What Made You Start Skydiving?

[Kiakambala 0]

Hey i was just wondering what it was that actually made all of you begin jumping? It would just be interesting to find out different peoples reasons etc.

[IanHarrop 42]

I saw a poster said "come see free intorudctory movies to skydiving"... went to the movie, signed up for FJC and the rest is history.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[Yossarian 0]

first week at university, fancied something a bit different, saw the stall at the sports fair and got on course. both the best and worst decision i ever made, but i dont regret a single penny spent :P

[trigger 0]

Jumped a round at 16,took up fast motorcycles and at the age 30 the license was looking a tads tarnished,saw a docu on base/freefly on tv and signed up for aff.
8 1/2 years later haven't looked back and the bikes still on paddock stands

.CHOP WOOD COLLECT WATER.

[chanti 0]

I was at work one Saturday afternoon 3 years ago when I got a text message from a friend that read:"So ... that's how you jump out of an aeroplane!" I thought:"Damn, I've always wanted to do that!", tagged along one weekend to see what it was all about and started AFF a week later! That same friend and I still jump together from time to time.

-Chanti-

[faulknerwn 38]

I'd wanted to do it since I was a little kid (actually wrote off to a dz when I was 12 to get literature on it :-) but didn't start till I was in grad school. It was exam week, and I felt like jumping off of something. I called up a dz on Friday, drove 3 hours to get there Saturday morning, did 2 static line jumps that day and never looked back!

[Mike111 0]

to piss of my then girlfriend

Nah lol, erm was interested in the army parachute reg and thought rather stupidly "hey maybe i can get a head start"! - then was hooked. turns out i now dont wanna join the army but got this!!!

[niu 0]

Curiosity, boosted greatly by Wings,Skydive and Playground in the sky.

[skydiverbry 0]

Cocaine is illegal and the quality went waaaaaay down

--------------------------------------------------
Growing old is mandatory.Growing up is optional!!

D.S.#13(Dudeist Skdiver)

[airtwardo 7]

Found myself hanging off the strut if a 182 with a parachute on...seemed like a good idea at the time!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[xlh883 0]

Skydiving always looked really cool as a kid. I was sheltered as a child and wear glasses and felt kind of handicapped. My parents kept me away from the dangerous stuff like motorcycles and such. I have overcome many of those parent caused fears and do what I want to do. The first of them, was motorcycling, then came scuba, flying and skydiving as the latest. I am not sure what else to try next.

Made 6 jumps this weekend after a layoff since December. I am glad I went back.

Pursue your dreams and never give up on them!

David

[Icon134 0]

seemed like a good idea at the time... little did I know...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[Jeffrey 1]

After an invite, at the age of 18 in 1974 and still in high school, it was all the free beer forced on me at the end of the day when the last load left the ground. The Funny thing is that after only a short time in the sport, it was most often me on that last load of the day. Also the fact that most everyone I met at the DZ back then instantly became as close as family.

Jeff

[wes. 0]

i was brought up as a dz baby, the first place i went when i left hospital after ebing born was the dropzone and my dads been a CCI my hwole life so its always just kind of been ovbious i would start

Falling from the top floor
your lungs fill like parachutes

[chrismgtis 0]

Always thought it was something cool that I couldn't really imagine doing, but thought about it a few times. I saw the Golden Knights at the air show in Ohio in July 2006. In August I decided I was going to do it for my birthday (September 8th) and made the call and jumped on the 9th. Was hooked after that and determined to get my license. Haven't went a weekend since without jumping (willingly).

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[jm951 0]

Did the jump simulator at an Armed Forces Day exhibition back in the early 60's, never got it totally out of my head. Had to be responsible for a while. Now the kids are either off at college or out of the house, which way to the dz?

[enflyt 0]

Grew up down the street from Perris, and used to love hanging out at the bomb shelter or out by the pool watching people land. Swore I was gonna do it on my 18th birthday, and, thanks to mom, I did. and absolutely loved it! Took me 7 years to get enough money (read; used up credit cards) and time in one location to do AFF, which I did last year. Now I just need to win the lotto or something so I can get my own gear and jump more:)

[bob.dino 1]

It was 3am in a bar in Stockholm...

[gemini 0]

Trent from Anomaly bought me a tandem.

Blue skies,

Jim

[talon1206 0]

After Texas A&M beat OU in October 2002. Beth Trehan who was already a jumper took me to Skydive Aggieland and I made my first jump!!

"Pilots without Maintainers are just pedestrians with cool jackets and sunglasses"

[sagan 0]

Studying abroad in college -- a group was going to do tandems and needed one more to get a group discount -- i happened to be the sucker they found and cornered.

I jumped again the next day and said "gee I wonder if I could actually do this like as a hobby or sport or something?" My wallet has been scared ever since.

-Patrick

[towerrat 0]

So no shit, there I was, driving past a plane crash in Zephyrhills. I thought to myself "self, never jump from an airplane, cuz you could get in a plane crash on the way up. What a bunch of dumbasses".

I have had family in Z-hills my whole life, even lived here off and on. I grew up with the sound of the jump plane, and we could see parachutes from almost anywhere in town. I always thought it was a supremely dumb idea.

Then one day, as luck would have it, my pops couldn't find me a suitable Christmas present, so he asked me what I wanted. To this day I still have no idea why I said it, but for some reason I told him I wanted to skydive. I really had no desire whatsoever to jump from an aircraft, that would be an act of complete idiocy!

Well, Christmas came and there were no presents under the tree for me. All I got was a stocking that year. The old man eyeballed me as I opened the gift certificate good for one tandem jump. There was no backing out now. I truly think the old man did it to see if I really had any balls or not...well I didn't. But I went anyways......while everyone else was at work so there would be no witnesses if I cried or puked on myself.

8 1/2 years later I'm still jumping. Working full time in Z-hills, often taking people from the same plane I made my first jump from. It's all incredibly rewarding, and I'm way too lazy to do anything else

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

[boinky 0]

I found a pamphlet in Tennessee and made a comment that "one day" I'd like to try that. My family didn't take me seriously because I was a very non-risk taking sort of person. Well, "one day," my (now) ex-husband came home with a piece of paper that turned out to be my first tandem with video.

I went out all alone that day, but they were the nicest folks and made me feel right at home. I was hooked and back the next weekend for lessons!

Nina

Are we called "DAWGs" because we stick our noses up people's butts? (RIP Buzz)
Yep, you're a postwhore-billyvance

[azdiver 0]

my little sister called me up on a friday night and asked if i would jump with her, told her hell no i aint stupid, she begged for me to come and watch, i went down to watch. got there and she started begging me, in front of our dad,l couldnt look like a puss so i jumped(2 times that weekend) then i was hooked.

light travels faster than sound, that's why some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak

[spiccoli 0]

my golf lesson got cancled

we need to talk about your flare..