heltzer

Is there any imperical evidence showing the failure rate--including mis-fires--of the Cypress AAD? I am looking for the rebuttal to the person who believes they are not reliable and/or are dangerous. Something quantitative. Thanks! Lawrence

Lori, Thanks for all your support! As to what we were laughing at, I think we were all just having the time of our lives. Lawrence

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.

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.

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

Thanks! I notified what's-his-name.

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

Thank you, Darcy!

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

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

Well, if you're really adventurous and want the rush of a life time, why don't you come on down the coast and I'll give you a skysurf ride. As many acrobatics as you can scream for..all while the setting sun burns into the ocean. And note: I have yet to have a customer leave unsatisfied!

Stop inflating his ego. In the name of humanity!! I have to jump with the guy. Now he'll be unbearable.

Jobo, Without you, I am nothing. You are the tidy bowl in my hole. The surprise in my hen house.

Skysurfing is one of those things that you either love it or you don't. And if you don't, there's no way you're going to stick with it...to give it the time and practice needed...for you to get to the point where you're having the time of your life. For me, it's the challenge. It's the hardest thing I've ever tried. The learning curve is steep. But that's what got me addicted to it like a drug. And with every new trick I learn, I get an even bigger rush! It's just the typical, evil cycle of addiction. 100% pure adrenaline! The best part now--with all those solos behind me--is flying with other jumpers while skysurfing! Yes, performing a very interactive routine with my cameraflyer is the total bomb (especially head-down carves!!!), but now I can also do freefly and RW with other jumpers. Just last week, I turned points with one of the guys training for 4-way. That is, I was on my belly with the board pointed to earth, doing side docks and 360s and cats... The bottom line is that as great as carving clouds can be, it's not for everyone. It's no longer in the X-Games because you just can't go out and buy a board and start skysurfing that same day as you would buying anything else you see on the TV show like a bike or a skateboard. You first need to spend $5-10 grand on equipment and do at least a hundred skydives. And then you're going to spend the next 100+ jumps mostly alone and all too often flailing. Others see that as a MAJOR turn-off. HOWEVER, the last two jumpers I trained have become more addicted to skysurfing with every jump...flail or not. Both bought intermediate-level boards before they got as far as ten skysurfs. As far as I'm concerned, it's a very exciting time in the sport. Suddenly, seemingly out of no where, there's all this interest. I mean, skysurfing has been on life support the past few years. A handful of competitors. The last student I trained was over two years ago. Now, in the past two months, I've gotten 4 students and it looks like the turn out at this year's Nationals will be the biggest ever...rivaling the freefly categories. It's awesome!!! And I hope that Douva and myself and all the other surfers can build on that excitement. Hell, I even give the girls free skysurf rides!

Dude! Have you met my sister? DAMN!!!

Here's a question for you. Almost everyone who wants to jump with a skysurfer is affraid to be hit by the board in freefall. However, in all your skysurfing jumps, how often has the lurker hit YOU...including your cameraflyer goring you in the ribs with his helmet? [Oh, and SBS, stay out of this! ]

Bwahahahaha... Thanks! I hate being so 90s. L

Um...I don't know what you're talking about... Does anyone have a picture of a bunny with a pancake on it's head?

Girlfalldown, Ah yes, fun with clamps..."the San Francisco treat". But pads can go where clamps might not have the bite. At least until the mercury really starts to rise and things start slipping and sliding all over the place. That's when kittens will be burning through those nine lives pretty fast.

Um, you know Girlfalldown they're doing wonders with electro-shock thereapy now-a-days. In fact, I recall this girlfriend of mine who had a little portable unit and she would put the electrode pads...oh, uh sorry...that's a bit off point for this thread. L

Why?

Liz, Now that we've established that your boyfriend is gay, we no longer have to keep our Friday trips to the dz together a secret. Besides, I've gotten used to you driving my 54" stick!!!

Hey!!! I started static line! Looking back, I don't recommend it. But it's better than being strapped to a 6'-2" pervert with long, hairy arms. ...and stop following me around in dz.com.

I hope it's a camera.

Team Perigee