. I think most of us came into the sport KNOWING we could be seriously injured or killed, but it wasn't until we saw the aftermath of a serious injury--the lost wages, the medical bills; the rehab--or the aftermath of someone's death--the devastation to his or her friends and family--that we UNDERSTOOD what that really means. For most of us, standing there watching the paramedics cut off someone's gear, as friends choked back tears, was the first opportunity we had to honestly weigh the potential consequences of the sport we chose. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

In my days as an instructor, I had a few students who seemed to think they were about to board an amusement park ride. That always worried me a lot more than the terrified students. Just remember that the smart skydivers always know exactly what's at risk. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I'm sure GFD is looking down from the Pearly Gates right now, estimating what kind of delay she can take. Given the choice, I'll take thirty-five years of living over ninety-five years of not dying, every time. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Actually, some sharks have great eyesight. In fact, some studies have concluded sight plays a larger factor in what they decide to eat than smell. But an alligator's bite is four times as strong as a great white shark's, so choose your poison. And punching a shark or an alligator in the nose isn't really the best strategy. On a shark, aim for the gills or, as a second choice, the eyes. On an alligator, aim for the eyes. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I've only been pulled over by the MPD once (headlight was out). They were very friendly and let me go without so much as a warning, after I showed them this. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Thanks for the input. Maybe I'll update my timeline and add it to the L.A.S.T. website. I need to talk to someone from USPA and ask what kind of skysurfing exhibit they have planned for the new museum. I might be able to help them dig up some nice exhibit pieces. I'm sure Rob Harris's parents would love to see Rob represented there. I have a pair of Rob's old training tights around here somewhere, but something tells me a worn out old pair of tights might not merrit a display case. Speaking of skysurfer.com, where is Jay Browning these days? I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Wrong on this one. I do know that at least Bob Hallett, and Howie Daugherty (Ok, he's Canadian but he was jumping with American teams in DeLand) and even I - among others - were doing it before Jerry made his first skydive. I met Jerry when he first started out with the skysurfing and we talked about this.He was early, but not first. What Jerry was first at was designing the beginner, intermediate and advanced boards, as well as a course of instruction. Prior to his efforts it was pretty much watching and winging, which is how I started. Lukas and I used Patrick's bindings design but Patrick never said anything about using small boards or foot placement. All he said in the way of sage advice was, "Don't kill yourself." and he laughed that French laugh of his. Lukas and I laughed too but not quite as robust a laugh as Patrick's. Everything I've read has said Loftis was the first American to skysurf, but I guess you'd know better than I. Do you know who was first? Was it Hallet? Any idea how Loftis got the reputation for being first? Think it was just because he was the first American to make a name for himself in the sport by refining and manufacturing skysurfing boards? I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

That's the kind of answer you typically get when you ask a jumper who really doesn't know much about skysurfing. There really haven't been many skysurfing related deaths. A lot of jumpers who don't know all the facts, particularly jumpers who came along after skysurfing went out of fashion, mistakenly assume the deaths of Rob Harris and Patrick De Gayardon, probably the two most famous skysurfers, were skysurfing related. They weren't. I also think a big part of the reason this myth has spread so far is because "It's too dangerous" is a much easier answer to give somebody than the truth, which I explained earlier in this thread. If both bindings are still strapped to your feet, a competent skydiver should be able to stop any spin. I've been in a couple of nasty flat spins, and they are definitely scary, but they are also definitely stoppable. Doing fast inverted spins is one of the staples of skysurfing. It's called a helicopter. As long as you're in control, it will NOT make you black out. Spinning out of control strapped to a board CAN cause blackouts, just like a side spin with a tandem, but assuming both of your feet are still secured to the board, a flat/side spin on a board is more easily recoverable than a flat/side spin with a tandem (or so I understand, not being a TM myself). Also, if a skysurfer ever finds himself or herself unable to regain stability, he or she can get rid of the board with the pull of a handle. The bindings are equipped with quick releases, similar to the 3-ring release on your risers. The only time I've ever felt even close to a blackout spin was when one of my bindings was released in free fall. I quickly remedied that situation by cutting away the board. The part about the board slowing you down so that your Cypres won't fire is malarkey. In a bad spin a Cypres may not be a very effective life saving tool because when it fires, the spin will probably just tie up your reserve canopy and lines in a nice little bow, but you're still falling fast enough to activate the Cypres. Skydiving is not a safe sport. Each jumper draws his or her own line in the sand. Some people draw at BASE jumping, others at skysurfing, and others at freeflying. I like skysurfing, but CReW freaks me out. To each his own. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Skysurfing earned a lot of positive exposure for the sport of skydiving. It's still the way many, many whuffos picture modern skydiving. One thing about skysurfing that even most skydivers don't realize is that it's kind of an illusion. Though it may look like the skysurfer is riding a surfboard around on the relative wind, he's actually using a great deal of arm and upper body input to maintain a stable fall with the board strapped to his feet. Neither I nor Betsy (my board) were injured in the cutaway incident. I was seeing stars after I opened, though. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

[CENTER]HISTORY OF SKYSURFING[/CENTER] 1980: Skydivers in California experimented flying with Styrofoam boogie boards, lying flat on the board in free fall, gripping the side rails. They called it “air surfing.” 1987: French skydiver Joël Cruciani made the first free fall jumps standing on a regular size wave surf board with snowboard-type boot bindings for the film "Hibernator." 1988: French skydiver Laurent Bouquet experimented jumping with a skateboard-size board strapped to his feet. French skydiver Patrick de Gayardon began using one of Bouquet's small boards. 1989: Bouquet performed a real life version of the comic book character "Silver Surfer" for filmmaker Thierry Donard's "Pushing the Limits 2." De Gayardon perfected a soft binding and cutaway system to release the board in case of emergency. 1990: De Gayardon produced a segment titled "Sky Surfer" for French network television sports anthology film "Traveling 2" featuring the first tandem skysurf by Patrick and New Zealand skysurfer, Wendy Smith. Bouquet, de Gayardon, Bruno Gouvy, Eric Fradet, Phillipe Vallaud, and Peter Schäfer began experimenting standing on boards in free fall in Gap, France. De Gayardon and Gouvy did the first double skysurf for a Japanese TV commercial. Jerry Loftis became the first American to skysurf. 1991: De Gayardon, Patrick Passe, and Didier La Fond produced a Reebok skysurf commercial using a special carbon fiber board. The "Life is short, Play hard" ad introduced the concept of skysurfing to the American public. Ray Palmer became the first Australian skysurfer with the production of the famous skysurfing Coca-Cola commercial that saw him standing on a regular ocean surf board, shot over Broken Hill. Bouquet, Fradet and Schäfer performed the first triple skysurf over Mount Blanc in France for filmmaker Donard's "Pushing the Limits 2." 1992: The Fèdération Française de Parachutisme recognised skysurf as a sporting activity. US skysurfer Jerry Loftis formed Surflite, the first dedicated skyboard maker. The first competitive skysurfing demonstration was held as part of the third annual WFF Freestyle World Championships in Eloy, Arizona. Two teams performed as part of the freestyle event. 1993: The first "grass roots" skysurf open competition organized by Skydive Arizona. Eight teams took part, including de Gayardon, Fradet, and the US team of Rob Harris and Joe Jennings. The WFF issued the first set of rules for competitive skysurfing. Skysurfing competitions were held in France, California, and Illinois using the new WFF rules. First ever Skysurfing World Championships staged as part of the WFF annual event at Empuriabrava, Spain. Separate divisions for advanced (10 teams competed) and intermediate skysurf. De Gayardon and Gus Wing became the first World Champion Skysurfing team. 1994: De Gayardon, Fradet, Schäfer, and Pal Bergen skysurfed as part of the opening ceremonies for the 1994 Winter Olympics at Lillehammer. Four skysurfing competitions staged in France, California, Illinois, and Belgium. The second annual Men's and first Women's Skysurfing world titles featured as part of the annual WFF World Championships in Eloy, Arizona. Sony Handycam sponsored the competition. Harris/Jennings win the men’s division, taking the title away from skysurfing pioneer de Gayardon. American Amy Baylie-Haass was the first woman skysurfer to feature in a TV commercial - for Sony Handycam. De Gayardon, Fradet, and Harris performed the first triple sequential skysurf over Hawaii for filmmaker Passe's "Traveling 4" series on French TV. 1995: Ten skysurf teams shared $20,000 at the (first) ESPN X-Games in Newport, RI. The uni-sex contest used live air-to-ground transmitters displayed on a 16 x 20' Jumbotron TV screen for the spectators at the landing zone. Third annual WFF World Championships of Skysurfing held 20-24 September in Ampfing, Germany. Skysports International formed (name later changed to SkySportif.) SSI set up as the organizing and sanctioning body for Pro level Skysurfing, and to work with organizations like the X-Games. On December 14, 1995, Rob Harris, the number one rated Los Angeles club DJ who became the first American to win a skysurfing world championship and the first X-Games skysurfing gold medal winner, dies in British Columbia while performing a non-skysurfing related skydiving stunt for a Mountain Dew commercial. His teammate Joe Jennings was filming the stunt. 1996: First Pro Tour in the history of sport parachuting announced to qualify skysurfers for the annual ESPN X-Games, held again at Newport, RI. Troy Hartman and Vic Pappadato win the gold. Freeflying, a new three-member discipline, debuts as a "demonstration sport" at all tour venues. 1997: ESPN X-Games held in Oceanside, California. 1998: FAI World Cup in skydiving held at Evora, Portugal. Seven female skysurf competitors. ESPN X-Games held in Oceanside, California. First Planet X Xtreme Games staged in Brisbane. Skysurfing featured as a demo sport with performances by Australia's first female skysurfer, Kylie (Buffy) Tanti, and Switzerland's Vivian Wegrath. On April 13, 1998, French skydiver Patrick de Gayardon, considered the father of skysurfing, is killed while testing an experimental “wing suit” at his drop zone in Hawaii. The cause of the accident is determined to be a self-induced rigging problem. On May 10, 1998, Vic Pappadato, X-Games champion camera flyer and teammate to skysurfer Troy Hartman, is killed in a canopy collision after filming a formation skydive. On August 14, 1998, Jerry Loftis, the first American skysurfer and the founder of Surfflite, dies performing a skysurf at the World Free Fall Convention in Quincy, Il, after he fails to deploy his reserve on time, following a canopy malfunction. 1999: FAI World championships in skydiving held in Corowa, New South Wales, Australia. Skysurfing won by Valerie Rosov, Russia (men's skysurf) and Tanya and Craig O'Brien, USA (women's skysurf). Eight female skysurf competitors. ESPN X-Games held in Monterey/San Francisco. Skysurfing featured again as a demo sport at the Planet X Xtreme Games in Brisbane. Performers - Stefan Klaus and Vivian Wegrath (Switzerland). 2000: FAI World Cup in skydiving held at Eloy, Arizona. Three female competitors. ESPN X-Games held in Sonoma/San Francisco. Planet X Xtreme Games held in Melbourne, Australia. Skysurf performers - Stefan Klaus/Bryan Rogers, Vivian Wegrath/Kuri, and from Australia - Rob Simunic/Craig Trimble, Pauline Richards/Mike McGrath and Mike Milton/Rob McMillan. 2001: World skydiving championships held as part of the World Air Games in Granada, Spain. Men's skysurf won by Eric Fradet/Alex Iodice from France; women's skysurf once again won by Tanya and Craig O'Brien of the USA. ESPN drops skysurfing from the X-Games, due to the lack of an adequate consumer base needed to attract sponsors. Shortly afterward, SSI folded, since its major competitions had been qualifying and promotional events for the X Games. That leaves skysurfing as a discipline of sport parachuting, generally under the control of the national governing bodies for parachuting competition. Information provided courtesy of SSI, Troy Hartman, www.vivisurf.ch, and IPOC Skysurfing. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Having done more research into the death of skysurfing than probably anyone around, here are the conclusions I've reached. In the early '90s skysurfing was a very hip, macho alternative to freestyle. In fact, it looked so cool it was accepted as an event at ESPN's new "extreme sports Olympics," the eXtreme Games (Later renamed the X-Games). Then three things happened to dampen interest in skysurfing. First, skysurfing pioneers Rob Harris, Patrick De Gayardon, and Jerry Loftis and skysurfing camera flyer Vic Pappadato (teammate to Troy Hartman) were all killed in separate, unrelated skydiving accidents (Loftis was the only one to actually die on a skysurfing jump), between 1995 and 1998. Imagine where freeflying would be if Olav Zipser, Omar Alhegellan, and Orly King had all died in the first eight years of the discipline's existence. Second, freeflying came into popularity, replacing skysurfing as the new, hip alternative to freestyle. Because freeflying was more social, less expensive to get into, easier to learn, and safer, people who might previously have gravitated to skysurfing instead took an interest in this new alternative to belly flying. Finally, skysurfing was dropped from the X-Games in 2001. For a while, the pro skysurfing tour and the $75,000 purse divided among the top contenders at the X-Games had been enough to keep skysurfing alive, but without that motivation, interest in skydiving decreased significantly over the next five years. You don't need to be an exceptional free flyer to learn to skysurf, but you do need to be a very heads up skydiver. Here are my standards, adapted from the standards of skysurfing instructors much more experienced than me: You need to have at least 200 jumps and be able to hold a stable sit and a stable stand. On a single jump, you need to be able to do controlled left and right 360's in a sit, controlled left and right 360's in a stand, and front and back layouts in a stand. You should also be very competent in your emergency procedures and a very competent canopy pilot (basic canopy piloting, not swooping), and you should jump a non-elliptical/non-high performance canopy. Ideally, as with any discipline, you should seek an experienced instructor. There are four instructors in Southern California (one a former women's world champion and one a former X-Games competitor), me in Texas (if you can actually drag me out the drop zone), and a few other current and former skysurfers peppered around the U.S. who might be willing to dust off a board for you, if they think you can handle it. If you can't find an instructor, Surfflite rents beginner boards for $25 a week and includes a video on preparing a homemade skysurfing suit and making your first skysurf. You need to start on a beginner board (about 36") and then progress to an intermediate board (about 48"), followed by an advanced board (about 60"). Despite what the Surfflite introduction video says, do NOT deploy in a stand on the beginner board. It's too small, and you'll be falling too fast. Do practice deployments in a stand on the beginner board, but deploy belly to earth. Always deploy in a stand on the intermediate and advanced boards. If there aren't any skysurfers at your home DZ, you need to discuss your exit with the DZO/DZM at your home drop zone. Skysurfers normally exit first and pull high, and this can make a lot of people a little nervous, particularly if they don't understand the science behind it (vertical body position + slow fall rate = a LOT of drift). Know in advance that most skydivers aren't used to having skysurfers around, so the rest of the jumpers at your DZ will probably be a little leery of it for a while. When I started skysurfing at Skydive San Marcos, the belly flyers used to get really upset that I would exit before them, but after a few years of safe, competent behavior, they grew to accept me. I realized I'd finally been accepted when, on a load a couple of years ago, the pilot told us he was going to put us out early, and without me saying anything, the belly flyers called for a go around so I could have time to strap on my board. It's a great discipline, and I hate to see it die, but it's getting harder and harder all the time to keep it on life support. Every year I meet about a dozen jumpers who are new to the sport and convinced they want to learn to skysurf. Unfortunately, by the time most of them have enough jumps to try skysurfing, they've already adopted another discipline. Que sera sera. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Whatever you do, do NOT mix it with anything. If you want to make mixed drinks, run down to the corner store, and pick up some Stoli's Gold. What brand is it? I have some Rusky Standard that I brought back from St. Petersburg that's pretty good stuff. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Kind of. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.