elfanie

That's easy to answer... Each individual skydiver is who decides. each and everytime we jump we make decisions....what canopy to fly, what altitude to pull at, what we do in freefall, how we fly under canopy, how we will land... Just like driving a car...we can make cars safer and safer...but everytime you get into a car YOU decide how safe of a driver YOU want to be. are you going to pay attention to your driving and follow the rules of the road? Or are you going to go screaming down a 45MPH road going 65MPH with work papers on your lap, a coffee in one hand, the other hand trying to change the radio while driving with your knees and talking on the telephone? (or maybe you've been drinking and still want to drive yourself home? Maybe you have a new girlfriend who wants to get something going in the car and you don't want to pull over because you want the excitement of getting a blow job while driving on the freeway?) We all decide on a daily basis how dangerous we want to be...in all areas of our lives. What level of risk is acceptable to the individual...that is who will decide how dangerous they will be today. some people drink heavily...some people do drugs...some people sleep around without using a condom... and some people push the envelope when it comes to skydiving. Shouldn't actually surprise anyone...look around at how much people seem to enjoy cheating death and getting attention on a daily basis in just every day life. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

I agree. However, I can't count the number of times that I have been laughed at (usually with a slight roll of the eyes) when I say that I have NO interest right now in EVER swooping...and how many times I've been told, "just wait...you will." (I doubt that) very patronizing..like a pat on the head. "Aren't you sweet. But don't worry, you'll grow up one of these days and be swooping like the rest of us are..." And it will be a never ending debate...because it's a matter of opinion. "Not a very safe sport"....opinion...based on your definition and opinion of what "safe" means. by MY definition...skydiving is an extremely safe sport. By MY definition, there are skydivers that engage in activities that make the sport unsafe...by my definition of "unsafe". by their definition, I'm sure they still feel that they are being safe. (or at least safe enough) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

My deepest sympathies to all friends and family. Blue Skies, Scotty...I hope you're enjoying your new wings and your newfound freedom of flight. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Oh no no no... please please...lets not turn this into a "hunting is good" "hunting is evil" thread. (especially if you are a mcdonald's eating leather wearing person who just wants to feel indignant. Not saying you are...just saying that most are.) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Correct, but almost no evidence has been presented that this is a bad decision. Umm... they are the ones that banned it. Wouldn't the burdon of proof be on THEM, not US? Are you also saying, "Almost no evidence has been presented that this was a good decision"? I'd still love to see any evidence that this was a medical decision rather than a financial one. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

1. you don't think anyone here is a doctor? 2. do you think that doctors are the only ones that can read? do you think that all doctors are experts on everything medical? (if so..you're wrong) there is nothing special or magical about doctors..except that they have studies one thing more than others. I am a childbirth educator...certified doula...and apprentice midwife. I guarentee that I know more about pregnancy and childbirth than 80% of doctors out there save for perinatologists and obstetricians.. and believe it or not, I know more about normal childbirth than most obstetricians (and nearly all perinatologists). Being a doctor doesn't make you a God. Makes you educated about that speciality about which you studied... but anyone can read...research..educate themselves. I doubt it's a knee jerk reaction... and I seriously doubt it's a medical reaction. I HIGHLY suspect it's a financial one. (get into the medical field like I have been for 10 years and you would probably feel the same way) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

My 'goals'.. to keep having fun jumping to get enough experience and feel good enough about my landings to do the Boogie in Rocky Point in April to pass my 100 jumps (should be easy..probably before May...) To learn more canopy control skills to learn more about RW and practice RW skills Have fun Fly safe That's about it. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

LOL Have you ever actually watched some of the extreme eating? Seriously!! I'm talking....15 cups of mayo in 4 minutes.. or 9 hundred hotdogs in 5 minutes. It's...nauseatingly fascinating!! Like a horrible train wreck.. the things those people cram down their gullets... BLECH! -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

I don't see these sports as being touted as "extreme"... I see some of the activity that some of those engaging in these sports are being called "extreme". Lets take skateboarding... Skateboarding isn't classifies as extreme...my 8 year old son can play with a skateboard, and nobody would say he's engaging in an extreme sport. Now, within the sport you can have extremist..ANY sport. So if you take someone who is a competition skateboarder who is doing flips and loops and tunnels and the really (IMO) impressive maneuvers and things that take years to learn and perfect....that is an extreme skateboarder, because that skateboarder is on the extreme of what a skateboarder can/will do. doesn't make skateboarding extreme...and people aren't claiming skateboarding is extreme. again, I think it depends on what you're looking at (skateboarding? or competition skateboarding?) and what your basis of comparison is. Driving isn't an extreme sport...but NASCAR might be considered extreme. Horseback riding isn't an extreme sport...but bronco riding might be considered extreme... etc. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

My definition of "Extreme"... means "on the outer edge of what most people would engage in". So...is skydiving an extreme sport? Yes...it is on the outer edge of what most people would engage in. Is riding a big canopy softly down to earth extreme skydiving? No..because it's not on the outer edge of what most skydivers would engage in. so it appears to me that people are talking about two different things.. one is...is skydiving an extreme sport? (yes) the other is...are there extreme skydivers? (yes) are all skydivers extreme? No...but they are all engaging in an extreme sport. Anything can be "extreme"....skydiving, in and of itself, is an extreme sport (because it's being compared to other sports). however, not all skydivers are extreme when compared to other skydivers. depends on what your basis of comparison is.

Well...I'm so new in this sport, it's not like I'm likely to forget much as of yet. but truth be known...if he wasn't someone that I respect as much as I do, then I might not have remembered as much about what he said. In fact, there were a couple of times that I had to sit and let go of my emotions and intentionally think, "What did he just say..?" Because this is someone that I respect more than anyone else I've met or talked to about this sport... if I could pay him with half of my blood in my body and say, "Teach me what you know.." I'd do it...because I respect him and his knowledge that much. but it's much much EASLIER for me to remember the message of my other much softer and 'nicer' jumpmaster (even when sometimes they are just off-handed comments rather than actually to ME directions)... The other direct-to-a-fault one? I respect him..more than I could ever express...and because of that I make a point to try to hear everything he's saying to me. The delivery method only makes that more difficult... for ME. others might find it totally different... -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

AZ troopers? *snort* Well...lessee...both freeways near my home are posted 65MPH...and I don't think I've ever seen anyone going slower than 80MPH. Going from Mesa to Eloy or Coolidge, we average soemwhere around 85MPH.... Not that you absolutely won't have a problem...just, I haven't seen it being a problem. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

I don't think we have to put our children into physical/mortal risk in order to make them responsible and self reliant. I don't think one thing has anything to do with the other. This is absolutely and catagorically untrue. There were many more unwanted children per capita. I dunno... that hasn't been my experience. But this is an opinion, so I'm not going to say that you're wrong...just that my opinion differs from yours. I doubt that the reduces risk to children by things like not smoking/drinking in pregnancy, using car seats, not using lead paint, not using asbestos, etc...has anything to do with children being "pansies". And has it occured to you that they are watching TV instead of playing outside because there is no parent around to turn it off? -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Nope... notice that I didn't comment on the touch-feely part of her post like being held back in school or having problems in little league. I commented on the safety issues she talked about...like lead paint and no car seats and such. I have no problems with hard knocks when it comes to socializing and emotionally....I have a problem when it becomes physical. (tease my kid and it's between you...but if you hit my kid then I'm going to step in.) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

umm...many of them didn't. It is horrible...when you look at how many children were unnecessarily injured or damaged or died because of the things listed. (I truly hope you aren't meaning to infer that these things don't carry a significant risk? Or that just because some of us survived something means that the risk from the activity is low enough not to worry about??) These things aren't mutually exclusive. Many of us play games and spend time online...and also have a very active social life with lots of friends. Gah..?? Umm...yes...'we' did put many eyes out. We also killed each other...and caused perminent damage to each other... I'm not sure if you really feel this way...but this seems like a huge glorification of what used to be. "the good old days" rarely were. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

And take my reply for what it's worth....my own personal experience that shouldn't be given very much weight... I had a spinning problem on ASP3 (the first time I was released and falling solo). repeated ASP3...same spin. ASP4...same spin. What it was for ME...was trying to control the turn with my ARMS (dipping my elbow)...and not with my shoulders. The first time I thought about consciously controlling my rotation with my SHOULDERS, I nailed it. My JM even had my jump with another JM to see if he could figure out why I was spinning and having so much stability issues when it came to controlling my rotation. I have never had the priviledge of trying a wind tunnel...I bet that is helpful.

Heh... mine made it seem about 20 feet too close, according to when I flared. Please please be careful and conservative when you first jump your new goggles. In fact...depending on your canopy, you might ask your JM if it would be safe to wait until you basically feel your toe touching and flare quickly and do a third base slide...compare touchdown time to when you WOULD have flared..? (ask about the safety of this, though...please don't just do it??) If I'd been on a smaller canopy..that would have hurt much more. (flaring that early) and I SWORE I was AT the ground...very very unnerving feeling. Fly safe!! -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

there was a thread a while back with the subject "Anvils"...try looking that up. My husband is one of the Anvils. he's 6'2" and his exit weight is around 285 or so. I think it would be cool to get a big team together...ya'll can call yourself the "Falling Anvils". -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

*nods* true true.... Average jumps per month that you actually are able to jump (if you are unable to jump certain months due to weather conditions). being grounded because of finances does not count. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

So I sit here with 33 jumps after 3 months of jumping..and it made me wonder.. I know that I haven't jumped EVERY weekend...and some weekends I only got 2-3 jumps in TOTAL all weekend... and I know that some people don't jump every weekend, and some people do many many jumps a day and jump 7 days a week... If you look back...how many jumps do you do in an AVERAGE month. (go ahead and look back even a year or so and average it out) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

That's a beautiful necklace!! I've seen a lot of pin necklaces, but that one is really sa-weet.

I got an anklette, perfume, altimeter, goggles, candles, clothes... Oh, and Santa left this 18-wheel hot wheels truck in my stocking. I thought it was funny...until my husband said, "what's another word for that?" HEE HEE!! I got a RIG for Christmas. At least, that's his IOU for a rig that we're going to be picking out very soon (like the next week or two). -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

*nods* I looked at that site before.. but there are a LOT of things not on that page...like Horny Gorilla, Wackers, Daffy... but you're right in that it's a very useful list.

Ok..so I know that most of ya'll are coming here to AZ specifically to be at the famous Eloy with a gazillion other jumpers... but if you're wanting to experience more than just the one DZ...head over the Coolidge on Friday! I will be there..and would LOVE to jump with any of you before jumping Eloy. It's not as busy as Eloy, OBVIOUSLY....but it's terribly fun! My husband and myself will both be out at Coolidge on Friday...Come join us!!

We got ours from sportRX as ell...the 107's. I wear the non-prescription 107's over my contacts and never had a problem (lots of people talk about losing a contact in freefall..I've never had a contact pop out..ever...at any time, including skydiving). I got the exact same goggles in prescription...and, as you read, it could have hurt me. It's possible that going from glasses+goggles to prescription goggles won't be as big of a deal as going from contacts+goggles to prescription goggles...but just be careful. My husband goes from glasses to prescription goggles and doesn't have a problem (but he neve wears anything when he jumps but the prescrip. goggles). I even wore my prescrip. goggles for about 45 minutes before jumping. Just...not sure WHY it was SO different..but it sure was!! never had my depth perception so wacked out before...it was very unnerving, to say the least. Just be careful....maybe jump off a tabletop or a chair a couple of times while wearing them. I even went and walked around the landing area, looking at the dirt and grass and stuff, while wearing them..and STILL had trouble with them. Maybe it's just me that's mixed up.. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings