How did Your passion for Skydiving begin?

[Darius11 12]

Like many I had no clue about all the things that can be done in the sky. My first passion was base-jumping (even though at the time I didn’t know there was a difference). Made parachuts out of hefty bags and jumped from our deck and steps all the time when i was a kid. I also had very vivid memories of flying when I was a young kid (I must havem likely eat paint chips or something). As a kid I loved the ocean the sense of freedom that you get that flying weightless feeling in the water rocks. I knew i was hooked for sure after the first jump.

What keeps me coming back are the people. Skydivers are cool (generally speaking). You will find some that will tell you that skydivers are no different then other people you see. They’re not more trustworthy then any one else. I tend to disagree with that completely. I do believe there is a sense of family, I have seen what kind things people have done for me just for being a sky bro. I also know I would go out of my way to help a fellow jumper out even if I don’t know them very well.

Enjoy it. It keeps on changing and getting better.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[steveorino 7]

Uncle Sam threw me out many times between 77-80. I enjoyed it some, but round parachutes were not that much fun and I was dirt poor.

Accelerate 20 years later and while I'm not rich I have "some" disposable income now that my kids are grown. I ventured back on a whim one Saturday and the rest is history. 1200+ jumps later I enjoy it as much as the first.

steveOrino

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

What is your storie?

The details of my life are quite inconsequential.... Very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low-grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a 15-year-old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize; he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes, he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possesses and the insane lament... My childhood was typical: summers in Rangoon... luge lessons... In the spring, we'd make meat helmets... When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds — pretty standard, really. At the age of 12, I received my first scribe. At the age of 14, a Zoroastrian named Wilma ritualistically shaved my testicles — there really is nothing like a shorn scrotum — it's quite breathtaking... I suggest you try it.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[sunshine 2]

I wanted to die so i started doing really dangerous things.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[cloudseeker2001 0]

In 88 I was at a chinese restaurant in Galveston Texas called Happy Buddha shooting pool in the bar and met a guy there that was told me he was a skydiver. I did not believe him and he should me pics of jumps and his camera rig! I thought that the coolest thing I had ever seen! So, 10 years later I was in a place in my life where I could afford to start jumping. I cannot remember what the guy's name was and have not seem him anywhere yet, but it will be a cool moment when/if I do see him.

"Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance,
others mean and rueful of the western dream"

[tbrown 26]

It was a dark and stormy night. I turned on the TV and "Ripcord" was on, in glorious black & white. That was the first time I ever saw an image of freefall. I found it rather confusing, because I thought the man must be falling, but he looked like he was flying. But it was so beautiful, I knew I had to do it.

I had also seen a Navy frogman jump into Lake Ontario the year before at a Sunday open house for a Naval ship that was visiting town.

Then around the time I was totally hooked on watching "Ripcord", I was out for a Sunday drive in the countryside with my family and saw TWO parachutes coming down over a little airstrip. They must have been sport canopies, because I remember the bright colors. I was sitting in the back seat going mental, yelling stuff like, "Look ! Skydivers ! Stop the car !"

For a lot of us, our first jumps were a homecoming experience that was just waiting for us.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[Orchid 0]

Blame it on this gorgeous tandem instructor....!

Seriously, I believe in trying everything at least once in a life time. I did my first tandem with a group of friends, and that's all it took!

"Love is doing small things with great love."

Lacrosse: Legally beating men with sticks since 1492

[Snowwhite 0]

Went to Quincy WFFC in Aug 1997, to kill a weekend with my husband watching the "parachuters". Nothing was going on (weather hold, I was a stupid nooobie, didn't know any better) Got ready to walk out the gate when some guy just about landed nose to nose with me. I was hooked!

skydiveTaylorville.org
freefallbeth@yahoo.com

[SWATcop 0]

I was six months away from getting out of the Army in 1994 and decided if I was going to continue jumping, I needed to learn to skydive. I looked up the "Green Beret Sport Parachute Club" at Ft Bragg and went through the static line progression course. Three weekends later I was an "up jumper" skydiving on my own and kicking myself in the ass for not doing it sooner. I wanted no part of Airborne jumps after tasting freefall.

Kevin

Muff Brother #4041
Team Dirty Sanchez #467

[vskydiver 0]

I got talked into going skydiving by a group of friends.

Went out to the DZ to take the static line class and fell head over heals madly in love with the jumpmaster/instructor. He was/is the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life. I hated skydiving until he took me out and held my hands in freefall after we were married. Then I fell in love with skydiving as well.

[novacaine 0]

I did my FJC after loosing a bet with some friends. I enjoyed it some much I did two more jumps that same day!!
Because of other obligations that I had with my job (in the scuba industry) I never really had time to jump.
Five weeks ago I decide to retire from scuba, after 15 years, after yet another memorial service, this time for my mentor and best friend. I was looking for another sport which was safer to get into to fill my time.
A friend of mine that works with DAN, suggested that I get back into skydiving as it is safer statistically then scuba.
So here I am, a number of years later, being a student all over again and enjoying it. Just waiting to get in a bit more jumps before I talk with my instructors and coaches about my first rig!