freaksister 0 #1 February 2, 2002 Yo!I would love to hear stories about the Freak Brothers Convention (or other jump stories from that time, etc.!) I have heard or read a few stories about the beginning of freeflying starting back with Roger Nelson and others (sorry I don't remember all the names!) "Freak Flying" or...the "Lazy Boy," a laid back (literally) version of a sit-fly...but I don't know the whole story. I specifically would like history about the Freak Brother's Convention and how it was a preview (?) of Quincy. No, I am not a reporter. LOL Just a history-curious skydiver whose nickname ought to explain it all. hehe...I just think everyone should know about the history of the sport and really DIG the "veterans!!" There isn't enough info. about early skydiving to begin with (although, I do recommend "Skydivers Flying With Their Pants on Fire! by Tom Craighead, as well as books by Dan Poynter and Pat Works...)but still there just doesn't seem to be enough going through the grapevine. Nobody knows what Freaksister means, so I take that as a sign that we haven't evolved much? LOL J/K See, I don't know if they even had Freak Sisters back then. From what I've heard, they didn't. So, would ya'll just give us some cool bits'o'skydivin'?Post your stories or email them to me so I can collect them (Please put your name on them so I can credit you if that ever becomes necessary!) and ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!! Jump 'Till Ya Puke!! (or pass out? or come on yourself??LOL oops, sorry)OK type away boys and girls! Thanks for reading my "lit" post. heheLove,SisFear not your death - fear having not really lived. Willie Sinsel, KS. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazerq3 0 #2 February 2, 2002 Quoteor come on yourself??LOL oops, sorry)Did you want a story on that??? Man so many to choose fromjason(sorry I couldnt pass that up) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freaksister 0 #3 February 2, 2002 Oh well you know...it was late and I was being silly. I drank too much last night (as if that wasn't obvious!!)But I really did want to hear about the Freak Bros. I guess nobody has any stories so far though.What made me interested was that article in the new Parachutist about the Goon Squad. Good article! It mentions the Freak Brothers too. Anyway, off to work. No jumpy today.Ciao, gang!SisFear not your death - fear having not really lived. Willie Sinsel, KS. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hooked 0 #4 February 2, 2002 I read the book, "Skydivers, flying with their pants on fire". What a great book!J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverdriver 6 #5 February 2, 2002 Well, the Freak Brother Convention happened all well before my time but I might be able to give the Reader's Digest version. The way I understand it, it started as the Freak Brother Reunion. It was held at Big Foot, Wisconsin. Someone else is going to have to fill in the years. I believe it was there for two years and then Roger moved it to Freeport, IL to handle larger (and more) aircraft. But the Freak Brother Convention quickly out grew Freeport so Roger moved it to Quincy, Illinois to have more room and to go for bigger records. Someone correct me, but I believe the 120 and 144 were done at Quincy. The move to Quincy may have been because of the plans to bring in a C-130. Not sure, that is spectulation on my part.As far as I know they did refer to the female members as Freak Sisters. A good video history of Freeport and early Quincy is "Largest Formation". I've only seen it at Skydive Chicago but I believe it was produced and distributed years ago. It still might be floating around.Well, that's most of what I know.Chris SchindlerD-19012ATP/CFIIwww.DiverDriver.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freaksister 0 #6 February 3, 2002 Thanks, Chris!! :) SisFear not your death - fear having not really lived. Willie Sinsel, KS. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tigra 0 #7 February 4, 2002 OK, I'll add my .02.........The whole Freak Brother thing started before my time too. FB 1& 2 are Carl and Roger Nelson respectively. I never had the opportunity to meet Carl, but both he and Roger have done a lot for the sport over the years, and the freak brother movement continues. We still try and get our Freak Brother numbers, and you still see plenty of hats and patches at my dz.MauraFB4100 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rainbo 0 #8 February 4, 2002 Yeah, Chris got the Readers Digest version down pretty good. Oh, Chris watch how you word your emails or you will make me look old, ok. The name came about, according to a founder, when Carl, Roger, and others in a group of young(then) skydivers were standing around on the DZ when the old S&A guys on the DZ remarked about their looks "that they looked like a bunch of freaks." Carl and Roger took this and applied it to their group in the name of the "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers" a then extremely popular comic book series.Yes it is also true that long before the now popular discipline of freeflying that the Freak Brothers were experimenting with inverted flight techniques, and yes there are some very interesting video clips of us doing this.If you would really like to get a feel for the atmosphere of a convention then I recommend that you get a copy of Norman Kents "Freak Brother Convention" available on VHS and on his new DVD.BSBD Rainbo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,106 #9 February 4, 2002 You might want to check out:http://www.skydreams.net/history.htmlfor early FB history (1972 or thereabouts) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QuickDraw 0 #10 February 4, 2002 "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers"Hehe takes me back a bit...fat freddies cat an all ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jessica 0 #11 February 4, 2002 QuoteHehe takes me back a bit...fat freddies cat an all ...Har! That was way before my time, but I've got a few ishes lying around here.My favorite: Fat Freddy forgets to feed his cat, so cat finds some little plants to eat instead. When Fat Freddy gets home, his roommates are waiting with a baseball bat, and one says, "I sure hope you like to smoke cat food, Fat Freddy." Heh!!!Oh, and the cat is snoozing in the background, totally bombed. Walk a mile in your enemy's shoes. Then you're a mile away and have his shoes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverdriver 6 #12 February 4, 2002 QuoteOh, Chris watch how you word your emails or you will make me look old, ok.Ok Rainbo. I'll stop making you look old. Even though you are. Chris SchindlerD-19012ATP/CFIIwww.DiverDriver.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QuickDraw 0 #13 February 4, 2002 "I've got a few ishes lying around here"you have'nt got any issues of Oz magazine there too have you ? yep mis-spent a few years reading some of those fffb mags Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OATSF14 0 #14 February 4, 2002 I went to the '86 Convention. I remember the C-130 jumps. I can still see the door to a porta potty opening and three people walking out. 2 dudes and a woman. Knew at that time I could like this place. First Boogie of any size that I had gone to. Taught me that there are some great jumpers out there. I remember following 2 or 3 floaters downward toward the base. I saw the jumper in front of me flair, side slide, pivot, sink, and take grips without a ripple being detected. Absolute beauty. Turns out it was a female. First time I had ever seen that. Taught me to be humble. Good times. Parties at night. Anything you wanted. Great stereo systems. Woke up one morning to "Leader of the Band". (can't remember the artist) Just at that time the DC-3 starts coughing. Another day. Saw my first canopy collision. 2 died. Not good. Taught me the dive isn't over until you are down. Saw my first "double hump back growler". Still the best "mooning" position I have ever seen. Good days. I thank Roger for that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #15 February 4, 2002 freaksis,if you want to read OTHER stories about early skydivers, click on the history link of my dropzone Skydive the point in West Point, VA This is one of the oldest DZs in the country; it was started in 1962 (I think it was originally called Peninsula Skydivers or something). There's a wild story from the sixties about how a skydiver there was able to land in the small swimming pool behind the Washington Burgess Hotel in West Point (using a round parachute, of course!). At night!!Anyway, we'll be having our fortieth anniversary boogie in July, so everyone come on down if you can! Should be a lot of old timers there w/ some pretty wild stories about the early days of skydiving!Speed Racer"Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #16 February 5, 2002 OK just post-whoring here>speaking of Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, check out this link! click here I wouldn't mind landing off if I could wind up in THAT field!! Speed Racer"Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #17 February 5, 2002 OK, I'm bumping this up so hopefully freaksister will see it. I tried just sending her a PM, but it's not working today for some reason. Speed Racer"Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
