krayzskydiver 0 #1 September 28, 2004 How many jumps do I need and what kind of liscense do I need to learn how to skysurf? Also, where can I learn? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Raistlin 0 #2 September 28, 2004 For a start, you need to know how to freefly pretty well... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douva 0 #3 September 28, 2004 QuoteHow many jumps do I need and what kind of liscense do I need to learn how to skysurf? Also, where can I learn? 200 jumps (C license) is a good ballpark. You don't need to be a great freeflyer, but you need to be able to hold a stable sit and stand, and you need to be able to do standing layouts. I think Perris Valley (outside Los Angeles) is the only DZ that consistently offers skysurf training. Your other option, when you get the experience to start, is to rent a beginner board from SurfFlite and study the training video that comes with it. Or you can come down to Texas, and I'll teach you. Blue skies, DouvaI don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heltzer 0 #4 September 28, 2004 Cool. Then when you're done teaching her, you can teach me. I'm kinda in a hurry. SBS says I have until this weekend to figure out what the hell I'm doing. Hey, krazyskydiver, one warning about skysurfing: it's unbelievably addictive. And the more tricks you learn to do, the more addictive it gets. Lawrence Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyyhi 0 #5 September 28, 2004 Lawrence, you nut. . . You sure make it look like you know what you are doing. . .have fun this week!________________________________________ Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ FGF #6 Darcy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #6 September 28, 2004 QuoteFor a start, you need to know how to freefly pretty well... Not true at all. All you really need to be able to do is stand, sit, and be able to flip over back into that stand or sit if you flip over. Skysurf suits are simply sit suits with smaller wings and they anchor you head-up. Smart business is to start with a "real" sit suit if you can find one and then borrow or get a skysurf suit made if and when you decide to do it on a regular basis. The lowest experienced jumper I ever taught had exactly 200 jump. That was John Hoover, the current captain of the GK 4-way RW team. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #7 September 28, 2004 QuoteAlso, where can I learn You can also contact Keith Snyder the current US National Champion here kebesurfs@hotmail.com As for you Lawrence...go get 'em handsome! Best of luck at US Nationals 2004....oh and I haven't forgotten Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douva 0 #8 September 28, 2004 QuoteCool. Then when you're done teaching her, you can teach me. I'm kinda in a hurry. SBS says I have until this weekend to figure out what the hell I'm doing... Tell you what, Lawrence--It doesn't look like we'll be competing until Saturday, so just holler at me on Thursday or Friday, if you need any tips. Seriously, though, I may be plying you guys with questions all weekend, so just whack me upside the back of my head with your board if I get to annoying. I'm really looking forward to meeting you guys, as well as the other skysurfers at Nationals. Blue skies, DouvaI don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heltzer 0 #9 September 28, 2004 where...I think Keith Snyder has been hanging his hat at Carolina Skysports (see above email link from Barnhouse). Douva says he's open for business in Texas. Sean McCormack is somewhere in Florida teaching the likes of of Jay Browning (jay@skysurfer.com), if Florida hasn't washed away yet. And here in SoCal, there's Tanya Garcia-O'Brien, Scott Smith and myself. when...is really up to you. First, you should be very comfortable with emergency proceedures because in skysurfing, they'll change. Second, you should be able to agressively control your heading from the belly position using just your upper body...which I guess is something you master somewhere around jump 20. What that means is by the time you get to a hundred jumps or so, you may already have all the skills you need to get started on a beginner board. Some of my students felt comfortable getting started only after having a few hundred freeflys under their bely first. It's all up to you. For example, my friend Kathee Johnson started skysurfing when she had only 100 jumps and she took silver at Nationals in 2000 and 2001, and she had the sweetest twisting layouts. Just like Tanya. Man, there's nothing like the grace and beauty of female gymnastics in the sky... licence...That may be something your home dz may or may not require. If they do, it's only to get an idea of your general skill level. But any decent skysurfing instructor will be more interested in your true skills as proven in video of yourself (nothing like telling a student "no" simply because he or she only has an A licence but 10,000 skysives ). As for me, I started when I had a B licence. Then, when I wanted to compete in 2001, I needed (per USPA) to get a D. Now, I think all you need to compete is a C. Good luck and have fun! Lawrence Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heltzer 0 #10 September 28, 2004 QuoteLawrence, you nut. . . You sure make it look like you know what you are doing. . .have fun this week! Thank you, Darcy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #11 September 28, 2004 QuoteI think all you need to compete is a C. As there is no longer an Itermediate class a "D" is required for Opens. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heltzer 0 #12 September 28, 2004 No worries. That's half the fun at Nationals. Besides, I fly a TS Skyboard...the best, most indestructible skyboard on the planet, so whacking you with it is not an issue. I just hate pulling people's teeth out of the thing. [SBS, you did not read that!] Anyway, one of the things that makes the Nationals experience so great is that you meet the top performers in the sport...in every category. from those crazy CRW dogs to swoopers to surfers. FYI, the CRW dogs have been one of skysurfing's biggest supporters. On the surf side, Tanya and Craig are two of the coolest people on the planet. Kebe has some really cool skyboard excersizes that help out with a lot of tricks. At least, they did for me. And Scott Smith is the meet director, so he may not have time to chat. Oh, man, are you sitting down? Good. You will be competing against Rob Harris. I'm not kidding. There's a new surfer in town and his name is really Rob Harris! And he's a very cool person and VERY passionate about skysurfing. Definitely a great addition to our ranks. Look forward to meeting you later this week! Blue Skies Forever!!! Lawrence Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casurf1978 0 #13 September 28, 2004 Quotewhen...is really up to you. First, you should be very comfortable with emergency proceedures because in skysurfing, they'll change. Just curious as to how they differ? Do skysurfers have a higher probablilty of certain mals? I'm intrested in Skysurfing too, but will wait till I have at least 200+ jumps before I approach one of the schools. Hey when are skyusrfers gonna compete at Nationals? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #14 September 28, 2004 Hey, make sure what's-his-name takes a look at these.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heltzer 0 #15 September 28, 2004 Thanks! I notified what's-his-name. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #16 September 28, 2004 QuoteHey, make sure what's-his-name takes a look at these LOL nice pictures there of whats- his-name Qwark! Game on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SBS 0 #17 September 28, 2004 Very cool. I'll have to get a couple of prints from you this weekend. Steve_____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heltzer 0 #18 September 28, 2004 Emergency procedures for skysurfing follow one simple rule: Get rid of the problem. It might take a bit longer, but that's why we deploy at 4 grand or higher. For beginner boards where deployment is done belly to earth, if you have a mal, chop the main, chop the board, get stable and deploy the reserve. Most students will deploy by 5 or 6 grand in order to have enough time to deal with deployment issues. For intermediate or larger boards where deployment is performed in a stand-up, step one is to chop the bad main. Now, if the skysurfer is in the type of mal where he or she is standing on the board during the mal (say, pilot chute in tow or bag lock), there is no need to chop the board. You're stable and on top of it and good to go for a reserve deployment. So, the next step is simply to deploy the reserve. Just like normal skydives. However, if the mal is causing the skysurfer to spin wildly out toward the horizon, chop the main, chop the board, deploy the reserve. (Please consult a reliable source on the safe method for doing this.) A common mal that is too often not recoverable is line twists. Sometimes the canopy will continue to fly level with the line twists and you'll have enough time to get out of it with the procedures you learned in your beginner skydiving course. And sometimes the canopy will start to keel over and, without your feet free, you wont be able to undo the twists fast enough. Emergency procedures work great if you practice what you are taught and execute what you practice. If you're in a cutaway situation, you chop the main and, depending on the situation, the board as well--basically, you get rig of the problem--and go back to what you know. If you executed a properly planned skydive, there's plently of altitude to deal with a mal. L Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heltzer 0 #19 September 28, 2004 Betsy, I remember our little bet, too! And I expect to be paid off with conviction, enthusiasm, and in a timely manner. Also, the Perris/Nationals Web site states that AE Open is a C licence requirement. http://www.nationals.com/competitor/info.aspx And it states that freestylists have to do an erotic freefall dance around skysurfers. Really. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #20 September 28, 2004 Quoteso just whack me upside the back of my head with your board if I get to annoying. Heltzer, can i borrow that TS too? He hit me on saturday and i want to get him back. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #21 September 28, 2004 QuoteAlso, the Perris/Nationals Web site states that AE Open is a C licence requirement. Wowza! The SCM use to have D for Opens. With the intermediate class eliminated in 2004 it would stand to reason that a change needed to be made to allow folks to compete. I do believe I made metion of that to Scott on the airplane back from last year's Nationals ***And it states that freestylists have to do an erotic freefall dance around skysurfers. Really. Quote Just call me...pixie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #22 September 28, 2004 Quote Wowza! The SCM use to have D for Opens. It had more to do with the jump number requirements. As you may recall, D was 200 jumps and now it's 500. C is now 200 jumps.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bbarnhouse 0 #23 September 28, 2004 QuoteAs you may recall, D was 200 jumps and now it's 500. C is now 200 jumps. Qwark ...that was the intent of my post or rather...the point of it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites heltzer 0 #24 September 28, 2004 May I suggest a taser? It will look better on video and the judges might up your artistic score...especially with the priceless expression on his face when you whip it out at 10,000. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites VanillaSkyGirl 6 #25 September 28, 2004 Sexy legs, Steve! Just kidding...very cool pictures! 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
quade 4 #22 September 28, 2004 Quote Wowza! The SCM use to have D for Opens. It had more to do with the jump number requirements. As you may recall, D was 200 jumps and now it's 500. C is now 200 jumps.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #23 September 28, 2004 QuoteAs you may recall, D was 200 jumps and now it's 500. C is now 200 jumps. Qwark ...that was the intent of my post or rather...the point of it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heltzer 0 #24 September 28, 2004 May I suggest a taser? It will look better on video and the judges might up your artistic score...especially with the priceless expression on his face when you whip it out at 10,000. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VanillaSkyGirl 6 #25 September 28, 2004 Sexy legs, Steve! Just kidding...very cool pictures! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
