SkydiveChick updates

A few updates in the life of a Skydive Chick (and no, I have no idea why I’m using bullets here):

• The balloon jump didn’t happen again yesterday. I think I’ve jinxed it by announcing it on Twitter and Facebook. So we’re trying to reschedule, but this time I’m keeping the wheres and whens to myself. You’ll know it’s happened when I post the video.




• We tried calling around to all the local DZs and no one was jumping. With a ceiling of 1900 ft and a possible clearing by 5 p.m., that didn’t leave us much time to skydive, and it was still a big IF that the clouds might clear.




• So instead I spent part of yesterday evening at North Coast Body Mod in Mentor-on-the-Lake, OH, having Donny draw up the second half of my skydiving tattoo. The closing pin on my wrist was just a little too simple for me, so I decided to have phase 2 drawn up. Donny was able to take the concept in my head and make it come to life. Flipping through his portfolio I knew the tattoo would turn out amazing as his detail work was incredible! I didn’t anticipate actually having the ink done yesterday, but I needed some form of adrenaline rush without jumping. Here’s what it looks like the day after.

(Still a little goopy from the A&D, but you get the idea. What an incredible original piece. I’m so proud to wear this. Thanks, Donny!)

Another great skydiving tattoo that came out of North Coast Body Mod is this one that’s on Rick’s shoulder.

(Actual colors of Rick’s Sabre canopy, absolutely incredible!)

This is a cover up piece done by Brian. I’ve yet to see a reaction other than pure amazement when he shows this off. Needless to say I’m now a huge advocate for North Coast Body Mod. I’ll definitely be tapping their talent the next time I decide to get inked.

Okay, enough about this skydive chick’s life – on to some weekend happenings you actually care about.

Given that this weekend is Halloween, I’m sure there will be a lot of spooktacular boogies going on at most DZs. However, in case you’re unaware, I’ve listed a few that you might want to consider attending if you’re in the area.

• 10/31 – Target Skysports. UK. Frostbite Friendly 10-way speed competition and Halloween party. Check out the details at Dropzone.com.
• 10/31 – Skydive Tecumseh. End of year party. This is an event that may be better suited for regulars as they’re having an end of year film competition with footage from around the DZ this season, but it’ll likely be worth the trip as they’re having helicopter jumps as well as a super otter. Don’t forget about what’s likely to be a hilarious Halloween costume contest.
• 10/31-11/1. Skydive Pennsylvania. Grove City, PA. This is where you’ll find me this year. There’s a Halloween party going on Saturday evening and the weather is supposed to be clear for lots of jumping on Sunday.

Where ever you end up this Halloween…

Blue Skies!

Ashley

Stress and the Skydiver

*Photo by Lonnie Kirk (from a C-185)

Over the course of the season I’ve found that my stress levels are significantly lower throughout the week after a weekend filled with skydiving.

It’s a perfect inverse relationship – the more altitude in my life, the less stress. Ask any jumper, they’re likely to confirm this statement.

Though I will admit, the more skydiving I do on the weekends, the more I crave it throughout the week. Unless I’m lucky enough to squeeze in a weekday jump – hell, even if I have made a hump-day jump or two – I’m practically twitching in my seat come Friday, needing my adrenaline fix.

There’s something about opening the caravan door (or otter, or porter) at 13,000 feet, smelling the clean, crisp air, and flying with your freefly partner (or RW crew, if you’re into that sort of thing).

There’s no better release than that.

*Still taken from video by Richard Simenc. Prepping for a two-man rodeo.

Talk about living in the moment – as you plummet at speeds upwards of 140+ mph, all you have to focus on is what’s going on in that minute of freefall. There’s no worries at all. Work, your to-do list, issues with friends and family, all that gets sucked out the door at altitude.

Under canopy, you’re completely at peace; reflecting on the preceding skydive, adrenaline still pumping through your body – it’s the ultimate alone time.

*Photo by Sandy Weltman

Of course, where I found the most tranquility was on my helicopter jump – which is essentially the same feeling as a BASE, jumping into still air (though with significantly more altitude involved) – which you may remember from my post on the Work Stinks boogie a couple months back.

I’ve heard hot air balloon jumps are even more peaceful than the helicopter, what without the sound of the blades above your head. I will soon find out as I do my first balloon jump tomorrow with friends Bryan and Landon and my freefly partner Rick.

Fingers crossed for beautiful weather and Blue Skies!

Ashley

The Ever-expanding Community

One thing that I’ve come to love about skydiving and adrenaline sports is the tight-knit community.

Though I’m still very much learning the inner-workings behind it all, I’ve come to realize that the jumping community in particular (read: skydivers and BASE jumpers), is ever expanding, yet small enough that with every new person you meet, there’s a good chance they’ll know someone you do.

During Bridge Day weekend I was lucky enough to meet some skydivers who are regulars at another NE Ohio dropzone, Aerohio. What make that even better, is that I was able to jump with a few of them on Sunday as I visited their home DZ for the first time.

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day. Mid 50s, not a cloud in the sky, winds at a perfect 5-10 mph. A number of my regular jumping buddies were headed down to Rittman to jump out of the caravan, and given that my home DZ didn’t have a turbine, it didn’t take much to twist my arm.

I took part in four great freefly jumps – a 4-way sitfly where we campfired (or attempted, anyhow), a two man rolling train into a sit as we tried to get Matt to perfect his sitfly, a three man head down with two amazing freeflyers in an effort to teach me the basics, and a relative sitfly with my girl Christa – that we kept pretty relative.

Getting to jump with some of the people I met at Bridge, a couple of incredible experienced jumpers, and my long-time jumping buddies made for a great day. I even met a few new jumpers that are quickly becoming new friends.

(Part of our crew from Bridge Day this year)

Aside from the fact that my freefly partner couldn’t be there because of the flu, it was a great day at a new DZ!

I’m beyond thrilled to be a part of such an exciting community. There’s always something new going on (like the impromptu balloon jump we’re currently planning for this afternoon), the people generally welcome you with open arms, and our community continues to grow with each first jump that’s made.

Personally, I couldn’t be happier with the friends I’ve made this season. Can’t wait to see how my jumper network continues to grow. Hopefully one day y’all will be a part of it, too!

Blue skies!

Ashley

Mid-week jumps and weekend happenings

After an exhausting weekend in West Virginia for Bridge Day I really thought this week at the office would drag. But boy was I wrong.

Seriously, how is it Friday already?

I think taking a half vacation day on Wednesday to take advantage of the nice weather really helped. The temperatures got up to almost 70 degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Perfect fall jumping weather!

So Rick and I headed down to Canton Air Sports to meet up with a number of our other jumping buddies who had the same idea.

A couple jumps was just the fix I needed…I was starting to twitch over here!

The first jump was a new two-way freefly attempt – one we had seen pictures of before, though we’re not entirely sure what to call it. Essentially, it’s a one-man sit with a head-down stinger. I was the stinger. And we actually pulled it off for a couple seconds. More practice is definitely in order.

If anyone has a name for this, please feel free to share.

The second jump was a high pull so we could play under canopy for a while. I’ve never pulled at 7 grand before, and given the amount of time I hung out in the sky, I’m pretty certain I won’t again for a while.

What can I say, I just get a little uncomfortable being under canopy for so long. But I did learn a little more about my Triathlon – how far I can push it with spirals, testing out front and rear riser moves. For anyone with a new canopy, I definitely recommend a high pull to help you get acquainted.

Hopefully on Sunday the weather will play nice and I can get back to the playground in the sky. If you’re in the NE Ohio area, come out and fly with me. Otherwise, here’s what’s going on this weekend around the skydiving community:

• 10/24. CSC Halloween Party. Live music, costume contest, bonfire and camping. If you’re in or around Chicago, this is a can’t miss DZ party.
• 10/24. RW skills camp. Also at CSC. Visit Dropzone.com for more information.

And next week there is sure to be numerous Halloween boogies to choose from.

Blue Skies!

Ashley

A Taste of B.A.S.E

(*Photo by Ashley Mead)

This weekend was one of my first experiences with BASE jumping. There were a couple other scouting missions I’d been on with fellow skydivers, and a ground crew opportunity here and there, but nothing quite compared to a weekend at the New River Gorge.

This year was the 30th anniversary of Bridge Day - a BASE jumping boogie in Fayetteville, West Virginia. It’s held every year on the 3rd weekend in October and it’s the country’s premier legal BASE event.

(*Photo by Ashley Mead)

For those who may not be fully aware, BASE jumping is an adrenaline sport dedicated to jumping from static objects, rather than from an aircraft as we do in skydiving.

BASE stands for Building, Antenna, Span, Earth – the four categories of objects that jumpers typically throw themselves from when making a BASE jump.

Similar to skydiving, you can get a BASE number by having documented jumps from each of these categories.

Bridge Day is a great experience, not just for the ensuing post-jump parties, but it provides opportunities to participate for all involved.

First time jumpers can take a day-long course to teach them the ins and outs of canopy piloting (F-111, 7-cell canopies can be tricky to flare and land if you’ve never had that experience), packing, and safety. Given that the bridge is 876 ft., this provides first-timers a little comfort knowing they have some altitude to play with.

(*Photo by Ashley Mead)

Experienced BASE jumpers often spend the day jumping multiple times, in two-ways, three-ways and doing some amazing tricks.

The landing area is small, uphill and a little rocky. Even with the cold temperatures, rain and sleet on Saturday, many jumpers still chose to land in the river than to risk pounding in a hard landing. The motto going around that day was, “you dry faster than you heal.”

Very true. In the hour or so I spent down at the LZ, I saw multiple hard landings, including one that ended in a broken leg.

But, with the hundreds of jumps that took place that day, there were very few injuries to report – most were minor.

Let’s move on to the positives, shall we?

This year, Bridge Day was opened up with a jump by my friends Paul and Lonnie. They were providing our friend Dan ‘Danger’ Mathie with his first BASE jump in the form of an ash dive. (They are the first jump in the video below.)

You’ll notice Dan’s ashes puff out as they deploy their ‘chutes. What an amazing jump, guys!

Luckily for that jump, the weather was nice. Chilly, but the sun was starting to peak out for a few minutes. Though it didn’t last long. The afternoon was spent watching jumpers in the rain and sleet.

Well worth it, though, as I got to head to the LZ at the bottom of the bridge and take photos of my freefly partner on his 5th jump off this bridge – his first ever legal BASE jump.

Check out some of the photos of his jump sequence:

(*Photos by Ashley Mead, taken at the base of the New River Gorge Bridge)

After Rick’s jump I was able to meet up with John from TraventureMan so we could do a little interview action. It was great meeting you, John! I’ll be sure to let y’all know when it’s posted.

The rest of the day was spent watching the remaining jumpers from atop the bridge and heading to the HQ for some pizza, beer and partying.

We ended up calling it a night earlier than expected. A day of jumping and photography really takes it out of you.

The next day before heading out of town, we made our way down to the base of the bridge with some of our other friends so they could see the perspective from along the river.

(Happy birthday, Rick! So glad I got to share this experience with you.)

Hopefully the weather will be better next year when I return to make my first Bridge Day jump – because you better believe I’m going to be nice to my bones and land in the river.

Blue Skies!

Ashley

Oh the memories

So I had every intention of speaking in greater detail today about some of the freefly jumps that were completed this weekend – with video and everything.

But, the video isn’t cooperating, which is a sign that it’s just not meant to be today.

Instead, I’d like to document some of my favorite memories from this season. There have been so many, and with the colder weather coming in (up here in the North, that is), what a better time to reflect on the season and document the best memories in permanent fashion – here on the interwebs.

Let’s go back in time, shall we, and dig up those events, photos, quotes, and times spent around the bonfire that made this season so great.

-Getting to be Bob’s last AFF student at Cleveland Parachute. What an amazing skydiver – and a great friend!

*Photo by Dan Mathie

-Working demos for Danger at Nelson Ledges.

*Photo by Ashley Mead

-Making the move to Canton Air Sports as my home DZ and meeting so many great people in such as short amount of time.

-Completing water training in a pond with 5 men on one of the coldest mornings of the summer.

-Using my on-the-ground photography skills to help out Lonnie during the busy times at Canton Air Sports.

*Photo by Lonnie Kirk (one of my first mentors and an incredible photographer)

-Howling with pure excitement under canopy when I finally got my track down.

-The nervousness and pure thrill of jumping my first pack job on my new rig.

(Not my first jump on the rig, but a recent photo of an approach)

-Passing my A-license check dive with Tom, my first instructor, and the ensuing hugs and celebrating with all my DZ friends.

-Getting a skydiving tattoo: closing pin on my right wrist.

-Jumping from a helicopter at the Work Stinks Boogie. Pure tranquility from 4,500 feet.

*Photo by Norman Kent

-Meeting and having photo/video taken by Norman Kent (see above).

-Sitting up on my first attempt at a sitfly, and realizing just how much I love freeflying.

-Getting invited to jump with Team Magnuson and work on my RW skills during the Jump for Diabetes.

-Notable quotes:

• Are those your legs, or are you riding a chicken?
• HIM. HIM. F#@& HIM.
• I like to chase my dad sometimes too!
• Don’t over-think it. Just jump.
• I’m calling that one the ‘reverse cowgirl!’
• BEANS!

-The day I completed a 15 minute pack job and thought to myself “you know, I really don’t dread packing anymore.” And I haven’t minded it since.

-Meeting my freefly partner and planning some of the most exciting jumps of the season.

We even match!

-Celebrating the life of Dan Mathie with fellow skydivers who loved him.

-Attending my first boogie: Work Stinks at Start Skydiving in Lebanon, OH, and mingling with some of the most incredible jumpers.

-Getting to spend quality time with Danger and soaking up all the knowledge I could. You’ll continue to be an inspiration, Dan.

*Photo by Ashley Mead

-Bonding over beers, bonfires and shared experiences with the people who have become my dearest friends.

Looking back, skydiving has completely changed my life – for the better. Honestly, I can say that skydiving has saved my life. This sport has helped me become more self-aware and self confident than I ever dreamed imaginable.

It’s hard to believe how much has been accomplished in a few short months. Finishing out the season as a B-licensed skydiver, with more than 60 skydives under my belt, and a passion like I’ve never experienced before, I’m more than thrilled with how this season unfolded.

I can’t wait to see what the upcoming seasons bring.

What are some of your favorite memories of this skydiving season?

Blue skies!

Ashley

Home Away from Home

Over the course of the summer, Canton Air Sports has quickly become my home away from home – as is the case for most skydivers and their home DZ.

It’s a place that you look forward to visiting after a long week. A place where you find peace, tranquility, and happiness. A place where you’re all family – an often crazy, dysfunctional family that likes to throw themselves out of airplanes at 13,000 feet and marvel at the video footage after – but a supportive one none the less.

I cherish my home dropzone just as much as my real home. Between the bonfires, stories and advice shared, and great memories built in freefall with like-minded people, who wouldn’t look forward to a weekend at the DZ?

The friends I’ve made this season alone are some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met – and this weekend, I was lucky enough to celebrate the 35th anniversary of our home DZ with most of them.

It was a 5-jump weekend for me, four on Saturday – starting with a dead sprint to make the first load – and one on Sunday. What can I say, it was a long night and a very cold day at altitude. So, I might just be a freeze baby. What of it?

The weekend was filled with freefly jumps, lots of sit practice with my freefly partner and some excellent coaching opportunities with one of the most incredible freeflyers around. I feel more than fortunate to have been in the air with him and learned so much just from one-off conversations on the ground. Thanks, Joe!

Throughout the weekend we got to jump, eat, drink, and chat with those skydivers who share in the love of a great dropzone. The cookout was delicious, and after a long day of jumping, cracking open that first beer around the bonfire made for the perfect transition to a night of debauchery. I’ll spare you the details. What happens at the bonfire, stays at the bonfire.

(Diane and Rodger, Rick and myself hanging out with the rest of the crew at the bonfire.)

Though it’s all in good fun. Work hard, play hard. Right?

Come Sunday most of the experienced jumpers were moving a little slower than usual, but what’s a better hangover cure than a brisk 60 seconds in freefall?

This was one of the best jumps of the weekend for me. Two-man rolling train into a sit. I held a pretty decent sitfly – enough to participate in a two-man freefly with Joe as he went head down. This was also, by far, the best landing I’ve had with my canopy yet. Perfect braked approach into a landing where I wouldn’t have cracked an egg shell – and perfectly on target. Looks like I’m starting to get this 7-cell thing down. About time!

Due to the cold winds at altitude and the caravan having to leave earlier than expected, I called it a day after one jump. The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning up from the night before and reminiscing over the hundreds of pictures that Sandy took over the weekend.

She was even nice enough to burn some onto a CD for me. Here’s a small blip of the events from the 35th anniversary celebration of Canton Air Sports. (Big thanks to Sandy and Lonnie Kirk for these amazing photos.)

(Dirt diving the 6-way hybrid. I was part of the 4-man base with Rick and Joe as hangers.)

(Sandy took lots of great shots of the sport jumpers under canopy!)

(Couple of freeflyers, always wanting to ‘hang’ around.)

(Now that’s what I call dirt dive concentration.)

Blue Skies!

Ashley

35th Anniversary of Canton Air Sports

This weekend is the official celebration of the 35th anniversary of my home DZ, Canton Airsports in Alliance, OH.


As a dropzone that has become, literally, a weekend home to us NE Ohio jumpers, we’re excited to gather together and celebrate as a family.

(A coincidental find by my good friend Christa in a local parking lot. Makes me smile!)

The caravan will once again be on loan from the ever generous John Hart of Start Skydiving. We’ve been lucky to have a bigger plane for certain weekends this year, including the inaugural, and highly successful, Jump for Diabetes that was held in August.


The weather is supposed to be beautiful in our neck of the woods this weekend too!


So hopefully, you’ll see us all in our glory, jumping and packing and dirt diving away, and spending some quality time together around the bon fire in celebration of 35 great years as a premier Ohio dropzone.

(Yep, we’re a crazy group, but we love each other! Photo courtesy of Lonnie Kirk)

If you’re in the area, stop on by for a load or two, or even an after-hours beer. All are welcome at Canton Airsports.


Where ever you end up this weekend…


Blue skies!


Ashley

REVIEW: Infinity Rigs

As a skydiver who just came off student status this year, I’ve had numerous opportunities to jump all kinds of different equipment before making a purchase of my own. This is one of the perks of being a student, actually. You get to test out a variety of rigs, canopies and other gear as you progress through the sport.

You may recall a couple months back when I was lucky enough to attend a local Aerodyne demo tour and test out a brand new Pilot canopy and Icon rig. I fell in love with the Pilot and knew that one day that would be the canopy for me.

In fact, shortly after earning my A license I was prepared to start piecing together the perfect rig. Lucky for me, the perfect complete system was practically dropped into my lap during a random search on Dropzone.com.

The main canopy was a Triathlon. In student training I’d jumped one 7-cell and liked it well enough, and given that it’s an Aerodyne product, I figured it was a good enough option.

What I like most about this system is the Infinity container, manufactured by Velocity Sports Equipment. As soon as I put it on I knew it was the rig for me. It fit like nothing I’d ever tested before. Sure, most of those were student rigs, but even those that were sport rigs didn’t fit quite like this. For a girl with a small frame, it can be hard to find used gear that fits quite this well. I’d recommend Infinity to anyone with a small build – they certainly know what they’re doing.

Other points to note: it’s completely freefly friendly and packs like a dream! Two things that were critical in choosing a rig.

(Climbing out for our three-man rolling train last week)

As you’ll notice, it’s very sharp, too. Purple with blue, black and gray accents. Now, if only I had a matching pair of freefly pants…

If you’re in the market for a new rig, or know someone who is, I highly recommend checking out Infinity.

Blue skies!

Ashley

I’d Rather be Skydiving

It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these posts; mainly because I’ve spent all my free time jumping this summer and haven’t done much else. What can I say, I’m a lucky girl!

Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t cooperated much these past couple weekends, what with fall arriving at a much faster clip than I’d prefer. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fall. So long as it’s sunny and the weather is jumpable. There’s always a catch, isn’t there?

It’s been difficult going two weekends without skydiving. This weekend some friends and I even headed down to a local dropzone – after hearing that the plane was grounded at our home DZ – without a single jump to show for it. Sad, really.

Luckily, I slipped in a jump last Thursday when the weather was perfect! It was a fun freefly jump with friends Nick and Rick.

We did a three man rolling train, releasing once stable and transitioning into a sit. (Turn up the audio if you want to hear some fun commentary on the ride up.)

Nick is on the bottom with me in the middle and Rick on top (shooting video for us).

This was the only jump of the day as the sun was already setting once we packed up. Still having a hard time getting used to these shorter days.

Blue Skies!

Ashley