Skydive San Marcos (long and sentimental)

[Douva 0]

When I’d been jumping for just a few months, my first DZO said something to me that has, over the years, taken on a lot of personal significance. He was talking about his twenty-some-odd years in the sport, and I was talking about what a big part of my life skydiving had become. He told me that anyone who stays in the sport long enough goes through cycles--There are times when jumping is the focal point of your life, and there are times when jumping takes a backseat to other things. That has definitely proven to be the case in my life.

For my first two years in the sport, my home drop zone was Westex Skysports, near Midland, TX. It’s just a tiny, one Cessna drop zone, but I bought a small travel trailer, set it out behind the hangar, and spent every weekend making as many jumps as I could and making as many friends as I could. But after two years, my situation changed, and I moved to Austin for work.

Suddenly jumping took a back seat to things like not starving. For the next three years, I only made about twenty-five jumps a year. I struggled with work and life and kept skydiving in the back of my mind.

After three years in Austin, my life and finances became a little more stable, and I was able to start jumping regularly again. For the last two years, I’ve spent nearly every Friday through Sunday at Skydive San Marcos, just south of Austin. It has become my second home and the people my second family. For two years, I’ve felt like I had everything I could ever ask out of life. And now, sadly, it is once again time to move on.

In the last two years, I made about six hundred jumps, earned my AFF Instructor rating, went from having about nine jumps on a beginner skysurfing board to competing at the national skysurfing championship, and developed a core group of friends like I’d never had before. As I prepare for the next stage of my life, I want to stop and reflect on a few of the things I’ll miss the most about Skydive San Marcos and a few of the things I’ll never forget.

I’ll never forget that first weekend after coming back to the sport when I had my SCR ceremony, got drunk, and bought a skysurfing board.

I’ll miss that first half-hour or so at the drop zone every Friday where all my cares are hidden behind a cloud of euphoria at being back where I belong.

I’ll miss the way everybody shouts my name, like Norm walking into Cheers, the moment I walk on the drop zone.

I’ll never forget the two weeks I spent living at the drop zone during the AFF instructor certification course. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a more stressful, miserable, and ultimately rewarding experience in my life. I doubt I’ll ever see another group of virtual strangers bond together and support each other the way we all did.

I’ll miss those Saturday and Sunday mornings when it’s clearly going to be a nice day, and the sun is peaking over the horizon, and the morning dew is still on the grass, and nobody is at the drop zone yet except the staff and the diehards who slept in the bunkroom, and we all just sit in the breezeway drinking coffee and preparing for the day ahead.

I’ll never forget the camaraderie that Jeff and I shared in training toward a common goal, and I’ll never forget the support our drop zone showed us in helping us get to Nationals. I doubt anyone will ever understand how much it meant to me to be able to walk onto the drop zone on any given weekend and see half a dozen people wearing L.A.S.T. shirts.

I’ll miss that dirty old couch in the back hallway that Kevlar jokingly dubbed the “Skysurfer’s Lounge.”

I’ll never forget those bad weather streaks when we mastered every board game and card game in Central Texas.

I’ll miss those sunset loads when all the day’s work is done, and we get to leave the tandem rigs and camera helmets and AFF students behind and fill an entire load with staff and diehards for a tracking dive.

I’ll miss those old, creaky peer and beam buildings that now feel more like home than my apartment.

I’ll never forget the birthday party Kim threw for Jeff and me. And thanks to the footage of me pole dancing that’s still floating around somewhere, neither will anybody else.

I’ll miss the way everybody knows each other so well that we can talk almost entirely in inside jokes (Wilson is right--Wasps would be better than monkeys).

I’ll miss the constant ribbing over the skysurfing tights I stopped wearing a year ago.

I’ll miss the many friends I made, the students I mentored, and the people who mentored me.

Most of all, I’ll miss my family--Those people who became much, much more than friends. We stood by each other through disaster, through injury, through love and loss, and through a whole lot of drop zone drama. We got to know each other so well that sometimes we probably knew each other too well. We spent holidays and vacations together. At times, we pretty much lived together. We weren’t perfect--Like all families, sometimes we fought. But we were always there when one of us needed a hand or a sympathetic ear. There aren’t many venues as adults where we can build those kinds of relationships, and I hope those of you in my skydiving family appreciated our time together as much as I did.

I have no idea what lies in my skydiving future. I know all of these things exist at other drop zones, but this was my chance to reminisce about MY drop zone. Blue skies, Skydive San Marcos.

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

[mnealtx 0]

That was well-said, Douva.... I wish you the very best of luck with whatevr direction your life takes you next...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Brains 2]

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But we were always there when one of us needed a hand or a sympathetic ear. There aren’t many venues as adults where we can build those kinds of relationships, and I hope those of you in my skydiving family appreciated our time together as much as I did.

Just because you move to the LEFT coast, that doesn't mean we aren't still here for you and aren't part of your family.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[chaoskitty 0]

Douva, everything you experience and everything you have is because of who you are, and you are taking that with you.

That.. and listen to Brains.

[Brains 2]

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That.. and listen to Brains.

I believe you owe beer for that. You would be the FIRST woman to EVER say that.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[chaoskitty 0]

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That.. and listen to Brains.

I believe you owe beer for that. You would be the FIRST woman to EVER say that.

True.. but due to the context I think that you should buy the beer.

[fireflytx 0]

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I’ll never forget the birthday party Kim threw for Jeff and me. And thanks to the footage of me pole dancing that’s still floating around somewhere, neither will anybody else.

Douva we are going to miss you terribly. Good luck on in LA LA land, you will do great!

Ps. Don't forget about when you put on my fire dancing costume and spun fire for Dave Henrich's birthday, We have footage of that too!

"Well behaved women rarely make history"

[HRHSkyPrincess 0]

CRIKEY, Douva, ya got me cube-mates wonderin' why I'm sobbing over here!

Now hear this:
Your red skysurfing tights will live on forever. You may have stopped wearing them, publicly, but we still see you in them. And it's still funny.

The 'Skysurfer Lounge' will always be waiting for you.
Of course, it might be a bit crustier...

And we will miss you, too. Purple Skies~!~

*****************
Attitude is everything!

[retreved 0]

Bummer you are leaving, Douva, but Best of Luck to you !

[Douva 0]

After all my anal retentiveness about grammar and spelling (both of which I suck at), I actually used "accept" instead of "except."

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

[JumpShipGypsy 0]

Douva, Good luck out there. Ive havent known you very long, but i think you're alright. im sorry to see you go.

If you ever get up the coast to Skydive Santa Barbara, tell them you know me. They might even remember me...

Ben

[jumpjunkie 0]

Always in my heart. Always on my mind. Time is an illusion, distance only an obstacle to overcome. Our memories are for us to keep.

Jason \/ 0
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Tubing, so easy a caveman can do it.

[calledisrael 0]

I know I don't really "know" you, but I learned way more about being a good skydiver from you than you will know.

When I thought I would never get back in ever, you were willing to jump with me and teach me.. and your point break imitations just made me laugh all the way to altitude...

Thanks for teaching me, Douva. And best of luck and blue skies to you.

life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
(helen keller)

[masterrig 1]

All the best to you, Douva. I hope, everything goes great for you. Things should, you're a good guy. Be well, be safe and be happyChuck

[IMGR2 0]

Nothing profound, all I can say is I know how you feel.

Love you Douva. Ratsurfer for life!