Top Notch Customer Service: A Deepseed Story

I know y’all are probably tired of hearing me say that Deepseed is the shit when it comes to jumpsuits – because they are – but I wanted to review some of the important reasons why, if you’re in the market for a suit, you should really consider them.

First and foremost, customer service. If you’ve been in the sport a while, you know those skydiving manufacturers who have the reputation of having terrible customer service and those who have been known to bend over backwards to ensure their customers have everything they need, and then some (like the PDs and L&Bs of the world). Let me tell you, Deepseed falls into the latter category.

Having worked with them for the greater part of the season, I’m absolutely amazed at the level of responsiveness I receive each time I reach out. Even with a 16 hour time difference, Liam, Sally and Krista make time in their early mornings to answer my questions and ensure I’ve got everything I need before the sun goes down on the East Coast of the States. They’re so patient with my random requests, last minute design changes and tweaks – Krista has even jumped on Skype to walk through requests step-by-step to ensure they get it right.

Working with a company who not only is responsive but willing to go above and beyond at all hours of the day to ensure top-notch service is an experience to look forward to. Ordering skydiving gear should not be a chore – it should be enjoyable. You should love the final product, because as we all know, that shit ain’t cheap, but at the end of the day, when the product you ordered comes in the mail and you can tell that they took care in the design and development, it’s all worth it.

That’s what you get with Deepseed. Quality. Stellar customer service. And a custom design that is like no other.

I’ve mentioned the quality in previous posts, but I have to go over that again. I have been with friends at the dropzone and watched as the stitching on their “name brand” suits unravels before our eyes. I’ve also seen people blow their suits apart in the tunnel – even suits that were “tunnel rated.” It’s disheartening to see – especially when these people spent hundreds and waited for weeks on these suits that were supposed to stand the test of time only to fall apart within the first 6 months they’ve had them.

I’ve also seen suits that have FINALLY arrived only to be far too large, or too small, and need to be sent back to be altered multiple inches. That goes beyond measurement error, that’s just sloppy. Deepseed has this amazing measuring school online with pictures and video to show you how to get the most accurate measurements and will ensure that, if you’ve followed instructions, your suit will come back fitting like a glove. Mine did. The INverter that we ordered at the same time did.

And if there’s any question about a measurement or a design request, you better believe you’ll get an email from Krista or Sally rather than having them guess. This just goes to show the level of customer service you can expect from them – the highest!

If you need a tunnel rated suit, I highly recommend looking into the Vyper – made for both men and women. Or, if you’re a jumper in the summer and a tunnel rat in the winter like me, talk to them about adding a layer of windproof material to the Curv8or or INverter (the men’s version of the Curv8or which is an amazing freefly suit) so you can fly it in and out of the tunnel without worrying about blowing out your sipper.

Guys, it’s evident that I can’t say enough good about Deepseed, as a company, as people, as designers. Do your research, email them about design options (you can do much more with design than you can on their design program online, just shoot them a note, they’ll work with you) I promise you, you won’t regret giving them a chance. I certainly haven’t.

Love and Blue Skies!

Ashley

Deepseed Curv8or

Deepseed INverter - Men's freefly suit

Deepseed – Skydive Dedicated Hardware

It’s amazing what a high-quality jumpsuit will do for your skydiving.

In recent weeks I received a custom freefly jumpsuit from Deepseed. It’s their Curv8or design for women, and it’s amazing! Moments after my first jump with the suit I was spewing excitement from my face about the smoothness of my flight. I wasn’t fighting with fabric on an ill-fitting jumpsuit, when I decided to make a move, I went there without hesitation. The suit cut through the air like I’d never experienced before.

The thing about freefly suits is that they are supposed to fit a very specific way in order to function properly in a sit (and, if I could stay on my head I’d assume the same for head down). They need to fit close to the body without being tight, and they need to flex in the right places without riding up on the arms or legs.

There are so many features of the suit that I like. You can find the description of all their suits here, but if you want a first-hand account from someone who is absolutely head-over-heels for this suit, then keep reading.

Flexibility

This is first on my list because, from the experiences I’ve had with other suits, this aspect makes the Curv8or stand out from the rest. There are these amazing spandex panels placed strategically throughout the suit that allow it to fit perfectly no matter the position your body may find itself in. The cuffs on the arms stay in place and don’t ride up thanks to these panels, and the spandex on the legs allows me to transition from a sit to stand to shelf and everything in between without encountering too much or not enough fabric to make these moves smoothly.

Fit

Being a New Zealand based company (read: shipping ain’t cheap) I was nervous about the suit fitting right the first time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard fellow jumpers say they had to send their suits back to “the other guys” because it didn’t come in fitting properly the first time – I’ve even heard stories of multiple resizing efforts to get it right. Yikes! Thankfully, Deepseed has this handy little Measuring School that will walk you through proper measuring to ensure a proper fit. And if they question any of your numbers, they will email you to have you remeasure just in case. They pride themselves on getting it right the first time – so long as you follow the measuring instructions.

Breathability

Living in the South, this is a critical aspect of the suit. There are some days that the last thing I want to do is wear a jumpsuit because it’s so f-ing hot out, but it’s actually pretty comfortable to don this suit. The fabric breathes so you don’t feel like you’re trapped inside a ziplock bag.

Unique Design

They can do everything from color fades to design imprints (read: you can have a logo, text or other image that imprinted directly into the fabric of the suit, so it won’t snag or wear off over time). You can make the suit as basic or as loud as you want.

Guarantee

If the suit doesn’t fit properly, if it didn’t turn out to your specifications or if their stitching isn’t up to par, you have a guarantee that they will fix it for you. Keep in mind, if your suit isn’t rated for the tunnel, that’s not considered “normal wear and tear” but when you’re scoping out options online they explicitly call out which suits are tunnel rated. Be sure to check out the Viper for men and women if tunnel flying is your flavor.

Customer Service

There’s something to be said for a company that will bend over backwards to ensure you are not just happy, but thrilled with their products. Liam, Sally and the rest of the gang are more than willing to work with you on your designs and they’ll even try something new to make sure they have happy customers. I love working with individuals who care!

So, if you’re in need of a new freefly suit, I can’t recommend Deepseed enough. Hit me up with questions if you have them.

Blue skies!

Ashley

Transcending Fear: A Brian Germain Book Review

Turns out that, though I’m not a book reviewer, this is my second review in the last week. The difference this time is that I was not asked to do so, it’s purely because I think everyone should know about, and read, this book.

Transcending Fear: The Doorway to Freedom, by Brian Germain

It’s written by a skydiver and is an incredible read from the perspective of a skydiver, but even if you’re not a jumper or never plan to be, I believe you should still pick up this book.

It’s a quick read, but even if it wasn’t it would be well worth your time. I found myself reading a chapter, then re-reading it just to make sure I absorbed every last word. For anyone who finds that their actions are driven by fear from time to time (and honestly, I’m not sure anyone can say this hasn’t happened to them at least once in their life) this is a must read. Everything from starting a new chapter in your life, to taking a risk like jumping out of an airplane for the first time, or even making a simple life change can cause anxiety and fear we never knew existed inside us. Brian’s incredibly well-written text will walk you through the process for overcoming your fear by controlling what you can and deepening the connection and trust you have in yourself.

Brian shows you not how to stop your fear, but how to slow down the physiological effects of fear and to channel the energy in a positive, constructive manner. He stresses slowing down, breathing, focusing. Anyone who is active in yoga will find that this is highly relatable to the practice.

I don’t want to go too deep into it and give away too much of the book because I truly believe you should read it for yourself. You can buy it on Amazon – click this here link – and once you’re done I guarantee you’ll have a handful of people you’ll want to pass it on to so they can benefit.

Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. You might be surprised just how much it changes your outlook on fear and helps you manage your responses in daily life.

And PLEASE, if you are going to skydive, you’re a newbie jumper, or even if you’ve been in the sport for years, get this book now! Even if it doesn’t open your eyes to your fear, it will at least help you understand the inner-workings of those around you.

Love and blue skies!

Ashley

Book Review: SocialPunk

Let me start this post by saying that I am by no means a book reviewer, but when I was approached by Monica to consider a blog tour of her trilogy, SocialPunk, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

That said, I tend to have rather strong opinions when it comes to books. I’m a love ‘em or hate ‘em kinda reader and it’s usually based completely on how I feel when I’m reading the book – not on the technical aspects of the writing. So this was a bit out of my comfort zone, to say the least, so I hope I can get across what I’m trying to say in this review.

From the beginning I have to say that it didn’t grip me like other books of it’s nature – I would compare the premise to that of Twlight or Hunger Games books, where the leading lady is struggling with the love and affection of two men of interest – however I found myself wanting to continue on to see where it would lead.

The voice of the author was hard to distinguish. The words read as if they were forced at times, making the read much less natural. There were moments in the book where dialogue between Ima and her companions wasn’t as intense in emotion as the surrounding context led me to believe it should be been. Emotions change quickly from paragraph to paragraph, and sometimes even sentence to sentence, moving from anger to passionate lust within moments. Drawing out the emotions tends to keep readers on the edge of their seat, truly wondering what will happen next. Personally, I would like to read this book from the perspective of one of the characters, rather than as a narrated text. I think it would make the story more compelling.

It’s a very Chicago-centric book, and I believe anyone who has or does live in the city would appreciate references to landmarks and streets. Sometimes these references seemed a bit obscure – even awkward at times.

Though I wouldn’t categorize the book as a favorite of mine, I do think it would be popular among a young adult crowd. I tend to think the premise of the book is more suited to a teenage audience, unlike the trilogies mentioned earlier, that appealed to an adult audience as well. Of course, if you couldn’t get enough of the Twilight and Hunger Games books because of their love triangles, this just might be the next best read for you.

About the Author

Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of 3 novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit.

Cheers!

Ashley

Review: Infinity Containers, part 2

So for those who are paying attention, yes, this is my second review on the Infinity containter – but this time, I’m a little wiser, so I’d like to share a few aspects of this brand that keep me coming back for more.

Earlier this season I was talking to a fellow jumper who was looking to buy her own gear. She, like me, was on the smaller side, looking for a rig that not only fits her, but held a moderate size canopy. Most of the used small rigs out there hold 120s and below – not ideal for the recent A-licensed skydiver.

Of course, I wasn’t planning to sell off my gear so quickly, but when I saw a jumper in need, I took the opportunity to not only help her out, but to go down the path of ordering brand new custom gear myself. When it came to a container, naturally, I went with Infinity again.

(Brand new out of the box!)

The container has since been packed with a brand new PDR 126 and I’m currently sporting a green and white Triathlon 135 until my custom Sabre 2 -120 arrives.

(Packing up! *Photo by Steve Mead)

Here’s what I LOVE about this container:

1) Integrated secondary riser cover. Not only does this keep everything in place, whether you’re freeflying or belly flying, but it looks slick. It’s all one seamless piece.

(*Photo by VSE)

2) Bridle cover within the bottom flap. My old Infinity didn’t have this feature, and I have to say, for freeflying it’s the only way to go. I have no doubt that my bridle is secure when I’m out there on my feet and (attempting to make it) on my head.

(*Photo by VSE)

3) The people! I’m a big believer in customer service can make or break a company. Between Kelly, Tony and Gail, I was given the most incredible customer service ever – even when I was a total pain and asking Tony to send me pictures of fabric colors. Gail even went so far as to send me a picture of my rig before she shipped it off because she knew how excited I was. It’s little things like that that go a long, LONG way in my book. Love these guys!

4) Speaking of colors – the color options they have available are some of the best I’ve seen. I love that they have a charcoal option aside from the lighter silver. And I can’t say enough about the neon blue. Oh come on, you know color matters in this sport – don’t fool yourself, it’d matter to you too!

(All dressed in my Freak N Suit and Infinity…two of my favorite skydiving brands! *Photo by Steve Mead)

5) Sizing. It fits perfectly! Beyond perfectly. Since it was made for my measurements, it’s one of the most comfortable things I’ve ever put on my back. And as I’m flailing in the sky, I don’t even realize it’s there. This new one is so little and compact too!

6) All the little features like stainless hardware, articulated harness, completely freefly friendly…even the angled tuck tab for easy pin checks.

Needless to say, I’m a huge Infinity fan. Those crazy kids over at Velocity Sports Equipment really know what they’re doing! They got me hooked – I’ll forever be an Infinity users. Thanks guys, for an incredible product with impeccable service!

Blue skies!

Ashley

Purchasing Gear

This is something I’m starting to feel like I’ve become an expert at: buying skydiving gear.

Last July I bought my first rig off dropzone.com. I just happened to be surfing online at 2am when it popped up. I was one of 5 people to respond within the first few hours. But luckily, I was the first and had dibs. The entire rig had 70 jumps on it. I thought for sure I’d keep it a long time.

Fast forward to Safety Day this year when a student, who is also a small girl, overhears me saying that I’m planning to downsize and want to sell my canopy. She was all over it. So I just happened to mention that my rig might fit…so she tried it on. Sure enough, she fell in love with it.

That’s when I realized it was time to start looking for new gear, again. Wait, didn’t I just do this?

So, being the mildly obsessive girl that I am, I went home and printed off at least 20 Infinity container order forms, pulled out my markers and colored pencils and went to work designing the perfect rig. I’d told myself I was going to get away from the electric purple and blue color scheme, go with something a little more “me.”

I tinkered with Spartan colors (green and white) but it just didn’t do anything for me. I tried my hardest to find a way to use their blue violet color, mainly because it was unique, but I still just wasn’t pleased. So after weeks of playing with colors I finally settled on a design.

And guess what: my new rig is blue and purple (and black). Turns out that color scheme was me after all.

Naturally, after placing that order it was time to get a matching freefly suit. So I called up my new friend Angela over at Freak n’ Suits and gave her a rundown of what I was looking for – but ultimately I wanted to give her creative freedom to make it look how she thought would be best.

Less than a month later my suit arrived! It fits perfect, and the colors are incredible! I highly recommend the electric blue for any suit that Angela makes for you. I couldn’t be happier with mine!

(Hard to tell just how bad ass the suit really is in this photo.)

Of course, the ordering process still is not complete. I need to get with Performance Designs to order my PD reserve – though that shouldn’t be too difficult as I’m just going to get stock white. And of course I’ve spent plenty of hours on PDs online canopy designer trying to find the perfect colors for the Sabre2 135 that I’m thinking of purchasing.


As you can see, purchasing gear can be a very involved process, especially when ordering new. But, in the end, when everything fits you like it should because it’s custom made for YOU, it’s worth it!


Needless to say the buying is never complete in this sport. Just when you think you’ve got it all, there’s the newest toy or shiny object you just HAVE to have.

My rig is scheduled for delivery in mid-July. When it arrives you can be sure  to find pictures of my newest toys right here!

Blue skies!

Ashley

Flying with weight

A few weeks back I decided to open my wallet for a piece of equipment that I’ve been told time and time again I would eventually need to fly with, but I’ve been too stubborn to purchase.

I don’t like being told that I’m going to need something in order to accomplish what I want in freefall. Sure, we all need parachutes, that’s a given. But when I was told I would need a weight belt (or vest) to keep up with others in freefly (and on my belly too, though you’ll rarely catch me there), the stubborn ass in me came out.

“I can just stand and catch up if I need to.”

Well, that didn’t prove to work as well as I thought it would – even standing I’m still pretty floaty.

“Well then, I’ll go head down to catch up.”

Turns out my head down skills aren’t where they should be to stick with a group of sitflyers.

“Well, what’s 10 pounds going to do anyway?”

Turns out…a lot! I’ve been flying with the belt off and on the past few weeks, forgetting it at home once, doing some solos another time, but for the most part the belt has been on. Though until this weekend, I didn’t really realize just how much of an effect it has on my fall rate.

(The first jump I did with a weight belt at Zhills. You can see a little bulk in my lower back, but nothing too terrible. In fact, it’s the same jump as my blog header – you can’t even tell I’m wearing weight there! *Photo by Aaron Stocum)

Jump #1 at The Ranch entailed me in a sit, looking down at my buddy Tom. Once I realized a stand was going to be necessary, he was too far gone and I, for the life of me, couldn’t stick a stable stand .

So for jump #2 I strapped on an extra 10 pounds around my waist and off we went. On this jump, I was only very slightly above him, in fact, if I would have kept a better heading and focused on driving my hips forward we could have easily made a couple good docks.

I think I was in awe of the difference the weight really made.

The rest of the weekend I worked on my fall rate changes and focused on the differences the weight makes on my skydive. I was even surprised how much I could feel the difference under canopy and coming in for a landing.

Needless to say, I’m incredibly happy with the weight. Who would have thought a girl could get so giddy about putting on 10 pounds?!

Best part is, in freefall, I don’t really even realize it’s there. I tuck the buckle back between my rig and lower back and, aside from the little jelly roll appearance it gives under my clothing, I’d never even know it was there on the skydive!

For all you floaty skydivers out there, I highly recommend strapping on a weight belt and giving it a go. It might just make all the difference in the world!

Blue skies!

Ashley

The Skydiver Diet with PhytoBurst

A couple weeks back I was contacted by this awesome chick Suji who had recently spent some time in the tunnel. Bad ass!

Apparently she came across my blog and noticed a couple posts about the “skydiver diet,” as I like to refer to my inability to eat and skydive. I don’t recommend this, it’s unhealthy and honestly very unsafe to let yourself get low on fuel during a sport like skydiving.

Adrenaline will only take you so far before you hit the floor from lack of energy.

So she recognized the need here and suggested I give these little nutritional chews a try. They’re called PhytoBurst (sold by my friends over at Guaranteed Wellness), and as the name suggests, they pack a HUGE nutritional punch.

As I passed on lunch at the dropzone, I remembered that I had these chews to try out instead. They certainly don’t fill you up, but that’s not the point – at least, not for me. The last thing I want is a heavy meal sitting in my stomach as I’m plummeting to the Earth at 140 mph working on my freefly skills.

But the typical dip in energy I experience on a day without lunch nearly disappeared thanks to these little jems. And they are freakin’ tasty! As I was eating the mixed-berry flavor the other day I was trying to put my finger on the flavor; it’s like Flintstones Vitamins without the chalky texture.

These things are THE BOMB!

Check out what they have to offer:

I even gave them a try yesterday as I was sitting at my desk, busting away on the never ending pile of work, realizing I didn’t have time to eat lunch. One chew got me through the afternoon without feeling like I was going to pass out on my keyboard.

So they’re certainly not just for athletes, though I recommend them for anyone who is training. They sure beat that disgusting power gel in the packets. And they’re gluten-free! With a best friend who’s a glutard (cute little pet name, eh?) this one hits close to home.

Thanks, Suji, for recommending PhytoBurst. These will be a dropzone staple from here on out! Give ‘em a try, y’all. If you’re interested in getting your own free sample, check out their website or let me know and I’ll hook you up!

Blue Skies!

Ashley

Everglades Boogie 2010

Being back in the cold and snowy weather of the Midwest has me pining for the sun, warmth and blue skies of Florida. I can’t help but day dream of the times spent in Ft. Myers, DeLand, Sebastian, Zephyrhills, and Clewiston.

Which is where I will begin my journey – the Everglades Boogie at Skydive AirAdventures.

This was the main event for us: the reason we chose Florida this time of the year as opposed to Arizona or Puerto Rico where other jump buddies were traveling this winter.

The Everglades Boogie caught our eye for a number of reasons: the high altitude jump, the skyvan, the Pitts biplane, and of course, the affordability of traveling to this state.

We kept our budget low by stocking groceries in a cooler and sleeping in our car most nights. Luckily our “midsize” rental ended up being a Dodge Journey.

Fold the back seats down and you’ve got the perfect sleeping arrangements… well, close to perfect, anyhow.

After spending our first day in Ft. Myers, walking along the beach, eating some mediocre seafood and watching the sunset over the Gulf, we headed to Clewiston for our first night around the bonfire.

(Sunset over Ft. Myers Beach)

To our surprise there was only one other group camping out that night – a couple guys who are regulars at Skydive AirAdventures. The following few nights were spent around the bonfire with these fellas.

Here’s video evidence that the times spent around the fire were quite entertaining:

Thanks to Rick and Lisa for the 8 kegs provided after hours. Oh the things free beer will entice you to do…

Anyway, back to the skydiving.

There are a lot of individual stories to tell from this event, but I’ll give you the basic rundown before we go into any specifics.

The first two days were beautiful, a little breezy, but nothing to worry about. The LZ was large enough where I didn’t have to worry too much about off landings. In fact, I only landed off once – into the packing area on the last jump of day 2. This made me think that it’s time to seriously start considering downsizing my canopy. With an exit weight of 135, it gets difficult to make it back to the dropzone on breezy days under my Triathlon 160. But that’s a topic for another day.

Thursday was the first day of the boogie and it was a little slower than anticipated, but by the end of the day the Super Otter was turning loads. To my surprise though, I couldn’t for the life of me get anyone other than Rick to jump on the sunset load. So I ended the day with four. Here’s a video compilation of these jumps.

I edited in a little commentary and music (Angels & Airwaves, one of my favorites!) for your enjoyment as this one is a little lengthy.

As you can see, we’re really working as a team to stay close and relative in our sit. Needless to say this trip gave us a great chance to practice … by the time we got to Zhills we were seeing incredible improvement!

Friday was another beautiful day. The skyvan showed up from DeLand too so our last three jumps were from a tailgate. It’s pretty fun to watch a huge plane poop out people like that.

The GoPro didn’t want to cooperate on Friday, but here are a couple of our skyvan jumps that day: another 2-way sit and a 4-way horny gorilla exit that looks pretty cool. Rick also had a close call with a swooper as you’ll notice at the end of the video. But it’s all good and everyone is okay.

Saturday was our last day at Skydive AirAdventures and the day we took part in a high altitude jump – and my first chop. Both of these will be discussed in greater detail later.

What I do want to take time to mention is how incredible the experience was at Skydive AirAdventures. The Everglades Boogie was run very smoothly, and though I’m sure it seemed like a madhouse to DOZs Rick and Lisa, they pulled it off successfully. There were a number of vendors there doing demos and selling their stuff including Performance Designs, EG Suits, Aerodyne, and more. I was incredibly impressed with the reps at PD…that’s all I’ll say on that for now.

Aside from the boogie, the atmosphere at this DZ is incredible. The regulars were welcoming and Rick and Lisa made us feel right at home. After my cut away Rick was quick to take me aside and make sure I was okay. Thomas is an incredible rigger who took the time to thoroughly check out my rig and repack my reserve as well.

This is definitely a DZ I’ll be visiting again in the near future.

The last evening there was spent around the bonfire, watching Jeff carve a block of ice into a closing pin shot luge. Not only is this guy an incredible wing suiter, he’s also an ice sculptor. Talents abound in the skydiving world!

(The finished product, ready for ice cold shots!)

We also met some fellow mid-westerners out of Missouri who we’re hoping to connect with again soon. If you’re reading, great meeting you Susan!

Thanks to everyone for making this an incredible boogie weekend. I was able to meet fellow skydivers and make some new friends. Can’t wait to get back in the air with y’all again soon.

If you’re ever in South Florida, I highly recommend heading over to Clewiston for a jump or two at Skydive AirAdventures. The staff will take good care of you.

I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the first few days of our trip – in Ft. Myers and around the Everglades Boogie. (All photos below by Ashley Mead)

(Looking out over the Gulf in Ft. Myers)

(Attempting to feed the Heron – notice the shirt!)

(This little guy kept dive bombing for food)

(Sharing a sunset at Ft. Myers Beach)

(The PD tent during the boogie)

(Jet rides were available)

(Last night at the bonfire)

Blue skies!

Ashley

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