Paralells

[BaronVonBoll 0]

I have only been jumping for sport for six months or so but, I have been rock climbing since I was fourteen. I have noticed that the training and awareness is similar in the two sports. Equipment checks and awareness of use, emergency procedure drills, and awareness of other climbers/jumpers. I also recognize many similarities in the responses from non climbers and non jumper ex. (Are you nuts) etc. Do you all notice these and think they are a bonus or a detractor for safe jumping? Are there any other "extreme sports" with other similarities?

[I3uller 0]

I've been an avid boulder guy for some time now. I immediately noticed a parallel of elitism when I got into skydiving. Before I went to Iraq and lost all my strength, I was climbing V7-V8 and some of the guys I climbed with that were around my level would berate a lot of the more inexperienced climbers without giving them any advice. I see the same in the skydiving community. Some experienced jumpers help the new guys a lot and give them tips etc, much as I did to new climbers, but there are others that just seem to think they are too awesome for the "noobs". One of the best quotes I have read in a while, "Elitists climbers: Really in the grand scheme of things you just climb rocks well.", can be translated even better to skydiving. "Elitist skydivers: In the grand scheme of things, you just fall out of airplanes well."

[format 1]

Quote

I immediately noticed a parallel of elitism when I got into skydiving. I was climbing V7-V8 and some of the guys I climbed with that were around my level would berate a lot of the more inexperienced climbers without giving them any advice. I see the same in the skydiving community. Some experienced jumpers help the new guys a lot and give them tips etc, much as I did to new climbers, but there are others that just seem to think they are too awesome for the "noobs". One of the best quotes I have read in a while, "Elitists climbers: Really in the grand scheme of things you just climb rocks well.", can be translated even better to skydiving. "Elitist skydivers: In the grand scheme of things, you just fall out of airplanes well."

Being an Radio Amateur in 1877 or so, I've experienced similar attitudes among them/us.
Though they were bould while installing some antennas at some crazy places.

I guess people tend to feel they are special,
some will not feel so until 1000 jumps,
some are so special after 3 jumps,
and I bet some feel SO superior just because of whatever.

I like to think that we NEED those assholes
so we could appreciate right guys more, in a way they deserve

What goes around, comes later.

[richard1954 0]

Boffo!

I'm a ham, too. QRP CW only. Talk about not elite!

I also ride a motorcycle. Similiarities with skydiving, the part under canopy in a crowd. And the general risk. Before leaving the driveway, I have to ask myself, "Am I ready to crash?" Protective gear on, tires okay, head in the right place? Riding a bike around here is obviously (to me and statistically) more dangerous than skydiving.

Harley riders don't acknowledge those of us on Japanese bikes or those of us wearing protective gear. "Squids" on superbikes don't notice the rest of us and try to plow us off the road. Scooter riders are oblivious to all this, and everyone looks down their noses at them.

Anyway, if the answer is, "Why, no, I'm not ready to crash," I go anyway It's like asking, "Am I ready to plow into the ground at 120 mph?" The answer is yes and no, to be honest. Same for us all.

Any activity with a real or imagined class system has all this crap. Body building, tennis, probably rock climbing (as someone here said), fashion, techno-junkies, all the rest.

I can't imagine being so good a rider, so good a skydiver (whatever that might mean) that I get terribly cocky about it. Lucky to survive either for long, happy to have others in the same boat, sharing fears, skills, and ambitions.

One of my instructors during my first static line training sessions said, "If you land without hurting yourself or the equipment, it's a good skydive."

That's my outlook. No need to change that with experience. Long way to go either way.

[Pokerstar 0]

Quote

Boffo!

I'm a ham, too. QRP CW only. Talk about not elite!

I also ride a motorcycle. Similiarities with skydiving, the part under canopy in a crowd. And the general risk. Before leaving the driveway, I have to ask myself, "Am I ready to crash?" Protective gear on, tires okay, head in the right place? Riding a bike around here is obviously (to me and statistically) more dangerous than skydiving.

Harley riders don't acknowledge those of us on Japanese bikes or those of us wearing protective gear. "Squids" on superbikes don't notice the rest of us and try to plow us off the road. Scooter riders are oblivious to all this, and everyone looks down their noses at them.

Anyway, if the answer is, "Why, no, I'm not ready to crash," I go anyway It's like asking, "Am I ready to plow into the ground at 120 mph?" The answer is yes and no, to be honest. Same for us all.

Any activity with a real or imagined class system has all this crap. Body building, tennis, probably rock climbing (as someone here said), fashion, techno-junkies, all the rest.

I can't imagine being so good a rider, so good a skydiver (whatever that might mean) that I get terribly cocky about it. Lucky to survive either for long, happy to have others in the same boat, sharing fears, skills, and ambitions.

One of my instructors during my first static line training sessions said, "If you land without hurting yourself or the equipment, it's a good skydive."

That's my outlook. No need to change that with experience. Long way to go either way.

I'm a ham too (just a Tech right now) and I also ride a motorcycle, I am picked on from all sides! :)

Fortunately, I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug, uh, regimen to keep my mind, you know, uh, limber.
--- The Dude ---