Reflecting and resolving – part 2
In an effort to keep my posts quick and easy to read, I broke up this posts into two part. Part 1 was posted yesterday, and I discussed 2011, took a look at the goals I set at the beginning of the year and where I netted out.
This year, my goals are a little more concrete – either they’ll be successes or failures. But, like this year, I have no doubt that regardless of the outcome, I’ll walk away with plenty of knowledge to reflect upon.
Let’s get onto these resolutions!
Pay off all credit card debt. This is number one on my list for a reason. I finally feel like I’m at a comfortable place to do this, and start building a savings, both for emergencies and to have enough for a down payment on a house. Hello adulthood!
Earn SCUBA certification. This is something that hubs and I have been wanting to do for quite some time. I’m pretty sure this came up within the first few weeks of us dating, as something we both want to accomplish in the near future.
Add to and continue selling prints on my Etsy shop. I’m proud to say that I launched my Etsy shop during the holidays and you can now purchase prints, matted and framed or on canvas right here. This year I intend to make great progress with my photography and editing skills so I can keep my shop fresh.
Recommit to yoga and meditation. Health and fitness has always been important to me, but in the recent past I’ve been slipping. I’ve begun a running routine that I plan to stick with, but on my off days, I’m planning to get back into yoga. It just makes me happier. It also helps that my amazing husband bought me yoga paws as a stocking stuffer this year, so I have no excuse, even when I’m on the road.
Teach my dog how to run with me. This is the main reason that I started running again. I’d like to be able to take the dog out a few times a week after work and run her. I tried when we first got her, but now that she’s more obedient I definitely want to get this routine started – it’ll be good for her and me.
Get some tunnel time. This one speaks for itself. I normally don’t like to put goals around my skydiving, as it’s my leisure activity, but a I consider “tunnel time” to be a bit vague. It’s about time I sync up with a coach and get on my head.
Volunteer. Yes, I already coordinate Jump for Diabetes at Skydive Chicago each year (p.s., if you haven’t heard it’s on 4th of July weekend this year), but I want to do more. I’ve always had the desire to help out at a food bank or serve dinner at a soup kitchen during the holidays. Ideally, I’d like to commit to 1 act of volunteerism a month. I think I’m up to that challenge!
So those are my 7 resolutions for the year. Next year at this time, hopefully I can paste this list into a new blog post with success written after each.
What are your goals, commitments and resolutions for 2012?
Cheers!
Ashley
Currency in off season
As I sit here looking outside at what meteorologists across the Midwest are referring to as Snowpocalypse, I can’t help but dream about those sunny afternoons spent in free fall.
If you’re a skydiver living in a place that gets all four seasons like I do, then you understand the inherent challenge of staying on top of the sport throughout the long winter months.
Time off of this magnitude can not only be detrimental to your spirit, but to your ability to keep your body and mind in tune with the sport. Regardless of what the title says, this post is about more than just having enough jumps to not have to worry about recurrency skydives come spring.
But, that’s a great place to start. According to the United States Parachute Association, “skydivers returning after a long period of inactivity encounter greater risk that requires special consideration to properly manage.”
Lucky for us, they provide strict guidelines of this “period of time” so that it’s not left up to the individual skydiver to determine the meaning behind this subjective statement.
Students: Students who have not jumped within the preceding 30 days should make at least one jump under the direct supervision of an appropriately rated USPA Instructor.
A license: USPA A-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within 60 days should make at least one jump under the supervision of a currently rated USPA instructional rating holder* until demonstrating altitude awareness, freefall control on all axes, tracking, and canopy skills sufficient for safely jumping in groups.
B license: USPA B-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within the preceding 90 days should make at least one jump under the supervision of a USPA instructional rating holder until demonstrating the ability to safely exercise the privileges of that license.
C and D licenses: USPA C- and D-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within the preceding six months should make at least one jump under the supervision of a USPA instructional rating holder until demonstrating the ability to safely exercise the privileges of that license.
*This could be a coach or an instructor.
You can get more details about recurrency requirements here under section 5.2 of the Skydiver Instruction Manual.
Okay, so now that that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at some other fun tips to keep your head in the game in the off season:
1. Travel – this is the obvious one. There are so many winter boogies to attend, like Everglades in Clewiston FL and Puerto Rico and Skydive Arizona’s Easter Boogie. Not to mention all the tunnel boogies that are popping up. Of course, you don’t have to go to a boogie, even though they’re so much fun! You can always just take a quick weekend trip somewhere warm to get in a few skydives. The best way to stay current!
2. Snow jumps – of course, if you can’t afford to make a trip to warmer climates, there’s always the option to jump in the cold and snow. This, of course, assumes that there’s a dropzone within driving distance that’s flying year round to take you up. I promise you, altough it sounds bad, we did this a handful of times last year and it wasn’t that bad. Stay covered and you’ll be fine. It’s worth it to stay current and to get that free fall fix. Yes, the feeling does eventually come back to your fingers.
3. Google it - seek out every skydiving resource you can online. Use Dropzone.com to stay informed with articles you haven’t read yet, discussions on forums, incident report, even take a look at the latest used gear for sale in the classifieds to get you jazzed up for the season. Seek out articles on canopy piloting, wingsuiting and other disciplines you might be interested in tackling this season. Skim the SIM online (here) in preparation for Safety Day – officially March 12 this year. If you can’t stay current in the sky, at least keep your mind current with all the information that’s out there to consume.
4. Read, write, watch. You’re in the right place for this tip! Don’t feel like you have to spend all your time reading the hardcore articles and incident reports, you can learn from the fun stuff too. Pick up the latest issues of Blue Skies Magazine and Parachutist, see what they have to say. Find your favorite skydivers on YouTube and watch some videos to get you really jonesing.
There you have it, a few tips for staying sane and current in the off season. Of course, keeping in close contact with your adrenaline junkie friends around the world helps…misery loves company as they say.
Good news is Safety Day is just around the corner, though I do have to say it’s hard to believe with 6 foot snow drifts in the Chicagoland area right now. Here’s to a safe and quick winter.
Blue skies!
Ashley
Oh the possibilities
As skydivers, we tend to be dreamers.
Yes, this is a fairly bold statement to make, as it’s making assumptions about a category of people that is typically so diverse it can be difficult to find a single trait that cross the spectrum of skydivers, but think about it for a second.
Skydiving is one of those sports where, we all started from one. Every single one of us had a first skydive at one point or another. We all started out not having a clue – because really, with an activity like this that’s so unnatural for humans in the first place, how could you really have any idea what to expect? We all have to go through a process of learning. Some learn faster than others and are labelled “naturals,” but I’m a firm believer in the idea that there’s nothing “natural” about this, so to me these people are just quick studies.
Regardless, the one thing I’ve found to be pretty standard across the broad spectrum of skydivers (as I’ve noted before, you get everything from surgeons and dentists to business men and women to college kids to full time packers/skydivers and everything in between at the dropzone…there’s not a “typical” jumper from what I’ve seen) is that we’re all dreamers, in one way or another.
With our first jump we all had a dream to continue on in this sport (true because, we’re here, aren’t we?), in one form or another. Whether it was knowing from day one that you wanted to fly a wingsuit so you followed protocol, jumped through all the hoops (no pun intended) and got your 200 jumps so you could fly that wingsuit and never look back, or whether you set out to learn as much as you could to be able to get your ratings so you can turn around and teach others to enjoy the sport just as much as you, or if you knew you wanted to compete, so you work hard, spend time in the tunnel to get on a 4-way team. Whatever the path you ended up taking was the one initially envisioned, we all had a dream within this sport – even the simplest “I want to get my license so I can do this whenever I want,” was your only goal.
This was initially my intention. Of course, once I entered the skydiving community and realized how many great people and how many cool things there were to do and see, my vision changed.
For me, as I looked at the future, the possibilities were endless. The landscape is ever changing, there are always new challenges. Skydiving is one of those sports that has so many facets, so many disciplines to learn, that once you’ve mastered one thing, there’s a new challenge awaiting you.
This is something I’ve always relished about skydiving, the never-ending personal challenge involved. You don’t have to go to Nationals to get your competitive juices flowing. You can compete every single time you jump – even if it’s only with yourself.
If you work hard to progress in the sport and open yourself up to new challenges, you just might be surprised at the doors that seemingly open themselves and attempt to pull you through to the next opportunity. I continue to be amazed by how much my life has changed since skydiving. Not all of it has happened through the skydiving world, but I do have the sport to thank for opening my eyes to what it is I want and the paths I decide to take in this life.
Life is short, sometimes too short, and taking advantage of those chances to make your life better, and allow you to make it better for the people around you, that’s what it’s all about.
Skydiver or not, there’s a lot to learn just by lifting your head skyward and looking up at the possibilities – you might be surprised what you see. Opportunities will cross in front of your face every single day, if you let them. Start putting the pieces of the life you want to lead together, and open your eyes to all the possibilities that the universe is offering up.
Love and Blue Skies!
Ashley
Ordinary vs. Extraordinary
I don’t want to be ordinary. Clearly, being a blogging, traveling, yoga practicing, skydiver I’m not your average 20-something woman.
But, on the other side of the coin – strange as this may sound coming out of the mouth of a skydiver – I don’t want to be too extraordinary either.
I love the diversity in my life, and to give everything I have to one thing, to “become the sport,” just isn’t something that’s on my radar. Now, maybe with the right incentives we could talk, but I’m not willing to give up my relationships and activities completely – these things make me who I am, after all.
On top of all that, I don’t see the benefit of being Ms. Skydiving herself. A lot of people have referred to me as “The Skydive Chick” in the past and it gives me the shivers. I mean, I certainly don’t refer to myself as that, Skydive Chick is just the name of my blog. Hi, I’m Ashley. Nice to meet you!
Though the recognition for my blogging is nice, because it does take an element of sacrifice and work, even though it’s totally badass fun at the same time, but I’m not here to become something that I’m not. I do like that y’all seem to appreciate what I have to share, that’s the whole point.
I’m off track here a little….
My point is this: I thoroughly enjoy leading a life that’s out of the ordinary. I’m not bored, like a lot of my friends, I get opportunities that many may never even dream of (huge perk of living outside the ordinary, in my book), I get to meet some of the most fabulous people in the world, and it always gives me something to do, plan for and talk about. But I don’t think becoming extraordinary (like the fictitious Ms. Skydiving I mentioned above) would do me any favors either.
I like being somewhat grounded (not in the literal, skydiving sense though, that’s kinda killing me slowly right now), being able to listen to other people, hear their stories, rather than just being asked to regurgitate mine all the time. I never want anything to take away from my ability to enjoy the company and stories of others. That’s a big part of the skydiving world, after all.
From spending time with those self-proclaimed sky gods out there, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that they are frequently bored with other people and often wait (impatiently) to tell their story instead, because their lives are better.
Never, do I want to start behaving that way, or EVER actually believing that I’m better. Yikes!
So call me, Ms. Just Left of Ordinary and call it a day. Or, my preference, call me Ashley, and put me in my place as needed.
Love and Blue Skies!
Ashley
UPDATE: Hey guys, so I wanted to give a little mini-update to the post, mostly to provide some clarification here. My word choice may not have been the best with the whole ordinary vs. extraordinary thing. My point here can best be summed up by this line from above:
“From spending time with those self-proclaimed sky gods out there, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that they are frequently bored with other people and often wait (impatiently) to tell their story instead, because their lives are better. Never, do I want to start behaving that way, or EVER actually believing that I’m better. Yikes!”
I do, however, want to put everything I have into everything I do…go balls to the wall as the lovely Sydney put it below. This has always been my mentality in life. It’s just not my style to put all my eggs in one basket, if you will. I’m a diverse creature, and I like it that way. Yes, speaking in metaphor can be confusing, turns out.
So it’s not so much about not wanting to be great, but it’s about not wanting to become “that girl” in the process. I like being close to the ground (so to speak) while spending as much time at 14,000 as i can…In the end, I just want to be me, and be good at it. After all, aren’t we all here to become as great as we can at everything we do?
Cravings
Freefall cravings are hitting hard these days. I haven’t been able to get any time in the sky since the end of the season and it’s eating away at me.
Over the holidays I lived vicariously through my friends who traveled to Florida and other exotic places (yes, when you live in Chicago, Florida is considered exotic) for skydiving, which I worked long hours to fill in for my colleagues who were also gone on vacation.
Last year at this time I was ramping up for 10 days in Florida for the Everglades boogie. That seems like ages ago now. This year we have nothing planned – though we did just talk about taking a trip the other day, whether it’s a quick road trip somewhere a little warmer or even just a weekend at a local dropzone that’d be willing to throw us out of an airplane. I’d take hop ‘n pops at this point.
Anyone know of any dropzones within driving distance of Chicago that fly on sunny winter days?
Until then, I’m continuing to live through those of you who were able to get out and skydive this Christmas. Any stories you have to share are welcome.
Blue ones!
Ashley
Holiday Card
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Every year when Christmas cards start arriving in the mail I get the feeling that I really should have sent some out too. Some years I do, some I don’t.
Most I don’t, really.
I did in college, but for some reason I moved away from it once I was out on my own.
And of course, now I’ve made some great skydiving friends who are sending me these wicked cool holiday cards and I’ve sent out jack squat.
So, I’m sending y’all this – consider this my Christmas card. I’m even leaving you with my two favorite skydiving photos from this year, courtesy of Norman Kent and our engagement photo shoot.
Posts might trail off a bit here in the next couple weeks, as I’m sure my readers will too as they head out to visit family or off to really cool places like Zhills (ehem Ms. Owen!) so if I don’t talk to you, hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a very safe New Year!
Love and Blue Skies!
Ashley
Hear it from the Expert – Melanie Curtis
SDC: Alright Ms. Melanie, let’s start with the basics – when did you start skydiving and what’s your “story” on getting into this sport?
MC: My Dad actually owned a small drop zone in upstate New York for many years called The Verona Skydiving Center. I was lucky enough to be exposed to skydiving at a young age, could have done it when I was 16, but was scared, wasn’t ready.. when I was 18, something in my flipped and I was ready. Told my Dad I was going to do it the next day, I did, and so it happened that the entirety of my adult life was spent fully immersed in my love of this sport and community.
SDC: For those of us who have jumped with you, we all know that you do a little bit of everything, even swooping. So tell us, what is your favorite discipline?
MC: Currently, my favorite discipline is 4-way VFS, because it’s still quite a bit of a challenge for me, I don’t feel that good at it yet, and with the bigger gap open for improvement, so is the opening for feeling awesome when you rock it. Outside of that though, pretty much my only personal goal in skydiving now is to only surround myself with awesome, hilarious people I love. Seriously. I’m not kidding. That’s for team stuff– awesome, hilarious, teammates I love, only. Professionally, I love going to/working at/organizing major events– I love that I get to meet and jump with a million new people, ever expanding the connection with awesome hilarious people I love. Hahaa, but seriously! I’m so so so all about that. On top of the obvious fun of travel, experiencing the country/world, and enjoying the skies and views from so many beautiful places. Man, I’m grateful.
SDC: Is there anything you haven’t tried yet that you really want to (like, have you wingsuited or BASE jumped)?
MC: I have tried wingsuiting, did about 20 jumps, had a hard pull and a reserve ride, and then hung it up for good. I tried it because of the awesome organizers (Taya Weiss, Jeff Nebelkopf, Phil Peggs, etc) of the Wingsuit Records held at Elsinore.. but yeah, I don’t like having my limbs restricted like that, and honestly, overall, am a very risk-averse skydiver. As for BASE, I have no desire. Zip, zilch, nada. The videos totally turn my stomach. I get no enjoyment out of increased risk– I like to calculate my risk to a point of feeling as safe as one can feel inside the skydiving environment. I love my life, so I make choices to protect it, and for me, that boxes out certain things. Totally appreciate that others love it, that it’s incredible in it’s own right, and that maybe down that line I’ll change my mind.. yeah, all good.. as of now though, I’m happy pushing myself in the competitive arena, and in coaching, very simply, helping people have more fun.
SDC: Aside from Elsinore and the Chick’s Rock boogie (cuz we all know that’s the best one around), what are some of your favorite dropzones and Boogies?
MC: CarolinaFest is amazing!! James LaBarrie and DZO’s Danny and Annette Smith put on a fantastic show, awesome people, great night life, fun extras, awesome organizers (hehee), extra aircraft, all the vendors, Rodriguez Brothers initiations, any discipline of skydiving covered.. everything. Even though it’s a co-ed event, we’ve started calling it the Chicks Rock of the East.. cause the vibe is just so awesome, welcoming, loving, and fun. Hell yes. Other than that, in 2010, the Pimp My Fly Boogie in Hanko, Finland was INCREDIBLE!! What an amazing nearly week-long event these girls put on to inspire the lady freefliers of Finland. SO grateful to be a part of that one, and can’t wait for 2011!!
SDC: We just missed that event last year, having spent a long weekend in South Carolina only a couple weeks prior. But you’re so right about everyone there – definitely a place we plan to visit again soon…maybe for the boogie!
Any place/event you really want to attend but haven’t yet?
MC: I’ve never been to Empuriabrava.. not sure what’s there really, I guess the draw of the exotic foreign location is appealing to me…. taps into that bug of wanting to see the world. I guess Dubai is on the list now too!
SDC: Who were some of your mentors as you grew into the sport? Who do you look up to now?
MC: Lou Ascione was one of my earliest teammates, and has basically taught me everything I know about belly flying, 4-way, and teaching/coaching. He is a phenomenal teacher and teammate, totally fucking hilarious and awesome person all around. I definitely credit him for turning me into a great coach, teaching me how to teach mostly by just leading by that example. In freeflying, Amy Chmelecki has always been just the pinnacle of freefly badassness to me.. because she is!!! She is amazing, and now that we’re actually friends, I swear, still, and this is no joke, I sometimes have that thought of, “Seriously, I’m friends with Amy Chmelecki??” She’s even better than what you’re thinking, everyone. Trust me on this one.
SDC: You know, Mel, there are probably more people out there that think that way about you than you know…just sayin’. There are a lot of little skydiving chicklets (like, ehem, me) who look up to you, cuz you know, you’re badass and all. Tell us a little bit about how you got to where you are now. The road to Melsinore if you will.
MC: Hahaha, the road to Melsinore.. that’s funny.. well, I actually believe that my story is a perfect example of what happens when you choose to follow your gut, and take the leaps of faith to do what your heart really pulls you to do. I was completely and totally in love with skydiving and my involvement in it. Any opportunity I had come my way, I directed it to align with my skydiving goals… went to Australia in college cause it had weather for skydiving… moved to LA from New York to be in a more skydiving-friendly environment now that I was making adult money… drive to the DZ every single weekend for 3 years working full-time at an investment bank, spending too much of that office time working on skydiving skills camps and team building and voracious reading, etc…….. That kind of dedication, persistence, stamina, seems to me like it can only be fueled by love. I stuck with it, I stuck with it, I stuck with it. Literally nothing could stop me. I saw no obstacles to my doing this. It was just a fact. I was doing this. I spent all my money on skydiving, it wasn’t even a question. Truthfully, only after the fact was I able to see it as the “investment in my future” it actually was. Because at age 27, I was able to quit my job in corporate America, start full-time at Skydive Elsinore, and the rest is history.
SDC: Personally, I love how involved you are in this community – it’s more than a job to you, it’s a lifestyle. What is it that draws you into the skydiving community?
MC: It’s absolutely a lifestyle. I am happy to say that I am finally getting some balance in my life now from that feeling of over-saturation, having just left Elsinore full-time, going free-agent in my professional skydiving, pursuing life coaching more, and actually taking steps and making time for a for-real personal life! hahaa Skydiving is a huge family that cradles each of us in like-minded community.. where everyone is welcome, regardless of their age, skin color, or skill level. I LOVE that. Skydivers are a unique breed of people, so even in my seeking balance now, I still, and always will be, involved in our community and family… going to events, coaching people with heart, cheering on my man on Airspeed, etc. Skydiving will always be a part of who I am, and I will always be grateful for and take comfort in that.
SDC: You seem to be very pro-chick, it’s heartwarming, especially in a sport that’s pretty male dominated. Tell us a little about how the Chick’s Rock boogie evolved?
MC: Funny you say that, cause truthfully, I wouldn’t call myself pro-chick.. I’m pro-people. Chicks Rock Boogie was actually started two years before I got to Elsinore, and when I took the job working there full-time, that event was on the list of things I was in charge of. Because I’m so pro-positive vibes, I was so all about Chicks Rock because it always seemed like that event was just the awesomest vibes in skydiving! Totally grew on that, and went with the hook of it being a chick-themed thing, and I was a chick.. it worked out. I actually have always been one of those skydivers that does not support the women’s division in competition since this is a sport where we CAN compete at the highest level with men, and do. Eliana Rodriguez, Natasha Montgomery, Amy Chmelecki, just to name a few. So yeah, the whole chick thing actually annoyed me for a number of years. Then, in 2007, my teammate Meili Modini pestered and convinced me to attend the Women’s Vertical World Record. Because I was anti-segregation, I honestly wouldn’t have gone had it not been for Meili’s enthusiasm. Anyway, this experience ended up being one of the best skydiving experiences I had had to date in my entire career. There was no vibe of we’re-not-as-good-as-the-guys at all, in fact, it felt like a big version of my favorite thing in skydiving– a team. We all worked together, got the record, and for the first time I really GOT how inspiring it all is for all the women in the sport to have that type of experience to look forward to, that type of experience to motivate them, to include them, to lift them up in our male-dominated sport. Ever since then, I’ve been totally all about it. I get it. Finally! hahaa, and so glad that I can be a part of inspiring our latest surge in female participation… the latest record we just did was 41-women!!!! And there were nearly 60 of us in total between the record and the support team. That is truly incredible. So many lovely ladies found inspiration in this totally amazing possibility for us all, and you know what, we came together, and we fuckin did it. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it. LOVE YOU, LADIES!!!!!! (insert lots of smiles here)
SDC: So you recently made a pretty cool life decision when it comes to your work, want to fill everyone in on that, let people know how they can get some stellar life coaching?
MC: www.melaniecurtis.com!! Thanks for the plug, Ashley! hahaa.. yes, I actually just got 3 new clients this week, no joke!! Basically check out my website, and any questions or to set up a Sample Session, just email me at melaniejcurtis@gmail.com.
SDC: Any advice you’d like to give to the up and comers out there? Something you wish you’d known as a newbie skydiver?
MC: Jump, a lot.. be current… get coaching from someone good.. it’s soooooooooooooooooo worth it to get good coaching, guidance, and good habits from someone awesome straight out the gates. Undoing bad habits costs more in the end, and doing it up front saves us the frustration of sucking, makes us better sooner, and when we’re better, we have more fun. Just how it works. Same with life coaching! Wheee!
p.s. Mel practically vomited smiles all over this post, but my darn template is all wacky with emotocons these days, so be sure to reread the interview picturing her with this massive smile plastered on her face – as always!
I’d rather be skydiving – relaxing edition
This weekend was the first official non-skydiving weekend of the year. At first I was looking forward to it, then come Saturday morning I have to admit I was a bit bummed. Sure, I got to lounge around and catch up on some much needed relaxation, and laundry, but I was really wishing I could be in the air.
It’s been a few weeks – which until this point, is the longest period of time I’ve gone without a skydive. Though I’ve felt plenty of adrenaline lately, none of it is nearly as freeing as exiting the otter.
There are no plans for a winter trip in my immediate future…I’ve adopted this whole live one day at a time philosophy, and honestly I’m loving every second of that. Even talking with the family about Christmas plans makes me uncomfortable – it seems just too far away to worry about right now.
I do love that skydiving has taught me how to do this. For those that may not know it, this sport goes beyond just jumping out of airplanes, packing up and doing it all over again. There’s so much to learn about yourself and the life you want to live, if you’re open to it. In the recent weeks off I’ve had a chance to really sit back and absorb all that I’ve learned from skydiving and the surrounding community. I’ve been blessed to have met so many incredible people who, whether they know it or not, have taught me about myself too.
Though I still haven’t learned how to comfortably sit and do nothing. It’s during those times that I really, truly miss being in the air. Hmm…maybe I will start thinking about a winter trip after all…any suggestions?
Love and blue skies!
Ashley
Winter Travel Time
Winter is fast approaching here in Chicagoland, and it’s about time to start thinking about a winter trip. Last year, as some of you might recall, Rick and I made a trip down to the Everglades boogie in Clewiston, FL. This is where I encountered lots of skydiving milestones like my first cutaway, my 100th skydive, my first shot from a closing pin ice luge, my first skyvan jump…the list goes on.
I was recently asked by a reader, “what is the best dropzone to travel to in the winter?” That’s a tough question to answer…I guess, it depends on what you’re looking for.
Let me elaborate.
Last winter, aside from the Clewiston boogie, we visited a few other dropzones in Florida and fell in love with Zhills (aka, Skydive City). The vibe is great, they have an Otter and a PAC, and they have everything you need right at the DZ. Everyone is so friendly, and it definitely lives up to it’s reputation as the friendliest dropzone in Florida. Though we didn’t attend, I hear the annual Christmas Boogie is pretty lovely.
I’ve also been lucky enough to visit other warm-weather dropzones like Skydive Carolina that have an incredible vibe. Everyone there was so willing to jump with you! Southern hospitality at it’s finest.
If you’re looking to head West, I do have to admit that I don’t have a whole lot of experience in this area, but I can tell you that Elsinore is pretty incredible. We were there for Chicks Rock at the beginning of October, and the otters were turning (as was the skyvan, for that weekend). For a Midwesterner, skydiving between the mountains was a pretty incredible site. I was also amazed with how friendly every was there (notice the trend here…if the staff and jumpers are friendly and welcoming, there’s a much greater chance that I’ll love jumping there. It adds to the experience more than you might think). Of course, I might be a bit bias as I was able to do a little bonding with Ms. Melsinore outside of the DZ before heading home…you may recall the Carls Jr. run in.
Anywhoosits, those are my recommendations for sure. Though I’ve yet to travel there, I’ve heard nothing but great things about Skydive Arizona as well. We’ve tossed around the idea of the Puerto Rico boogie, though it just might not be in the budget this time around.
I’d love to hear any other recommendations all you other jumpers have for winter travel. After all, though I’ve traveled at lot the last couple years, my experience is still pretty limited.
On another note, there are lots of end-of-season / Halloween parties going on this weekend at dropzones around the country. Very excited for my first Halloween at CSC, with a costume contest and $20 jumps for those who decide to jump in costume. I will be taking advantage of that!
If you’re not in the area, here are some other events you might consider checking out:
- Halloween Carnivale – Skydive Arizona: 10/29-10/31. Skydive Arizona goes huge for their Halloween event! Good jumps, good party and a FREE MIRAGE RIG to the best costume! They’ve got Otters, Skyvans, a DC3 and a balloon. They’ll have some kick ass load organizers too…one of my favorite chicks will be there (enjoy your trip Mel).
- “One Dirty Halloween” on the Farm – Skydive the Farm (Georgia): 10/29-10/31. 2 Otters, costume contest, charity raffle, load organizers and more!
- Skydive KY grand opening: 10/30. Skydive KY was asked by the airport to start the skydiving business again. Awesomeness!
Happy Halloween everyone!
Blue ones!
Ashley
I’d rather be skydiving — moving edition
I wish I had something skydiving related to share…truly I do. Unfortunately, in the last week I’ve only been able to get in one skydive (and it was a solo head down / stand practice — still need much more head down work, that’s for sure), what with the move from Cleveland to Chicago and all.
But I must say, it’s been instant happiness coming here. I love our new place out in the burbs, I love my office and finally being in the same location with people on my team, and I honestly kind of enjoy my commute — it gives me a chance to wind up and wind down from work and I get to do a little walking every day from Union Station to my office (well, I will once our office moves…lots of transitions going on at the moment).
I also love the fact that our new home dropzone (can you believe it, I’m actually calling a dropzone home for once! *gasp*) — Chicagoland Skydiving Center — is less than an hour away. No more 1:45 commute to skyjump. Yay!
The one piece of exciting news is that my new system is almost complete, with the upcoming delivery of my customer Sabre2. It’s going to be so pretty when it’s all done. I’ll be sure to post pics for you!!
Until then, it’s back to work and getting settled.
Blue Skies!
Ashley