WHY do you swoop?

[melushell 0]

seriously...what drives you or your friends towards landing your canopy as fast as possible?

[peek 21]

melushell

seriously...what drives you or your friends towards landing your canopy as fast as possible?

To me, because it is more similar to landing an airplane than landing a medium performance (or large) canopy. Flare partially, let it plane out, keep steering, then land when the lift is finally gone.

(I'm an airplane pilot, and this is my answer, and I'm sticking with it.)

By the way, I don't necessarily want to go as fast as possible on landing, but it helps. I also like landing large canopies too, because sometimes I don't want to have to concentrate so much on landing, and just touch down on tip-toes.

[wasatchrider 0]

its fun and you have softer landings, question is why not?

BASE 1519

[Di0 2]

Because otherwise I either swim or get a zero, or both.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[cs_troyk 0]

At over 250 lbs on my Optimum 99 reserve, swooping it is the only way to get a good landing, especially when taking a downwinder.

[Alexg3265 0]

it gives me a boner...

I was that kid jumping out if his tree house with a bed sheet. My dad wouldn't let me use the ladder to try the roof...

[tkhayes 348]

I like going fast. I am 56, overweight, tried to upsize my canopies because of age and such, tried several new canopies

Went back to a Katana 150 and decided...."I like going fast"

[daffes 4]

Swooping provokes an hyper-focus state on me, which I really enjoy.

Swooping, for me, is a never ending search for perfection.

Developing the ability to stay calm and to look smooth while swooping the ground faster than highway speeds is very challenging and, accomplishing it, is very rewarding.

Also, heard from a really good both freeflier and competitive swooper that there's no short cuts like the tunnel, you have to earn it and the there's no new hot shot popping up every competition.

[timrf79 0]

Tough questions,
I think I have always been atttracted by speed.
Cars, Motorcycles...
Used to ride my bike at 180mph+ and pass that where in the left lane (I would pass on their left side between car and well, end of road.

So all in all, swooping is probably me starting to play it safe (as I get older)

[brenthutch 444]

Chicks dig it.

[keithbar 1]

Bones heal, chicks dig scars, pain is temporary, but GLORY is forever😎

i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .

[craddock 0]

We used to get accused of swooping to show off. Attention seekers. Some of my most memorable swoops were landing out with no one around while I rip a line with no outs. That said, never waste a crowd

That spot isn't bad at all, the winds were strong and that was the issue! It was just on the downwind side.

[Trafficdiver 8]

craddock

We used to get accused of swooping to show off. Attention seekers. Some of my most memorable swoops were landing out with no one around while I rip a line with no outs. That said, never waste a crowd

But I bet your worst ones were in front of everyone on the entire drop zone during its biggest boogies...at least
That's when I do all of my crap landings.

[loudtom 5]

Toe!
Plain and simple.
As in dipping one in the pond as you glide
over it. At 57 years old it don't get much better
than that!!!!
Whether anyone is watching or not!!!!
LT

tom #90 #54 #08 and now #5 with a Bronze :-)