WrongWay

Also, I can think of a few reasons of why Olav would not make the AD tests USPA regulated and whatnot. First of all, he was the one that came up with the tests, and therefore feels that only he should certufy instructors to give it, and he should be able to regulate the rules of it. And let's not forget that freeflyers are the "freaks" of the skydiving world. We are the few who march to the beat of a different drummer, and let's face it, freeflyers don't like rules and regulations. Therefore, perhaps he feels that we should remain in our "unique clique" rather than jump on the bandwagon with every other bellyfly discipline out there. In my opinion, I actually think the USPA and "other" governent (military) groups who once denied freefly are now grasping for it, and while Olav may not agree, other top freeflyers have been training them for it. For instance, I competed at Collegiate Nationals in 2001, and while speaking to a few of the military belly flyers there, I was surprised to find that these young jumpers (my age, like 19-20 at the time) were actually DISCIPLINED if they were caught doing jumps in any position but their bellies, specifically sitfly or head down. I found this simply insane, because it's not fair to limit any one persons abilities or skills, especially for some kind of military belly fly pride. And yet now, just two years later, the Golden Knights Tandem Team are doing freefly coaching jumps all over the place, with lots of head down work, hybrids, and even wicked swoops. Didn't the military disapprove of this before? Wasn't it all supposed to be belly, style, and accuracy, or do they just want to regulate everything in skydiving, including the disciplines they didn't come up with?? I don't get it, dude. Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Hey, I'm all about becoming a "clown" and pioneering any new flying styles, but how're we gonna come up with new positions without flying while balancing jars of mayonaise on our heads?? Already there are people that can fly there bodies in virtually every position (speaking of Olav...), and other than flying on your side (which I 1. am sure has been done and 2. can't be very manueverable), I personally can't think of any other positions.... Where will the evolution of human flight go now??? Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Ummm......... OW. That will definitely put a damper on the next jump........ Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

What in the bloody hell is a caterpillar exit??? It sounds interesting, but caterpillars can't fly............... Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

I personally prefer to fly with my legs, pushing forward with them to go forward, and cupping them back a couple inches towards my butt to go back. I find this a good way to cover distance quickly if you wanna go fast, and it's great for minor corrections too. Just remember to slow down!! Hope I could help!! Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Does anybody know what all licenses involve freefly? I know of the 3D award, and Olav's AD tests, but that's all I know of. Are there any others??? Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

What is the Millenium number? Is that the same as the 3d award?? (By the way, getting the 3d would be fun indeed....) Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Hahaha, thanks Cliff!! Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Man, I think that's the best answer I've heard. Thank you, fundgh!! Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

I understand your point, and I did kinda contradict myself there, but I'm trying to put it into words as best I can. People invite some one to do something, and then just say Wrong Way can't cuz he'll do it the wrong way, leave him out of it, knowing that whatever it was would prolly be simple for me, but just pushing me off like I'm stupid or something. It's not the name per se, but I think the shit that comes with it. I admit, I am guilty of going along with it, since it just kinda became who I was, but I just kinda wish people wouldn't talk shit behind my back like that, you know? It's not fair to do that to anyone, and I really don't appreciate people doing that to anyone, not just myself. It's not being a respectable human being to do so. Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Scott!! What's up dude?? Long time no see. Yeah, it's SGC. See, I love the DZ, and it has a great program, and wonderful people all around, I'm just trying to find a way to kill a stupid rep. without blooying anyone up. I'd love to go to Richmond, but I'm not sure if I'll have the financial means. Do you know if they have any big names doing coaching this year??? Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

I don't think you guys have been paying attention to the point here. I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE NAME. I LIKE MY NAME. What I'm saying is it's not fair to experienced jumpers to be treated only by reputation gathered from their student status. I don't give a shit that my name is Wrong Way, I like that, read all my posts, I've tried to explain it like 5 times dude! Okay, lemme put this into different terms. Let's just say you walked onto the dz for the first time, and got the nick of "shorty" cuz you hooked up witha girl there and she spread the word that you were NOT endowed. Then, a year later, after your name has become nothing more than a name, you're still not getting any, so you decide to get an enlargement. Now you're huge and everybody else thinks you're still hung like a gerbil. Is that a good enough analogy??? Okay so that's a $%#@ up analogy, I know, but it's the best I can do!! What I'm trying to say is this has nothing to do with the name, just the student rep from years before, understand???? Besides, I'm waiting for people from this dz to write and tell me their thoughts, but for some reason they haven't. Come out, come out wherever you are, tell me whats up here, okay?? Thanks!!! Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Awww..... thanks Che, you're a true friend. Hey I still need to come up to Chicago, call me sometime so we can hang out when I get up there, and tell me when Alchemy's gonna be back from the world meet, k? Thanks again!!

It's not the name, I love my name. It's just that even though I got it years ago, I'm still judged by my skills THEN and now NOW. Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

That's exactly the point. I love my name, it's part of who I am, and the story behind it. It's the fact that I see people judging everyone elses flying skills and intelligence level by the name that they gave them. It's kind of ironic really. Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Okay, I warn all who reads this ahead of time, it may sound like more of a rant than a question or statement, so please forgive me, I don't mean to slam anyone. I've been troubled by this for a long time, and this is where I finally come out and state a problem that plagues me, as I'm sure others have suffered through the same things I have, and I seek to fix this, or at least figure out the source of the problem, so here it goes. This all starts with the way I got my name, Wrong Way. When I was on student status, I made several off landings, hence giving me the name. Since then it has simply stuck with me, becoming who I am, and since I pride myself as a person, I pride the name that comes with me. However, since that time, people have seen me as a "bad" skydiver, just because of the name. In my opinion, I've shown time and time again how much I think safety is a #1 priority, and they say I'm dangerous because I'm "Wrong Way". Even my intelligence is degraded every time I step foot on the DZ, simply because I'm "Wrong Way". The idea of all of this is because my name is Wrong Way, I can't do anything right, even when I am. I was at one time cocky, arrogant, and to be frank, I was an asshole. I overjudged my skills and talked more shiest than I could back up in the air. All of this was brought to my attention by a true friend of mine (you know who you are, thank you) and since then I have not only changed my attitude over the last year, but I actually went to my friends at the DZ and personally gave them a sincere apology for my behavior. Since then everything was fine, or so I thought, until I once again walked in on another conversation about myself, and how I do everything the "Wrong Way". To joke with me to my face is fun in a friendly manner, but to slam me when you think I'm not there is not being funny. It's putting down other people that you don't even know well, don't even jump with, you just assume that because of my name, it places a handicap on my flying skills. Well, I for one am tired of being labeled as someone who can't fly simply because I made mistakes as a student. People just don't realize the damage they do to people in the sport when they are destroyed rather than encouraged. I personally know a few who dropped out of the sport simply because people came up to them and placed labels on them because of their student status, thinking they were unable to fly. They lost hope, and even worse, they lost the sense of family that we skydivers share so deeply. To me, all of this is like being shunned by my own family, and I am deeply confused as to who my skydiving family truly is, and who my true friends are. I am speaking for myself, and for anyone else who hasn't been given a fair chance to prove their skills, and overcome their student reputations even 250 jumps later. Please, do not judge people by the past, it does more damage than you would imagine. It makes people feel left out of family, and I don't want to see anyone else, especially myself, forced to leave the sport because of something years before. For anyone at SGC reading this (and I know you are), please, drop me a line and let me know of your thoughts on this, and if you don't want to post anything, email me. wrongway@dropzone.com. To everybody else, have a heart, you don't know how much your words can encourage a jumper or break him. Wrong Way http://www.skydivewrongway.com Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Yeah, I agree. People fight too much on here. Actually, people fight about stuff in the sport way too much. Can't we all just get along??? Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Hahaha, you're more than right. I'm surprised this post lasted so freakin' long, with so many views!! Jeez, ya ask a simple question and BOOM!! (And yes, I am bored......) http://www.skydivewrongway.com Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Hang on for a sec. Are you now questioning my motives as well? Here's my opinion on the whole test. The definition of a license (loosely translated from my own twisted mind) is passing a test to gain the privelege of being able to do something you couldn't before. Granted, the AD qualifies you for the Space Games, but what good will that do you since it is, from what I understand, dying out? The AD to me is a test to prove your skills to yourself and to gain confidence from others who did not know you before, (not the guys you normally jump with that knew you as a bad flyer when you had 30 jumps, trust me on this, my name is Wrong Way ), such as trying to get on big ways at boogies at unfamiliar dz's. It has nothing to do with gaining a number, getting bragging rights, and it doesn't prove you to be a badass freeflyer. (well, unless it's the B or above) It's all about "I think I can do this, but I want to prove it to myself. I want to be known by the big guys only to the point at which if they saw me at a boogie, they'd come up and say "Hey buddy, wanna come on a dive with me?". It is a personal level to achieve, more of a psychological merit badge if ya ask me. I hope I'm making sense in my idle chatter, but what I'm trying to say is this. If you're taking the test because you want to get a number, tattoo it on your forehead, and walk around thinking you're a better flyer than everyone else, not only are you taking it for the wrong reasons, but it makes you an asshole. My personal reasons for taking it are to prove to myself that I can do it. It I fail, then I know I still have A LOT to learn, and even if I pass, I'll still have A LOT to learn. It's just self-gratification (no pun intended) to know that I have the skills to fly stable with the ball, fly freely, and take that extra confidence onto the next 15000 jumps with a smile on my face, knowing I can do it. So if anyone else questions my motives, I'm sorry, but I feel in my own mind that they're noble, and just like the difference between getting a number or not, I really don't give a rats ass what anyone else thinks of it. By the way, just off the subject, what happened to Olav anyway??? I heard he's going back to Europe or something. What's up with that?? Peace and love you guys!! http://www.skydivewrongway.com Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Hahaha, I would, but I've already used about 6 sick days this season for jumping , and I think they're starting to catch on...... I'll do what I can!! Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Hmmm.....that's not too bad for coaching from them...... Somehting tells me I might be making an appearance.

A lot of newbies make a huge mistake in "thinking" they're head down. I've seen a lot of people not quite flying head down, as opposed to a really steep track. In head down, you're not flying on your head, per se, you're actually hanging by your legs, with your upper body totally relaxed, and doing all your steering with your newly formed "rudders" (legs). In a track, you're still pushing the wind with your shoulders, arms, head, etc., but in head down, it's all just hanging by your legs. I really think that's the best way I can explain it. http://www.skydivewrongway.com Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Then are they gonna use ground to air cams or camera flyers to make sure nobody's just going out head down and doing weedeaters all the way down??? http://www.skydivewrongway.com Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

Dude, Flyboyz ROCK!!! How much are they charging for coaching jumps??? http://www.skydivewrongway.com Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.

I fly froggy. I considered learning daffy, but it's much less manueverable, and I don't like that. I think I figured out what my problem was, but I'm not sure, as I figured this out from watching video. I think I need to push my hips a bit more forward, thus allowing my legs to spread out not only farther but more comfortably, and anybody who flies head down knows that just a few inches can mean wicked speed change. This is only a theory, but hey, it's still a start right? I'm really not sure what my problem has been. It's like I could fly WAY slow, and then just lost it. I just need a little more muscle memory. What about you? Do you fly froggy or daffy??? Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails.