christopherm 0 #1 February 1, 2002 Anybody know what is up with it? Is it going to fade away or do you think the number of compeditors will increase, and why? I would like to get into it but don't want to dedicate myself to it if there won't be anyone to compete against? Why do you think more people don't like it?-So how hard is the ground?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sebazz1 2 #2 February 1, 2002 Lots n lots of solo jumps.............I hate jumping by myself..........I get scaredSo thirsty for some warm air and cold brew........Seb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christopherm 0 #3 February 1, 2002 you don't have to jump by yourself if you have a cameraman.-So, how hard is the ground?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LawnDart21 0 #4 February 1, 2002 Here's my take on skysurfing......Alongside CReW, it's one of the most dangerous disciplines of skydiving. When I first started skysurfing I was approached by my local SandTA and she asked me if i was really sure I wanted to pursue skysurfing. I said "Yes, why do you ask?" To which she replied "I only ask because there are alot of dead skysurfers." I took what she said to heart, but pressed on anyways. I'm glad I did, as I freefly, do RW, film video for fun, coach and skysurf, and of all of them, skysurfing is the most personally rewarding jumps I make. The problem with skysurfing is that you are attaching a board to your feet (which sounds simple) but in aerodynaic terms (which I am no PHD for the record...) you are adding an opposing plane of wind resistance which can cause violent attitude (physical not emotional....lol) changes if your not careful. One of the biggest dangers in skysurfing is the "red out" where a jumper can go unconscious due to a flat spin. Basically, you end up in a flat spin on your back and it keeps getting faster and faster, and all your blood gets caught in your head and feet due to cintrifigal force (sp?) and you pass out. The bitch of it is, the spin can get so violent (I've heard 8 Gs of force but it's unconfirmed bonfire rumor) that it can actually slow your decent rate enough to keep your cypres from firing. so it's possible to get knocked out and not have a cypres fire if you experience a no pull due to a black out. That's the bad news, the good news is that is the most amazing feeling in the world in my opinion to be inverted in a "hen haw" with your nose pointed earthward, and spinning like a top. You get a rush from skysurfing that you can't get from a regular skydive. Plus, I have heard there are only around 2000 skysurfers in the world, so you'd be entering a relatively small circle. Oh, and lastly, USPA is currently trying to decide ifthey will drop the third party liability waiver that is a part of our membership for the upcoming season. This 3rd party liability covers us if we chop our board and it damages something on the ground like a car or a house. If they drop the 3rd party liability then alot of "urban" DZs, (one's with alot of people and houses around), may decide to ban skysurfing because it could become a DZ liability if a board damages anything. They will vote on the 3rd party liability issue on or around Feb 28th, 2002, and the decision will carry through until next years vote. Hope this info helps. Good luck in your decision. I suggest you talk to as many skysurfers as you can find and then make an educated decision. See you in the sky!Blue Skies to All and to All a Good Flight!Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkM 0 #5 February 1, 2002 I think skysurfing may have been more popular before freeflying caught on. The point of skysurfing is freedom of movement, being able to do things with a board strapped to your feet that you couldn't do otherwise.Freeflying has the same sort of freedom, requires less skill to get into, is safer and all around less trouble. The first ever skydiving footage I saw was of Rob Harris skysurfing and I even entered a raffle a year back for his Cypres. Would like to try it sometime when I'm skilled enough to handle it, but I'll probably just freefly.But the real question is why do people do RW. That stuff just looks sooo boring Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christopherm 0 #6 February 1, 2002 thanks, my situation is that of being the cameraman for our team and so we are both going to be dedicating hundreds of jumps to become perfect. any skysurfers out there, i'd appreciate as much info as possible.-So, how hard is the ground?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #7 February 1, 2002 QuoteThat stuff just looks sooo boring Then you're doing it wrong! RW is loads of fun, especially once you get good enough at it to play with more people and/or turn more points.Personally I promised myself I'd never strap anything to my body and leave the plane with it once I quit doing tandems, but I do think skysurfing is really cool to watch and I have loads of respect for those who choose to do it. pull and flare,lisa--What would Scooby Doo? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottbre 0 #8 February 1, 2002 QuotePersonally I promised myself I'd never strap anything to my body and leave the plane with it once I quit doing tandems, but I do think skysurfing is really cool to watch and I have loads of respect for those who choose to do it.That's you decision to make. However, I rather enjoy strapping a parachute to my body and leaving the plane with it. "Let the rabbits wear glasses. . . " Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #9 February 1, 2002 It looks cool...but like RW...I have no desire to do it...."It's the cans..they're defective. Stay away from the cans"-Steve MartinClay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyboy62000 0 #10 February 1, 2002 It's the most fun I've ever had. I usually freefly, but I love to skysurf more than anything. It is so awesome, but I've also had a couple scary ones. The worst I had was when the rear binding somehow let go about 6k and I was spinning through 5500 with the board only on one foot. I cut it away, rolled over and pulled. I was in the saddle at 2800ft, which is kind of scary because my pull altitude is 5000, with the board. I love skysurfing, but it is more dangerous.Blue Skies,Adam Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheMarshMan1 0 #11 February 1, 2002 "Freeflying........is safer and all around less trouble."I dont really agree with that (although I have yet to try skysurfing). I think its more a matter of different TYPES of risk....yeah, in skysurfing you can red-out from a flat spin which causes your cypres to not fire....however, in freeflying there are probably just as many potential dangers, they are just different. I dunno, thats just my take on the subject...someone feel free to correct me if I'm way off....Blue skies,Marshall Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MarkM 0 #12 February 1, 2002 Dart or flyboy would know more on it, but not only can you get into an uncontrollable spin you basically have a huge board strapped to your feet that can entangle with your deploying main.Isn't something like 200 jumps the recommended absolute minumum level of skill before you try to skysurf with a beginners board? And you should already be skilled at freeflying?When can you start playing with freeflying, jump 20 or so?I'm really not up to what the risks are in freeflying outside of an accidental reserve deployment at 150+ speeds. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #13 February 1, 2002 I'm an avid freeflyer as well, and I would say that all around freeflying is much safer than skysurfing. The thing is that it is way easier to go out of control on a skyboard (not just a flat spin, but any uncontrolled spin or body position) than freeflying and conversely, it is much harder to regain control on a skyboard than freeflying. If your head down or in a sit and slide out of control, you can just ball yourself up like a badmitten birdie to stabilize (to maintain higher fall rate if there are groups behind you) or in a worst case scenarion just arch hard and you'll cork right up and stabilize. On an intermidiate board or higher, your typically in a harder spin (regardless of the axis you are spinning on) and it requires much more effort to correct the problem and get into a stable stand fly. And if you can't go straight to a stand fly, even going belly to earth won't solve the problem, because once you are belly to earth, your board is now acting like a rudder and you have to steer it straight to avoid spinning on your belly. Then, once that is all sorted out, you have to front flip into a stand to deploy your main. (only very few, highly experienced skysufers, of which I am defintely not, can deploy their main on an intermediate board or higher in the belly to earth position. So, while I would never say freeflying is not without it's own dangers, skysurfing is definitely the more dangerous of the two. There are risks in all skydiving endeavors, but there is agreater number of risks and more severe results skysurfing than freeflying. Obvisouly I'm a bit biased....LOL, but given my expeirence with both skysurfing and freeflying, that's my .02. Cheers and safe skydives!Blue Skies to all and to all a good flight!Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites TheMarshMan1 0 #14 February 1, 2002 OK, thanks guys! I should have thought that post over before I wrote it, lol. What you said makes perfect sense, and now I see where your coming from...anyways...thanks for clearing that up!Blue skies,Marshall Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #15 February 1, 2002 No Problem Marshal, we're all friends here! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #16 February 1, 2002 The thing that always got me was comments like people saying "if you have a problem just chop the board." I always thought to myself, "Uh yeah, it's that easy, I could be spinning out of control, my arms getting flung out to my sides from the force, that I have to fight to get to the cut away handle, I'm going 150mph, probably can't tell which end is up in situation like that and when I release the board, it's probably going to take out a few of my teeth when it releases...yeah....piece of cake!" LOL I have yet to chop my board (knock on wood), but I have heard from a few skysurfers that when they chopped their boards, there was so much tension in the bindings from the spin that the two ring releases on the binding ended up with tension knots and wouldn't release right away, and that that is a rather common experience, that they had to reach down and help the binding off. As for 200 jumps, I jumped a board on my 129th jump and was fine, most of my jumps were freeflies at the time, so that definitely helped. Anyone that would teach you, at 100 jumps or 500 would just want to evaluate your air skills by jumping with you or on video to see if you posses the necessary skills. So it's more of a skill question than a jump number question. Hope that helps. Blue ones!Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MarkM 0 #17 February 1, 2002 Just stop posting those damn pics, your making me envious because it looks like so much fun. Do have one question, do wind tunnels at all support skysurfing? It would seem like that would be the safest way to pick up the basics or otherwise train for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #18 February 1, 2002 These pics? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MarkM 0 #19 February 1, 2002 Now that's just mean. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites freeflir29 0 #20 February 1, 2002 Nice exit!!!!!!!!!!! "It's the cans..they're defective. Stay away from the cans"-Steve MartinClay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites TheMarshMan1 0 #21 February 1, 2002 Just curious....but I think I read somewhere that Rob Harris first jumped a board at 40 jumps... Maybe it was a typo? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites TheMarshMan1 0 #22 February 1, 2002 Awesome pics, by the way!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #23 February 1, 2002 Can Tony Hawk get air like that? Doubt it.........LOLThe wind tunnel in Las Vegas shows a skysurfer in one of their pictures, so I would assume They would do it (I think it's called Flyaway) but it's a relatively low powered wind tunnel. Skyventure wouldn't allow it (I only know because I jokingly asked Omar last weekend while I was there and got a "Ah.....NO". Even if you could I wouldn't do it. It just soulds WAY painful.........and the boards are fiberglass, you'd definitely f** up your board in Skyventure.Peace Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites christopherm 0 #24 February 1, 2002 Thanks for all the posts guys, I didn't know before that there was so much more of a risk to skysurf. Now, why do you all think that the sport is declining in popularity so much and do you think it can recover. I'd like some more opinions on this as well. -So, how hard is the ground?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #25 February 1, 2002 QuoteJust curious....but I think I read somewhere that Rob Harris first jumped a board at 40 jumps... Maybe it was a typo?Perhaps an urban legend.However, if you wanna know some facts, try HERE and especially HEREquadehttp://futurecam.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
MarkM 0 #12 February 1, 2002 Dart or flyboy would know more on it, but not only can you get into an uncontrollable spin you basically have a huge board strapped to your feet that can entangle with your deploying main.Isn't something like 200 jumps the recommended absolute minumum level of skill before you try to skysurf with a beginners board? And you should already be skilled at freeflying?When can you start playing with freeflying, jump 20 or so?I'm really not up to what the risks are in freeflying outside of an accidental reserve deployment at 150+ speeds. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LawnDart21 0 #13 February 1, 2002 I'm an avid freeflyer as well, and I would say that all around freeflying is much safer than skysurfing. The thing is that it is way easier to go out of control on a skyboard (not just a flat spin, but any uncontrolled spin or body position) than freeflying and conversely, it is much harder to regain control on a skyboard than freeflying. If your head down or in a sit and slide out of control, you can just ball yourself up like a badmitten birdie to stabilize (to maintain higher fall rate if there are groups behind you) or in a worst case scenarion just arch hard and you'll cork right up and stabilize. On an intermidiate board or higher, your typically in a harder spin (regardless of the axis you are spinning on) and it requires much more effort to correct the problem and get into a stable stand fly. And if you can't go straight to a stand fly, even going belly to earth won't solve the problem, because once you are belly to earth, your board is now acting like a rudder and you have to steer it straight to avoid spinning on your belly. Then, once that is all sorted out, you have to front flip into a stand to deploy your main. (only very few, highly experienced skysufers, of which I am defintely not, can deploy their main on an intermediate board or higher in the belly to earth position. So, while I would never say freeflying is not without it's own dangers, skysurfing is definitely the more dangerous of the two. There are risks in all skydiving endeavors, but there is agreater number of risks and more severe results skysurfing than freeflying. Obvisouly I'm a bit biased....LOL, but given my expeirence with both skysurfing and freeflying, that's my .02. Cheers and safe skydives!Blue Skies to all and to all a good flight!Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheMarshMan1 0 #14 February 1, 2002 OK, thanks guys! I should have thought that post over before I wrote it, lol. What you said makes perfect sense, and now I see where your coming from...anyways...thanks for clearing that up!Blue skies,Marshall Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #15 February 1, 2002 No Problem Marshal, we're all friends here! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #16 February 1, 2002 The thing that always got me was comments like people saying "if you have a problem just chop the board." I always thought to myself, "Uh yeah, it's that easy, I could be spinning out of control, my arms getting flung out to my sides from the force, that I have to fight to get to the cut away handle, I'm going 150mph, probably can't tell which end is up in situation like that and when I release the board, it's probably going to take out a few of my teeth when it releases...yeah....piece of cake!" LOL I have yet to chop my board (knock on wood), but I have heard from a few skysurfers that when they chopped their boards, there was so much tension in the bindings from the spin that the two ring releases on the binding ended up with tension knots and wouldn't release right away, and that that is a rather common experience, that they had to reach down and help the binding off. As for 200 jumps, I jumped a board on my 129th jump and was fine, most of my jumps were freeflies at the time, so that definitely helped. Anyone that would teach you, at 100 jumps or 500 would just want to evaluate your air skills by jumping with you or on video to see if you posses the necessary skills. So it's more of a skill question than a jump number question. Hope that helps. Blue ones!Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MarkM 0 #17 February 1, 2002 Just stop posting those damn pics, your making me envious because it looks like so much fun. Do have one question, do wind tunnels at all support skysurfing? It would seem like that would be the safest way to pick up the basics or otherwise train for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #18 February 1, 2002 These pics? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MarkM 0 #19 February 1, 2002 Now that's just mean. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites freeflir29 0 #20 February 1, 2002 Nice exit!!!!!!!!!!! "It's the cans..they're defective. Stay away from the cans"-Steve MartinClay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites TheMarshMan1 0 #21 February 1, 2002 Just curious....but I think I read somewhere that Rob Harris first jumped a board at 40 jumps... Maybe it was a typo? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites TheMarshMan1 0 #22 February 1, 2002 Awesome pics, by the way!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #23 February 1, 2002 Can Tony Hawk get air like that? Doubt it.........LOLThe wind tunnel in Las Vegas shows a skysurfer in one of their pictures, so I would assume They would do it (I think it's called Flyaway) but it's a relatively low powered wind tunnel. Skyventure wouldn't allow it (I only know because I jokingly asked Omar last weekend while I was there and got a "Ah.....NO". Even if you could I wouldn't do it. It just soulds WAY painful.........and the boards are fiberglass, you'd definitely f** up your board in Skyventure.Peace Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites christopherm 0 #24 February 1, 2002 Thanks for all the posts guys, I didn't know before that there was so much more of a risk to skysurf. Now, why do you all think that the sport is declining in popularity so much and do you think it can recover. I'd like some more opinions on this as well. -So, how hard is the ground?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #25 February 1, 2002 QuoteJust curious....but I think I read somewhere that Rob Harris first jumped a board at 40 jumps... Maybe it was a typo?Perhaps an urban legend.However, if you wanna know some facts, try HERE and especially HEREquadehttp://futurecam.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
LawnDart21 0 #15 February 1, 2002 No Problem Marshal, we're all friends here! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LawnDart21 0 #16 February 1, 2002 The thing that always got me was comments like people saying "if you have a problem just chop the board." I always thought to myself, "Uh yeah, it's that easy, I could be spinning out of control, my arms getting flung out to my sides from the force, that I have to fight to get to the cut away handle, I'm going 150mph, probably can't tell which end is up in situation like that and when I release the board, it's probably going to take out a few of my teeth when it releases...yeah....piece of cake!" LOL I have yet to chop my board (knock on wood), but I have heard from a few skysurfers that when they chopped their boards, there was so much tension in the bindings from the spin that the two ring releases on the binding ended up with tension knots and wouldn't release right away, and that that is a rather common experience, that they had to reach down and help the binding off. As for 200 jumps, I jumped a board on my 129th jump and was fine, most of my jumps were freeflies at the time, so that definitely helped. Anyone that would teach you, at 100 jumps or 500 would just want to evaluate your air skills by jumping with you or on video to see if you posses the necessary skills. So it's more of a skill question than a jump number question. Hope that helps. Blue ones!Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkM 0 #17 February 1, 2002 Just stop posting those damn pics, your making me envious because it looks like so much fun. Do have one question, do wind tunnels at all support skysurfing? It would seem like that would be the safest way to pick up the basics or otherwise train for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LawnDart21 0 #18 February 1, 2002 These pics? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkM 0 #19 February 1, 2002 Now that's just mean. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #20 February 1, 2002 Nice exit!!!!!!!!!!! "It's the cans..they're defective. Stay away from the cans"-Steve MartinClay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheMarshMan1 0 #21 February 1, 2002 Just curious....but I think I read somewhere that Rob Harris first jumped a board at 40 jumps... Maybe it was a typo? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheMarshMan1 0 #22 February 1, 2002 Awesome pics, by the way!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LawnDart21 0 #23 February 1, 2002 Can Tony Hawk get air like that? Doubt it.........LOLThe wind tunnel in Las Vegas shows a skysurfer in one of their pictures, so I would assume They would do it (I think it's called Flyaway) but it's a relatively low powered wind tunnel. Skyventure wouldn't allow it (I only know because I jokingly asked Omar last weekend while I was there and got a "Ah.....NO". Even if you could I wouldn't do it. It just soulds WAY painful.........and the boards are fiberglass, you'd definitely f** up your board in Skyventure.Peace Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites christopherm 0 #24 February 1, 2002 Thanks for all the posts guys, I didn't know before that there was so much more of a risk to skysurf. Now, why do you all think that the sport is declining in popularity so much and do you think it can recover. I'd like some more opinions on this as well. -So, how hard is the ground?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #25 February 1, 2002 QuoteJust curious....but I think I read somewhere that Rob Harris first jumped a board at 40 jumps... Maybe it was a typo?Perhaps an urban legend.However, if you wanna know some facts, try HERE and especially HEREquadehttp://futurecam.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
LawnDart21 0 #23 February 1, 2002 Can Tony Hawk get air like that? Doubt it.........LOLThe wind tunnel in Las Vegas shows a skysurfer in one of their pictures, so I would assume They would do it (I think it's called Flyaway) but it's a relatively low powered wind tunnel. Skyventure wouldn't allow it (I only know because I jokingly asked Omar last weekend while I was there and got a "Ah.....NO". Even if you could I wouldn't do it. It just soulds WAY painful.........and the boards are fiberglass, you'd definitely f** up your board in Skyventure.Peace Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christopherm 0 #24 February 1, 2002 Thanks for all the posts guys, I didn't know before that there was so much more of a risk to skysurf. Now, why do you all think that the sport is declining in popularity so much and do you think it can recover. I'd like some more opinions on this as well. -So, how hard is the ground?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #25 February 1, 2002 QuoteJust curious....but I think I read somewhere that Rob Harris first jumped a board at 40 jumps... Maybe it was a typo?Perhaps an urban legend.However, if you wanna know some facts, try HERE and especially HEREquadehttp://futurecam.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
