Question when do you consider the start of one's time in a sport?

[MudPuppy 0]

So here is a 'it doesn't really matter' question.

If you were me, what would you consider you time in sport was?

I made my first jump (Cat A. AFF) in July 2001. Due to various cicumstances, I did not continue until August of 2008, so I had to restart at Cat A. So if you were me, would you go with the tecnical time since your first jump (less than 8 years), or with the start of the active period (less than a year)?

Skydiving..... Good to the last drop©

-MudPuppy the Sky Pirate- Dirty Sanchez #453

[livendive 8]

I'd go with your total time in sport, minus any gaps of greater than a year. So in your case, I'd say the current time, plus one day.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[councilman24 37]

What did you do with skydiving in between.

I made two S/L jumps in the fall of 1978. Weather went to hell. Tried to restart in the spring and DZ/instructor at Univ. was unavailable. Tried to do it in the summer back home but was working tough job second shift and overtime. Didn't work. Decided to wait until I got of college in 1980. Meanwhile read EVERY back issue of Parachutist magazine. (in the library). Within one month of relocating and starting new job I did another FJC and started in for real. I was the best informed FJ student I've ever known.

To whuffo's, 1978. To skydivers, 1980 but made a couple earlier.

You? Seven year lay off is too long to add it up, especially after one jump. Unless you were a DZ bum in between, packing whore in between.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[MudPuppy 0]

The time in between... nothing really, I had promised my son I would not pursue skydiving, after the car accident and kept my promise until I took him parasailing, and he told me I could. Then it was on! 9 weeks later I started, and have been jumping my arse off since.

Skydiving..... Good to the last drop©

-MudPuppy the Sky Pirate- Dirty Sanchez #453

[JohnDeere 0]

Quote

To whuffo's, 1978. To skydivers, 1980 but made a couple earlier

Your info says 31 years in sport..... so we are whuffos to you?

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[councilman24 37]

Well, I just remembered I joined USPA after my first jump. (For real, not this 90 day wonder thing.) So forget the other post.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[SivaGanesha 2]

Quote

I made my first jump (Cat A. AFF) in July 2001. Due to various cicumstances, I did not continue until August of 2008, so I had to restart at Cat A.

Based on the replies you've gotten I've adjusted my 'time in sport' to more accurately reflect actual years where I was somewhat active. However my 'skybirthday' will always be a significant day for me even if there were many intervening years where I made no or few jumps.

"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014

[tbrown 26]

For OUR sport, nothing can ever replace the first time you approach the open door, swallow your fears, and jump. That's one jump more than 99.9% of anyone else ever makes. That's when it all begins. Time, life, finances may all get in the way, but you've been infected right from the start.

It took me 3 weeks to go back and make my second jump (all static line), then another month and a half before the 3rd & 4th. Aftet that, things picked up.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[Thanatos340 1]

I made my first Couple Jumps in 1992. Static Line with Piglet 23 Rounds. After watching my father break his Back landing one of these Rounds, I quit for 10 years. (did a few Tandems in the late 90) and then came back again in 02/03 and finished AFF and kept jumping.

Time since First Jump - 17 Years.
USPA License says 7th Years of membership.
Time in sport really more like 5 years (In that there 5 years that I was actually actively involved)

Never could decide what to put for Years in sport here so I just leave it blank.

[MudPuppy 0]

Thanks every1 for the inputs. I decided to go with my time as a USPA member, as that is what I will consider the start of actually being a skydiver, which by the way is only like 7 months, and if the at-sea periods don't ruin it, I plan to have my 'C' before I have been a diver for for 14 months.

Skydiving..... Good to the last drop©

-MudPuppy the Sky Pirate- Dirty Sanchez #453